Reuben Binns
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rdbinns.bsky.social
Reuben Binns
@rdbinns.bsky.social
2.4K followers 590 following 150 posts
Computery guy. HCI, ML, AI, privacy, security, fairness, political economy of tech. He/him. London/Oxford.
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Reposted by Reuben Binns
dylanreeve.com
If only computers had built in clocks in order to tell time using some sort of deterministic machine-readable format.

But alas, the only way to know whether it's daytime is to pay nearly a dollar every 30 minutes to ask a fancy autocomplete bot.
rusty.todayintabs.com Rusty Foster @rusty.todayintabs.com · 1d
I’m starting to think the people who are excited about “AI agents” have literally never used a computer in their lives
Benjamin De Kraker O @BenjaminDEKR Follow OpenClaw is interesting, but will also drain your wallet if you aren't careful. Last night around midnight I loaded my Anthropic API account with $20, then went to bed. When I woke up, my Anthropic balance was $O. Opus was checking "is it daytime yet?" every 30 minutes, paying $0.75 each time to conclude "no, it's still night." Doing literally nothing, OpenClaw spent the entire balance. How? The "Heartbeat" cron job, even though literally the only thing I had going was one silly reminder, ("remind me tomorrow to get milk") 1. Sent ~120,000 tokens of context to Opus 4.5 2. Opus read HEARTBEAT md, thought about reminders 3. Replied "HEARTBEAT_OK" 4. Cost: ~$0.75 per heartbeat (cache writes) The damage: - Overnight = ~25+ heartbeats - 25 × $0.75 = ~$18.75 just from heartbeats alone - Plus regular conversation = ~$20 total The absurdity: Opus was essentially checking "is it daytime yet?" every 30 minutes, paying $0.75 each time to conclude "no, it's still night."
February 1, 2026 at 8:17 AM
rdbinns.bsky.social
For ICML 2026 (top tier AI research venue), authors can choose between two policies for the use of LLMs in reviewing:

Policy A: LLMs prohibited (authors who chose this are bound by it when reviewing)

Policy B: "Use of LLMs to help understand the paper and related works, and polish reviews" allowed
LLM Policy Preference* ICML 2026 will follow a two-policy framework for the use of large language models (LLMs) in reviewing, based on the following two policies: Policy A (Conservative): Use of LLMs for reviewing is strictly prohibited. Policy B (Permissive): Allowed: Use of LLMs to help understand the paper and related works, and polish reviews. Submissions can be fed to privacy-compliant* LLMs. Not allowed: Ask LLMs about strengths/weaknesses, ask to suggest key points for the review, suggest an outline for the review, or write the full review. *By “privacy-compliant”, we refer to LLM tools that do not use logged data for training and that place limits on data retention. This includes enterprise/institutional subscriptions to LLM APIs, consumer subscriptions with an explicit opt-out from training, and self-hosted LLMs. (We understand that this is an oversimplification.) Under both policies, reviewers are always responsible for the full content of their reviews. Both authors and reviewers declare their preferences, and submissions are matched with compatible reviewers. Each reviewer is told which policy to follow on all of their assigned papers (we try to minimize the number of overrides of reviewer preferences). Any reviewer who is an author on a paper that requires Policy A must also be willing to follow Policy A. Reviewing data will be analyzed to inform future policies. For full details, see https://icml.cc/Conferences/2026/LLM-Policy. Please indicate which policy you prefer as a reviewer. Keep in mind that if you are an author on a paper that requires Policy A, you must be willing to follow Policy A as a reviewer. I strongly prefer Policy A. I am okay with either A or B. I strongly prefer Policy B.
January 31, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
workersobservatory.org
🎯 Getting Gig Work on Scotland's Political Agenda

Food delivery workers joined the Workers' Observatory workshop this week to build political momentum towards fair and safe gig work in Scotland.

You can read the workers' principles and policy demands here: workersobservatory.org/documents/WO...
Edinburgh City Councillors meet food delivery workers in Workers' Observatory workshop
January 31, 2026 at 11:51 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
jdportes.bsky.social
Matt Goodwin's lies about his background have hopelessly confused Google AI 😉
January 27, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
evansmithhist.bsky.social
To celebrate the publication of @d-j-frost.bsky.social and mine’s book ‘In Solidarity, Under Suspicion: The British Far Left from 1956’, I am giving away a copy to one randomly chosen person who reposts this post by 11.59pm ACST Sunday 1 Feb.

manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526179593/
Stack of the book ‘In Solidarity, Under Suspicion: The British Far Left from 1956’, edited by Daniel Frost and Evan Smith
January 27, 2026 at 7:21 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
abeba.bsky.social
I’m looking for my right-hand person to come help me run the @aial.ie

- Job Title: Lab Coordinator, AI Accountability Lab (0.8 FTE)
- Pay Scale: (€58,999 - €69,325 per annum pro-rata)
- Closing Date: 11-Feb-2026 12:00

Apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/trrecrui...

Main Responsibilities👇🏾
Main Responsibilities Operational and Financial Administration: • Coordinate the day-to-day operational and administrative activities of the AI Accountability Lab. • Oversee lab budgets and financial planning for research grants and cost centres; monitor expenditure and prepare financial reports for the PI and Faculty Finance Office. • Ensure adherence to Trinity and funder financial policies and procurement procedures. • Maintain internal administrative systems, documentation, and records to support efficient project delivery. • Liaise with central Finance, the Research Development Office, and external funding bodies on budgetary and governance matters. • Coordinate HR administrative processes for the lab, including recruitment, onboarding, contract administration, and research staff extensions in liaison with central HR and the Research Office. • Create and maintain shared resources, calendars, and internal documentation. • Coordinate relationships and collaboration with other research centres, government bodies, policy makers, civil society partners, and media as required by the research team. • Plan and schedule internal lab meetings, reading groups, invited speakers, collaborative work sessions, and other events as required. Research Coordination and Governance: • Track project timelines, deliverables, reporting schedules, and ethical compliance across multiple funded projects. • Ensure research activities meet Trinity and funder governance requirements (e.g., ethics, data management, GDPR, and reporting). • Coordinate workshops, seminars, and collaborative events with research centres and external partners as required. • Maintain shared documentation and project records to support effective collaboration. • Ensure that research outputs comply with ethical and scientific standards and satisfy the terms and conditions of relevant funding bodies. Communications and External Engagement • Coordinate internal and external communications for the lab, including its website, newsletters, and social media presence. • Liaise with policy makers, media, and stakeholder organisations on behalf of the lab, in consultation with the PI. • Support the dissemination of research outputs, such as academic publications, policy briefs, and public events in collaboration with ADAPT’s and TCD’s communications staff. • Work with Trinity Communications to prepare press releases and highlight lab achievements. • Representing the lab externally with media if required. Planning and Cross-Centre Coordination • Support the PI in delivering AIAL’s annual operational plan and reporting on progress against objectives. • Coordinate activities across multiple projects and partnerships to ensure consistency and alignment with institutional priorities. • Contribute to process improvements that strengthen the lab’s administrative and operational framework. • Act as a key contact for internal governance reviews, audits, and funder compliance checks. Any other duties or responsibilities as assigned by the PI or their delegate in support of the effective operation of the AI Accountability Lab and its objectives.
January 21, 2026 at 11:17 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
gabrielzucman.bsky.social
Back to GDP:

There is no productivity miracle in the US.

The growth of productivity (= GDP per hour worked) has slowed down markedly.

From 1.9% in the period 1980-2010 to 1.1% in 2010-2025

If you think the rise of tech has made people more productive, think again
January 20, 2026 at 8:59 PM
rdbinns.bsky.social
This is being pitched as a 'plan to increase ‘education exports’', but fees from international students at UK institutions are already considered exports (under WTO definitions, "Mode 2: Consumption Abroad").

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
UK ministers scrap foreign students target in shift to overseas hubs strategy
Government replaces recruitment goal with plan to increase ‘education exports’ to £40bn a year by 2030
www.theguardian.com
January 20, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
darrencullen.bsky.social
Profits go down: We regret to announce that we have to destroy the world.
Profits go up: We're delighted to announce that we have to destroy the world.
BBC News headline: "BP set to scale back green investments as profits drop sharply" BBC News headline: "BP scales back climate targets as profits hit record"
January 19, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
jbakcoleman.bsky.social
Ever wonder what proportion of high profile social media research is tied to the tech industry?

New from me, @cailinmeister.bsky.social, @jevinwest.bsky.social and @carlbergstrom.com.

Thread tomorrow.

arxiv.org/abs/2601.11507
Industry Influence in High-Profile Social Media Research
To what extent is social media research independent from industry influence? Leveraging openly available data, we show that half of the research published in top journals has disclosable ties to indus...
arxiv.org
January 19, 2026 at 2:17 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
ria.ie
Last year, we made the decision to step away from X.

The Royal Irish Academy is committed to creating, convening, and sharing knowledge for the public good and as an organisation we value Independence; Integrity; Curiosity; Openness and Rigour.

In our view, X no longer aligns with these values
January 17, 2026 at 11:11 AM
rdbinns.bsky.social
Aarhus University are advertising for an assistant professor position in Human-Centered Cybersecurity - application deadline 19th January: international.au.dk/about/profil....
Assistant Professor of Human-Centred Cybersecurity (readvertisement) - Vacancy at Aarhus University
Vacancy at School of Communication and Culture - Digital Design and Information Studies, Dept. of, Aarhus University
international.au.dk
January 15, 2026 at 2:56 PM
rdbinns.bsky.social
Spotify is worth over $100b but its algorithms can't seem to distinguish between UK garage and garage rock, which have nothing in common except their name.
January 15, 2026 at 9:39 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social
The Society for Hopeful Technologists listened to our community. We know many folks feel tech has gone in the wrong direction and don't know what to do about it. We're going to start by building a solidarity network that makes it easier for Hopeful Technologists to act hopeful.technology
a black background with three postit notes on that sat Activate Hope, Demystify Tech, Positive Visions
January 9, 2026 at 8:00 AM
rdbinns.bsky.social
Thanks to AI, it's easy for anyone to vibe code a web scraper!

Thanks to AI, all web scrapers are blocked!
January 6, 2026 at 10:10 AM
rdbinns.bsky.social
If you've been caught with AI hallucinated citations attributed to me, then for the right price, I'll write and publish a real paper to match the fake one 😀
kylelo.bsky.social Kyle Lo @kylelo.bsky.social · 27d
some citation graphs data pipelines will create new "paper" nodes based on extracted bibstrings from PDFs

so in 2026 the papers we hallucinated in 2025 might end up being "real" papers on gscholar or sthn lol
January 6, 2026 at 9:15 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
robertpaulett.bsky.social
This, for the record, is what goes into a footnote. It’s the key part of the research process where I examine the practical, methodological, ethical implications of my sources before I join the stream of interpretation. It cannot be outsourced to an LLM.
robertpaulett.bsky.social Robert Paulett @robertpaulett.bsky.social · Nov 27
Rare footage of a footnote being born in the wild.
December 21, 2025 at 5:53 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
jedbrown.org
Professional societies keep beclowning themselves buying into a lie about what an LLM "summary" is. They are inherently counterfeit: not an epistemic product of the ideas in the source, but summary-shaped text linguistically based on *other* works (in the training corpus) that use related language.
disabilitystor1.bsky.social Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · Dec 20
This is one of the reasons I remain horrified by seeing @historians.org suggest "ways to use gAI" that included this:
December 21, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
jointogether.online
The new law is also a huge opportunity for unions to modernise. It includes new rights of workplace access, including digitally, and makes online balloting legal for the first time too. Unions should hear it as a strong signal to improve their digital member experience and sort out their data.
December 17, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
jvp.bsky.social
On the first night of Hanukkah, we hold close the memory of movement ancestor Marek Edelman (1919-2009) Z’’L, a lifelong anti-Zionist who fought in and survived the Warsaw Ghetto, resisted Nazism, and maintained his identity as a Polish Jew, refusing to immigrate to occupied Palestine.
December 15, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
robinince.bsky.social
Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.
This is the saddest day of my professional life. Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage. I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys. I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show, A show that I named and helped develop over all those years. Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry. These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenter In a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices. Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'. • I chose the latter. It broke my heart. I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make. I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer. I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence. One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career. I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more. I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost". James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice. Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences. I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness. Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire. I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal. I am so sorry to let you down. I hope that you can understand my reasoning. I have to accept that I am not what the current BBC expects of their freelance presenters. Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not "just a job" I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world. From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too. The strawberry is dead. Long live the strawberry. B
December 13, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
catherinefletcher.info
apparently there's 'falling growth' in the 'scientific research' sector, and yes, that is what will happen if you slash jobs in universities
UK economy unexpectedly contracts by 0.1% in October
Growth has slowed throughout the year
www.ft.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
jayapal.house.gov
Uber, Lyft, and other app-based corporations can take up to 70% of a ride’s cost for their own profit, leaving drivers with next to nothing.

They’re ripping off employees and price-gouging consumers — all while raking in billions. I’m introducing a bill to fix this broken system.
December 12, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by Reuben Binns
giffordhead.co.uk
The divergence between what the Master of the Rolls thinks AI can do for litigation (left) and the reality of it (right) is stark. I wish he spent more time dealing with cases infected by it.

(The 2nd quote is from Re: D [2025] EWCA Civ 1570, handed down yesterday).
He said that in “a few minutes”, AI could transform “lengthy ramblings explaining why a tenant dislikes and wishes to claim against their landlord” into “a well-ordered intelligible legal claim against that landlord”. In reply, the mother, acting in person, submitted a lengthy skeleton argument responding in detail to every paragraph in Mr Spencer's skeleton argument, describing much of it as factually inaccurate or incomplete and misleading. She reiterated many of her complaints and criticisms of the district judge's judgment set out in her "grounds of recusal" document and her original grounds of appeal. The skeleton argument cited a number of authorities. As before, some citations were non-existent cases - for example "Re M (Paternity: Appeal by Mother) [2003] EWHC 2832 (Fam)". Other cases were cited in support of a proposition for which they were not authority. For example, Re B (Children) [2008] UKHL 35, the well-known decision of the House of Lords on the standard of proof in children's cases, was erroneously cited for the proposition that "the father's conscious choice to ignore correspondence that did not assist his position demonstrates wilful evasion and further undermines his credibility". Re W (Children) [2010] UKSC 12, the equally well-known decision on the principles which should guide the exercise of the court's discretion in deciding whether to order a child to attend to give evidence in family proceedings, was cited for the proposition that "findings reached through a procedurally compromised process cannot stand".
December 10, 2025 at 10:43 AM