Kyle Chayka
Kyle Chayka is a staff writer at The New Yorker covering technology and Internet culture. In his column, Infinite Scroll, he has explored why the Internet isn’t fun anymore, examined whether A.I. art steals from artists, and covered TikTok’s role in the vibes revival. Chayka, who first contributed to The New Yorker in 2013, has also written for The New Republic, the New York Times Magazine, and Harper’s, among other publications. His reporting on tourism in Iceland was included in “The Best American Travel Writing 2020.” Chayka’s first nonfiction book, “The Longing for Less,” a history of minimalism, was published in 2020. His second book, “Filterworld,” which explores the impact of digital algorithms on culture, was published in 2024. Chayka began his career in 2010, as a visual-art critic for the Web site Hyperallergic.
How Elon Musk’s Chatbot Turned Evil
From the daily newsletter: the politically incorrect A.I. model is influencing government policy.
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Gentle Parenting My Smartphone Addiction
An app called Opal finally succeeded at curbing my time spent on social media through a combination of mild friction, encouragement, and guilt.
Are You Experiencing Posting Ennui?
Sharing casual moments from our lives on social media doesn’t seem to make sense the way it used to.
Donald Trump, Zohran Mamdani, and Posting as Politics
In an era that rewards online authenticity, political leaders are becoming the new influencers-in-chief.
A.I. Is Homogenizing Our Thoughts
Recent studies suggest that tools such as ChatGPT make our brains less active and our writing less original.
“Mountainhead” Channels the Absurdity of the Tech Bro
In Jesse Armstrong’s new satire, tech is never morally in the black, and the people who create it are no better than despots—inept ones, at that.
Sam Altman and Jony Ive Will Force A.I. Into Your Life
The founder of OpenAI and the designer behind the iPhone are teaming up on a gadget that they promise to ship out “faster than any company” ever has. What could go wrong?
How “Andor” Injects Contemporary Politics Into “Star Wars” I.P.
Beneath all the laser blasters and X-wing spaceships, Tony Gilroy’s miniseries spinoff is a twisting tale of radicalization.
How Donald Trump’s Crypto Dealings Push the Bounds of Corruption
With the meme coin $TRUMP and the company World Liberty Financial, the President is using an underregulated industry to enrich himself and court foreign influence.
Donald Trump, Secret Minimalist?
The President, whose whole deal has long been flashy opulence, is now trying to sell a more restrained aesthetic as the economy seems to sour.
How Cory Arcangel Recovered a Late Artist’s Digital Legacy
Michel Majerus died in a plane crash, but the contents of his laptop are providing a window into his process two decades later. Arcangel says, “It’s like he just stepped out of the room.”
How the Internet Left 4chan Behind
The anonymous forum thrived when edgelord content wasn’t acceptable on more mainstream social media. Today, it can be found most anywhere.
Mark Zuckerberg Says Social Media Is Over
During testimony at Meta’s antitrust trial, the Facebook founder’s argument was, in so many words, that platforms like his are not what they used to be.
Recession Indicators Are Everywhere
The memes responding to Trump’s seesawing tariff policy hint at a collective psychological state.
Social Media Is Getting Better by Falling Apart
From the daily newsletter: why the future of such platforms might be more like e-mail.
TikTok and the Retreat from Technological Globalization
Global technology companies are becoming table stakes in the struggle to establish whatever new world order is emerging.
Bluesky’s Quest to Build Nontoxic Social Media
X and Facebook are governed by the policies of mercurial billionaires. Bluesky’s C.E.O., Jay Graber, says that she wants to give power back to the user.
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The Limits of A.I.-Generated Miyazaki
The launch of GPT-4o inspired a rash of A.I.-generated Studio Ghibli-style images. They may bode worse for audiences than for artists.
Resisting Trump 2.0 with Brain-Rot Memes
We participate in political memes to express our anxiety that whatever is coming next might be even more chaotic than what is already happening.
Donald Trump’s A.I. Propaganda
Artificially generated videos of Gaza as a beach resort and of migrant detention as A.S.M.R. are creating a digital mirror world of the future as Trump imagines it.
How Elon Musk’s Chatbot Turned Evil
From the daily newsletter: the politically incorrect A.I. model is influencing government policy.
Gentle Parenting My Smartphone Addiction
An app called Opal finally succeeded at curbing my time spent on social media through a combination of mild friction, encouragement, and guilt.
Are You Experiencing Posting Ennui?
Sharing casual moments from our lives on social media doesn’t seem to make sense the way it used to.
Donald Trump, Zohran Mamdani, and Posting as Politics
In an era that rewards online authenticity, political leaders are becoming the new influencers-in-chief.
A.I. Is Homogenizing Our Thoughts
Recent studies suggest that tools such as ChatGPT make our brains less active and our writing less original.
“Mountainhead” Channels the Absurdity of the Tech Bro
In Jesse Armstrong’s new satire, tech is never morally in the black, and the people who create it are no better than despots—inept ones, at that.
Sam Altman and Jony Ive Will Force A.I. Into Your Life
The founder of OpenAI and the designer behind the iPhone are teaming up on a gadget that they promise to ship out “faster than any company” ever has. What could go wrong?
How “Andor” Injects Contemporary Politics Into “Star Wars” I.P.
Beneath all the laser blasters and X-wing spaceships, Tony Gilroy’s miniseries spinoff is a twisting tale of radicalization.
How Donald Trump’s Crypto Dealings Push the Bounds of Corruption
With the meme coin $TRUMP and the company World Liberty Financial, the President is using an underregulated industry to enrich himself and court foreign influence.
Donald Trump, Secret Minimalist?
The President, whose whole deal has long been flashy opulence, is now trying to sell a more restrained aesthetic as the economy seems to sour.
How Cory Arcangel Recovered a Late Artist’s Digital Legacy
Michel Majerus died in a plane crash, but the contents of his laptop are providing a window into his process two decades later. Arcangel says, “It’s like he just stepped out of the room.”
How the Internet Left 4chan Behind
The anonymous forum thrived when edgelord content wasn’t acceptable on more mainstream social media. Today, it can be found most anywhere.
Mark Zuckerberg Says Social Media Is Over
During testimony at Meta’s antitrust trial, the Facebook founder’s argument was, in so many words, that platforms like his are not what they used to be.
Recession Indicators Are Everywhere
The memes responding to Trump’s seesawing tariff policy hint at a collective psychological state.
Social Media Is Getting Better by Falling Apart
From the daily newsletter: why the future of such platforms might be more like e-mail.
TikTok and the Retreat from Technological Globalization
Global technology companies are becoming table stakes in the struggle to establish whatever new world order is emerging.
Bluesky’s Quest to Build Nontoxic Social Media
X and Facebook are governed by the policies of mercurial billionaires. Bluesky’s C.E.O., Jay Graber, says that she wants to give power back to the user.
The Limits of A.I.-Generated Miyazaki
The launch of GPT-4o inspired a rash of A.I.-generated Studio Ghibli-style images. They may bode worse for audiences than for artists.
Resisting Trump 2.0 with Brain-Rot Memes
We participate in political memes to express our anxiety that whatever is coming next might be even more chaotic than what is already happening.
Donald Trump’s A.I. Propaganda
Artificially generated videos of Gaza as a beach resort and of migrant detention as A.S.M.R. are creating a digital mirror world of the future as Trump imagines it.