Samantha Cole

Samantha Cole

Sam Cole is writing from the far reaches of the internet, about sexuality, the adult industry, online culture, and AI. She's the author of How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex.
227 posts
Massive AI Dataset Back Online After Being ‘Cleaned’ of Child Sexual Abuse Material
News

Massive AI Dataset Back Online After Being ‘Cleaned’ of Child Sexual Abuse Material

LAION-5B is back, with thousands of links removed after research last year that showed it contained instances of abusive content. 
Behind the Blog: Bobbleheads and Maxed-Out Gaming
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: Bobbleheads and Maxed-Out Gaming

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss generative AI in gaming, getting into sports events, and good laptops.
Behind the Blog: Skipping Meetings and Calming Nerves
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: Skipping Meetings and Calming Nerves

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss running 404 Media for a whole year, public speaking, and meetings.
What We Learned In Our First Year of 404 Media
Announcements

What We Learned In Our First Year of 404 Media

In August 2023, we launched 404 Media with a novel idea: pay journalists to do journalism. Here we are, a year later.
Shein Is Suing Temu For Copyright Infringement
copyright

Shein Is Suing Temu For Copyright Infringement

Shein, notorious for being accused of copyright infringement by small artists and big brands alike, is suing its competitor Temu for... copyright infringement.
Swift Could Sue Trump Under State Law for Fake AI Endorsement
AI

Swift Could Sue Trump Under State Law for Fake AI Endorsement

Donald Trump accepted fake endorsements from AI-generated versions of Taylor Swift and her fans. Under a recently-enacted Tennessee law, the AI-generated images could be illegal.
Nvidia Sued for Scraping YouTube After 404 Media Investigation
nvidia

Nvidia Sued for Scraping YouTube After 404 Media Investigation

David Millette, a YouTube creator, filed a class action lawsuit against Nvidia citing “unjust enrichment and unfair competition” for how the company built its training data for the “Cosmos” project video model.
Behind the Blog: Lost in Translation
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: Lost in Translation

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss LLMs and languages, and a big data breach.
'She Turned Ghost White:' How a Ragtag Group of Friends Tracked Down a Sex Trafficking Ringleader
girls do porn

'She Turned Ghost White:' How a Ragtag Group of Friends Tracked Down a Sex Trafficking Ringleader

Michael Pratt hid a massive sex trafficking ring in plain sight on PornHub. On the run from the FBI, an unexpected crew of ex-military, ex-intelligence officers and a lawyer tracked him down using his love of rare sneakers and crypto. For the first time, the group tells their story.
I Gazed Lovingly Into Strangers’ Eyes on ‘Eyechat’
fun

I Gazed Lovingly Into Strangers’ Eyes on ‘Eyechat’

Neal Agarwal's eyes-only video chat sets you up with a stranger's eyes only.
Behind the Blog: The Tasks In Front of Us
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: The Tasks In Front of Us

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss crushing and publishing stories and what goes into reporting on a leak.
Cops Used Facial Recognition on Lost iPhone Lock Screen to Find Post Office Robbers

Cops Used Facial Recognition on Lost iPhone Lock Screen to Find Post Office Robbers

Two men face felony charges after allegedly losing an iPhone in the snow after a break-in at a post office.