Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Dan

Louise Amoore @amoorelouise.bsky.social · 1d

Our article on the politics of AI prompts is out now @econsocjournal.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... 1/n

Politics of the prompt: Government in the age of generative AI

This paper addresses the politics of the technique of prompting in machine learning, at a time when bureaucratic and democratic government is undergoing transformation. Drawing on the case of the U...

www.tandfonline.com

2 17 40

Reposted by Dan

Eryk Salvaggio @eryk.bsky.social · 1d

The "you don't understand how (AI/LLMs/Diffusion Models/NNs) work" posture in any debate is often just "we don't agree on how to interpret what (AI/LLMs/Diffusion Models/NNs) are doing"

6 8 48

Reposted by Dan

Dr. Damien P. Williams Wants A Better Sociotechnical Paradigm @wolvendamien.bsky.social · 3d

Preliminary results show that the current framework of "AI" makes ppl less likely to help or seek help from other humans, or to seek to soothe conflict, and that people actively prefer that framework to any others, literally serving to make them more dependent on it.

Sycophantic AI Decreases Prosocial Intentions and Promotes Dependence

Both the general public and academic communities have raised concerns about sycophancy, the phenomenon of artificial intelligence (AI) excessively agreeing with or flattering users. Yet, beyond isolat...

arxiv.org

11 120 240

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 3d

Glad that AI-powered weaponry is mentioned here. Too often discussion of these technical systems puts them in direct opposition to human intelligence (something thats very hard to define) when the real danger is that they’re being developed to bolster a system that is incompatible with human life.

The Conversation AUNZ @aunz.theconversation.com · 3d

While we may be at the peak of AI hype, some people are concerned it will wipe out humanity.

👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/does-ai...

Reposted by Dan

tifa 🏳️‍⚧️ @tifacutie.bsky.social · 4d

。　♡ 。　　♡。　　♡ 。
♡。　＼　　｜　　／。　♡
transwomen are women
♡。　／　　｜　　＼。　♡
。　♡。　°　♡。　　♡。°

9 65 300

Reposted by Dan

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 3d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

800 17K 37K

Reposted by Dan

Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 4d

History repeats.

280 5.6K 12K

Reposted by Dan

Timothy Graham @timothyjgraham.bsky.social · 7d

Latest 2c from me in this article from @joshtaylor.bsky.social on the enduring woes of combatting misinformation when the term has been become so deeply politicised

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/o...

Tech companies consider giving up efforts to combat misinformation online in Australia

Critics say misinformation is a big problem that social media platforms profit from

www.theguardian.com

1 6

Reposted by Dan

Dr. Damien P. Williams Wants A Better Sociotechnical Paradigm @wolvendamien.bsky.social · 10d

Regular reminder that behind damn near every large-scale "Automated" "AI" system is a team of underpaid and otherwise exploited humans. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

How thousands of ‘overworked, underpaid’ humans train Google’s AI to seem smart

Contracted AI raters describe grueling deadlines, poor pay and opacity around work to make chatbots intelligent

www.theguardian.com

5 230 530

Reposted by Dan

Boston Review @bostonreview.bsky.social · 12d

Bertrand Russell once received letters from Sir Oswald Mosley, the founder of the British Union of Fascists, inviting him to a debate. Russell not only declined but replied quite generally that “nothing fruitful or sincere could ever emerge from association between us.” @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social

How Can We Live Together? - Boston Review

Ezra Klein is wrong: shame is essential.

www.bostonreview.net

7 160 440

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 16d

youtu.be/19eiN_UfuMI?...

Raindrops Cast in Lead

YouTube video by CorsairAZ

youtu.be

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 16d

At this point anyone thinking that the UN is anything but a forum for countries to come together and simulate concern for this genocide is sorely mistaken—countries are complicit on a global scale right down to their businesses and institutions of education, law, and government.

1

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 16d

The move to recognize Palestine at the UN is nothing short of a vain attempt to save face in light of the fact that Western countries have been complicit in the systematic displacement, in ritual humiliation and ultimately the genocide of the Palestinian people for generations.

1 1 2

Reposted by Dan

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 19d

“If you’re in any situation where there’s a chance that a Reddit subforum is advising your health decisions, I don’t think that that’s a safe place to be…”

2 27 62

Reposted by Dan

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 20d

🇨🇳 🇮🇱 “When you killed women & children you lost legitimacy… No one believes this propaganda except a few Israelis.”

Yan Xuetong, dean of the Institute of International Relations in China, faces off with Israeli officer Elad Shoshan in Beijing.

28 200 630

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 20d

What is being allowed to happen in Palestine is an absolute sin.

2

Reposted by Dan

Jathan Sadowski @jathansadowski.com · 21d

"Layered both literally and figuratively on top of the future pathway of the Google internet infrastructure, the sugarcane railway tracks evoke the longevity of colonial infrastructures as well as the ideologies underlying them." – @emmaquilty.bsky.social datasociety.net/points/confr...

Reframing Our Relationship to Technology
Confronting Data Centers, Deep-Sea Cables, and Colonial Legacies in the South Pacific
The Cloud is Dead: A Series on Living with Legacies of Resource Extraction

11 31

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 21d

That doesn’t absolve the event of its political nature

2

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 21d

Come on man you have to be trolling with that one

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 21d

Translation: "violence is fine if it is in support of something that we agree with." From the same people who think Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero etc etc etc

2

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 21d

But this isn't just some leftist academic making up some hot take it's sauced from the FBI and other US govt agencies? it's plain to see the death of Charlie Kirk is being scapegoated by this admin to erode democratic freedom in the US. Trump didn't even go to the vigil he was playing golf lmao

2

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 21d

see for instance: bsky.app/profile/timo...

Timothy Graham @timothyjgraham.bsky.social · 22d

Who commits more domestic terrorism: left-wing or right-wing extremists? I compiled a brief literature review using various sources including the FBI, DHS, GAO, and academic studies.

The facts: far-right extremism is now the predominant domestic terrorist threat.

🧵 Thread with references:

2 1

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 21d

Sure the quote is real, but the idea that it's pushing is completely false. Right wing extremism is behind political violence to a point of statistical significance.

1

Reposted by Dan

Timothy Graham @timothyjgraham.bsky.social · 22d

CONCLUSION
Objective data clearly shows far-right extremism is now the predominant domestic terrorist threat, responsible for majority of attacks and casualties. Left-wing terrorism at historic lows since 1970s peak.

1 1 3

Dan @dannno0o.bsky.social · 21d

As a fellow New Zealander I feel compelled to tell you that this is completely false

1