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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · 8d

AI needs social science. Cosmina Dorobantu and I explain why in a new blog post @lsedatascience.bsky.social @oii.ox.ac.uk blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

Why AI needs social science | British Politics and Policy at LSE

AI is about humans, that's why it needs to be shaped not just by computer science, but by social science.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Political Quarterly @politicalquarterly.bsky.social · 5d

"The risk of inequity is always there, wherever you've got AI"

Anya Pearson asks @helenmargetts.bsky.social, Professor of Society and the Internet at the Oxford Internet Institute, about digital government and the opportunities and challenges of AI.

"The Risk of Inequity is Always There, Wherever You've Got AI": Interview with Helen Margetts

Anya Pearson interviews Helen Margetts on the relationship between digital technology and government, politics and public policy.

politicalquarterly.org.uk

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · 8d

AI needs social science. Cosmina Dorobantu and I explain why in a new blog post @lsedatascience.bsky.social @oii.ox.ac.uk blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

Why AI needs social science | British Politics and Policy at LSE

AI is about humans, that's why it needs to be shaped not just by computer science, but by social science.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · 8d

What can AI do for policy making and public services? Cosmina Dorobantu and I @oii.ox.ac.uk forward key possibilities in this new blog - great to be at the Labour Party Conference to discuss @lsedatascience.bsky.social @labourlist.bsky.social labourlist.org/2025/08/arti...

'From passports to policymaking: where AI can boost the public sector' - LabourList

The public sector in the UK employs almost six million people. The sheer size means that, in theory, the scope for benefits from AI-driven innovation is huge.

labourlist.org

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · Sep 5

This is a huge story.

Don't let him get away with it.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Nigel Farage uses private company to pay less tax on GB News earnings

Exclusive: Reform leader’s use of personal services firm is a practice criticised across the political spectrum

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Mark O’Neill 🐻 @radiobeartime.com · Aug 31

We’re bears, Margaret, not drunks

news.sky.com/video/colora...

Colorado bear uses handle to open door to house

'Bears can open doors' writes the Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Southwest Region, providing footage to prove it and adding, 'it can lead to a lot of conflict'.

news.sky.com

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Oxford Internet Institute @oii.ox.ac.uk · Jul 22

New paper alert! ‘The levers of political persuasion with conversational AI’, lead author @kobihackenburg.bsky.social co-author @helenmargetts.bsky.social @oii.ox.ac.uk @socsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk.

Kobi Hackenburg @kobihackenburg.bsky.social · Jul 21

Today (w/ @ox.ac.uk @stanford @MIT @LSE) we’re sharing the results of the largest AI persuasion experiments to date: 76k participants, 19  LLMs, 707 political issues.

We examine “levers” of AI persuasion: model scale, post-training, prompting, personalization, & more!

🧵:

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · Jul 22

I am so proud of the brilliant @oii.ox.ac.uk DPhil @kobihackenburg.bsky.social and this wonderful “bees-knees” paper on conversational AI and political persuasion @AISecurityInst - it is a “must-read”, comments welcome!

Kobi Hackenburg @kobihackenburg.bsky.social · Jul 21

Today (w/ @ox.ac.uk @stanford @MIT @LSE) we’re sharing the results of the largest AI persuasion experiments to date: 76k participants, 19  LLMs, 707 political issues.

We examine “levers” of AI persuasion: model scale, post-training, prompting, personalization, & more!

🧵:

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · Jun 25

I thought they were skeets?

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · Jun 23

Yes, but is that the only cancer - 26(ish) years ago? Statistically, in comparison with heart attacks - does it stand up?

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

UCL Constitution Unit @conunitucl.bsky.social · May 15

Earlier today, we hosted Danielle Allen, @helenmargetts.bsky.social and @ciaranm.bsky.social to discuss how AI could affect democracy.

Watch a recording of the event 👇

AI and democracy

Artificial intelligence (AI) is predicted to transform many aspects of our lives in the coming years. One of these is the functioning of the democratic syste...

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Owl Daily @owldaily.bsky.social · May 9

Those big, beautiful eyes! A tiny owl braving the winter snow, perfectly camouflaged in its snowy perch. Nature's little marvel.
📸 mon_regard_sur_la_nature

A Northern Saw-whet Owl, perched on a snow-covered branch in a close-up view. The owl has large, bright yellow eyes and mottled brown and white feathers, blending into the snowy background.

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

UCL Constitution Unit @conunitucl.bsky.social · May 6

How could AI affect democracy? Are there opportunities as well as dangers? And how should policy-makers respond?

On 15 May, our star-studded panel made up of Danielle Allen, @helenmargetts.bsky.social and @ciaranm.bsky.social will discuss just this.

Sign up for this free, online event 👇

AI and democracy

An expert panel discusses how the rise of artificial intelligence could change democracy in the coming years.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · Apr 12

I just want to tip my hat to the crack team of White House economists who were able to discover--in just a few short days--that the U.S. is dependent on China for smartphones, computers and semiconductors.

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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · Apr 10

If you are posting about migrants applying for visas, why would you use a stock photo of people arriving on small boats, clearly without visas? Come on guys. This is beneath you.

The Times & Sunday Times @thetimes.com · Apr 10

The number of migrants applying for visas to the UK has fallen by more than a third over the past year in a sign that net migration is set to tumble from record levels

Number of visa applications falls by more than a third

www.thetimes.com

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · Mar 31

I wasn’t late 😃

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · Mar 30

Just to be right? I had better factor that in 😵‍💫

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · Mar 30

This morning my phone asked me insistently whether I wanted to send a ‘running late’ message to the person I am meeting at lunch time tomorrow. Is that predictive capability - will I be late? Or is it a sign that the age of useful agentification is not quite here?

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · Mar 21

A lovely two days @wepsocial.bsky.social Anniversary Workshop, thank you everyone!

WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Mar 20

We are very happy to host the WEP 5️⃣0️⃣th Anniversary Workshop @lmumuenchen.bsky.social today & tomorrow!

Great presentations, intense debates & we are grateful for colleagues all around the globe joining us.

Sessions on:
👉elections, parties, mobilization
👉welfare politics
👉🇪🇺
👉policy & administration

Picture of the participants of the workshop.

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · Mar 17

Where is Usha? They need some legal advice?

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Kobi Hackenburg @kobihackenburg.bsky.social · Mar 7

📈Out today in @PNASNews!📈

In a large pre-registered experiment (n=25,982), we find evidence that scaling the size of LLMs yields sharply diminishing persuasive returns for static political messages.

🧵:

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · Mar 11

Don’t know your DeepMind from your DeepSeek? I’m chairing this upcoming ‘Ask the Experts’ event on AI featuring @amoorelouise.bsky.social, @helenmargetts.bsky.social & Giles Pavey. In person tix all gone but you can still register online
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/the-a...

Ask the Experts: can we trust AI?
25 March at 18.30

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Helen Margetts @helenmargetts.bsky.social · Feb 21

It was great fun making this podcast with @uclspp.bsky.social @conunitucl.bsky.social ‘s Alan Renwick @dorobantu.bsky.social & Jonathan Bright talking about our work at the Alan Turing Institute and @oii.ox.ac.uk

Political Quarterly @politicalquarterly.bsky.social · Feb 20

It's the latest episode of 'Uncovering Politics'.

How far could AI tools help to tackle stagnant public sector productivity? What are the dangers?

@helenmargetts.bsky.social, Cosima Dorobantu and Jonathan Bright discuss.

https://buff.ly/4jUQgEm

@ucl.ac.uk @uclpolicylab.bsky.social

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Reposted by Helen Margetts

Political Quarterly @politicalquarterly.bsky.social · Feb 17

We've partnered with @ucl.ac.uk @uclpolicylab.bsky.social for this exciting new episode on AI and Public Services, with
@helenmargetts.bsky.social, Cosima Dorobantu and Jonathan Bright.

Listen on apple podcasts (or other podcast platforms!)

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/u...

@ox.ac.uk

UCL Uncovering Politics

Politics Podcast · 14 Seasons · Updated fortnightly

podcasts.apple.com

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