Michael Muller (he/him)
LightNews LightNews
Michael Muller (he/him)
@michaelmuller.bsky.social
710 followers 390 following 47 posts

I do research at the hybrid intersection of HCI, AI, critical computing, and social justice. Co-chair of ACM SIGCHI CARES. Member of Fempower.tech, AccessSIGCHI. My posts do not reflect the views of my employer.

Videos
Business 35%
Computer science 14%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Joanna Bryson, Marc Lynch , and 75 more

davidho.bsky.social
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 1d
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.

www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.

Reposted by Michael Müller

lauramauldin.bsky.social
Laura Mauldin @lauramauldin.bsky.social · 1d
Thanks for mentioning that @jessicacalarco.com — the course ethos of care document can be found here docs.google.com/document/d/1...
ETHOS OF CARE.docx
Laura Mauldin Course Ethos of Care We will think about care as a radical act throughout the semester. As such, I want to explicitly set the tone for how we’ll get through the semester wh...
docs.google.com

Michael Muller (he/him) @michaelmuller.bsky.social · 2d
"They stand
and wait
creased like maps
of a country
that doesn't exist anymore."

--Ilya Kaminsky, @ilyakaminsky.bsky.social
ilyakaminsky.bsky.social Ilya Kaminsky @ilyakaminsky.bsky.social · 2d
Here is a new poem. Already revised, alas. But for what it’s worth: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

Many thanks to Jeff Shotts and Kevin Young.

Reposted by Michael Müller

ilyakaminsky.bsky.social
Ilya Kaminsky @ilyakaminsky.bsky.social · 2d
Here is a new poem. Already revised, alas. But for what it’s worth: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

Many thanks to Jeff Shotts and Kevin Young.

Reposted by Michael Müller

nothoodlum.bsky.social
Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 2d
The Empire State Building is shining in red, black and green tonight in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Joanna Bryson, John R. Hutchinson , and 13 more

nbedera.bsky.social
Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 6d
I’m seeing posts from people (outside of MN) about how US citizens should carry their passports.

And let me say that *inside* MN, we are calmly responding to requests with: “No, I don’t have to show you any documentation.”

Because that’s how you protect everyone, regardless of immigration status.

Reposted by Michael Müller

techpolicypress.bsky.social
Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 6d
The situation in Iran stands as a clear example of how digital sovereignty empowers repression rather than protects rights, says Azadeh Akbari. It should be a warning against abandoning the idea of a free and global internet, she writes. buff.ly/9e3UUoO

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Meredith Broussard, Margaret Mitchell , and 5 more

abeba.bsky.social
Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.bsky.social · 6d
are you displeased with today’s AI safety evaluation landscape and curious about what greater conceptual clarity, methodological soundness, and rigour in AI evaluation could look like? if so, consider coming to Dublin to pursue a PhD with me

apply here: aial.ie/hiring/phd-a...

pls repost
About the PhD: Audits and evaluation of AI systems — and the broader context that AI systems operate in — have become central to conceptualising, quantifying, measuring and understanding the operations, failures, limitations, underlying assumptions, and downstream societal implications of AI systems. Existing AI audit and evaluation efforts are fractured, done in a siloed and ad-hoc manner, and with little deliberation and reflection around conceptual rigour and methodological validity. This PhD is for a candidate that is passionate about exploring what a conceptually cogent, methodologically sound, and well-founded AI evaluation and safety research might look like. This requires grappling with questions such as: What does it mean to represent “ground truth” in proxies, synthetic data, or computational simulation? How do we reliably measure abstract and complex phenomena? What are the epistemological or methodological implications of quantification and measurement approaches we choose to employ? Particularly, what underlying presuppositions, values, or perspectives do they entail? How do we ensure the lived experiences of impacted communities play a critical role in the development and justification of measurement metrics and proxies? Through exploration of these questions, the candidate is expected to engage with core concepts in the philosophy of science, history of science, Black feminist epistemologies, and similar schools of thought to develop an in-depth understanding of existing practices with the aim of applying it to advance shared standards and best practice in AI evaluation. The candidate is expected to integrate empirical (for example, through analysis or evaluation of existing benchmarks) or practical (for example, by executing evaluation of AI systems) components into the overall work.

Michael Muller (he/him) @michaelmuller.bsky.social · 7d
All of this is true. But NOW can we have the very necessary stories that focus on Peltola herself, as a reform-minded Indigenous candidate who can do so much good for all Alaskans? Please? Please!

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Joanna Bryson, Kim L. Scheppele , and 9 more

marisakabas.bsky.social
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 7d
BREAKING — Mayor of Lewiston, Maine posts on FB that ICE is coming to the city imminently. This confirms my reporting the agency is planning a surge in the city and state generally.

Lewiston is home to a large Somali-American population, which made up 4.6% of the population as of the 2020 census.

Reposted by Michael Müller

washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 8d
Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed legislation that would allow New York residents to sue ICE agents in state court for civil rights violations, an escalation of efforts by Democratic-led states to rein in the agency.
New York governor will push for state lawsuits against ICE agents
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) would allow New York residents to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in state court for civil rights violations.
wapo.st

Michael Muller (he/him) @michaelmuller.bsky.social · 10d
I love your poems & your poetry! I hope you will be able to write here in comfort & safety. Thanks for all that you do!

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Stephen M. Walt, Kori Schake , and 88 more

federalreserve.gov
Federal Reserve @federalreserve.gov · 10d
Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Statement by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell
YouTube video by Federal Reserve
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, David Rothschild , and 7 more

amandalitman.bsky.social
Amanda Litman @amandalitman.bsky.social · 12d
“When I speak about making our city more affordable, my vision is not limited to the homes that we live in or the child care that we’re making universal — it’s also a vision where we make it possible for working people to afford lives of joy, of art, of rest, of expression.”
Handing Out Free Tickets, Mamdani Says Theater Should Not Be ‘a Luxury’
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Michael Müller

theatlantic.com
The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 13d
MAGA’s defense of Renee Nicole Good’s death sits uncomfortably with the White House’s defense of January 6 rioters, @jonathanbchait.bsky.social argues.
Trump Has Odd Views on Domestic Terrorism
The president seems to think that beating police officers is 'peaceful,' but attempting to flee from them is terrorism.
bit.ly

Reposted by Michael Müller

jessicacalarco.com
Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 13d
The middle school choir is singing "Seize the Day," from Newsies, and I'm just over here trying not to bawl.

Reposted by Michael Müller, Monisha Bajaj

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 13d
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com

“The chaos that ICE and the Trump administration have brought to Minneapolis made this tragedy sadly predictable,” writes Jacob Frey, the city’s mayor.
Opinion | I’m the Mayor of Minneapolis. Trump Is Lying to You.
This administration is making cities less safe.
nyti.ms

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Robert West, Rebecca Solnit , and 34 more

eliothiggins.bsky.social
Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 13d
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies

Reposted by Michael Müller, Lisa Diedrich, Ann Bartow , and 2 more

mayorwu.boston.gov
Office of Mayor Michelle Wu 吳弭 @mayorwu.boston.gov · 14d
Boston stands with the people of Minneapolis.
Statement on ICE Shooting of Renee Nicole Good Tonight, our hearts are with Renee Good’s family and loved ones as they grieve this terrible loss. Once again, we can see with our own eyes the cruel and vicious agenda of the Trump administration. To protect our residents, we must end the mass deployment of ICE agents into American cities and restore rule of law and basic accountability from the federal government. Boston stands with the people of Minneapolis. Mayor Michelle Wu

Reposted by Joseph Schafer, McKenzie Wark, Michael Müller , and 1 more

kashana.blacksky.app
Kashana @kashana.blacksky.app · 14d
Black people five years ago: you know, they can kill anyone they want to out there

Everybody today: hot damn, did you know they can kill anyone they want to out there?

Reposted by Paul Matthews, Juan Rocha, Michael Müller , and 3 more

melaniemitchell.bsky.social
Melanie Mitchell @melaniemitchell.bsky.social · 20d
2020s: AI "System Prompts" are lengthy, carefully constructed sets of expert rules about a particular domain, created by "prompt engineers".

1980s: AI "Expert Systems" were lengthy, carefully constructed sets of expert rules about a particular domain, created by "knowledge engineers".

Reposted by Michael Müller

criticalai-journal.bsky.social
Critical AI https://read.dukeupress.edu/critical-ai/issue @criticalai-journal.bsky.social · Dec 21
read.dukeupress.edu/critical-ai/...
📣📣 CRITICAL AI'S LATEST ISSUE IS OUT! ALL CONTENT IS CURRENTLY FREE AND OPEN FOR YOUR PERUSAL 📣📣
Volume 3 Issue 2 | Critical AI | Duke University Press
read.dukeupress.edu

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Göran Bolin, Michael Zimmer , and 4 more

spdbump.bsky.social
David M Weigel @spdbump.bsky.social · Dec 21
Not a historian but like to research. The AI might summarize what I'm looking for, but it doesn't find what I'm *not* looking for. The book on the shelf next to the one I wanted. The insight in chapter 6 based on the quote I needed from chapter 4.
Michael Muller (he/him) @michaelmuller.bsky.social · Dec 18
"I still love boxes and the way a word

is a box. It holds things,
flotsam holding flotsam."

--Catherine Barnett
poets.org/poem/speciou...
#poetry #words

Reposted by Michael Müller

theatlantic.com
The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · Dec 14
Should AI chatbots talk with you as if they’re human?

Charlie Warzel speaks with author Kashmir Hill about the ever more alarming relationships people build with AI chatbots. Listen to the episode:
When Chatbots Break Our Minds
How big a problem is “AI psychosis”?
bit.ly

Reposted by Michael Müller

nikitagill.bsky.social
Nikita Gill @nikitagill.bsky.social · Dec 7
“But this is how everything broken heals. You must hold it close when it cries out and love it until it is holy.”
The world drowns and we must pull it to safety. The world burns and we must douse the flames. Every crack in this world can yet be filled with light. Call it hope. Name it sacred. But this is how everything broken heals. You must hold it close when it cries out and love it till it is holy. - Nikita Gill

Reposted by Michael Müller

joseph-yracheta.bsky.social
Joe Yracheta (A ∩ & ∪ Ω) @joseph-yracheta.bsky.social · Dec 7
1/2 This has been an issue since at least 1996 (long before if you include birth control, radiation, syphilis and tuberculosis research). In a way it’s bad we are still talking about this with universities and federal funders), tribalcollegejournal.org/our-dna-our-...
Our DNA, Our Sovereignty: Reclaiming Genetic Data in Indian Country
Native genetic data has been taken, studied, and stored often without tribal consent. TCUs can lead the effort to change the paradigm.
tribalcollegejournal.org

Reposted by Michael Müller

nikitagill.bsky.social
Nikita Gill @nikitagill.bsky.social · Dec 7
May seem mad to a lot of people but if we keep voting for the lesser evil in perpetuity, evil still wins and things will only keep getting worse.

Reposted by Michael Müller

carrieamcdphd.bsky.social
Prof. Carrie McDonough @carrieamcdphd.bsky.social · Dec 6
Seen on CMU campus ❤️

Reposted by Michael Müller

halperta.bsky.social
Hannah Alpert-Abrams @halperta.bsky.social · Dec 4
And also if you are a writer who could use some help getting unstuck or someone to provide editorial review of your work, I've been working with writers since 2009 and it's one of my favorite things to do. I put up some more info on my website.

halperta.com/categories/e...
Writing and Editing
Towards a better future for the humanities.
halperta.com