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Sean O hEigeartaigh

@sean-o-h.bsky.social

3.8K followers 280 following 260 posts

Academic, AI nerd and science nerd more broadly. Currently obsessed with stravinsky (not sure how that happened).

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Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Mar 18

"Humans may be hard to wipe out, but that won’t stop us giving it our best shot."

My analysis of the most (and least) likely causes of human extinction of those that have received serious academic attention. Open access.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Extinction of the human species: What could cause it and how likely is it to occur? | Cambridge Prisms: Extinction | Cambridge Core

Extinction of the human species: What could cause it and how likely is it to occur? - Volume 3

www.cambridge.org

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Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 3d

I really enjoyed being part of this excellent discussion yesterday on the future of global AI governance, with Kayla Blomquist, Dan Fagella, Duncan Cass-Beggs, Nora Ammann and Robert Whitfield, skilfully Chaired by David Wood. Catch up with it here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EADx...

Options for the future of the global governance of AI

YouTube video by London Futurists

www.youtube.com

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 4d

Important report. Given how long it takes/competitive it is to get tenure these days, too often academia basically asks women to choose between an academic career and motherhood, which is unacceptable. (There being ultra-capable subset who manage both doesn't make it reasonable). Needs to change.

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 4d

Conventional wisdom says motherhood should wait for tenure as before you land a permanent post, #academia is just not that family friendly🙁

@carersinstemm.bsky.social are calling for change and to celebrate their new report, a Saturday🧵on parenting & academia! 1/9 👩‍🔬🧪🔭⚛️

ℹ️: carersinstemm.co.uk

From 2006. A younger and shell-shocked looking Catherine on a balcony holding a very tiny baby with the mountains of Vancouver in the background. The baby is so new, Catherine still has the pregnant bump.

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 5d

Well this was an interesting way to discover that my (considerate, charming) wife sometimes reads my social media posts.

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 7d

As of today I am officially a Research Professor! I will be celebrating by having "Professor Seán: Doomometrics Studies" socks made, and submitting a paper tonight with some excellent coauthors that I hope will be a banger (in appropriate Research Professor fashion).

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 12d

Privilege discussing AI and geopolitics with this year's CFI MSt cohort today. Every year's group somehow more impresssive and inspiring than the last. These people will make a difference.

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 14d

Good role with the great team at the Bennett. We have a monthly research meeting that they join on geopolitics & AI, so if you take the job you can come argue with me (or, god forbid, collaborate) on AI and global cooperation vs race dynamis.
www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/about-us/vac...

Research Assistant/Associate - AI & Geopolitics Project (AIxGEO) - Bennett School of Public Policy

Department/Location: Department of Public Policy (Bennett School of Public Policy)Salary: £34,610 – £35,608 £37,694 – £46,049Reference: JB47334Category: ResearchDate published: 19 September 2025Closin...

www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 14d

Meta are worried states will regulate AI to protect children (which states should) so they're going to buy the politicians. Last month, a California Super PAC, now an additional multi-state one. techcrunch.com/2025/09/23/m...

Meta launches super PAC to fight AI regulation as state policies mount | TechCrunch

Meta is investing 'tens of millions' into a new pro-AI super PAC called the American Technology Excellence Project to fight state-level tech policy that would regulate AI.

techcrunch.com

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 16d

"An international agreement on clear and verifiable red lines... should build upon and enforce existing global frameworks and voluntary corporate commitments, ensuring that all advanced AI providers are accountable to shared thresholds."

I was pleased to be a signatory of this.
red-lines.ai

200+ prominent figures endorse Global Call for AI Red Lines

AI could soon far surpass human capabilities and escalate risks such as engineered pandemics, widespread disinformation, large-scale manipulation of individuals including children...

red-lines.ai

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 23d

I am delighted that Ireland will no longer have a Presidential candidate with a track record of rape and sexual and physical assault against women. Still sickened that the U.S. White House would choose to champion this man.

MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 23d

🇮🇪🚫 Conor McGregor has withdrawn from the Irish presidential race.

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 23d

I had the privilege of teaming up w the fantastic Kristy Loke for this one, just out: Analysing China & USA's evolving strategies, and opportunities they present for cooperation on important things like safety even while maintaining healthy competition elsewhere. www.thewirechina.com/2025/09/14/c...

China isn’t racing to artificial general intelligence — but U.S. companies are - The Wire China

China’s AI strategy prioritizes long-term developmental goals, in contrast to Silicon Valley’s superintelligence pursuit.

www.thewirechina.com

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 25d

I wrote this paper because of repeated calls like this
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · 25d

Counter:
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

The Most Dangerous Fiction: The Rhetoric and Reality of the AI Race

Are the US and China locked in a race to artificial general intelligence and global strategic dominance? This chapter traces the emergence of the 'AI race' narr

papers.ssrn.com

Reposted by Sean O hEigeartaigh

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 28d

GOOD NEWS: Despite RFK Jr saying he would cancel $500 million in mRNA research, the House Committee on Appropriations has passed a spending package, that includes $1.1 billion for “advanced research and development” at BARDA, which includes research on mRNA vaccines.

79 1.6K 6.8K

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 30

Combined, these actors are incredibly powerful, and play an outsized role in shaping how our policymakers think about AI, the future, geopolitics, and what is in the public interest. 4/4

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 30

7) Saudi Aramco is Saudi Arabia's national oil company; Saudi Arabia was one of the countries the USA inked deals with this summer that centrally included plans for AI infrastructure buildout. Low-cost and abundant energy from oil/gas makes the Middle East attractive for hosting compute.3/4

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Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 30

The digital giants:
2) Microsoft 3) Apple 4) Alphabet 5) Amazon 6) Meta all have in-house AI teams; Microsoft and Amazon also have partnerships w OpenAI and Anthropic, which rely on their datacentre capacity.
10) Tesla's CEO describes it as 'basically an AI company' 2/4

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Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 30

The ten biggest companies in the world by market cap:

The hardware players:
1) Nvidia 9) TSMC semiconductors (both in supply chain that produces high end chips).
8) Broadcom provides custom components for tech companies' AI workloads, plus datacentre infrastructure. 1/4

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Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 24

It's always a reassurance to know that no matter how I've messed up at various points, I've never "fallen into a Russian agent's honey trap and betrayed my country and liberal democracy"-level messed up. Yet. It's a high bar, but one I'm determined to maintain. www.thetimes.com/article/402a...

Gardai set to brief state on ‘Russian agent’ in Oireachtas

A confidential report is imminent on a parliamentarian, known only as ‘Cobalt’, suspected of clandestine contacts with Russia’s intelligence services

www.thetimes.com

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 23

Deserving winners. They also neatly demonstrate the breadth of scholarship ongoing in CFI's masters programmes, from search algorithms influencing what news you get, to the question of whether future AI systems may surpass humans in moral status.
www.lcfi.ac.uk/education/mp...

Huw Price Prize - LCFI

www.lcfi.ac.uk

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 22

Interesting systemic risk/global risk paper from a diverse set of authors: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A systemic risk assessment methodological framework for the global polycrisis - Nature Communications

This paper proposes a framework to assess systemic risks that compound and cascade within and between systems. This emphasizes political economy and transformations, as well as trans-disciplinarity an...

www.nature.com

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Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 17

Had a lot of fun at LawAI's Cambridge forum discussing Europe's role in the AI/geopolitical Great Game. Great panel w/ GovAI's Markus Anderljung, Google DeepMind's Pegah Maham, LCFI's Christoph Winter & expertly Chaired by LawAI's Emily Gillett. Will hopefully have an article on this theme out soon!

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 13

in reference, of course, to metro.co.uk/2025/08/12/d...

Here's how deleting thousands of old emails could save water

'Small actions can lead to big water savings.'

metro.co.uk

Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 13

Deleted 10,000 emails: 0.1L/day saved
Deleted 140 treasured photos: 0.2L/day saved
Can't get a plumber for my toilet: 400 litres a day down the toilet.
Can somebody help me, my country is in drought.

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Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 13

Pleasure to speak to the 2025 Cambridge ERA fellows today: discussed different types of AI race dynamics, evidence china is/isn't racing to AGI, Shanghai AL Labs' frontier safety framework, US v Chinese ambitions for AI plus much more. Year after year each cohort is stronger.

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Sean O hEigeartaigh @sean-o-h.bsky.social · Aug 10

Sad to see, likely to be very damaging to the US's scientific preeminence. While scientists will feel it immediately, this sort of thing can take years to bleed through to broader scientific/economic impacts. And decades to reverse.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Trump order gives political appointees vast powers over research grants

Researchers are alarmed that the move might upend a long-standing tradition of peer-review for grants.