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Reposted by Hagen Blix

Common Notions Press @commonnotions.bsky.social · 1d

"There’s a material reality in which AI really is a tool of control. But maybe there’s also another way of thinking about it..."

@hagenblix.bsky.social & @bcmerchant.bsky.social on how we talk about AI and alternative ways to frame the conversation.

"AI is an attack from above on wages": An interview with cognitive scientist Hagen Blix

The author of 'Why We Fear AI' on why he sees generative AI as "class warfare through enshittification."

www.bloodinthemachine.com

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 1d

Nice! Let me know what you think, too!

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Nate @natedub.bsky.social · 1d

Couple book recs for amazing AI critiques (hat tip to @hagenblix.bsky.social for putting them on my radar) - go pick them up at bookshop.org while they’re doing free shipping! 1/3

Bookshop: Buy books online. Support local bookstores.

An online bookstore that financially supports local independent bookstores and gives back to the book community.

bookshop.org

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 1d

Haha, you're welcome! Shannon Vallor also recommends it btw!

“Blix and Glimmer take the reader on a deeply engaging, funny, and provocative tour through our deepest anxieties and darkest fantasies of an AI-dominated future. Why We Fear AI offers profound insight into how AI and capitalism today work in mutually reinforcing lockstep to deskill and devalue humans, and what it will take to wake up from our worst AI nightmares and build a better world.”

— Shannon Vallor, author of The AI Mirror

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 1d

Great recommendations! Obviously, I'd recommend ours, too ;)

uk.bookshop.org/p/books/why-...

Why We Fear AI: On the Interpretation of Nightmares

On the Interpretation of Nightmares

uk.bookshop.org

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 1d

Download is for pictures and documents you don't want to keep, and also other things that you may or may not want to keep, so you can occasionally delete things you really didn't want to delete and also keep things indefinitely that you really don't need

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Daniel James @schlawinerkreis.bsky.social · 1d

1/ I'm excited to share that Franz Knappik’s and my Cambridge Element on Hegel and Colonialism is finally out – open access below! We trace how Hegel defends European colonial rule, including transatlantic slavery, and how that defence runs through his entire philosophical system.

Thread below ⬇️

Hegel and Colonialism

Cambridge Core - Classical Philosophy - Hegel and Colonialism

www.cambridge.org

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 2d

👇

Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 4d

Empathy limited to objects that can be *imagined* as subjects but that won't actually confront you as subjects is an essential aspect that ties a lot of fascist and fascism-adjacent projects together, imho. Animals, robots, unborn children, even the anti-feminist imagination of women, etc

your #3 source for absurdist true crime 🔨 @davidgerard.co.uk · 4d

remember how Caroline Ellison, formerly of FTX and now of jail, was a Effective Altruist deeply concerned about the suffering of wild fish and *also* such an extreme race scientist she theorised about the genetic basis of Indian castes

rationalists, man

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 2d

The time for "American Physics" is approaching fast I guess

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsch...

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 2d

I know right?! Everybody who has looked at any Hegel surely knows the true language of metaphysics is German, not English, silly

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 2d

Enabling abuse through state violence is the point, not an accident

Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 2d

NEW: In May, a Texas police department said they used the powerful Flock surveillance network against a woman who had an abortion "for her safety"

Newly obtained court records show it was a 'death investigation,' and they considered charging her with a crime

www.404media.co/police-said-...

Police Said They Surveilled Woman Who Had an Abortion for Her 'Safety.' Court Records Show They Considered Charging Her With a Crime

Court records show that the narrative Flock and a Texas Sheriff's Office has told the public isn't the whole story, and that police were conducting a 'death investigation' into the abortion.

www.404media.co

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Reposted by Hagen Blix

Dan McQuillan @danmcquillan.bsky.social · 3d

My piece on 'Labour's AI Action Plan - a gift to the far right' has been reposted as one of the diverse set of papers for debate at 'The World Transformed 2025' assemblies theworldtransformed.org/twt25/assemb...

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 3d

Neat! Thank you!

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 3d

Now we're automating the guard rails, but unfortunately AI does it's usual enshittification thing

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 3d

Absolutely. We're all constantly going off the rails and we're all constantly engaged in the work keeping each other in the same comensurability space we call sanity. Its just that that was so normal that we mostly didn't have to realize

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 3d

I've been saying for a while that I need to read more cybernetics stuff

(any recommendations welcome btw!)

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𝕍∃, Cyber closed shell syndrome relief fund coordinator @vortexegg.com · 3d

Cyberpsychosis is when too much cyber, but unlike the literalist “wow cool robot” depictions of cyborgs in media like the Cyberpunk™️ universe, what is really meant is being too enmeshed in networks of cybernetic feedback loops that cause a person to loose touch with the feedback of actual reality

Tony Stark @tonystark.bsky.social · 3d

The fact that cyber/AI psychosis is becoming a regular talking point is the real turn towards the cyberpunk/Ex Supra timelines.

Politico @politico.com · 3d

Killer robots, AI-induced psychosis and accidental nuclear war: Inside the Pentagon’s race to deploy artificial intelligence — and avoid disaster.

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 3d

The coddling of the billionaire mind that Weiss exemplifies is class war.

But it's class war by a ruling class without any beliefs or ambitions. They don't think they can solve climate change. They don't even think they can outcompete China. They really are the weak men they're so obsessed with.

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ali alkhatib @ali-alkhatib.com · 3d

it'd be less duplicitous if they said they were exercising their thin-skinned prerogative to make people who embarrass them disappear. citing the charlie kirk meme is so dishonest it borders on pathetic. nobody is this credulous and it's a little embarrassing for them that they thought anyone was.

Aveta👾🇭🇹 @aliafonzy.blacksky.app · 3d

Unfortunate update: Link reached out to BlueSky and got email back now on reason.

His appeal is denied. He will remain permanently banned on BlueSky’s side.

Here are the screenshots he just sent me as of 8:22 AM EST(my time)

A screenshot of an email from the Bluesky Moderation Team with the subject line “Bluesky Account Behavior” sent at 22:15. The email states that a Bluesky account controlled by the recipient, with the handle @spacelawshitpost.me, posted a reply with an image where the alt text reads: Charlie Kirk sitting in a white T-shirt that says “Freedom.” A negative consequence follows. The email indicates this post violates Community Guidelines regarding violent or threatening speech, specifically listing threats of violence or physical harm against individuals, groups, institutions, or the general public, and incitement of self-harm or suicide.

A screenshot of an email continuation from the Bluesky Moderation Team displaying a bulleted list of Community Guidelines violations. The first bullet point describes threats of violence or physical harm as including threats or encouragement of violence against individuals, groups, institutions, or the general public. The second bullet point defines incitement of self-harm or suicide as content that encourages self-harm or suicide. The third bullet point explains wishes of harm as expressions of a desire for harm directed at a specific person or group. Below the bullets, a paragraph states that users may not use Bluesky to break the law or cause harm to others and that all users must be treated with respect. The next paragraph informs the recipient that as a result of these violations, your account has been taken down. A closing paragraph thanks the user for doing their part to keep Bluesky a welcoming and empowering place for all users and instructs them to email moderation@blueskyweb.xyz if they have questions or wish to appeal the decision. The email ends with the signature Bluesky Moderation Team.

A screenshot of an email from the Bluesky Moderation Team sent at 08:11 with the subject line Re: Bluesky Account Behavior addressed To: Hide My Email. The email reads:

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to appeal the takedown of your account on Bluesky. We have carefully reviewed your case, including the information you provided and the activity that led to the suspension of your account.

After investigating, we have determined that your account activity was in violation of our community guidelines, specifically promoting hateful content or being disruptive to other users. We take these guidelines seriously to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all our users.

As a result, we regret to inform you that your appeal has been denied, and your account will remain suspended. This decision is final and cannot be reversed. We understand that this may be disappointing news, but we must prioritize the well-being of our community and maintain a consistent enforcement of our policies. We encourage you to review our community guidelines to better understand the expectations we have for user behavior on our platform. Please do not create new accounts, since those will be taken down for ban evasion.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

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Reposted by Hagen Blix

Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 4d

Empathy limited to objects that can be *imagined* as subjects but that won't actually confront you as subjects is an essential aspect that ties a lot of fascist and fascism-adjacent projects together, imho. Animals, robots, unborn children, even the anti-feminist imagination of women, etc

your #3 source for absurdist true crime 🔨 @davidgerard.co.uk · 4d

remember how Caroline Ellison, formerly of FTX and now of jail, was a Effective Altruist deeply concerned about the suffering of wild fish and *also* such an extreme race scientist she theorised about the genetic basis of Indian castes

rationalists, man

Emma Evans @trance.bsky.social · 4d

how about you care about actual fucking people on this planet before you start wondering if your toaster has a soul.

Once everyone materially demonstrates they care for all people on this planet and we deal WITH ALL THAT and all the animals too

then we can talk about your nonsense.

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 4d

I mean, I can imagine that ambiguity (re: is this actually about LLMs etc, or about the many allegorical stories of robots as the oppressed & exploited) could be weaponized. Haven't personally seen it, but have seen plenty ways where "humanizing" LLMs is clearly about dehumanizing actual people tho

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 4d

Pretty interesting thread on tariffs as a structuring force on AI investments

Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 4d

Trump's massive computer tariff exemption is forcing the US economy to gamble on AI—but more than that, it's a fundamental challenge to his trade philosophy

If free trade delivers such great results for the 1 sector still enjoying it, why subject the rest of us to protectionism?

In other words, the Trump administration is increasingly gambling the future of the American economy on AI. If they’re right, the US will capture the dual rewards of both coding the tools of the next economic revolution and owning the infrastructure that runs it. If they’re wrong, the US will be left with a bunch of distressed assets and will have dramatically underinvested in the projects that actually mattered. The large tariff exemption for computers is distorting the American economy in ways that could reshape the long-run future of the country.

Yet in the short run, it’s undeniable that the carveout has achieved its desired effect of accelerating America’s AI boom. The US is at the technological forefront of a rapidly expanding industry because of the free trade policies that this administration ostensibly despises. It’s just tragic that this privilege is not extended to businesses outside Silicon Valley.

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The Ronin @the-ronin.bsky.social · 4d

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Dr. Kristina Hill ☠️ thinks this is a bad timeline @kzhill.bsky.social · 4d

This.

Empathy has to be formed in relationships where the “other” can confront the person who extends their compassion, not only via imagined relationships with lives that don’t or can’t challenge that person.

Without the potential for confrontation, empathy is fetishism.

Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 4d

Empathy limited to objects that can be *imagined* as subjects but that won't actually confront you as subjects is an essential aspect that ties a lot of fascist and fascism-adjacent projects together, imho. Animals, robots, unborn children, even the anti-feminist imagination of women, etc

your #3 source for absurdist true crime 🔨 @davidgerard.co.uk · 4d

remember how Caroline Ellison, formerly of FTX and now of jail, was a Effective Altruist deeply concerned about the suffering of wild fish and *also* such an extreme race scientist she theorised about the genetic basis of Indian castes

rationalists, man

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 4d

This, too, of course

Dr. Damien P. Williams Wants A Better Sociotechnical Paradigm @wolvendamien.bsky.social · 4d

Like… it's kind of right there, no?

"AI" generated image of woman with dark hair sitting in a chair in front of posters with random shapes and symbols meant to look like images and text on movie posters, all superimposed with a post from k.w.bogen reading
"AI actresses can't negotiate. They can't say they'd prefer their bodies not be shown certgain ways. They can't refuse degrading scenes. They can't express distress about disturbing content. They can't ask the creators :why would you do that to me? Why put any woman through watching that? If AI film winds up being the path, we're about to see an entirely new generation (and more brutal depiction) of media misogyny."

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