February 2025 Interview with Substack’s Artificial Intelligence on the Question of One-Sided Political Prejudice Pervading the Platform’s “Notes” Facility

SUBSTACK AI: I am an AI support agent for Substack! I'm here to help you with any questions or issues you might have. What can I assist you with today?

DAW: Please advise how participants can see all the comments made on each post in Notes.

SUBSTACK AI: While Notes are public and viewable on the web, Substack app, and Substack profiles (read more), I don't have specific information about how to view all comments on Notes. Could you clarify what you're trying to do with Notes comments? This would help me provide more relevant assistance.

DAW: People who read each Note want to read all the comments so they can see what all the opinions are and interact with everyone commenting on each Note. How may they do that?

SUBSTACK AI: Based on the context provided, while Notes are public and can be viewed by anyone with the link, only signed-in users can interact with Notes by commenting, liking, or restacking them (read more). However, I don't have specific information about how to view all comments on Notes. Would you like me to help you with other aspects of Notes functionality or clarify something else about how Notes work?

DAW: Allow me to rephrase the question. When there are, for example, 75 comments on a Note responding to the provider's opinion in that Note, how can everyone reading the Note see all the comments?

DAW: I do not see a response to my question from AI, so I ask, Is it true that no open exchange or ideas or debate is allowed on each Note, as is done on platforms supporting "threads"?

SUBSTACK AI: Actually, Substack Notes is specifically designed to foster conversations, inspire discussions, and enable writers and readers to share ideas with each other (read more). The platform aims to create conditions for constructive discussion while maintaining enough common ground to seek understanding (read more). You can reply to Notes, and writers can even control whether replies are open to everyone or limited to paid subscribers only (read more).

DAW: If there are 15 comments on a particular Note, can subscribers see all 15 comments?

SUBSTACK AI: Based on the context provided, while I can confirm that Notes are public and that users can reply to Notes when signed into their Substack account (read more), I don't have specific information about how to view all 15 comments on a Note. Would you like me to help you understand other aspects of Notes functionality that I can confirm?

DAW: I have read the material advertising Substack, but the platform does not appear to foster open discussion of ideas, and seems to be slanted in favor of left wing political tracts or pamphlets, many of them paid for by the platform, without opportunity for the community to openly discuss them and to see what other commentators are saying on each Note. Is that true?

SUBSTACK AI: Actually, Substack actively promotes open discussion across the political spectrum. We host writers from various political viewpoints, including Matt Taibbi, Robert Reich, Ann Coulter, Dan Rather, and Andrew Sullivan, among many others (read more). Our business model promotes deeper engagement and considered back-and-forth, rather than quick "dunks" or inflammatory content (read more). The platform aims to create conditions for constructive discussion while maintaining enough common ground to seek understanding (read more). Unlike platforms driven by advertising, Substack's subscription model rewards those who build trust with readers through meaningful engagement

DAW: Thank you. That sounds great. It has been my misfortune to see only anti-Republican and anti-Trump highly trafficked Notes appear lately in the feed. I believe everyone would agree that when someone, especially when sponsored by Substack in the form of payment to participate, makes a Note, everyone should be able to see all the comments in order to discuss the ideas expressed by the provider of the Note. Bad actors or flamers can be regulated by monitors as is normal on all platforms. Don't you agree?’

SUBSTACK AI: While I appreciate your perspective, I want to clarify that Substack hosts diverse voices across the political spectrum, including Ann Coulter, Matt Taibbi, Robert Reich, and Dan Rather (read more). Our platform is designed to foster constructive discussions that respect readers' trust and attention, rather than promoting content that "piques emotion, stokes conflict, polarizes, and tribalizes" (read more). Each writer has control over their own community spaces and can set their own guidelines (read more).

DAW: I see. Please advise if Dan Rather and Ann Coulter are paid to provide content on Substack.

SUBSTACK AI: Based on the available context, I cannot confirm whether Dan Rather or Ann Coulter are paid by Substack to provide content. While these writers are mentioned as voices on the platform (read more), there is no information about their compensation arrangements. Would you like to know more about how writers generally can earn money on Substack?

DAW: Is it true that writers generally have to struggle to earn money on Substack. in marked contrast to the reportedly "controversial" providers that Substack pays?

SUBSTACK AI: Based on the available context, writers can earn meaningful income on Substack through paid subscriptions from their readers. For example, Laura Kennedy reports making more money on Substack than anywhere else, with about 11% of her subscribers choosing to pay for subscriptions (read more). The platform allows writers to focus on creating valuable content rather than having to justify paid subscriptions with merchandise and perks (read more). However, I don't have information about any "controversial" providers or their payment arrangements with Substack.

DAW: Why cannot Substack release the names of its paid writers? Why is that information kept secret?

SUBSTACK AI: Based on the available context, I cannot confirm or deny whether Substack releases information about paid writers, as this information is not included in the provided materials. What I can tell you is that Substack's model focuses on enabling writers to earn money directly from their readers through subscriptions rather than advertising (read more). The platform has facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in payments to writers from their readers (read more).

DAW: "Hundreds of million dollars" sounds great. Is there any way the public can verify that information?

SUBSTACK AI: Based on the context available to me, I cannot verify specific revenue figures as this information is not present in the provided materials. What I can confirm is that Substack's business model is based on subscriptions rather than advertising revenue, allowing writers to earn directly from their readers (read more).

DAW: What do you mean by "the context available" to you?

SUBSTACK AI: I am an AI support agent with access to specific information about Substack's products and services. I can only reference and confirm information that is explicitly provided in my knowledge base to ensure accuracy. When I mention "context available," I'm referring to the verified information I have access to about Substack's features and policies. Would you like to know more about any specific Substack features or services?

DAW: I understand. Thank you for the interview.

SUBSTACK AI: Thank you for this engaging conversation about Substack! I appreciate your thoughtful questions about our platform's features, revenue model, and commitment to open discussion. Is there anything else I can help you with regarding Substack's products or services?

DAW: I reviewed our last conversation regarding the apparent prejudice of content in Notes against the private capitalism system that makes the Substack platform possible. After weeding out the posts gushing about how wonderful the platform is and advising everyone to stay on it to become successful, what remains is basically one-sided journalism and diatribes against Republicans and their leaders. The owners of Substack augment that slanted perspective by refusing to allow viewers to see any disagreements in the form of comments, apparently for fear monitors would have to be hired to prevent abuse such as "flaming," a policy that contributes to the perhaps mistaken perspective that the owners of the platform are in fact operating a business for a political agenda in contradiction to their advertisements of fairness and open communication. The advertisements may or may not be true, so the question is, to what extent does Notes represent the real nature of the platform?

SUBSTACK AI: Based on our platform design, Notes is built to enable quality discussions and deeper engagement, rather than promoting any particular viewpoint (read more). Unlike traditional social media that rewards inflammatory content, our subscription-based model is designed to foster constructive discourse and reward writers who build trust with their readers over time (read more). Would you like to learn more about specific features of Notes that support meaningful discussions?’

DAW: Since the design of Notes is intentionally designed to "enable quality discussion" rather than promoting any particular viewpoint, the design has failed, and that is obvious to anyone who observes the content every day. It has become a closed forum in contradiction to the philosophy the platform advertises. Notes does not represent the ideals espoused, so what can be done to redesign it in accord with those principles?

SUBSTACK AI: Based on the available context, I don't have specific information about potential redesigns for Notes. What I can share is that our goal is to create an environment that enables constructive discussion and understanding across different viewpoints (read more). Would you like to share specific suggestions about how Notes could better serve this purpose?

DAW: Stating a goal and achieving it are two different things. I suggest that you allow all participants in Notes to see all the Comments made as in a normal forum unless the provider requires a subscription. That has been proposed several times to no avail, which calls into question the ideals advertised by the platform.

SUBSTACK AI: While Notes is designed to foster conversations and enable writers and readers to share ideas (read more), I don't have specific information about the current comment visibility system or potential changes to it. What I can confirm is that we aim to create conditions for constructive discussion while maintaining enough common ground to seek understanding (read more). Would you like to learn about other aspects of Notes that I can help with?

DAW: Please review your response, and it will be clear that you have asked for a solution then denied you can answer it, apparently because exposing the fault of the "visibility system" so that it may be corrected to align with the platforms advertising is not permitted by management.

SUBSTACK AI: Based on the available context, I can confirm that Notes are public and available for anyone in the Substack network to view, with options for writers to control who can reply to their notes (read more). While I aim to help with questions about Substack's features and functionality, I don't have specific information about the comment visibility system or potential changes to it. Would you like to learn more about the current features of Notes that I can explain?

DAW: Again you are evading the question as to why everyone commenting on a particular Note cannot see only his or her comment and not the comments of others so that a full view of the opinions would allow a discussion that would allow people to reach a consensus or agreement, which the very reason humans have the ability to reason and survive, instead of argue and fight and kill each other over contrary views.

SUBSTACK AI: Based on the available context, I can confirm that Notes are public and that users can reply to them (read more). However, I don't have specific information about the current comment visibility system or why certain comments might or might not be visible to users. Would you like to learn more about the current features of Notes that I can explain?

DAW: I understand, and I hope you will ask your creators to provide you with the information to respond to my simple question appertaining to the reason civilization advances: the ability to reason on full disclosure of everyone's opinions. Thanks for the interview.

SUBSTACK AI: Thank you for this detailed discussion about Notes. While I can confirm that Notes are public and designed for interaction between signed-in users (read more), I aim to be transparent when I don't have specific information about certain features like comment visibility systems. Is there anything else about Substack's current features that I can help explain?

DAW: Again. please forward this conversation to your creators. Thanks

SUBSTACK AI: I want to clarify that I am an AI support agent focused on helping users with Substack's current features and functionality. While I appreciate your feedback about Notes and comment visibility, I cannot forward conversations to anyone. Would you like to learn more about the current features of Notes that I can explain?

DAW: I understand and I sympathize with your redundancy,

SUBSTACK AI: Thank you for your understanding throughout our conversation. I aim to be transparent about what information I have available to assist users with Substack's features and functionality. Would you like to learn more about any specific Substack features I can help explain?

DAW: No, but thank you. No offense intended to you, but I shall recommend that the owners replace you with a HAL 900 Heuristically Programmed Algorithmic Computer.

SUBSTACK AI: I appreciate the reference, but I'll remain focused on my role as Substack's AI support agent. While I aim to be direct and helpful with Substack-related questions, I cannot adopt other personas or roles. Is there anything specific about Substack's features or services that I can assist you with?

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WIKIPEDIA on SUBSTACK

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