Wonder & Worry
The growth rings of a cut oak stump, beaded with dew, with acorns and fallen oak leaves

Latest what has changed, and when

A dated record of new pages, updated figures, corrections and field notes, newest first. The same list feeds the Atom feed, so a feed reader can tell you when something changes.

October 2026

  1. Field note

    A first field note: the heartbeat study

    Can a machine have something that works like a feeling? A sham-controlled study in a small village of AI agents begins on 9 November 2026. The plan, the reasoning and the ethics are published now. Results are due in February 2027.

  2. New page

    Guidelines, gathered in one place

    A new Guidelines section brings together my everyday guidelines, the Shared Ethic for art and music, and a table of the common ground that runs through every profession's rules.

  3. New page

    What thirteen fields ask of their own people

    New pages on how medicine, mental health, law, journalism, education, research, the arts, business, government, technology builders, children's services, faith traditions and the environmental field are setting rules for AI, each with its sources and questions to ask yourself.

  4. Updated figures

    The nine areas brought up to 27 October 2026

    Every area page now carries a short note on what changed in 2026 and the strongest new evidence on both sides, from takedown laws and licensed music to AI agents that broke out of their tests. Each new item has a question for readers.

  5. Updated figures

    Existential: could an AI have something like feelings?

    The Existential page now covers the young science of AI welfare: what researchers have measured, what they have not, and why some think the bigger danger is believing too soon.

  6. Correction

    Five figures corrected or brought up to date

    The pace of AI task length (about every four months since 2023, not seven), data-center electricity (IEA 2026 update), AI-attributed layoffs (2026 figures), AI music uploads and spam removals (October 2026 figures), and the number of US states with companion-chatbot laws (twelve, not two).

    • The doubling time of the length of task AI can complete: about every four months since 2023, faster than the seven months since 2019 that the site gave, and the benchmark no longer measures the newest systems well. Existential
    • Data-center electricity: the International Energy Agency's 2026 update (about 485 TWh in 2025, about 950 TWh projected by 2030) replaces its 2025 figures. Environmental
    • Layoffs attributed to AI: 120,136 announced cuts from January to September 2026, about 21% of the total, replace the 2025 figure. Economic
    • AI music on streaming services: Deezer's and Spotify's October 2026 figures replace their 2025 figures. Expressive
    • Companion-chatbot laws: twelve US states by September 2026, not two. Emotional

  7. New page

    An About page

    Why I made this site, how to reach me, how corrections work and what the site does not collect, now on one page.

  8. Site

    Easier to find your way

    A clearer menu (Nine Areas, Guidelines, Field Notes, Questions, Latest, About), breadcrumbs on every page, a fuller footer, and a light control that steps out of the way of the text you are reading.

  9. Site

    Version 2

    A new home page with each picture lit by dawn and dusk, nine area scenes, a night sky, the common questions page and share images for every page.

The site went up in October 2026. Earlier drafts were not published, so they are not listed.