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Henrik Skaug Sætra / [spillteori]

@futuritas.eu

810 followers 840 following 190 posts

Technology, ethics, and philosophy. Oh, and some political science - more specifically political theory. Associate professor at the University of Oslo. My research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=p

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Neuroscience 22%

Political science 17%

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Henrik Skaug Sætra / [spillteori] @futuritas.eu · Aug 8

What's the value of academic articles and doing research? The product or the process?

This article has been a long process, and how I've processed the ongoing AI disruption of research. I use it very little, and while it's clearly not all bad, I argue for caution.

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

Joanna Bryson @j2bryson.bsky.social · 2h

Mulling = “waiting to see what happens, rather than pitching in and trying to improve what happens via solidarity”

Reuters @reuters.com · 8h

MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling reut.rs/471tkNZ

MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling

Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth on Friday said she "cannot support" a memo that the White House sent to nine elite U.S. universities last week detailing policies they should follow to get preferential consideration for federal funding.

reut.rs

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Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Philip Nel, David Rosnick , and 1 more Rosemary A. Joyce, Philip Nel, David Rosnick, Henrik Skaug Sætra

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 3h

Is it cancel culture when they threaten to kill you?

www.nj.com/news/2025/10...

Sold-out Ta-Nehisi Coates speaker appearance in N.J. canceled over security reasons

Organizers canceled a sold-out Ta-Nehisi Coates event in Montclair citing undisclosed security concerns.

www.nj.com

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Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Henrik Skaug Sætra

Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 12h

This is the way

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Woodrow Hartzog, Henrik Skaug Sætra

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 13h

“Another former OpenAI employee who also was not authorized to speak publicly argued that releasing a deepfake AI social media platform was the right business decision, even if it contributes to the collapse of everyone's shared sense of reality.” 💀

Sora gives deepfakes 'a publicist and a distribution deal.' It could change the internet

OpenAI's new hit app has unleashed a new wave of AI slop across the internet. But what happens when there are no rules over hyper-realistic synthetic videos?

www.npr.org

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Reposted by Richard Price, Henrik Skaug Sætra

Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 3d

Obviously not the main point here, but it's interesting how this is framed as content rather than policy.

"BREAKING" is typically what journalists or influencers say when they have a big story -- not what government officials say when they launch "undercover" operations

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 3d

ICE will reportedly hire contractors to surveil social media platforms 24/7 to target people for deportations.

The information would then be funneled into an existing ICE database built by Palantir (founded by Trump ally Peter Thiel).

"The party of small government,” folks.

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

Annalee Newitz @annaleen.bsky.social · 3d

A lot of the apps on your phone are tracking your physical location and selling that information to other companies. Here's a fantastic explainer from @pcmag.com about 20 of the most common apps that spy on you. Service journalism at its finest. www.pcmag.com/explainers/t...

These 20 Apps Are Watching You—And You Probably Use Them Every Day

You might use these apps every day, but have no idea what they collect. These 20 apps are quietly harvesting your location, contacts, photos, and more—here's what you can do about it.

www.pcmag.com

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 5d

I think often about the Amazon engineer who wrote in an open letter to the company that Ring was “incompatible” with a free society.

Analysis | Amazon’s Ring plans to scan everyone’s face at the door

For the first time, the company is putting facial recognition into its home security doorbells and video cameras.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Brendan Nyhan, David Rothschild , and 6 more Nandita Sharma, Brendan Nyhan, David Rothschild, David R. Miller, Michael H. Whitworth, Michael D. McDonald, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Greg Linden, Aviel Roshwald

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 5d

The protests are on one block. Nothing is burning down. His justification for sending in troops is all based on lies.

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

WIRED @wired.com · 5d

It should be the best of times for the tech world, supercharged by the AI boom. But a shadow has fallen over Silicon Valley. With few exceptions, its leaders are responding to Donald Trump by either keeping quiet or actively courting the government.

I Thought I Knew Silicon Valley. I Was Wrong

Tech got what it wanted by electing Trump. A year later, it looks more like a suicide pact.

wrd.cm

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 6d

This @danwphilosophy.bsky.social Substack post captures the same objection I had to the @ezraklein.bsky.social position in his pod with Ta-Nehisi Coates www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/o... - Klein keeps saying Ds have to expand the coalition but never argues sincerely for positions that would do so.

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Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Lisa W. Fazio, Jacob Montgomery , and 3 more Joanna Bryson, Lisa W. Fazio, Jacob Montgomery, David R. Miller, Dean Eckles, Henrik Skaug Sætra

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 6d

This is what authoritarians do - use the powers of the state to humiliate and degrade their opponents in public so that others will not challenge them

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 7d

“The source told CBS News that [Kash Patel and Dan Bongino] asked for "large, beefy" agents to conduct an arrest of Comey "in full kit," including Kevlar vests and exterior wear emblazoned with the FBI logo.” The leadership of the FBI is now in the hands of infantile psychopaths.

The FBI is weighing an arrest and perp walk for Comey — and suspended an agent for refusing to help, sources say

The FBI is considering carrying out a "showy" arrest and perp walk of the agency's now-indicted ex-Director James Comey, sources tell CBS News.

www.cbsnews.com

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra, James M. Thomas

Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · 6d

No notes, this is a perfectly reasonable summary

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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Steve Peers, Alan Richardson , and 3 more Stephen M. Walt, Steve Peers, Alan Richardson, McKenzie Wark, Henrik Skaug Sætra, David Darmofal

Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 7d

“'The fact that we don't have money to pay journalists, but we have money to pay Bari Weiss between $100 and 200 million is indicative of what the Ellisons' true goal here is,' a network correspondent said. 'And it's not journalism.'"

CBS News staffers are ‘literally freaking out’ about Bari Weiss taking over newsroom

EXCLUSIVE: ‘People are using words like depressing and doomsday – feels like some sort of doomsday,’ one source told The Independent about the mood inside CBS News right now.

www.independent.co.uk

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Henrik Skaug Sætra / [spillteori] @futuritas.eu · 7d

Interesting watching what happens now. I wrote about the initial migration to Bluesky, and certainly never thought it was a perfect solution (but still hope it’ll last a bit longer than this). cacm.acm.org/opinion/leav... and dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1...

Reposted by Carlos Nunes Silva, Henrik Skaug Sætra

Ted McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 7d

It’s funny because it’s true

Jay D@@jay.bsky.team
You could try a poster's strike. I hear that works

crystal @cim.bsky.social
your user base consists entirely of people who are willing to migrate from social media websites that turn on them

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Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Henrik Skaug Sætra

Shannon Vallor @shannonvallor.bsky.social · 8d

Since it resonated with the audience, I’ll recap my main argument against AGI here. ‘General intelligence’ is like phlogiston, or the aether. It’s an outmoded scientific concept that does not refer to anything real. Any explanatory work it did can be done better by a richer scientific frame. 1/3

Shannon Vallor @shannonvallor.bsky.social · 8d

This was a truly heartening day, with deeply thoughtful challenges to the dominant narrative framed around AGI, coming from across disciplines and perspectives. Felt like the tide might finally be turning a bit, at least among the scientific community. Thanks @royalsociety.org!

Anil Seth @anilseth.bsky.social · 9d

1/2 I'm looking forward to taking part in a panel on AGI and the Turing Test, tomorrow afternoon (Thurs 2nd Oct) at the @royalsociety.org, w/ Dame Wendy Hall, Shannon Vallor, William Isaac, & Sir Nigel Shadbolt. royalsociety.org/science-even...

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

Climate, Ecology, War & More by Dr. Glen Barry, BigEarthData.ai @bigearthdata.bsky.social · 8d

The impact of advanced AI systems on democracy
->Nature | #AI #Democracy | More from BigEarthData.ai

The impact of advanced AI systems on democracy

Coeckelbergh, M. Why AI Undermines Democracy and What to Do About It (Polity, 2024). Jungherr, A. Artificial intelligence and democracy: a conceptual framework. Soc. Media Soc.https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051231186353 (2023). Risse, M. in The Cambridge Handbook of Responsible Artificial Intelligence (eds Voeneky, S...

www.nature.com

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Henrik Skaug Sætra / [spillteori] @futuritas.eu · 8d

Great seeing this piece in the wild - an honour being a part of this collaborative project!

Nature Human Behaviour @nathumbehav.nature.com · 9d

In this new Perspective, Christopher Summerfield et al. discuss a range of potential impacts of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) on democracy, considering both risks and possible opportunities.

The impact of advanced AI systems on democracy - Nature Human Behaviour

This Perspective from Summerfield et al. considers the impacts of advanced artificial intelligence systems on the process and function of democracy. The authors explore a wide range of potential risks and opportunities.

www.nature.com

Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

Nature Human Behaviour @nathumbehav.nature.com · 9d

In this new Perspective, Christopher Summerfield et al. discuss a range of potential impacts of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) on democracy, considering both risks and possible opportunities.

The impact of advanced AI systems on democracy - Nature Human Behaviour

www.nature.com

Reposted by Simon Brewer, David Rosnick, Henrik Skaug Sætra

Santiago Mayer @santiagomayer.com · 9d

Quick reminder: they can still release the Epstein files during a government shutdown.

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Reposted by Stacy D. VanDeveer, Dana R. Fisher, Henrik Skaug Sætra , and 1 more Stacy D. VanDeveer, Dana R. Fisher, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Michael Evans

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 10d

The president said, in a televised speech, that he's sending his new, less restrained, more violent military into US cities to practice their brutality on immigrants and minorities, to better train them to apply that brutality to other countries.

He said this out loud.

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Reposted by Peter Thorne, Flavio Lehner, Colin Murray , and 6 more Peter Thorne, Flavio Lehner, Colin Murray, Andrew Curry, Adrian Vickers, David Bartram, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Klaus Oschema, Renaud Morieux

Ben Sanderson @benmsanderson.bsky.social · 11d

Paris-Berlin sleeper: low carbon, 2 years old, constantly full, but currently losing SNCF a few million EUR/yr

Intl Jet fuel tax exemptions are 80 years old and cost the EU 22 million EUR/yr for the Paris-Berlin route alone.

And you're cutting... the sleeper?

www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...

It’s goodnight Vienna as Paris sleeper train to Austria and Berlin hit by cuts

Some Nightjet services suspended from mid-December after French withdrawal amid public budget crisis

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra, Francesco Nicoli

Will Jennings 🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 12d

The government has to learn how to lead public opinion, rather than chase it. Leaving X is a no-brainer when the algorithm is stacked in favour of extremists.

Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 12d

Miliband says it's 'possible' government should come off Elon Musk's X social media platform

DO IT

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 12d

Have very belatedly left twitter for good.

Naively thought I was still fighting the occasional worthwhile fight but nope.

It's a cesspit and nobody should be on it.

People saying that months ago were absolutely right.

Last "quote tweet" from Harry says it all

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Reposted by Will Jennings, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Francesco Nicoli

Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 12d

Miliband says it's 'possible' government should come off Elon Musk's X social media platform

DO IT

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

Shannon Vallor @shannonvallor.bsky.social · 13d

Been ruminating today on the fact that the markets no longer care if you are making money or setting piles of it on fire, and political parties no longer care if their voters can even stomach them, much less want to vote for them. It tells you something about where we are.

Qasim Rashid, Esq. @qasimrashid.com · 13d

What also baffles me is that Democratic Party is ~30 points underwater in favorability & Zohran Mamdani is ~16 points above water in favorability.

The Dem Party establishment, who is responsible for the abysmal rating, is too arrogant to support the guy ~50 points ahead of them. Incredible.

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Henrik Skaug Sætra / [spillteori] @futuritas.eu · 13d

I haven’t seen too many people get into why this was a big thing for Trump. Of course nobody thought it was dangerous. Apart from the fact that it made him seem a bit ridiculous. And being made to look silly or ridiculous is, I think, one of the thing he dislikes most. Back to «weird»!

Bryan Schott @schotthappens.com · 14d

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Reposted by Henrik Skaug Sætra

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 14d

A recently-elected Democrat could deliver the tie-breaking vote to release the government’s files on alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. trib.al/LgD896H

That is, if House Speaker Mike Johnson doesn’t delay her swearing in—and it looks like he’s planning to.

The GOP Effort to Hide the Epstein Files Just Hit a Disgusting New Low

Republicans are attempting to delay swearing in a recently-elected Democratic member of Congress so she can’t become the tie-breaking vote to release the Epstein files.

trib.al

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Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Gavin A. Schmidt, Robert C. Richards , and 7 more Nandita Sharma, Gavin A. Schmidt, Robert C. Richards, Charles W. Smith, Stephen D. Murphy, Henry Jones, Nelson Flores, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Blair Fix, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

The Onion @theonion.com · 14d

Talk Of Fascism Dangerous, Warns Ministry Of Compliance

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