Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Huw C. Davies

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 20h

Yes, if the big tech companies want to be "core infrastructure" of education, but they're politically obedient with the very worst anti-educational actors, then education is getting locked in to a political model not just contracts for tech bsky.app/profile/benp...

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 15d

OpenAI's VP for education recently said the company wanted to become "core infrastructure" for schools and universities. Any infrastructure, though, always depends on habituating users to its technical affordances - so I've been trying to track how it's doing that 🧵 www.nytimes.com/2025/06/07/t...

Welcome to Campus. Here’s Your ChatGPT.

www.nytimes.com

1 3

Reposted by Huw C. Davies

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 18h

I actually don't really care if AI is useful/interesting/good for some things in education actually - it is besides these things clearly a big problem already that maybe need listing yet again:

4 65 170

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 7h

When was the last time we heard anyone who represents universities let alone any politician defend the public university as a fundamentally important social institution that transforms lives and improves societies?

UK HE News @ukhenews.bsky.social · 7h

University managers used tuition fees to justify a model where the 'product' is simple information transmission, which ultimately can be delivered via an AI app.

That the market value for such 'degrees' will soon reach zero is not management's problem.

They get paid even as the sector implodes.

1 4 9

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 22h

People who know it’s wrong to call it the p*** shop but think they should be able to.

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 23h

Imagine using Meta’s AI in educational contexts or having it integrated into edtech products. When it’s overseen by MAGA representatives like this, imagine asking it what Antifa means, if there is a relationship is between race and IQ or what is causing climate change.

3 22 32

Reposted by Huw C. Davies

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 23h

The alarming aspect of this deliberate "anti-woke" algorithmic biasing of LLMs from an educational perspective is our institutions all bought in to an imaginary of innovation, then got locked in to enterprise contracts, and now the models are being recoded so they undermine educational values

Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · 1d

Genuine question: for those enthusiastically pushing AI tools into every part of our education system—what checks/guardrails are there around algorithmic biases like this?

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 1d

The administration “is currently pressuring OpenAI and other AI companies to make their models more conservative-friendly.”

3 67 120

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 23h

Can’t wait to see what the super rigorous vetting procedures missed.

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 23h

One of the best profiles of Farage I’ve read described him as moving around looking for the next wound to infect.

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

My hometown - it used to be solid Labour. This is the last thing it needs now.

1 11

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

My hometown - it used to be solid Labour. This is the last thing it needs now.

1 2 7

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

‘National populists’ aren’t repatriating industries and jobs, investing in workers’ skills, improving access to education and training. The anti globalisation rhetoric is bs.

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

The Legatum Institute raises the flag outside its Mayfair office while avoiding tax and scrutiny by being based in the UAE. Hedge funders in the in group short companies putting people out work while claiming net zero is a part of a globalist conspiracy.

1 1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

It’s therefore regressive neoliberalism that sells a fantasy of a pre-global world, attacks ‘globalists’ while profiting from globalisation. journals.sagepub.com/home/das

Discourse & Society: Sage Journals

journals.sagepub.com

1 1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

This is what I was trying to argue in my article. The out group is the enemy within that must be purged. The wealthy in group gets all the benefits of neoliberalism by moving capital across borders, spending profits from fossil fuels & financial speculation & rent from assets on political projects.

Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 1d

‘“Faragism” is neoliberalism at its most inhumane, more destructive even than [Thatcher’s] monetarism, and vindictive far beyond austerity.’

Good analysis by Gordon Brown - and why progressives should attack Farage on economics above all:

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Don’t fall for the authoritarian hype – Reform and the hard right can be stopped in their tracks | Gordon Brown

From the US to Europe and Asia, grievances are being exploited to gain power. But moderate voices are still in tune with the majority, says former prime minister Gordon Brown

www.theguardian.com

1 2

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

Still it beggars belief that it’s able to publish something this racist.

1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

Corfnas in The Critic:

1 1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

*of them

1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t think either of research race and IQ so they are able to play the academic freedom card.

1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

You can even be supervised for a PhD by someone who believes black people have low IQs.

1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 1d

It’s also amazing how little attention this gets as it’s at the heart of the ‘heterodox’ project.

2

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 2d

It may be performative for some. Before this incident he supported race scientist Noah Carl. Someone should ask him about his views on race and IQ. He never gets the grilling he deserves.

1 1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 2d

Adam picked up on it because I shared it the day before:

1 1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 3d

Just need to get rid of Gibb et al. and the head of news who came from GBNews.

1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 3d

They hate it nevertheless.

1

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 3d

Through a combination of money, incompetence, and ideology Reform would kill British public institutions including the BBC, universities and the NHS.

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 3d

Marshall wants the BBC broken up and made subscription only. If Reform won power it would do this. Meanwhile, Marshall would subsidise the hell out of the competition making sure it remains free.

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 3d

Yes, it projects Paul Marshall’s ideology into politics and public discourse. A few people on the left on it allow it to cosplay balance, but they are foils to give demagogues permission to rant on topics that also animate Marshall and friends. Presenters even celebrate Marshall’s ‘generosity’.

1 1 2

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 3d

Marshall wants the BBC broken up and made subscription only. If Reform won power it would do this. Meanwhile, Marshall would subsidise the hell out of the competition making sure it remains free.

Huw C. Davies @huwcdavies.bsky.social · 3d

Yes, it projects Paul Marshall’s ideology into politics and public discourse. A few people on the left on it allow it to cosplay balance, but they are foils to give demagogues permission to rant on topics that also animate Marshall and friends. Presenters even celebrate Marshall’s ‘generosity’.

Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 3d

If a news organisation is making -200% margin after five years, it is not a commercial operation and should be assumed to have a different purpose.

1 3