It’s Wednesday, June 3. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Peter Savodnik on the California primaries. Spencer Klavan on how a 20-year-old’s cheap horror film dethroned the latest Star Wars movie at the box office. Joe Nocera on the brilliance of Louis Armstrong. Plus much more.
But first: Niall Ferguson on the unseen perils of artificial intelligence.
Is artificial intelligence a blessing or a curse? It may be the defining question of the 21st century. The technology promises extraordinary benefits, from medical breakthroughs to unprecedented economic growth. But it also poses profound risks to how we live—and perhaps even to the future of humanity.
One thing we know is that the momentum behind more advanced AI is only building: On Monday, Anthropic—the company behind the popular Claude model—filed plans for an initial public offering that could value the company at nearly $1 trillion. Other AI giants are expected to follow suit.
Meanwhile, President Trump yesterday signed an executive order asking AI companies to voluntarily submit powerful new models for government review just 30 days before public release—a significantly watered-down version of the policy he was set to impose last month, which he reportedly rejected hours beforehand, saying it would “get in the way” of America’s competition with China.
Such are the stakes of the AI race: the promise and peril of unprecedented economic disruption, a winner-takes-all tussle for geopolitical supremacy.
With so much on the line, things could go very wrong, very fast. That’s the argument historian and Free Press columnist Niall Ferguson lays out in his essay for us today.
“The unfolding history of artificial intelligence has now arrived at what may be its most dangerous moment,” he writes. “We may be hurtling toward the most dangerous arms race in history.” And we are doing so, argues Niall, when “the leadership of the competitors in this race is, to say the least, of mixed quality”:
The chief executives of the most important companies include at least one with a record of duplicity, and at least two egomaniacs. Meanwhile, the president of the United States is a former real estate developer and reality TV star, roughly half of whose public utterances are mere bluffs, and the leader of the People’s Republic of China is a Marxist-Leninist who aspires to eclipse Mao Zedong as a dictator.
What could possibly go wrong? For an answer to that question, read Niall’s essay.
—Jillian Lederman
Last night, Californians took to the polls in the state’s “jungle primary” elections, teeing up an explosive one-on-one gubernatorial race and an exciting Los Angeles mayoral contest. At the time of writing, with 56 percent of votes counted in the Golden State, Republican challenger Steve Hilton leads the Gubernatorial race with 28 percent of the vote. In Los Angeles, with 63 percent of the votes counted, incumbent Karen Bass leads with 35 percent and former reality star Spencer Pratt is at 30 percent. Stay tuned for the thoughts of our man in Los Angeles, Peter Savodnik, on the final results later today. And while you wait, catch up with Peter’s live coverage in The Free Press Forum last night.
Tyler Cowen has long supported marijuana legalization. Now he weighs in on the consequences of the move, admitting that he did not predict many of its effects. But does that mean he now thinks he was wrong to back legal weed? And is there a way to adapt our policies to protect kids and public order? Read Tyler on legal marijuana, its downsides, and the right way to address them.
If it weren’t for President Trump and his Supreme Court picks, Roe v. Wade would almost certainly still be the law of the land. So why is the pro-life movement losing patience with him? Audrey Fahlberg spoke to some activists who feel that Trump has left them behind, and others who believe Trump is the only avenue for the pro-life cause, even if he is a fair-weather ally. Read this deep dive if you want to understand how abortion went from one of the most salient issues in our politics to an afterthought—and where that leaves the pro-life movement.
The No. 1 box office hit this weekend was directed by a 20-year-old YouTuber. It’s called “Backrooms,” a mind-twisting horror film that portrays “remake culture,” a seemingly never-ending loop of recreations and remakes. And it earned an astounding $81.5 million domestically, easily outpacing Disney’s newest Star Wars film. Spencer Klavan takes a deep look at “Backrooms” and its parallels to the world of AI, which Klavan calls “the ultimate digital remake machine.” Read Klavan on the brave new world of Gen-Z art, and whether we now live in a world where replication and spin-offs are considered the highest forms of creativity.
For the latest installment of our new Great Americans series, Joe Nocera pays tribute to jazz legend Louis Armstrong. Rising from the slums of New Orleans, Armstrong became “the first black entertainer to be truly embraced by Americans, whether white or black. Indeed, at the height of his fame, he was the most beloved entertainer in the world.” But beyond that, what made the self-taught “Satchmo” a key figure in 20th-century life, what drove his genius, and how did he become an unlikely Cold Warrior? Read Joe’s gorgeous piece. You won’t be disappointed.
MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS
THE NEWS
President Trump tapped Bill Pulte, the current chief of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as acting Director of National Intelligence. Pulte is one of Trump’s closest allies, sending criminal referrals to the Justice Department for Trump critics and leading the charge against former Fed chair Jerome Powell. Pulte will serve in both capacities simultaneously, according to the president. (Read Bethany McLean’s terrific profile of Pulte, “The Man Behind Trump’s Attack on the Fed.”)
The Department of Justice is officially scrapping the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” after intense pushback from Republican allies in Congress. “We are not moving forward with the fund. Period,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. (Read Tanner Nau’s reporting about January 6 rioters who want money from the fund, “They Stormed the Capitol. Now They Want Millions.”)
A large barrage of Russian missiles and drones killed at least 22 people in Kyiv, Ukraine, late Monday night. The attack included 650 drones and more than 70 cruise missiles, according to the Ukrainian air force, damaging dozens of residential buildings and medical facilities. President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote to President Trump last week, warning that the country is running low on American missile defense interceptors.
The rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner will be held on July 24, according to the association’s president, CBS News’ Weija Jang. The dinner will be held a day after the three-month mark of the assassination attempt at the Washington Hilton hotel, this time at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Trump called the rescheduling a “sign of strength and fortitude.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was peppered with questions while testifying in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, his first public hearing since the beginning of the Iran war in February. Rubio said negotiations with Iran are ongoing during the current pause of hostilities, and that “there is the prospect” that Iran would negotiate the future of its nuclear program.
Embattled Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner met with high-ranking Senate Democrats in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday afternoon. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was tight-lipped after the meeting, but told reporters, “We’re going to beat [Maine Republican senator] Susan Collins and take back the Senate.” Schumer initially backed Governor Janet Mills for the Democratic nomination; she suspended her primary bid in April.
A wild bear injured four people in Fukushima, Japan, after it rampaged through two factories on Tuesday afternoon. It’s the latest in a rising trend of bear attacks in the country, with authorities reporting 13 deaths in more than 230 attacks by bears in 2025. Last year, the Japanese army was dispatched to the city of Akita after 60 people were attacked by bears.
What's with the 'hidden replies'?
Could we please quit the clickbait titles?