Kate Bowles
@sokate.bsky.social
Exploring experience design for uncertain situations. Higher education sceptic. Climate worrier. Mostly over at aus.social.
Reposted by Kate Bowles
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner AO FAHA FQA — one of Australia’s most influential humanities scholars and a towering figure in the Academy’s history. humanities.org.au/our-communit...
November 26, 2025 at 6:26 AM
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner AO FAHA FQA — one of Australia’s most influential humanities scholars and a towering figure in the Academy’s history. humanities.org.au/our-communit...
Reposted by Kate Bowles
My thoughts on AI's intrusions in education, quoting @audreywatters.bsky.social & @biblioracle.bsky.social
On resisting AI intrusions:
buttondown.com/creativegood...
On resisting AI intrusions:
buttondown.com/creativegood...
On resisting AI intrusions
For several years I’ve been following Paul Salopek, a National Geographic explorer, on his Out of Eden Walk around the world. Paul has been on Techtonic a...
buttondown.com
April 23, 2025 at 9:43 PM
My thoughts on AI's intrusions in education, quoting @audreywatters.bsky.social & @biblioracle.bsky.social
On resisting AI intrusions:
buttondown.com/creativegood...
On resisting AI intrusions:
buttondown.com/creativegood...
Albanese? Wong? Anything to say about anything? I know we just learned that AUKUS is beyond him, and I know we’re very keen to say we have no doubt they would defend us under ANZUS, but is this the moral quality of the ally we are choosing, or just the one we’re afraid of losing?
February 28, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Albanese? Wong? Anything to say about anything? I know we just learned that AUKUS is beyond him, and I know we’re very keen to say we have no doubt they would defend us under ANZUS, but is this the moral quality of the ally we are choosing, or just the one we’re afraid of losing?
Reposted by Kate Bowles
People who condemn well-intentioned approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion out of hand are presuming their so-called "meritocracy" operates on a level playing-field. Such an argument entirely misses the point that prevailing sources of money, power, and privilege dominate.
February 11, 2025 at 8:34 AM
People who condemn well-intentioned approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion out of hand are presuming their so-called "meritocracy" operates on a level playing-field. Such an argument entirely misses the point that prevailing sources of money, power, and privilege dominate.
So glad this morning to find @brigidrussell51.bsky.social and @charliepsych.bsky.social here. I’m still never quite sure what to say in this space so I’m really taken with the consistency of their reflections.
January 24, 2025 at 7:20 PM
So glad this morning to find @brigidrussell51.bsky.social and @charliepsych.bsky.social here. I’m still never quite sure what to say in this space so I’m really taken with the consistency of their reflections.
Australian universities need to be thinking seriously about this question of social license. It’s not new, it’s just got a new hat. And it’s going to pop up everywhere in the election year. A smart defense will need to go beyond stock images of sciencing.
futurecampus.com.au/2025/01/23/h...
futurecampus.com.au/2025/01/23/h...
HE’s hottest topic emerges - Future Campus
As US higher education institutions brace for the Trump administration’s promised reforms, designed to radically reshape the sector to better align with the values of their supporter base, the importa...
futurecampus.com.au
January 23, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Australian universities need to be thinking seriously about this question of social license. It’s not new, it’s just got a new hat. And it’s going to pop up everywhere in the election year. A smart defense will need to go beyond stock images of sciencing.
futurecampus.com.au/2025/01/23/h...
futurecampus.com.au/2025/01/23/h...
Reposted by Kate Bowles
Okay friends, you know what to do. Welcome the formidable @louiseadler1.bsky.social to Bluesky. An *awkward gesture* has brought has brought her from X to greener pastures. Louise is brave, big-hearted, funny and smart. Publisher of my first book on Pell, Cardinal, now runs Adelaide Writers’ Week.
January 23, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Okay friends, you know what to do. Welcome the formidable @louiseadler1.bsky.social to Bluesky. An *awkward gesture* has brought has brought her from X to greener pastures. Louise is brave, big-hearted, funny and smart. Publisher of my first book on Pell, Cardinal, now runs Adelaide Writers’ Week.
Revealing thread on the return of the barely repressed, edtech inevitabilism. Inevitabilistic projections are sparkly because they’re shallow. No one writing (or prompting) this kind of prose needs to trouble themselves with risk.
The mega-consultancies are all pushing AI in education like you would totally believe. A short thread if you can cope...
Deloitte may be getting AI to generate its HE proposals too
"Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to harness the diverse capabilities of AI technologies to develop innovative solutions to help empower and transform AI strategy for higher education institutions" www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/...
"Our multidisciplinary approach allows us to harness the diverse capabilities of AI technologies to develop innovative solutions to help empower and transform AI strategy for higher education institutions" www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/...
January 18, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Revealing thread on the return of the barely repressed, edtech inevitabilism. Inevitabilistic projections are sparkly because they’re shallow. No one writing (or prompting) this kind of prose needs to trouble themselves with risk.
Reposted by Kate Bowles
One of the early panel discussions I did on Generative AI turned to the question of labour saving for faculty. A big topic was taking on the writing that no one wants to do or read anyway. The specific example was reporting out on sabbaticals and grants. Why not automate that hoop with ChatGPT?
January 17, 2025 at 3:22 PM
One of the early panel discussions I did on Generative AI turned to the question of labour saving for faculty. A big topic was taking on the writing that no one wants to do or read anyway. The specific example was reporting out on sabbaticals and grants. Why not automate that hoop with ChatGPT?
“The goal of this change, in Meta's words, was to "limit … the content [teenagers] see, and help ensure their time is well spent.”
Something something footy netball swimming Aussie Aussie Aussie.
Something something footy netball swimming Aussie Aussie Aussie.
SCOOP: Instagram blocked teens from searching LGBTQ-related content for months.
Posts with LGBTQ+ hashtags were hidden under Meta's “sensitive content” policy which restricts "sexually suggestive content", Meta said they are fixing this “error” after I reached out for comment.
Posts with LGBTQ+ hashtags were hidden under Meta's “sensitive content” policy which restricts "sexually suggestive content", Meta said they are fixing this “error” after I reached out for comment.
Instagram blocked teens from searching LGBTQ-related content for months
Posts with LGBTQ+ hashtags were hidden under Meta's “sensitive content” policy which restricts "sexually suggestive content"
www.usermag.co
January 6, 2025 at 9:36 PM
“The goal of this change, in Meta's words, was to "limit … the content [teenagers] see, and help ensure their time is well spent.”
Something something footy netball swimming Aussie Aussie Aussie.
Something something footy netball swimming Aussie Aussie Aussie.
Reposted by Kate Bowles
Introduce the clumsy obvious AI accounts first, then while people are distracted slip the far harder-to-spot version into the ecosystem
January 4, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Introduce the clumsy obvious AI accounts first, then while people are distracted slip the far harder-to-spot version into the ecosystem
Overheard yesterday in small independent local bookstore. “My son told me the name of the book and I’ve forgotten it.” Long pause. All of us browsing held our breath. “Percy something?” “Oh yes, we have those, which one?” I’m surprised we didn’t all cheer, as we were thinking it.
More than “It’s blue and I saw it on my Grandma’s book shelf about 32 years ago. No, I don’t know what it’s about, but I think the author died about 17 years ago”.
Yes, I’ve been a bookseller at Christmas.
Yes, I’ve been a bookseller at Christmas.
December 22, 2024 at 4:19 AM
Overheard yesterday in small independent local bookstore. “My son told me the name of the book and I’ve forgotten it.” Long pause. All of us browsing held our breath. “Percy something?” “Oh yes, we have those, which one?” I’m surprised we didn’t all cheer, as we were thinking it.
Thinking hard about what Lorna is saying about the radical praxis of decelerating in the context of this beautiful writing from @agnesbosanquet.bsky.social: theslowacademic.com/2024/11/30/s...
December 19, 2024 at 12:06 AM
Thinking hard about what Lorna is saying about the radical praxis of decelerating in the context of this beautiful writing from @agnesbosanquet.bsky.social: theslowacademic.com/2024/11/30/s...
Reposted by Kate Bowles
The UK's HSE in its reply to the University of Birmingham SMT's response to Birmingham UCU's complaint: 'I do not consider that your reply provides sufficient assurance that work-related stress is being suitably managed by the University'.
'we will be inspecting the University [..] in the new year'
'we will be inspecting the University [..] in the new year'
December 17, 2024 at 1:16 PM
The UK's HSE in its reply to the University of Birmingham SMT's response to Birmingham UCU's complaint: 'I do not consider that your reply provides sufficient assurance that work-related stress is being suitably managed by the University'.
'we will be inspecting the University [..] in the new year'
'we will be inspecting the University [..] in the new year'
The name of this product is the red flag for the conversations higher education is failing to have about its own labour market. The business problem being solved here isn’t the workload of the privileged, that’s just bait.
www.alldayta.com
www.alldayta.com
All Day TA
All Day TA is an AI EdTech company focused on higher education that enables professors to build customized AI teaching assistants for their courses. Available 24/7, it provides students with instant, ...
www.alldayta.com
December 15, 2024 at 9:15 PM
The name of this product is the red flag for the conversations higher education is failing to have about its own labour market. The business problem being solved here isn’t the workload of the privileged, that’s just bait.
www.alldayta.com
www.alldayta.com
Reposted by Kate Bowles
As the remaining Bali 9 members return home, ALHR’s thoughts are with the loved ones of Andrew Chan & Myuran Sukumaran - young men who had been demonstrably rehabilitated after 10 years imprisonment but who were executed. We must continue to work towards the worldwide abolition of the death penalty
December 15, 2024 at 7:56 AM
As the remaining Bali 9 members return home, ALHR’s thoughts are with the loved ones of Andrew Chan & Myuran Sukumaran - young men who had been demonstrably rehabilitated after 10 years imprisonment but who were executed. We must continue to work towards the worldwide abolition of the death penalty
Reposted by Kate Bowles
From Raymond Carver's book, All of Us: bookshop.org/a/862/978037...
#poem #poetry #raymondcarver #writers #books
#poem #poetry #raymondcarver #writers #books
December 12, 2024 at 6:41 PM
From Raymond Carver's book, All of Us: bookshop.org/a/862/978037...
#poem #poetry #raymondcarver #writers #books
#poem #poetry #raymondcarver #writers #books
Reposted by Kate Bowles
I dream of a world where instead of saying “hey, AI can write this grant exit report no one wants to read” we ask “what is a more meaningful way to report out about grants?”
We automate busy work instead of abolishing it and boil the oceans in the process.
We automate busy work instead of abolishing it and boil the oceans in the process.
December 10, 2024 at 8:57 PM
I dream of a world where instead of saying “hey, AI can write this grant exit report no one wants to read” we ask “what is a more meaningful way to report out about grants?”
We automate busy work instead of abolishing it and boil the oceans in the process.
We automate busy work instead of abolishing it and boil the oceans in the process.
“professional incentives” is the thing to notice. Why have universities incentivised fast and frequent paywalled publication? What metrics of individual and institutional gain/game have made higher education so ripe for AI uplift? Looking forward to what Mark has to say.
December 10, 2024 at 8:44 PM
“professional incentives” is the thing to notice. Why have universities incentivised fast and frequent paywalled publication? What metrics of individual and institutional gain/game have made higher education so ripe for AI uplift? Looking forward to what Mark has to say.
Reposted by Kate Bowles
1. It’s not possible to keep “AI” out of “the humanities” so long as the humanities inhabit an institution.
2. AI is first/foremost an amplification of—the operationalization of—long-standing forces acting on (within) that institution.
3. It’s not about the technology. It’s about the capital.
2. AI is first/foremost an amplification of—the operationalization of—long-standing forces acting on (within) that institution.
3. It’s not about the technology. It’s about the capital.
December 9, 2024 at 3:46 AM
1. It’s not possible to keep “AI” out of “the humanities” so long as the humanities inhabit an institution.
2. AI is first/foremost an amplification of—the operationalization of—long-standing forces acting on (within) that institution.
3. It’s not about the technology. It’s about the capital.
2. AI is first/foremost an amplification of—the operationalization of—long-standing forces acting on (within) that institution.
3. It’s not about the technology. It’s about the capital.
“High levels of internet usage and heavy media multitasking are associated with decreased grey matter in prefrontal regions” — the problem being this is overwhelmingly a description of work itself. Is there a work safety case being built here? Is work really rotting our brains? Is it?
Is doom scrolling really rotting our brains? The evidence is getting harder to ignore | Siân Boyle
Is doom scrolling really rotting our brains? The evidence is getting harder to ignore | Siân Boyle
‘Brain rot’ is the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year – a fitting choice, given the startling impact the internet is having on our grey matter
If you want to witness the last vestiges of human intellect swirling down the drain, hold your nose…
www.theguardian.com
December 9, 2024 at 7:10 AM
“High levels of internet usage and heavy media multitasking are associated with decreased grey matter in prefrontal regions” — the problem being this is overwhelmingly a description of work itself. Is there a work safety case being built here? Is work really rotting our brains? Is it?