Dave Whamond's cartoon titled 'The Man who would be king' captures a caricatured Donald Trump donned in regal themes, complete with crown and red robe, wielding a scepter. A subservient, bald figure with pointy ears bows and praises the 'Great Halloween Costume, Boss!' while Trump retorts 'What Halloween Costume?' The image tags highlight themes of No Kings, Trump wants kinglike powers, and concerns over constitution and democracy. It satirizes ideas of president transitioning government into a monarchy, with elements of shutdown, taking control, and totalitarian state. The humor lies in Trump playing dress up yet denying it's a costume, symbolizing real aspirations for kinglike authority.
The illustration by Peter Kuper presents a stylized human form interacting with a computer terminal encircled by sweeping arcs. The composition emphasizes integration between operator and machine. Publication occurs amid ongoing discussions about artificial intelligence deployment in workplaces and daily routines. The visual suggests accelerating automation without specified safeguards. Broader context includes industry efforts to advance systems from major developers while policymakers consider oversight measures.
The four-panel image depicts AI as a circuit-patterned entity expanding from server rooms into buildings and then as a multi-armed form drawing water from arid terrain before encircling the globe. It highlights the resource demands of expanding AI operations. The panels progress from indoor facilities to outdoor extraction and global reach. Publication occurs during continued growth in AI training and inference workloads that require substantial cooling and power. Industry reports note rising electricity use by data centers and concerns over water in drought-prone areas. The sequence underscores competition among companies to scale systems without added limits.