Source: Washington Post
by Megan McArdle
“In September 1939, Europe entered a strange historical period known as the phony war that lasted until the following spring. Having guaranteed Poland’s independence, Britain and France declared war when Germany invaded. But then nothing much occurred for months other than some naval skirmishes. Only with the blitzkrieg offensive of late spring did the phony war start to seem real. History produces these moments from time to time, liminal pauses when it’s clear that something has happened, but it doesn’t feel as if it’s happened yet. One of them is our AI revolution, which is underway but visible only in a few odd spots, like a cheating wave engulfing U.S. schools. So when I warn people to prepare for what’s coming, a common retort is that they’ll believe it when they see it.” (05/15/25)