[blibble]

Simon Willison claims to be an "Independent AI researcher"[1]:

but then at the top of this article:

> Sponsored by: Teleport — Secure, Govern, and Operate AI at Engineering Scale. Learn more

not exactly a coherent narrative, is it?

[1]: https://bsky.app/profile/simonwillison.net

[simonw]

I wrote a little note about that here - it even opens with "I value my credibility as an independent voice" https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/19/sponsorship/

I get (incorrectly) accused of writing undisclosed sponsored content pretty often, so I'm actually hoping that the visible sponsor banner will help people resist that temptation because they can see that the sponsorship is visible, not hidden.

[blibble]

> I value my credibility as an independent voice

not enough to not take their money though?

insipid

[simonw]

I'm currently planning to avoid sponsorship from companies that I regularly write about for that reason.

[akssassin907]

That's actually a cleaner editorial standard than most publications follow. The major risk in tech journalism isn't disclosed sponsorships — it's the undisclosed access journalism where coverage tone shifts to maintain relationships. Visible banners beat invisible influence every time.

[usef-]

Honestly, after his ~23 years of writing online I think he's fairly earned the title as an independent researcher. He added those sponsorships three days ago; perhaps wait to raise your alarm bells until he actually writes about a sponsor.