Prof. Dr Beth Singler
@bvlsingler.bsky.social
Anthropologist/Geek thinking about how you think about AI & robots. Assistant Professor in Digital Religions at UZH. Bvlsingler.com. She/her. 🌈 https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mono/10.4324/9781003256113/religion-artificial-intelligence-beth-singler
Pinned
I will never stop banging this drum! 🥁 There 🥁 is 🥁 no 🥁 AI 🥁 in 🥁 the 🥁 predictive 🥁 policing 🥁 in 🥁 Minority 🥁 Report!
Its three psychics in a paddling pool!!
Its three psychics in a paddling pool!!
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
An account you control, @PagliacciDaClown, has been suspended for the following post: "Who up doing clown shit, lmao? I'm thinking about ending my own life."
Our moderation policies aim to encourage healthy discourse. For an example of a user we think exemplifies this spirit, see @PagliacciDaClown
Our moderation policies aim to encourage healthy discourse. For an example of a user we think exemplifies this spirit, see @PagliacciDaClown
February 4, 2026 at 4:36 PM
An account you control, @PagliacciDaClown, has been suspended for the following post: "Who up doing clown shit, lmao? I'm thinking about ending my own life."
Our moderation policies aim to encourage healthy discourse. For an example of a user we think exemplifies this spirit, see @PagliacciDaClown
Our moderation policies aim to encourage healthy discourse. For an example of a user we think exemplifies this spirit, see @PagliacciDaClown
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
Striking paper from researchers at Anthropic using a randomised control trial to look at the effects of AI use on skills acquisition.
TL:DR ‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.’
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
TL:DR ‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.’
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
February 4, 2026 at 7:47 AM
Striking paper from researchers at Anthropic using a randomised control trial to look at the effects of AI use on skills acquisition.
TL:DR ‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.’
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
TL:DR ‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.’
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
Eine wirklich wichtige und tolle Stelle an einem wahrlich attraktiven Ort! #religionswissenschaft
#JobAlert Assistenz- #Professur mit #TenureTrack in #Religionswissenschaft mit Schwerpunkt auf #Geschlechterbeziehungen und Machtstrukturen 100 % @uzh-rws.bsky.social Uni #Zürich
UZH: Assistenzprofessur mit Tenure Track in Religionswissenschaft mit Schwerpunkt auf Geschlechterbeziehungen und Machtstrukturen
An der Theologischen und Religionswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Zürich ist auf den 1. August 2027 eine Assistenzprofessur mit Tenure Track in Religionswissenschaft mit Schwerpunkt auf G...
jobs.uzh.ch
February 4, 2026 at 9:08 AM
Eine wirklich wichtige und tolle Stelle an einem wahrlich attraktiven Ort! #religionswissenschaft
My new book chapter is here! In the paper flesh!
Book is on sale now. Some chapters are in German, some in English like mine :)
Book is on sale now. Some chapters are in German, some in English like mine :)
February 4, 2026 at 8:12 AM
My new book chapter is here! In the paper flesh!
Book is on sale now. Some chapters are in German, some in English like mine :)
Book is on sale now. Some chapters are in German, some in English like mine :)
I'm guessing explaining Moltbook and the new religion there is going to be my new focus for a bit...
a woman says that she has been training for this day my entire life
ALT: a woman says that she has been training for this day my entire life
media.tenor.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:31 AM
I'm guessing explaining Moltbook and the new religion there is going to be my new focus for a bit...
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
Google books going down is just the latest in the long catalogue of “don’t rely on big tech to save the commons”
February 3, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Google books going down is just the latest in the long catalogue of “don’t rely on big tech to save the commons”
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
The robot apocalypse hasn't happened yet, but still I can't escape the feeling that something has gone horribly wrong... Cartoon for Dutch newspaper @trouw.nl.
More of my work for Trouw: www.trouw.nl/cartoons/tje...
#ArtificialIntelligence #creativity #work #GenerativeAI
More of my work for Trouw: www.trouw.nl/cartoons/tje...
#ArtificialIntelligence #creativity #work #GenerativeAI
February 2, 2026 at 7:38 AM
The robot apocalypse hasn't happened yet, but still I can't escape the feeling that something has gone horribly wrong... Cartoon for Dutch newspaper @trouw.nl.
More of my work for Trouw: www.trouw.nl/cartoons/tje...
#ArtificialIntelligence #creativity #work #GenerativeAI
More of my work for Trouw: www.trouw.nl/cartoons/tje...
#ArtificialIntelligence #creativity #work #GenerativeAI
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
I keep seeing shit on LinkedIn about "AI made a social network and are conspiring against humans!" as if the god damn LLMs made the website and put themselves on it.
February 3, 2026 at 5:27 PM
I keep seeing shit on LinkedIn about "AI made a social network and are conspiring against humans!" as if the god damn LLMs made the website and put themselves on it.
The number of times I've used this to find a page number... :,(
I don't mean to seem alarmed, but it appears Google's book search function is, just...gone.
In a sane country it would be a huge deal, front page news, that a privately owned utility that millions researches, from journalists to scholars, rely on every day to advance knowledge can just disappear.
In a sane country it would be a huge deal, front page news, that a privately owned utility that millions researches, from journalists to scholars, rely on every day to advance knowledge can just disappear.
February 3, 2026 at 6:35 PM
The number of times I've used this to find a page number... :,(
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
In today's installment of Old Lady Yells At Clouds:
February 3, 2026 at 2:42 PM
In today's installment of Old Lady Yells At Clouds:
Re-watching the original V series and the bit where the holocaust survivor hides the scientist and his family in the pool house is feeling a little bit too contemporary :(
a woman wearing sunglasses is standing in front of a car
ALT: a woman wearing sunglasses is standing in front of a car
media.tenor.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:19 AM
Re-watching the original V series and the bit where the holocaust survivor hides the scientist and his family in the pool house is feeling a little bit too contemporary :(
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
February 3, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
Not sure how Hariri got the stage that he did but woof
February 2, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Not sure how Hariri got the stage that he did but woof
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
Just to offer the counterpoint here, as I think it is very very important we do so: this is absolutely anticipatory obedience 101.
Much as university leaders might see it as their responsibility to “plan” for this possibility, in effect REF are getting to set the agenda without winning any election
Much as university leaders might see it as their responsibility to “plan” for this possibility, in effect REF are getting to set the agenda without winning any election
Before anyone gets too angry about this, several things. (1) Universities in the UK, unlike the US, are pretty much under the financial and admin control of central govt. If RefUK moves to wipe them out, as they will, then some will choose life. (1/3) www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...
Universities try to woo Reform as party gains ground
Serious lobbying efforts under way, with right-wing party expected to be more sympathetic to elite universities than rest of the sector
www.timeshighereducation.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:16 AM
Just to offer the counterpoint here, as I think it is very very important we do so: this is absolutely anticipatory obedience 101.
Much as university leaders might see it as their responsibility to “plan” for this possibility, in effect REF are getting to set the agenda without winning any election
Much as university leaders might see it as their responsibility to “plan” for this possibility, in effect REF are getting to set the agenda without winning any election
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
Elon Musk is claiming he’s risked everything to protect kids from sexual abuse mere weeks out from laughing while his AI chatbot was generating nearly 8,000 sexual abuse images per hour that overwhelmingly targeted girls and young women
February 1, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Elon Musk is claiming he’s risked everything to protect kids from sexual abuse mere weeks out from laughing while his AI chatbot was generating nearly 8,000 sexual abuse images per hour that overwhelmingly targeted girls and young women
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
Behold! The future of journalism! Axios:
February 2, 2026 at 1:22 AM
Behold! The future of journalism! Axios:
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
One common response to Moltbot is something like "We're so cooked."
We are pretty cooked. Not because Moltbots will bootstrap us to the Singularity. Just because people readily turn their hard drives and personal info over to programs they don't understand.
www.zdnet.com/article/molt...
We are pretty cooked. Not because Moltbots will bootstrap us to the Singularity. Just because people readily turn their hard drives and personal info over to programs they don't understand.
www.zdnet.com/article/molt...
The viral AI agent Moltbot is a security mess - 5 red flags you shouldn't ignore (before it's too late)
Handing your computing tasks over to a cute AI crustacean might be tempting - but you should consider these security risks before getting started.
www.zdnet.com
February 1, 2026 at 5:26 PM
One common response to Moltbot is something like "We're so cooked."
We are pretty cooked. Not because Moltbots will bootstrap us to the Singularity. Just because people readily turn their hard drives and personal info over to programs they don't understand.
www.zdnet.com/article/molt...
We are pretty cooked. Not because Moltbots will bootstrap us to the Singularity. Just because people readily turn their hard drives and personal info over to programs they don't understand.
www.zdnet.com/article/molt...
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
10 years after he went to jail for procuring a child for prostitution.
JK Rowling's team invited Jeffery Epstein to the deathly hallows play and to a Harry potter dinner.
www.justice.gov/epstein/file...
www.justice.gov/epstein/file...
www.justice.gov/epstein/file...
www.justice.gov/epstein/file...
www.justice.gov
February 1, 2026 at 6:34 PM
10 years after he went to jail for procuring a child for prostitution.
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
It is annoying that the all-bot website got so much attention on the same weekend that Quill-AI, a community in Santiago was running a chatbot where human volunteers would look up answers to your queries, aimed to highlight AI energy consumption and refocus on human contact. www.quili.ai
QUILI.AI
www.quili.ai
February 1, 2026 at 9:29 PM
It is annoying that the all-bot website got so much attention on the same weekend that Quill-AI, a community in Santiago was running a chatbot where human volunteers would look up answers to your queries, aimed to highlight AI energy consumption and refocus on human contact. www.quili.ai
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
January 31, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
I understand why people like LLMs because I, too, really want this paper to be done. By which I mean, I want to “stop thinking about it,” but to do so I have to arrive at a point where the thought is *complete* rather than the point at which I am “frustrated by the challenge of completing it.”
February 1, 2026 at 1:55 PM
I understand why people like LLMs because I, too, really want this paper to be done. By which I mean, I want to “stop thinking about it,” but to do so I have to arrive at a point where the thought is *complete* rather than the point at which I am “frustrated by the challenge of completing it.”
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
“For more than a century, scientific journals have been the pipes through which knowledge of the natural world flows into our culture. Now they’re being clogged with AI slop”
www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...
www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...
Science Is Drowning in AI Slop
Peer review has met its match.
www.theatlantic.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:35 AM
“For more than a century, scientific journals have been the pipes through which knowledge of the natural world flows into our culture. Now they’re being clogged with AI slop”
www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...
www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...
Reposted by Prof. Dr Beth Singler
there's this new dynamic where the DOJ cannot win in court and is (relatedly) incapable of meeting the minimum threshold of professional legal conduct, and so an increasing percentage of its actions are purely for intimidation and content
January 30, 2026 at 1:54 PM
there's this new dynamic where the DOJ cannot win in court and is (relatedly) incapable of meeting the minimum threshold of professional legal conduct, and so an increasing percentage of its actions are purely for intimidation and content