All About Arson
Plus: AI’s Find Religion
Dear Citizens,
There’s already growing activism worldwide against AI data centers. Something else new in the U.S. this week: a SuperPAC working to fight the political machine behind Big AI. As the 2026 U.S. elections approach, “The Guardrails Alliance” will take on moneyed entities that oppose reining in artificial intelligence. Read about it here.
(Also stood up this week? Citizens Creative, from… us! It’s a small but mighty team of creatives, thinkers and storytellers with a shared belief that culture can change the world. Learn more here.)
Here’s what else to read, watch and know this week.
😬 ONE WATCH: Left to their Own Devices 😬
What happens if you leave 1000 AI’s alone in Minecraft? I’m afraid, ladies and gentlemen, they don’t just stop or wait for direction. They form a civilization. In this fascinating project from creator and AI expert Drew Spartz, see what happens when you leave 1000 autonomous AI agents alone in a simulation:
🇷🇺 ONE READ: In the Line of Fire 🇷🇺
For years we’ve been writing about and investigating Russian influence in UK, EU and global politics, including our podcast series Sergei & the Westminster Spy Ring.
With Hope Not Hate, this week the BBC released a barn burner investigative series, which proved without a doubt that Russia was behind shocking arson attacks targeting the British Prime Minister. The report said:
Russian operatives ran their sabotage and provocation campaign remotely through social media and the messaging app Telegram, we found, creating fake online far-right and Muslim groups, which were used to organise acts of vandalism in the UK and stir up division and fear.
This is a shocker, a page turner, and a perhaps not so surprising appearance from the star of our podcast, Sergei Nalobin.
👉 Read the full investigation here, get some quick context from Carole Cadwalladr here and - most importantly - demand an inquiry into Russian interference.
We’ll be in Parliament next month as expert witnesses make the case for a full public inquiry into Russian interference. Follow the campaign.
✊ ONE ACTION: Welcome to Freedom Summer ✊
Another grab bag this week, there’s so much great activism happening around the world!
Are you Dutch?! Ben je Nederlands? Check out The Firewall. From our group chat… this spring, journalist Eric Smit started The Firewall to fight Big Tech. Within weeks, 6000 paying people joined and donated €1.3 million and counting. The funds will help litigation and advocacy against Big Tech in the Netherlands and across the EU.
In the US? This may not be everyone, but if you can’t join you should donate: Freedom Summer is a steady drumbeat of mass mobilizations and events across the U.S. aiming to stop the erosion of black voting rights and political power.
Are you… anywhere? Our upcoming talk, Big Tech’s hostile takeover of democracy: Europe at a crossroads with Carole Cadwalladr, Roger McNamee, Sophie in 't Veld and Reinier van Lanschot is now June 30th (one week away!).
That’s all for this week,
Team Citizens
*PS - Join our Signal Chat if you haven’t already! 350+ people share practical advice on protecting your data, organising against Big Tech and staying ahead of what you need to know.
