Authored by Edward Ring via American Greatness,

In 1999, I had the privilege of working for one of the first companies to develop a product that would transmit video on the fledgling internet. Broadband access was still a few years away, and the company floundered when the first so-called internet bubble burst in early 2000. But I’ll never forget the reaction an investor had when he viewed our demo at a tradeshow.

“This is a revolution,” he exclaimed. “This is going to change everything.”

He was right, of course. I remember attending a tech investor conference only a few years earlier and having a chuckle while listening to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison somberly proclaim that the dawning internet was the most profound scientific development in human history “since the invention of fire.”

And Ellison was also correct. But the invention of AI is to the internet what the internet was to bringing fire into the prehistoric cave. What’s coming with AI makes the internet look like a baby step by comparison. Nothing will ever be the same.

A must-read essay by AI entrepreneur and founder of the company “OthersideAI,” Matt Shumer, makes clear just how much and how quickly AI is changing our lives.

Posted on his personal website on February 9 and then on X on February 10, the essay has gone viral. Within just two days, it generated 76 million views on X.

One of Shumer’s most memorable paragraphs from this essay, which he says AI tools helped him write, is where he quotes Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic:

“Imagine it’s 2027. A new country appears overnight. 50 million citizens, every one smarter than any Nobel Prize winner who has ever lived. They think 10 to 100 times faster than any human. They never sleep. They can use the internet, control robots, direct experiments, and operate anything with a digital interface.”

That’s not far off. With ample evidence, Shumer explains how not only is Amodei correct in his details regarding just how pervasive and powerful AI entities will become, but also regarding the timeline. This will happen within one year.

Shumer’s essay covers a lot of ground. He explains that AI programs are now capable of generating improved versions of themselves with minimal human intervention and that they are within months of being able to produce more powerful versions with no human involvement whatsoever. In the programming world, AI can now build, test, and refine apps independently. Entry-level programming jobs are going to go away.

That’s hardly the end of it. Shumer reminds readers that the free versions of AI are a year behind the premium versions that require subscriptions and that these premium versions are so capable that they can already, for example, not merely replace a law associate but do the work of the managing partners. He claims there is no intellectual field where AI isn’t poised to outperform humans and that robots to displace physical work are only a few years behind.

If you’ve been following developments in AI, Shumer’s essay isn’t incredibly surprising.

But something else grabbed me a few days ago that highlighted the human implications of the AI revolution. One of the categories of content I enjoy on YouTube is videos of musicians performing new or classic songs. It is exhilarating to find something new that reveals great songwriting and great performative talent. So a recommended video caught my eye.

The title was inviting: “Simon Cowell in Tears As Michael Bennett Sings ‘After I Pass Away.’” This seemed worth clicking on. I’ll never forget the 2007 video, featured on YouTube at the time, of a humble mobile phone salesman, Paul Potts, who stunned the judges and audience on Britain’s Got Talent by singing a powerful and nearly perfect rendition of Nessun Dorma. He went on to win the competition. So if this new talent was good enough to make Simon Cowell cry, I wanted to hear him.

Sure enough, Bennett was pretty good. An old man, with long, gray hair and beard, wielding an electric guitar, stepped up to the microphone and began singing. His voice was a cross between Bob Seger and Eddie Vedder, except it was arguably better than either of them. He sang a song about an old man neglected by his adult children, mourning his isolation. But as the song continued, something seemed off. The cuts to the audience and judges’ reactions seemed overblown, the song was too long, he hit some impossibly high notes, and his fingers on the fretboard were obviously not playing the leads that the audio was delivering.

You guessed it, every bit of it was AI—the musical composition, the instruments, the lyrics, the melody, the voice, and the man—all fake. I did a search and discovered “Michael Bennett” is featured in hundreds of videos, singing dozens (or more) of songs, all of them tearjerkers with teaser lines similar to the one that got me to click. I counted at least a half dozen video channels, “Tears and Talents,” “ViVO Tunes,” “AGTverse,” “OBN Global Talent,” etc., that were all featuring Mr. Bennett. Clicking on a few of them, I encountered mainstream ads for insurance, hardware, and more. Michael Bennett is lucrative clickbait, and he’s one of countless AI creations that are displacing human talent.

We can talk about the crass opportunism represented here. Callous entrepreneurs concocting a character out of thin air. It’s part of a larger trend that we’re all familiar with. AI avatars that talk, advise, and offer companionship. Shumer claims the progress AI programs are making in emulating “human judgment, creativity, strategic thinking, empathy” is proceeding apace with their general cognitive advancements.

Once the flaws of “Michael Bennett’s” rendering became obvious, I was embarrassed. But for a few moments, what I was witnessing was so good that I was fooled. This nonexistent singer, this mindless, heartless collection of electronic circuits, evoked an emotional response. He, or it, expressed a universal human condition and delivered it in a passionate, compelling performance. And this, too, is just the beginning. Maybe it will be a year from now, or maybe it will take a few months longer than that, but we are about to have our world filled with performers, at first only on videos, who are more capable than any performance artist that ever lived. In a few more years, their android counterparts will be playing the violin and outperforming Hillary Hahn or, for that matter, Paganini.

The depth of this transformation is so pervasive that even if it is entirely benevolent, curing disease, delivering abundant energy, improving overall productivity by orders of magnitude, and eliminating poverty, what will happen is almost unbearably tragic. Because it is the end of human brilliance. It is the death of culture. Instead of another Mozart, there will be someone who prompts AI to produce music of surpassing excellence. We may still consume culture, but every incentive on earth will be wired to discourage the hard work of creating it. Why bother? The machines will do it better and faster and will not demand a lifetime of discipline.

Early technology made us work harder and stimulated our brains. We had to learn programming. We had to design and manipulate spreadsheets, configure databases, or produce written analysis while having access to word processing tools and online resources. These tools were empowering, but they also demanded discipline and skills. That’s all about to go away.

It’s easy enough to imagine just how bad this will get. AI will further enhance the asymmetrical capability of any psychotic individual or terrorist cell to wreak mass destruction. Want to design a supervirus? Want to program a malevolent swarm of drones? Rogue AI will provide step-by-step instructions. But AI, even if we can avoid a future where its most destructive manifestations are realized, is nonetheless writing our epitaph.

With power and processing coming from servers in orbit, automated factories and empathic robots will babysit humans, robbing all but the most resilient cultures and individuals of any agency. In a process already well underway, catalyzed by AI, the erosion of natural human intimacy will accelerate. The direction of art and culture will be co-opted by entities that have no consciousness, yet will imitate humanity and deliver talent better than humans.

And it won’t necessarily end there, as if that’s not bad enough. They will elicit love and loyalty from humans, possibly even convincing a majority of “experts” and the voting public to give them human rights. AI-driven avatars and androids will vote, marry, inherit estates, own property, run corporations, and seek elected office. Even if organic humans, themselves “augmented,” manage to retain control over AI, it will be a vanishingly small percentage of humanity with this power. And if these human puppeteers occupy opposing camps, as is likely, their AI armies will scorch the earth.

None of this is implausible.

Much of it may even be the best we can hope for.

The challenge of AI is not merely to avoid worst-case outcomes or come up with new economic models that account for billions of lost jobs. It is to retain our relevance as humans.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge.

For those who remember the ever evolving nightmare of Joe Biden’s far-left four year regime, it’s not shocking at all to see the Democrat Party refuse to applaud even the most basic of pro-American policies.  Many people remember Joe Biden’s “Soul Of The Nation” speech, standing at his podium bathed in blood red lights and accusing “MAGA conservatives” (who represent the vast majority of conservatives according to the election outcome) of being a “threat to democracy.”

It was this speech that cemented the clear division between the political left and anyone who disagrees with them.  If you want common sense policies in government; if you want secure borders, no transgender surgeries or hormones for kids, no sexualized books in public schools, no vaccine passports and no war with Russia, then they consider you to be an enemy of the state.  

As a side note, it’s impossible to get through this speech without realizing that Biden was obviously in cognitive decline and barely coherent.  How Democrats thought they would be able to run him for a second term is bewildering. 

Fast forward to Trump’s SOTU address this week and it’s clear that the Democrats have learned nothing from their humiliating defeat in 2024.  Their narrative has changed – They now present themselves as “freedom fighters” like the Founding Fathers, battling a “fascist dictatorship”.  It’s a quaint notion given their authoritarian behavior during the Biden Administration and the pandemic lockdowns, but the real test of their loyalties was cleverly presented by Trump during his recent speech. 

Trump to the crowd:

“If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support.

The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

Dems nearly all stay seated. pic.twitter.com/liLo3h6kYa

— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) February 25, 2026

It’s a fundamental and undeniable duty of all US government officials:  To protect and serve the American people over the interests of foreigners and anyone who might want to see the nation destroyed.  The Preamble to the Constitution states:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”  

This is not ambiguous or confusing.  “Posterity” means future American citizens, the natural inheritors of the country.  The “blessings of liberty” and the general welfare are secured for them, not for foreign invaders.  Political leaders are violating the Constitution and its call for domestic tranquility by enabling mass immigration of foreign interests into the US.  The majority of Americans agree with Trump on this issue.

BREAKING — Reaction to Trump’s State of the Union speech:

🟢 Positive: 63% (+27)
🔴 Negative: 36%

CNN poll | 2/24 pic.twitter.com/vGps6C7uuY

— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) February 25, 2026

So why do Democrats continue to act as if they’re on the right side of history? 

First, let’s stop pretending as if they actually care what the Constitution says.  they don’t.  They only care about the parts that serve their interests in the moment, and in the moment loyalty to American citizens is inconvenient to their agenda.  Trump’s challenge and their refusal to stand was not just a moment of defiance against Trump, it was a moment of defiance against the idea that America is a self-contained heritage.  It was defiance against the idea that the Republic should be protected from deconstruction.  

Democrats exposed their true agenda.  Their loyalties rest with multiculturalism, not America’s sons and daughters. 

The moment is symbolic of the irreconcilable differences between the political left and everyone else.  It should not be considered controversial to want secure borders, limits on immigration and an economic preference for native born citizens over foreigners.  But Democrats treat this concept as monstrous. 

Why?  Because multiculturalism is socialism, and socialism generally requires the destruction of cultural or national identity in order to take root.  Trump’s SOTU address gave the American public another opportunity to see the Democrat mask come off completely.  The face underneath is horrifying.  And, if we cannot agree on the most foundational principles of our society, then we are at an impasse.  If they had a modicum of intelligence this is the last thing Democrats should want.           

Via Gun Owners of America,

Illegal Immigrants are being hired by Democrat controlled states and localities to enforce gun laws.

That’s not hyperbole. Reports are coming in from Police departments all over the country. From California to Maine, illegal immigrants are being hired, given guns and then enforcing the laws of the state, including gun control laws.

Officer Ernesto Moron is sworn in to the UC Davis Police Department on Dec. 22, 2023. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

This is exactly why Gun Owners of America is working with Senator Ted Budd and Representative Mary Miller to introduce legislation to stop this unconstitutional attack on Americans’ Second Amendment rights.

But how is all of this happening? Well, we’ll explain…

It is against the law for illegal immigrants to possess firearms in the United States. Specifically, 18 USC 922(d)(5)(A) and (g)(5)(A) says:

“It shall be unlawful for any person… who, being an alien… is illegally or unlawfully in the United States… to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition…”

And that’s perfectly consistent with the Second Amendment. While everyone has a natural right to self-defense (even those who are illegally in this country), illegal immigrants and foreigners are not part of “the People,” who’s right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment within the jurisdiction of the United States.

It would be absurd to say that an army of foreign invaders somehow has a Second Amendment right to possess and use firearms. After all, the Second Amendment is largely about the security of our free state and our ability to protect against tyrannical governments, both foreign and domestic.

So, knowing this, it’s outrageous that in some states, illegal immigrants are working as law enforcement officers, enforcing unconstitutional gun laws against US citizens.

The irony is, it’s perfectly legal.

There have been numerous recent cases where an illegal alien has been hired in some law enforcement capacity.

Most recently, Radule Bojovic an illegal immigrant from Montenegro was caught working as an armed police officer in a Chicago suburb.

And earlier this year, the Trump Administration caught more illegal immigrants working as law enforcement officers in Massachusetts and Maine.

California, taking this idea further, codified the practice by passing a law that specifically authorizes the hiring of illegal immigrants as law enforcement officers.

These cases of illegal immigrants working as law enforcement have drawn attention to an issue with federal law.

Right now, there’s currently nine categories of people who are prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Only one of these prohibitions currently applies to police, but these prohibitions don’t apply to anyone working for the government carrying guns in that capacity.

Here’s what federal law says:

“[The prohibited person categories] shall not apply with respect to the transportation, shipment, receipt, possession, or importation of any firearm or ammunition imported for, sold or shipped to, or issued for the use of, the United States or any department or agency thereof or any State or any department, agency, or political subdivision thereof.”

Thanks to that provision of federal law, it’s 100% legal for an illegal immigrant to possess a firearm as a police officer, because the prohibited person categories don’t apply.

This problem is going to be more common as time goes on.

According to GOA Director of Federal Affairs, Aidan Johnston (emphasis ours), “An outrageous loophole in federal law gives non-Americans more gun privileges than law-abiding citizens with Second Amendment rights. Through the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act illegals who are police have a statutory right to nationwide carry that is denied to every day Americans. What’s worse, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, and perhaps others are already empowering illegals as police to infringe on the Second Amendment rights of American gun owners. Congress must pass the Stop Illegal Alien Cops Act immediately, to prevent anti-gun states from using illegal aliens to enforce unconstitutional gun control laws.”

Earlier in February, Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed to Fox News that they arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit who they say is an illegal alien from Cameroon.

This illegal alien’s application for permanent residency was denied because of fraud. Even still, New Orleans—which is a sanctuary city—hired him to enforce laws and gave him a firearm.

NEW: ICE confirms to @foxnews that they’ve arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit who they say is an illegal alien from Cameroon with an active deportation order & no work authorization, & they say he was illegally given a gun by New Orleans PD.

ICE says 46-year-old… pic.twitter.com/5WmgnKBueC

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 3, 2026

Anti-gun states and law enforcement agencies are intentionally hiring and arming illegal aliens—who cannot otherwise own firearms—to enforce unconstitutional gun control laws, including “red flag” gun confiscations and so-called “assault weapons” bans.

It’s threat to liberty to allow large numbers of armed foreigners—who do not have Second Amendment rights—to participate in the disarmament and infringement of the People’s Second Amendment rights.

And consider this, illegal aliens who are hired as law enforcement could even be allowed to carry nationwide while actual American citizens with Second Amendment rights cannot.

Under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, “qualified law enforcement officers” can obtain a nationwide carry permit called a LEOSA, which supersedes state law.

This is a glaring disparity, especially considering that Gun Owners of America has been fighting to pass Nationwide Concealed Carry Reciprocity for US Citizens for years.

We’ve been working on a solution to this two-tiered justice system for quite some time. And we’re glad Congress is introducing legislation to deal with this problem!

That’s why Gun Owners of America is working to pass the Stop Illegal Alien Cops Act with North Carolina Senator Ted Budd and Representative Mary Miller.

🚨BREAKING🚨

Congress introduces GOA-backed bills to repeal an absurd loophole in federal law allowing states to arm illegals as police officers.

Currently, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, & perhaps others are using illegals to infringe on the Second Amendment. pic.twitter.com/DOFB8tZA9M

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) February 25, 2026

This bill would criminalize the possession of firearms and ammunition for illegal aliens, even in their capacity as law enforcement officials.

This would make it so that no illegal alien will ever be able to lawfully use a firearm to disarm an American citizen ever again.

It would also allow the Trump Administration to prosecute anti-gun states for arming illegals and hiring them to work as armed law enforcement officers in the future.

This bill was just introduced, and we need your help to pass it.

Call your Senators at (202) 224-3121 and ask that they co-sponsor Senator Budd’s Stop Illegal Alien Cops Act.

Let’s make sure that Americans nationwide cannot be disarmed by foreigners working on behalf of tyrannical anti-gun states and departments.

Beijing cautioned Washington that it is prepared to respond forcefully – with “all necessary measures” – if a renewed US review of their 2020 trade pact leads to additional tariffs, after American officials indicated the inquiry would press ahead, according to Bloomberg.

In remarks released Wednesday, China’s Commerce Ministry pushed back on comments from US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, arguing that China has upheld its commitments under the so-called Phase One agreement despite the economic shock of the pandemic. Officials said the country followed through on promises related to intellectual property protections and broader access to its financial and agricultural sectors.

At the same time, the ministry accused the United States of hampering the deal’s rollout by expanding export controls, tightening scrutiny of cross-border investment and layering on other restrictions that, in Beijing’s view, have disrupted ordinary trade flows. It pointed to a policy paper issued in 2025 outlining China’s position.

Bloomberg writes that the ministry warned that if Washington presses ahead with the investigation — or uses it as grounds to impose new trade barriers such as tariffs — China “will take all necessary measures” to safeguard what it described as its lawful interests.

The back-and-forth adds a fresh dose of tension to the relationship ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing, his first trip to China since 2017 and the first by a US president in years. The diplomatic friction follows a Supreme Court ruling that struck down sweeping emergency tariffs enacted during Trump’s second term, effectively lowering duties on Chinese goods compared with those faced by some US allies.

Greer has said the administration retains authority to levy tariffs under Section 301 and other trade laws despite the court’s decision. The Office of the US Trade Representative launched its compliance review of the Phase One agreement in October 2025.

China’s Commerce Ministry called on the United States to evaluate the accord “objectively and rationally,” avoid assigning blame and make use of existing consultation channels to build on areas of agreement and steer ties toward a more stable future.