Teresa Heffernan
@tjheffernan.bsky.social
Literature prof; author; current project: how literal readings of fiction by the tech industry are destroying the world. Let's read/interpret fiction as fiction. Boycott generative AI (chatbots etc); Website: https://www.socialrobotfutures.com/
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
Is Santa Real? Many users feel they're getting presents from him. Scientists say it's time to consider whether they're onto something.
November 26, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Is Santa Real? Many users feel they're getting presents from him. Scientists say it's time to consider whether they're onto something.
Canada also needs to wake up:
'“Our mid-term goal should be the complete phase-out of Microsoft products, including the Windows operating system. It’s easier than it sounds,” the lawmakers say, praising the International Criminal Court’s recent move to drop Microsoft over U.S. sanction fears.'
'“Our mid-term goal should be the complete phase-out of Microsoft products, including the Windows operating system. It’s easier than it sounds,” the lawmakers say, praising the International Criminal Court’s recent move to drop Microsoft over U.S. sanction fears.'
“Our mid-term goal should be the complete phase-out of Microsoft products, including the Windows operating system. It’s easier than it sounds.”
A cross-party group of lawmakers are pushing for the European Parliament to get off US tech, starting with Microsoft.
A cross-party group of lawmakers are pushing for the European Parliament to get off US tech, starting with Microsoft.
Get us off Microsoft! Lawmakers press EU Parliament to change in-house IT.
“We cannot afford this level of dependence on foreign tech,” lawmakers say in letter obtained by POLITICO.
www.politico.eu
November 26, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Canada also needs to wake up:
'“Our mid-term goal should be the complete phase-out of Microsoft products, including the Windows operating system. It’s easier than it sounds,” the lawmakers say, praising the International Criminal Court’s recent move to drop Microsoft over U.S. sanction fears.'
'“Our mid-term goal should be the complete phase-out of Microsoft products, including the Windows operating system. It’s easier than it sounds,” the lawmakers say, praising the International Criminal Court’s recent move to drop Microsoft over U.S. sanction fears.'
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
My speaker notes & slides from today's panel on 'Resisting GenAI & Big Tech in Higher Education', co-organised with the Climate Justice Universities Union (CJUU). The full recording, slides and resources will be available soon via the CJUU site.
danmcquillan.org/resisting_ge...
danmcquillan.org/resisting_ge...
November 25, 2025 at 8:06 PM
My speaker notes & slides from today's panel on 'Resisting GenAI & Big Tech in Higher Education', co-organised with the Climate Justice Universities Union (CJUU). The full recording, slides and resources will be available soon via the CJUU site.
danmcquillan.org/resisting_ge...
danmcquillan.org/resisting_ge...
"Tech CEOs are riding the AI hype by pocketing billions through circular deals — and the European Commission is fueling the hype. When the bubble bursts, CEOs may lose investors, but the commission will have wasted public funds and shattered public trust."
euobserver.com/digital/ar68...
euobserver.com/digital/ar68...
Von der Leyen caught in AI hype trap while Tech bros cash in
Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Commission are fueling the AI hype, claiming AI could reach human-level reasoning next year. When asked for evidence, they cited tech CEOs’ essays, prompting scientists...
euobserver.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:38 PM
"Tech CEOs are riding the AI hype by pocketing billions through circular deals — and the European Commission is fueling the hype. When the bubble bursts, CEOs may lose investors, but the commission will have wasted public funds and shattered public trust."
euobserver.com/digital/ar68...
euobserver.com/digital/ar68...
'Peter Geoghegan, former editor-in-chief at openDemocracy, told Byline Times: “It’s curious that the Orwell Prize – Britain’s most celebrated award for public interest journalism – has turned to a man who’s spent much of his career trying to stifle it.”'
I’m a past winner of the Orwell Prize & won partly because I exposed Vote Leave’s unlawful activities.
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove Made Orwell Prize Judge Despite Record of Attacking Journalists and Dodging Scrutiny
Critics say "Orwell would have enjoyed the irony" of the former Conservative minister's appointment
bylinetimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
'Peter Geoghegan, former editor-in-chief at openDemocracy, told Byline Times: “It’s curious that the Orwell Prize – Britain’s most celebrated award for public interest journalism – has turned to a man who’s spent much of his career trying to stifle it.”'
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
Finally something on this argument current and future school teachers keep throwing at me - no, underserved groups are not currently or ever going to benefit from LLMs.
They love to say it's a way to help underserved groups of children too. Extra scary.
Forbes, S. H. & Guest, O. (2025). To Improve Literacy, Improve Equality in Education, Not Large Language Models. Cognitive Science. doi.org/10.1111/cogs...
PDF: philpapers.org/archive/FORT...
Forbes, S. H. & Guest, O. (2025). To Improve Literacy, Improve Equality in Education, Not Large Language Models. Cognitive Science. doi.org/10.1111/cogs...
PDF: philpapers.org/archive/FORT...
To Improve Literacy, Improve Equality in Education, Not Large Language Models
Huettig and Christiansen in an earlier issue argue that large language models (LLMs) are beneficial to address declining cognitive skills, such as literacy, through combating imbalances in educationa....
doi.org
November 23, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Finally something on this argument current and future school teachers keep throwing at me - no, underserved groups are not currently or ever going to benefit from LLMs.
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
You think LLM-based chatbots can help students learn? Think again.
Take a few minutes to listen to Dr. @drtanksley.bsky.social clear explanation why this is very bad, harmful idea, especially for Black students.
#Critical_AI_Literacy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtc...
Take a few minutes to listen to Dr. @drtanksley.bsky.social clear explanation why this is very bad, harmful idea, especially for Black students.
#Critical_AI_Literacy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtc...
Howard University AI Panel
YouTube video by Tiera Tanksley
www.youtube.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:56 PM
You think LLM-based chatbots can help students learn? Think again.
Take a few minutes to listen to Dr. @drtanksley.bsky.social clear explanation why this is very bad, harmful idea, especially for Black students.
#Critical_AI_Literacy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtc...
Take a few minutes to listen to Dr. @drtanksley.bsky.social clear explanation why this is very bad, harmful idea, especially for Black students.
#Critical_AI_Literacy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mtc...
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
Type of guy who is a pundit, pollster, or political operative who is a true believer in American Popularism, and all of his evidence of popularism in America comes from X accounts run out of Macedonia and Malaysia who pretend to be American MAGAs is, sadly, a common kind of guy.
November 22, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Type of guy who is a pundit, pollster, or political operative who is a true believer in American Popularism, and all of his evidence of popularism in America comes from X accounts run out of Macedonia and Malaysia who pretend to be American MAGAs is, sadly, a common kind of guy.
AGI is a myth... and a 'terrible goal'
November 22, 2025 at 9:27 PM
AGI is a myth... and a 'terrible goal'
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
What sucks is when your college's CTL is pimping LLMs all the fucking time for every fucking thing. I have so little respect for the people working there.
Anyone using chatbots for education needs to stop now.
They spew Jim Crow levels of racism and hate that get even worse with scaling not better.
Reminder: "AI" has never been about education or intelligence..it is about power, surveillance and control.
They spew Jim Crow levels of racism and hate that get even worse with scaling not better.
Reminder: "AI" has never been about education or intelligence..it is about power, surveillance and control.
I need everyone, esp anyone working in education or tech (but really everyone) to WATCH THIS CLIP of @drtanksley.bsky.social discussing the technologies infiltrating our schools & psyches and how she is addressing it with our young people. youtu.be/5mtcSL4S3HQ
November 22, 2025 at 5:42 PM
What sucks is when your college's CTL is pimping LLMs all the fucking time for every fucking thing. I have so little respect for the people working there.
Anyone using chatbots for education needs to stop now.
They spew Jim Crow levels of racism and hate that get even worse with scaling not better.
Reminder: "AI" has never been about education or intelligence..it is about power, surveillance and control.
They spew Jim Crow levels of racism and hate that get even worse with scaling not better.
Reminder: "AI" has never been about education or intelligence..it is about power, surveillance and control.
I need everyone, esp anyone working in education or tech (but really everyone) to WATCH THIS CLIP of @drtanksley.bsky.social discussing the technologies infiltrating our schools & psyches and how she is addressing it with our young people. youtu.be/5mtcSL4S3HQ
Howard University AI Panel
YouTube video by Tiera Tanksley
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Anyone using chatbots for education needs to stop now.
They spew Jim Crow levels of racism and hate that get even worse with scaling not better.
Reminder: "AI" has never been about education or intelligence..it is about power, surveillance and control.
They spew Jim Crow levels of racism and hate that get even worse with scaling not better.
Reminder: "AI" has never been about education or intelligence..it is about power, surveillance and control.
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
A French ICC judge sanctioned by the US over the Netanyau arrest warrant says all his accounts with US companies have been closed, making it “like being sent back to the 1990s.”
“Without sovereignty – military, health, financial and digital – we can no longer guarantee the rule of law,” he says.
“Without sovereignty – military, health, financial and digital – we can no longer guarantee the rule of law,” he says.
![What can governments do?
In the face of US sanctions, European authorities can implement the "blocking statute" [a mechanism used in the past that protects EU citizens and companies from the effects of sanctions imposed by third countries]. Europe needs greater sovereignty, especially in digital and banking matters. That is the only way to reduce the impact of sanctions and, indirectly, protect the victims of international crimes. Today, there is no room for naivety. Without sovereignty – military, health, financial and digital – we can no longer guarantee the rule of law. Some European lawmakers have become aware of these issues. Still, this awareness must grow among national governments and the European Commission, because behind the sanctions against the ICC lies the entire question of the rule of law.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5rxcpjus3ple6jpbuafvm4og/bafkreiflzi2b3svul3iq3omdpk3yl4kydla7cisw7ireldm7zne2majeoq@jpeg)
November 22, 2025 at 12:55 PM
A French ICC judge sanctioned by the US over the Netanyau arrest warrant says all his accounts with US companies have been closed, making it “like being sent back to the 1990s.”
“Without sovereignty – military, health, financial and digital – we can no longer guarantee the rule of law,” he says.
“Without sovereignty – military, health, financial and digital – we can no longer guarantee the rule of law,” he says.
The AI industry really needs courses in consent...time to abandon gmail, which I have been meaning to do for ages
November 21, 2025 at 2:51 PM
The AI industry really needs courses in consent...time to abandon gmail, which I have been meaning to do for ages
As much as the rails against Trump...he is still a mini Trump
“What’s disturbing about the scandal though, is how blatant it is. Political appointees are handing out hundreds of millions of dollars from a public slush fund to organizations that are either close to the government or that hire the right political insiders.”
www.thestar.com/opinion/star...
www.thestar.com/opinion/star...
Star Editorial Board: Doug Ford’s latest scandal is almost too brazen to be believed
It suggests Ford has established a system where public money is being handed out not based on need or merit but on who you know or who you pay
www.thestar.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:05 AM
As much as the rails against Trump...he is still a mini Trump
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
In related news, I've uninstalled MS Office and switched over to a free replacement because #Microsoft no longer allows us to remove its AI ("Copilot"). The transition was seamless. I wish I'd dumped MS Office years ago!
November 20, 2025 at 11:09 PM
In related news, I've uninstalled MS Office and switched over to a free replacement because #Microsoft no longer allows us to remove its AI ("Copilot"). The transition was seamless. I wish I'd dumped MS Office years ago!
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
The grok stuff is pathetic but it’s also a perfect and undeniable illustration of chatbots as ideology. It’s no less true for chatgpt or other bots, but sometimes not as visible.
November 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM
The grok stuff is pathetic but it’s also a perfect and undeniable illustration of chatbots as ideology. It’s no less true for chatgpt or other bots, but sometimes not as visible.
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
‘We’re not fooled’: No Desert Data Center’s fight against Project Blue is a common one across North America
Morning File by @suzannerent.bsky.social
Morning File by @suzannerent.bsky.social
'We're not fooled': No Desert Data Center's fight against Project Blue is a common one across North America - Halifax Examiner
An interview with a member of a coalition fighting to stop a data centre in Tucson, Arizona.
www.halifaxexaminer.ca
November 20, 2025 at 2:50 PM
‘We’re not fooled’: No Desert Data Center’s fight against Project Blue is a common one across North America
Morning File by @suzannerent.bsky.social
Morning File by @suzannerent.bsky.social
The strong bond between an authoritarian state and the AI industry...Saudi is the largest investor in AI in the world.
Authoritarianism is the bailout.
White House drafts order directing Justice Department to sue states that pass AI regulations
The draft order comes after Republicans in Congress failed to pass a federal ban on state AI regulation, as more lawmakers raise concerns about the technology.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:12 PM
The strong bond between an authoritarian state and the AI industry...Saudi is the largest investor in AI in the world.
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
For students, AI teaching appears to be less transformative than it is demoralising. They say they feel “robbed of knowledge and enjoyment”.
‘We could have asked ChatGPT’: students fight back over course taught by AI
Staffordshire students say signs material was AI-generated included suspicious file names and rogue voiceover accent
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:49 PM
For students, AI teaching appears to be less transformative than it is demoralising. They say they feel “robbed of knowledge and enjoyment”.
Saudi and the AI industry are very cozy. Why? “narrative control...AI can optimize and automate processes leading to public opinion formation.”
@ali-alkhatib.com writes: “AI is an ideological project to shift authority and autonomy away from individuals, towards centralized structures of power.”
@ali-alkhatib.com writes: “AI is an ideological project to shift authority and autonomy away from individuals, towards centralized structures of power.”
What an ai first administration looks like.
Here’s the Trump executive order that would ban state AI laws
Trump is launching an all-out broadside against states with strict AI regulations.
www.theverge.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Saudi and the AI industry are very cozy. Why? “narrative control...AI can optimize and automate processes leading to public opinion formation.”
@ali-alkhatib.com writes: “AI is an ideological project to shift authority and autonomy away from individuals, towards centralized structures of power.”
@ali-alkhatib.com writes: “AI is an ideological project to shift authority and autonomy away from individuals, towards centralized structures of power.”
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
AI slop gracing the cover of Royal Society B. Not only in AI yellow but scientifically nonsensical. Come on. I'm certain human photographs and artworks were ignored to platform ... this.
November 18, 2025 at 10:49 AM
AI slop gracing the cover of Royal Society B. Not only in AI yellow but scientifically nonsensical. Come on. I'm certain human photographs and artworks were ignored to platform ... this.
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
Yet again: can we accept that the current technology of generative AI is an inherently fascistic product, and should be treated as such?
Just as fascism is not inevitable, neither is the invasion of genAI into every aspect of society - especially education and academia.
Just as fascism is not inevitable, neither is the invasion of genAI into every aspect of society - especially education and academia.
“While the AI industry claims its models can “think,” “reason,” and “learn,” their supposed achievements rest on marketing hype and stolen intellectual labor. In reality, AI erodes academic freedom, weakens critical reading, and subordinates the pursuit of knowledge to corporate interests.”
AI Is Hollowing Out Higher Education
Olivia Guest & Iris van Rooij urge teachers and scholars to reject tools that commodify learning, deskill students, and promote illiteracy.
www.project-syndicate.org
November 18, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Yet again: can we accept that the current technology of generative AI is an inherently fascistic product, and should be treated as such?
Just as fascism is not inevitable, neither is the invasion of genAI into every aspect of society - especially education and academia.
Just as fascism is not inevitable, neither is the invasion of genAI into every aspect of society - especially education and academia.
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
Absolutely.
It replicates biases under the guise of neutrality but is a eugenicist backed project.
Gebru was fired for pointing out Google did not have an AGI.
Lust for AGI -> TESCREAL tech cults -> 2nd wave eugenics
youtu.be/P7XT4TWLzJw
It replicates biases under the guise of neutrality but is a eugenicist backed project.
Gebru was fired for pointing out Google did not have an AGI.
Lust for AGI -> TESCREAL tech cults -> 2nd wave eugenics
youtu.be/P7XT4TWLzJw
SaTML 2023 - Timnit Gebru - Eugenics and the Promise of Utopia through AGI
YouTube video by Nicolas Papernot
youtu.be
November 18, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Absolutely.
It replicates biases under the guise of neutrality but is a eugenicist backed project.
Gebru was fired for pointing out Google did not have an AGI.
Lust for AGI -> TESCREAL tech cults -> 2nd wave eugenics
youtu.be/P7XT4TWLzJw
It replicates biases under the guise of neutrality but is a eugenicist backed project.
Gebru was fired for pointing out Google did not have an AGI.
Lust for AGI -> TESCREAL tech cults -> 2nd wave eugenics
youtu.be/P7XT4TWLzJw
Reposted by Teresa Heffernan
if you are considering submitting an application for this position, you still have just under 2 weeks to do so
any and all suitable candidates, please apply. everyone else, pls share with your networks
any and all suitable candidates, please apply. everyone else, pls share with your networks
📣 I am hiring a postdoc! aial.ie/hiring/postd...
applications from suitable candidates that are passionate about investigating the use of genAI in public service operations with the aim of keeping governments transparent and accountable are welcome
pls share with your networks
applications from suitable candidates that are passionate about investigating the use of genAI in public service operations with the aim of keeping governments transparent and accountable are welcome
pls share with your networks
November 19, 2025 at 2:44 PM
if you are considering submitting an application for this position, you still have just under 2 weeks to do so
any and all suitable candidates, please apply. everyone else, pls share with your networks
any and all suitable candidates, please apply. everyone else, pls share with your networks