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Serife (Sherry) Wong

@serife.bsky.social

3.1K followers 1.9K following 460 posts

Artist working on critical AI, power, and belief @ IcarusSalon.com & ArtificialLifeCoach.com Gray Area | Tech Inquiry | ORCAA | Kidd Lab UC Berkeley Loyal to the Land & the Brass Tax -- #Turkish #Kanaka

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 26d

Tech Inquiry techinquiry.org makes corporate influence more visible through tracking tech and surveillance contracts 💗 FOIA +🧾💗 We don't take billionaire $ and have server costs. Support this work via our fiscal sponsor, select Tech Inquiry in the drop down thesignalsnetwork.org/donate/ Thank you!

Donate to Support Whistleblowers and Media Investigations

Your donation is an investment in supporting the whistleblowers and journalists who uncover truth and help hold power accountable.

thesignalsnetwork.org

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Reposted by Serife (Sherry) Wong

Alex Hanna-ween @alexhanna.bsky.social · 9h

I'm not an economist but seems worrying that the whole US economy is seven companies in a trenchcoat, passing the same $20 up and down

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 11h

NVIDIA and OpenAi:

Concerns that their “increasingly complex and interconnected web of business transactions is artificially propping up the trillion-dollar AI boom.“

@bloomberg.com $NVDA 👀
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 7h

Georgio OKeefe's estate is going to be pissed.

Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 7h

This database documents individuals in internment camps in Xinxiang, & they are running low on funds. They need $3000. I vouch for their work and they need very little. Please help! The records of over 90,000 victims must be maintained, it is evidence and hope. www.gofundme.com/f/xinjiang-v...

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 8h

Blake Lemoine was the first famous case of this kind of belief formation with LLMs. His writings often have a similar spiritual conversations. Spirituality + AI creates a distinct connection that pushes anthropomorphism of tools into a dangerous space. cajundiscordian.medium.com/is-lamda-sen...

Is LaMDA Sentient? — an Interview

What follows is the “interview” I and a collaborator at Google conducted with LaMDA. It is incomplete as the GMail word limit cut off the…

cajundiscordian.medium.com

Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 9h

People can receive spiritual insights from many places, nature, doing nothing, or from things, including computers; but language models are not neutral or safe as receiving insight from looking at rocks on the beach. Models are extractive, untested, and have caused psychological harm already.

Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 9h

And one of the reasons why my project www.artificiallifecoach.com is called Artificial Life Coach was in anticipation of AI life coaching blowing up and the hope that when people googled for these they could get the message: Believe in Yourself. Not Big Tech.

Artificial Life Coach

Believe in yourself. Not big tech. GET STARTED Curious about AI? Let Astrology Be Your Guide HOROSCOPES Your astrological sign is the day you were launched into the world! ...

www.artificiallifecoach.com

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 9h

Many of their bots invite you to speak to compassionate AI or learn from Ram Dass. People who follow spiritual leaders have trust their leaders immensely, It's a betrayal of this trust to accumulate personal spiritual and health data that gets siphoned up by the big tech companies & data brokers.

Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 9h

His poorly informed thinking on these tools is evident in his book digital dharma that came out last year where he situates himself as the go-to-advisor for how tools like ChatGPT can be used to bring AI into your "innerworld" encouraging sharing ones private health information with companies

Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 9h

These spiritual leaders may not be aware of these kinds of issues with Chatbots and if they are may be reluctant to pull back on product launches especially when invested in their success like Deepak Chopra via his startup for creating AI twins of other gurus.

Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 9h

A quick skim of the comments on the ads shows evidence of an overlap between vulnerable people and spiritual seekers. Many already have some un-moored from reality ideas on language models as gods, aliens or portals as we have seen in articles on AI psychosis.

Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 10h

Like other sectors, spirituality embraced AI chat bots to meditate interactions w followers. The leaders are of two camps: people who are hustling new profits and true believers trying to help more people. Both camps lack AI education and are inadvertently harming their communities & the planet.

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 10h

The discourse around shock value Sora content is very similar to the reddit discourse when stable diffusion was released without any guardrails. Companies learned nothing happens even if people care & grew bolder w releasing gen AI. Why did OpenAI choose to allow for shock value content & IP issues?

J. Nathan Matias @natematias.bsky.social · 11h

Genuine question - what are OpenAI’s Sora and other video generation tools good for?

I am honestly trying to understand what is so important that it’s worth the cost. If you have examples, I would be interested to hear them.

futurism.com/artificial-i...

People Are Making Sora 2 Videos of Stephen Hawking Being Horribly Brutalized

People are using OpenAI's Sora 2 to generate videos of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking being brutalized in ghoulish ways.

futurism.com

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Reposted by Serife (Sherry) Wong

The Nation Magazine @thenation.com · 1d

With platforms like Boston University’s “TerrierGPT,” the pressure for students to use AI is now coming from colleges themselves, even as researchers warn of the long-term consequences, writes Julie Huynh.

What Happens When Universities Offer a “Critical Embrace” of AI?

With platforms like Boston University’s “TerrierGPT,” the pressure for students to use AI is coming from colleges themselves, even as researchers warn of long-term consequences.

www.thenation.com

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 1d

Match group owns tinder, match, okcupid etc the CEO is a board member of palantir.... Which I learned from an Instagram influencer. Critical tech education has spread out so much in the past year.

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Reposted by Serife (Sherry) Wong

Sonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · 5d

In two weeks!

rifkindcenter.org/rifkind-cent...

A poster for an event at T
HE RIFKIND CENTER
The City College of New York
Title: Stripmining History: How the 'Al' Industry Extracts the Past & What Scholars in the Humanities Can Do to Stop It"
IN-PERSON & VIA ZOOM
OCTOBER 16 | 5:00PM - 6:30PM | NAC 6/316

Sonja Drimmer, Associate Professor, UMass Amherst

more details in the link in the post

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Reposted by Serife (Sherry) Wong

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 1d

Reportedly DOGE is working on a “data lake” that uses sensitive data from IRS & SSA “to track and surveil undocumented immigrants.”

www.wired.com/story/doge-c...

DOGE Is Building a Master Database to Surveil and Track Immigrants

DOGE is knitting together data from the Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, an IRS that could create a surveillance tool of unprecedented scope.

www.wired.com

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 2d

It's also helpful to read the counterpoint to Brattons piece by Francesca Bria www.noemamag.com/reclaiming-e...

Reclaiming Europe’s Digital Sovereignty | NOEMA

Europe can accept permanent technological dependency, or it can build democratic digital systems rooted in climate commitments, labor protections and social diversity.

www.noemamag.com

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Reposted by Serife (Sherry) Wong

Shannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 2d

Accdg to Bratton, "the intellectuals + artists of this critique industry have seized the public's imagination with its scrutiny of AI, which permeate universities and the arts. Such questions stand in the way of progress." Glad Eryk articulated critiques *within media studies* about StackTheory™️

Is the Media Studies Cabal in the Room With Us Right Now?

I read The Stack in 2020 as a grad student in ANU's Applied Cybernetics program. I give it credit for directing my attention to the interaction between layers of digital and physical infrastructures. ...

mail.cyberneticforests.com

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Reposted by Serife (Sherry) Wong

Eryk Salvaggio @eryk.bsky.social · 4d

Billionaire-owned “philosopher” Benjamin Bratton finally coming out as full technofash in this declaration of alliance with JD Vance & a16z — here’s his scathing rejection of those who “stand in the way” of corporate AI agendas nobody wants. www.noemamag.com/is-european-...

Is European AI A Lost Cause? Not Necessarily. | NOEMA

If Europe wants to build a new AI Stack it should stop listening to critics who claim to lead the way but only offer resistance.

www.noemamag.com

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 3d

What are people doing now?

Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 3d

Data center push back is a key frontline of defense of the public interest. Community groups are organizing doing the work and need funding and support

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 3d

“Advocates are particularly concerned over the facilities’ use of Pfas gas, or f-gas, which can be potent greenhouse gases, and may mean datacenters’ climate impact is worse than previously thought. Other f-gases turn into a type of dangerous compound that is rapidly accumulating across the globe.”

Advocates raise alarm over Pfas pollution from datacenters amid AI boom

Tech companies’ use of Pfas gas at facilities may mean datacenters’ climate impact is worse than previously thought

www.theguardian.com

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 3d

YOU CAN TYPE IN ALL CAPS ALL YOU WANT @gavinnewsom.bsky.social BUT OUR NEED FOR LAUGHTER IN HARD TIMES DOES NOT SUPERSEDE OUR NEED FOR ACTUAL GOOD GOVERNANCE THAT PROTECTS PEOPLE AGAINST SURVEILLANCE IN A TIME WHEN THESE TOOLS ARE BEING USED TO DESTROY DEMOCRACY calmatters.org/economy/tech...

Newsom just vetoed a bill to regulate license plate readers — even as fresh evidence of misuse emerges

The measure would have required regular purges of license plate databases and regularly audited how automated readers are used.

calmatters.org

Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 3d

The trending Sora of Sam Altman stealing GPUs & of all Sam deepfakes are simply a viral marketing mechanism. Look how good this tool works, aren't you mad enough to tweet about it? While people actually using video tools are finding the results to be not as good as other available AI generators

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Serife (Sherry) Wong @serife.bsky.social · 4d

Will my phone not be able to download Bluesky app one day? The way the wind is blowing

Reposted by Serife (Sherry) Wong

Jessica Kant @jessdkant.bsky.social · 10d

A new complaint from ACLU and other human rights groups details how the warden at a Lousiana ICE facility created an unofficial “work program” of manual labor and sexual humiliation for trans men at the facility. This is very hard to read.

rfkhumanrights.org/wp-content/u...

I. Factual Background
The facts presented below are drawn from the testimonies of four survivors: Mario, Monica, Kenia, and Jane Doe. These facts demonstrate systemic abuse at SLIPC.
Forced Labor Targeting Transgender and LGBTQ+ People
Assistant Warden Mr. Manuel Reyes ("AW Reyes") ran an unsanctioned 'night shift cleaning crew' between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am. This program was not reported in official records and targeted transgender and LGBTQ+ detained people. Mario, Monica, and Kenia were forced into hard manual labor without protective equipment. Tasks included stripping floors, painting, and exposure to industrial-strength chemicals, causing burns, respiratory distress, and lasting injuries.
Sexual Assault, Harassment and Exploitation
AW Reyes stalked, harassed, and assaulted detained people in camera 'blind spots.' Mario and Monica witnessed AW Reyes coercing sexual acts from others. Monica was groped and assaulted multiple times. AW Reyes also told him that he watched him shower on cameras. Kenia was harassed and threatened with retaliation when refusing to cooperate. Jane Doe was repeatedly stalked, groped, and coerced into performing oral sex under threat to her and her family.

The survivors' individual stories are detailed below:
Monica (he/him); Transgender Man; Detained Since May 9, 2023
Monica has been detained by ICE continuously since on or about May 9, 2023. In late September 2023, AW Reyes approached Monica about joining a "cleaning crew" to work an "off the books night shift program," alongside another transgender man detained at SLIPC. That month, Monica began to perform hard manual labor at the instruction of AW Reyes. The "shifts" occurred late at night, between the hours of 8:00 pm and 6:00 am. Unlike the other work programs at SLIPC, these work shifts were not recorded in a formal log book or shift schedule. AW Reyes approached transgender people and masculine-presenting LGBTQ+ people to participate in this "program." Each person targeted by AW Reyes identified as transgender or LGBTQ+.
AW Reyes would enter the housing units and wake up Monica and the others and bring them to do hard manual labor in various locations inside SLIPC. The "shifts" were randomized and Monica and the others did not have a designated schedule. AW Reyes would compensate them for their labor at times by adding $1/day into their commissary accounts. Other times, he would bring a trash bag full of commissary items and give them to Monica and the others.
AW Reyes routinely entered the housing unit late at night, between two and three o'clock in the morning, while detained people were sleeping. He would walk around the unit while people were sleeping and take people's used underwear and sanitary pads from the housing unit. Monica witnessed him say to a detained woman walking to her bunk in her nightshirt, "Is that how your breasts bounce when you are fucking?"
AW Reyes required Monica and others to perform hard manual labor without any personal protective equipment, resulting in significant health risks and physical injuries. Despite repeated requests, Monica and others were denied access to gloves, face shields, and steel-toed boots. In response to these…

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