This is downtown Santa Barbara right now. The No Kings protest stretches for over a mile along the water. The cars who drive by are all honking in support. Probably the biggest protest this community has ever seen.
they were memorable conversations!
@brettbobley.bsky.social has been one of the great humanities visionaries. In this context perhaps the highest praise would be to say his influence is incalculable. #ThanksBrett
OpenAI will not “embed” its tools in college life, it is already changing the nature of what it means to learn, to read or think critically. It does not embed in the world, it makes the world in its image. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/07/t...
The ODH is a true legacy
Out today, the Academic Council of the University of California issues the following statement:
“Higher education is under direct and sustained attack.
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senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/repor...
These images offer a momentary reprieve from the gloom of the world, but behind them lies a great deal of collaborative work (which itself has been a reprieve). Tremendous thanks to @ryancordell.org and all who contributed passages…
In the press on a Saturday working on a project for @ritaraley.bsky.social & @alanyliu.bsky.social
Here the answer was that the language in press release focuses on university audiences rather than general publics
I just heard a presentation on this and yes the answer given is that it will remain public domain
The mission and values of the University of California have not changed. You matter. Your work is important. Together we will continue to make a difference in our state, our country and our world. #FiatLux ✨ www.youtube.com/watch?v=EweZ...
Federal updates: bit.ly/4b7x9Db
Here are the 25 institutions that receive the most NIH funding (98% of HHS is NIH). Basically, they're large schools with large hospitals. They receive 50% of all NIH funding.
Source: ncses.nsf.gov/surveys/fede... (table 26)
(Not going to do a whole thread but thought folks might be interested.)
Really powerful models are getting cheaper and cheaper to build - genuinely really cheap. Universities, do not tie yourself to OpenAI. We can and should use and develop open source only. (Desperately hoping that my own uni is listening)
Now reading a paper for a promotion case and Adobe Acrobat popup keeps asking me ‘Short on Time? Ask for a Quick Summary!’ There’s a ‘Hide for this Session’ button but it does nothing. So here is unwanted, uninvited AI repeatedly telling me to half-ass my job, one that someone’s career depends upon
I appreciate all the people recommending the Shock Doctrine. I've been thinking about what makes Trump's use of these tactics a little different.
In recent decades, shock tactics were used mainly to rapidly impose neoliberal economic policies. But what Trump is doing goes way beyond that.
a 🧵
Fabian Offert, Hannes Bajohr, Rita Raley, & Owen Leonard (seated in photo left to right) at a table under a screen showing the title slide of Bajohr’s talk on “Surface Reading LLMs: Synthetic Text and its Styles.” (Slide consists of white san-serif text against a dark background without images.)
Brilliant talk today by Hannes Bajohr (@hannesbajohr.de) on “Surface Reading LLMs: Synthetic Text & its Styles” at launch of UCSB Center for the Humanities & Machine Learning (huml.ucsb.edu/events). Bajohr is 2nd from left with (L to R) @zentralwerkstatt.org, Rita Raley, & @owenleonard.bsky.social.
In #mla25 #s584 on generative AI, Rita Raley posits that the risk we’re collectively facing is not to the humanities but to the concept of research itself. (Standing room only in here, btw)
Absolutely fantastic panel on “Rereading Generative AI” at #MLA2025. One of the best conversations I’ve heard about AI, copyright, language, & the future of the humanities and university.
Highly recommend you check out all their essays in this PMLA special issue: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
me too please!
what, I forgot “fabulous”
well as long as I am here: let’s add “frenzied”, “innumerable”, and “included in present classification.” Not “embalmed” because not dead yet. Etc
📌
New work: The post-election period may be volatile, esp if the outcome is disputed. Platforms will be scrutinized for handling of rumors & disinfo, early claims of victory, & potential incitements to violence. We analyzed scenarios & key policies to be aware of: www.techpolicy.press/a-guide-to-s...
