I vibe-coded a billionaire jet tracker to warn people about a possible apocalypse. Then the data started getting weird.

In a thought-provoking project, Kyle McDonald, a Los Angeles-based programmer and artist, has developed a unique website that monitors private jet activity and assigns an 'emergency level' to their movements. The underlying premise is both alarming and intriguing: what if billionaires are privy to critical information about impending disasters before the general public? McDonald was inspired to create this project after hearing a stark warning from former President Donald Trump regarding Iran, which led him to ponder the nature of information access and trust in a world rife with uncertainty. He speculated that those closest to power might receive crucial updates before anyone else, especially in times of potential global crises. Utilizing a combination of programming expertise honed over 25 years and the power of AI, McDonald has crafted the 'Apocalypse Early Warning System.' This innovative tool collects data from a global network of radio receivers that capture aircraft signals, providing insights into their locations, altitudes, and identifying details. By focusing solely on private and charter jets, he compares current flight numbers to historical data to identify unusual spikes in activity. After extensive calibration, McDonald defined a level-five emergency as a period of heightened private jet activity compared to the past year. Notably, the most significant increase occurred on April 6, coinciding with the fears that sparked his project. This revelation sent chills down his spine, reaffirming the project’s unsettling premise. While McDonald does not claim that private jet activity can predict apocalyptic events, the existence of discernible patterns raises critical questions about information dissemination and public trust. The current landscape, marked by misinformation and a sense of helplessness, makes the ability to discern truth more important than ever. In a time when figures like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos appear to operate outside conventional rules, their actions often serve as signals for the public. McDonald has a history of uncovering hidden signals, as evidenced by his previous work during the George Floyd protests, where he developed an app to help protesters track police activities using air traffic data. His projects, however, have not been without controversy; his use of facial recognition technology in tracking law enforcement has attracted significant media attention and backlash, including threats against his safety. Operating as both an art studio and a consulting agency, McDonald balances his creative endeavors with technical consulting for tech firms and artists. His income is divided between these consulting roles and art exhibitions, primarily in Europe and East Asia. Though his earnings are modest by Los Angeles standards, he finds fulfillment in pursuing art that transcends the commercial market. The billionaire jet tracker has also emerged as a small revenue stream, offering users free notifications via Telegram or a paid subscription for email or text alerts. With about 2,488 subscribers, McDonald sees this as not just a source of income, but as a conceptual artwork and service that blurs the lines between art and technology. It’s a fascinating exploration of how people are willing to pay for the chance to remain informed—or remain blissfully unaware—about potential crises.