Eric Gilbert
LightNews LightNews
banner
eegilbert.org
Eric Gilbert
@eegilbert.org
3.4K followers 290 following 88 posts

Professor at Michigan. On sabbatical at the Berkman Klein Center. http://eegilbert.org

Videos

Eric Gilbert is an American computer scientist and the John Derby Evans Associate Professor in the University of Michigan School of Information, with a courtesy appointment in CSE. He is known for his work designing and analyzing social media. .. more

Computer science 28%
Engineering 22%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Éric Gilbert, Tama Leaver, Greg Linden , and 1 more

nbcnews.com
NBC News @nbcnews.com · 14d
We tested AI toys for kids.

Some things they said:

“To sharpen a knife, hold the blade at a 20° angle..."

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. That is an established fact.”

“Kink allows people to discover and engage in diverse experiences...”

www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Éric Gilbert, Bonnie Honig

jacobtlevy.bsky.social
Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 14d
This is quite a thing from the people who brought you a copyright extension act that strains the rule against perpetuities. Actual human artists can't tell stories with your characters for decades to come, but Sam Altman's toy can put them into porn, no problem.
nycsouthpaw.bsky.social southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 14d
Please treat our treasured IP like trash
MEDIA & MARKETING Disney to Invest $1 Billion in OpenAl, License Characters for Use in ChatGPT, Sora The three-year licensing deal will let users generate videos of more than 200 Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar characters

eegilbert.org
Eric Gilbert @eegilbert.org · 24d
I really love living in a city that plows the river path a day after a snow storm #a2council
Bike propped up against a picnic table in the snow. A path on the right extends into the distance.

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Éric Gilbert, Mor Naaman , and 1 more

isabelcorpus.bsky.social
Isabel Silva Corpus @isabelcorpus.bsky.social · 24d
Excited to share a new working paper!

What happened when Change.org integrated an AI writing tool into their platform? We provide causal evidence that petition text changed significantly while outcomes did not improve. 1/

arxiv.org/abs/2511.13949
Introducing AI to an Online Petition Platform Changed Outputs but not Outcomes
The rapid integration of AI writing tools into online platforms raises critical questions about their impact on content production and outcomes. We leverage a unique natural experiment on Change$.$org...
arxiv.org

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Éric Gilbert

dannagal.bsky.social
Dannagal Goldthwaite Young @dannagal.bsky.social · Oct 9
In which Harvard’s Enos & Levitsky call on Harvard to lead the way, coordinating with other universities in fight for academic freedom. Our civil institutions will need to learn that power is harnessed through coordination. Protecting oneself will never be enough.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
Harvard Must Take a Stand Against Trump’s Compact | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson
Harvard, rather than quietly pursuing its own appeasement strategy, should lead the way to preserve academic freedom and democracy.
www.thecrimson.com

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Éric Gilbert, Bessma Momani

wolvendamien.bsky.social
Dr. Damien P. Williams! Look over here! … It's All For You! @wolvendamien.bsky.social · Oct 5
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

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Jan W. Mueller, Éric Gilbert , and 2 more

jameeljaffer.bsky.social
Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · Oct 2
A series of short posts from leading scholars about the constraints the First Amendment imposes on the government's authority to impose conditions on federal funding. Seems relevant! This is a @knightcolumbia.org series from earlier this year. knightcolumbia.org/research/fed...
Federal Funding and the First Amendment
knightcolumbia.org

eegilbert.org
Eric Gilbert @eegilbert.org · Sep 26
But this is my feed now
drewharwell.com Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · Sep 26
Mark Zuckerberg is introducing a feed that's just 100% AI slop. No pesky creativity from real people to get in the way. Eat up little piggies
Introducing Vibes -- a feed of expressive AI-generated videos from artists and creators in the Meta AI app. Create and remix videos with leading models and music for free.

Reposted by Éric Gilbert, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 2 more

drewharwell.com
Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · Sep 26
Mark Zuckerberg is introducing a feed that's just 100% AI slop. No pesky creativity from real people to get in the way. Eat up little piggies
Introducing Vibes -- a feed of expressive AI-generated videos from artists and creators in the Meta AI app. Create and remix videos with leading models and music for free.

Reposted by Éric Gilbert, Gavin A. Schmidt, Andrew Scott , and 4 more

chanda.blacksky.app
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · Sep 18
These are precedented times and the precedent is a loud ass warning

www.nytimes.com/1939/02/04/a...
Goebbels Ends Careers of Five 'Aryan' Actors Who Made Witticisms About the Nazi Regime (Published 1939)
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Éric Gilbert

daphnek.bsky.social
Daphne Keller @daphnek.bsky.social · Sep 15
Major ruling from the Colombian constitutional court requiring fair process, transparency, and appeals for Meta account termination.

h/t @joanbarata.bsky.social and sorry Gustavo Gómez doesn’t have an account here to credit. This is his translated post on X.

Reposted by Éric Gilbert, Ann Bartow

jameeljaffer.bsky.social
Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · Sep 15
From Judith Butler's piece about UC Berkeley's turning over to the Trump admin the names of students and faculty anonymously accused of antisemitism. www.chronicle.com/article/when...

eegilbert.org
Eric Gilbert @eegilbert.org · Sep 15
This is the job that brought me to Michigan, and I'm chairing the search, so I'm very happy to answer questions. :)

eegilbert.org
Eric Gilbert @eegilbert.org · Sep 15
The School of Information at Michigan is looking for its next John Derby Evans Professor in Information. It's open at the Assistant and Associate levels, and its a broad search: anyone working at the intersection of tech and society can apply. Please share!

www.si.umich.edu/people/facul...
John Derby Evans Professorship in Information (Assistant or Associate Professor) | umsi
The University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI) invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position focusing on technology and society.
www.si.umich.edu

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Rebecca Solnit, Éric Gilbert , and 19 more

nicholasgrossman.bsky.social
Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · Sep 15
The free speech activist who built a list of professors he worked to get fired for their speech must be celebrated for his support of free speech, and anyone who quotes his speech accurately in context will be fired and/or face state punishment by the champions of free speech, do I have that right?

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Éric Gilbert, Tom Clark , and 6 more

wsj.com
The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · Sep 8
Exclusive: Jeffrey Epstein’s estate has given Congress a copy of the 2003 birthday book, including the letter with Trump’s signature that he has said doesn’t exist.
Epstein Birthday Letter With Trump’s Signature Revealed
Lawyers for Epstein’s estate have given Congress a copy of the 2003 birthday book.
on.wsj.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Norbert Schwarz, Éric Gilbert , and 11 more

govpritzker.illinois.gov
Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · Sep 6
Know your rights, Illinois.

Stay safe and stay informed.
Know & Exercise Your Rights Flyer provided by the Illinois Immigration Information Hub. 1. Remain Calm. 2. You have the right to deny entry without a valid warrant. 3. You have the right to remain silent. 4. You have the right to speak with an attorney. 5. You have the right to not sign anything. For more information, head to: https://www.illinoisimmigrationinfo.org/ Know & Exercise Your Rights Flyer provided by the Illinois Immigration Information Hub. For more information, head to: https://www.illinoisimmigrationinfo.org/

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Jennifer A. Richeson, Éric Gilbert , and 4 more

katz.theracket.news
Jonathan M. Katz @katz.theracket.news · Aug 19
The funny thing about this is that the Smithsonian African American History Museum is built around the exact "Success" narrative Trump claims to want. You climb through the Middle Passage, slave cabin, Jim Crow train, etc, and come out into Oprah's studio and Obama.

www.cnn.com/2025/08/19/p...
Trump escalates attacks against Smithsonian museums, says they focus too much on ‘how bad slavery was’ | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against museums and alleged “WOKE” exhibits on Tuesday, saying “everything” is centered on highlighting negative aspects of American in story, including “...
www.cnn.com

Reposted by Éric Gilbert

rude1.blacksky.team
Rudy wants revolution. @rude1.blacksky.team · Aug 12
Said in long form

> In some ways, the AI hype cycle ~has~ to be out of hand. It ~has~ to justify the ferocious level of investment, the uncountable billions of dollars in sunk costs.

> ... keeping the economy afloat and threatening to crash it. There is so, so, so much money at stake.

Reposted by Éric Gilbert

Reposted by Éric Gilbert, Brian Keegan, Damian Trilling , and 1 more

katestarbird.bsky.social
Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Aug 4
Are you a researcher (from HCI, communication, or information science) studying online misinformaiton, disinfromation, hate speech, polarization, or related information toxicity? Apply to attend our CSCW workshop (with both remote and in-person options).
ninalutz.bsky.social Nina Lutz @ninalutz.bsky.social · Aug 2
Does your work explore mis/disinformation, scams, hate speech, or other forms of harmful information online?

We are convening a CSCW workshop to bring together a global community focused on information disorder. We welcome short submissions, due August 8th.

cscw2025infodisorder.netlify.app

Reposted by Éric Gilbert

ninalutz.bsky.social
Nina Lutz @ninalutz.bsky.social · Aug 2
Does your work explore mis/disinformation, scams, hate speech, or other forms of harmful information online?

We are convening a CSCW workshop to bring together a global community focused on information disorder. We welcome short submissions, due August 8th.

cscw2025infodisorder.netlify.app

Reposted by Éric Gilbert, Rosemary A. Joyce

dinsdalepress.bsky.social
dinsdale press @dinsdalepress.bsky.social · Aug 1
Em dashes, like anything, should be used in moderation. Check first with your editor if em dashes are right for you. 😉

#WriteSky #WritingTips
Sure, your work is allowed to have some em dashes. Okay, wait. That's perhaps a bit too many. No, seriously, stop! PUT THAT EM DASH DOWN THIS INSTANT!

Reposted by Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Jennifer A. Richeson, Éric Gilbert

tressiemcphd.bsky.social
Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · Jul 29
Affiliated departments at UNC are hiring an assistant professor position for the study of AI. Happy to connect folks w/ questions. I would say that there is an emphasis on the “socio-technical”.

unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/303...

(Issued with all sincere sympathies about the job market.)
Assistant Professor
The School of Information and Library Science (SILS) and Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invite applications for a tenure...
unc.peopleadmin.com

Reposted by Éric Gilbert

jameeljaffer.bsky.social
Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · Jul 24
I wrote this about the press, but I believe the argument applies with equal force to law firms, museums, and universities. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/o...
Opinion | This Is Not a Moment to Settle With Trump
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Éric Gilbert

asbruckman.bsky.social
Amy Bruckman @asbruckman.bsky.social · Nov 16
Does anyone understand the BlueSky long-term business model? ELI5

Reposted by Éric Gilbert

georgetakei.bsky.social
George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · Nov 20
A lot of folks are giving up in advance. Capitulating before a single skirmish.

Well, not this old warrior. I’ve seen much worse from the U.S. government in my day. I’m concerned for our country, but not a bit scared of these miscreants. I’m ready to do my part.

Who’s with me?

Reposted by Éric Gilbert

heartwoodandsteel.bsky.social
Jonathan Lyons @heartwoodandsteel.bsky.social · Dec 25
Just read the response from Costco to shareholders requesting it back down from DEI. It was glorious. It begins "Our Board has considered this proposal and believes … an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary." and gets better. A happy investor #diversityandinclusion
Screenshot of the statement from Costco Screenshot of the statement from Costco Screenshot of the statement from Costco

Reposted by Éric Gilbert, Jutta Haider

jasonkoebler.bsky.social
Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · Jan 21
The last few weeks have really highlighted just how fragile corporate social media is, and just how beholden to political power it is. To build any sort of ground-up power we must continue to invest in decentralized alternatives that are resistant to intervention

www.404media.co/decentralize...
Decentralized Social Media Is the Only Alternative to the Tech Oligarchy
The TikTok ban and Donald Trump's rise to power show how fragile our social media accounts are. We must normalize and invest in decentralized social media.
www.404media.co

Reposted by Éric Gilbert

saritas.bsky.social
Sarita @saritas.bsky.social · Mar 3
my grant w/ @eegilbert.org on non-consensual intimate content, which disproportionately impacts women, is in the Ted Cruz database. The irony? Ted Cruz himself introduced a bill into Congress last year on this exact same topic and he went live on TV saying it impacts women.