Ian Axel Anderson
@aanixel.bsky.social
Postdoc @ Caltech
Technology researcher, Surfer, Poet
They/he
Technology researcher, Surfer, Poet
They/he
We're so back [to the undergrad participant pools?] -- though looks like this might have been from a press release about a paper that's not out yet, no one can find the link (not in the piece), so please share below if you have seen it...
We can no longer trust that survey responses are coming from real people.”
A Researcher Made an AI That Completely Breaks the Online Surveys Scientists Rely On
We can no longer trust that survey responses are coming from real people.”
www.404media.co
November 18, 2025 at 6:21 AM
We're so back [to the undergrad participant pools?] -- though looks like this might have been from a press release about a paper that's not out yet, no one can find the link (not in the piece), so please share below if you have seen it...
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
Worth mentioning that by our own tests we know these videos were made with OpenAI’s Sora, highlighting how tools released by some of the richest companies in the world are being combined to generate and monetize videos that take advantage of human suffering
The latest trend in Facebook’s ever downward spiral down the AI slop toilet are AI deportation videos. And the Facebook algorithm is rewarding creators for it. @jasonkoebler.bsky.social reports.
Full story: www.404media.co/ai-generated...
Full story: www.404media.co/ai-generated...
November 17, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Worth mentioning that by our own tests we know these videos were made with OpenAI’s Sora, highlighting how tools released by some of the richest companies in the world are being combined to generate and monetize videos that take advantage of human suffering
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
We can no longer trust that survey responses are coming from real people.”
A Researcher Made an AI That Completely Breaks the Online Surveys Scientists Rely On
We can no longer trust that survey responses are coming from real people.”
www.404media.co
November 17, 2025 at 8:15 PM
We can no longer trust that survey responses are coming from real people.”
Catching up on AI pieces from the past couple of weeks.
Recommendations:
1. End Stage Enshittification awardsforgoodboys.substack.com/p/end-stage-...
2. AI Psychosis investigation from A More Perfect Union www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkGk...
3. Open AI compute costs www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/
Recommendations:
1. End Stage Enshittification awardsforgoodboys.substack.com/p/end-stage-...
2. AI Psychosis investigation from A More Perfect Union www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkGk...
3. Open AI compute costs www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/
End Stage Enshittification: Poop AI is Here
Chat GPT, why is my stool loose?
awardsforgoodboys.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Catching up on AI pieces from the past couple of weeks.
Recommendations:
1. End Stage Enshittification awardsforgoodboys.substack.com/p/end-stage-...
2. AI Psychosis investigation from A More Perfect Union www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkGk...
3. Open AI compute costs www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/
Recommendations:
1. End Stage Enshittification awardsforgoodboys.substack.com/p/end-stage-...
2. AI Psychosis investigation from A More Perfect Union www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkGk...
3. Open AI compute costs www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
New from me: “working the refs” has come for Wikipedia. The same type of attacks alleging anti-conservative bias that right wing politicians have make about social media are coming for the encyclopedia — because of its critical role in shaping AI answer engines.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
The Right-Wing Attack on Wikipedia
The free internet encyclopedia is widely used to train AI. That’s why conservatives are trying to dethrone it.
www.theatlantic.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:41 PM
New from me: “working the refs” has come for Wikipedia. The same type of attacks alleging anti-conservative bias that right wing politicians have make about social media are coming for the encyclopedia — because of its critical role in shaping AI answer engines.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
An account is spamming horrific, dehumanizing videos of immigration enforcement because the Facebook algorithm is rewarding them for it.
AI-Generated Videos of ICE Raids Are Wildly Viral on Facebook
An account is spamming horrific, dehumanizing videos of immigration enforcement because the Facebook algorithm is rewarding them for it.
www.404media.co
November 12, 2025 at 6:09 PM
An account is spamming horrific, dehumanizing videos of immigration enforcement because the Facebook algorithm is rewarding them for it.
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
The person behind this account does not seem to actually have any sort of vested interest in the US or in immigration. But they are nonetheless spamming horrific videos because the Facebook algorithm is rewarding them for that type of content, and because Facebook directly makes payments for it.
AI-Generated Videos of ICE Raids Are Wildly Viral on Facebook
An account is spamming horrific, dehumanizing videos of immigration enforcement because the Facebook algorithm is rewarding them for it.
www.404media.co
November 12, 2025 at 6:13 PM
The person behind this account does not seem to actually have any sort of vested interest in the US or in immigration. But they are nonetheless spamming horrific videos because the Facebook algorithm is rewarding them for that type of content, and because Facebook directly makes payments for it.
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
High end wealth inequality allows for shit like this
November 12, 2025 at 2:55 AM
High end wealth inequality allows for shit like this
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
If you are interested in studying the efficacy of soft interventions such as footnote labels & blurred filter on other topics such as climate change or health misinfo, our free ModSimulator (moderation simulator) research tool is available for free on GitHub: socialmedialab.ca/2023/04/25/i...
November 10, 2025 at 9:33 PM
If you are interested in studying the efficacy of soft interventions such as footnote labels & blurred filter on other topics such as climate change or health misinfo, our free ModSimulator (moderation simulator) research tool is available for free on GitHub: socialmedialab.ca/2023/04/25/i...
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
Soft moderation (e.g., fact-checking labels) significantly reduced the frequency of interactions w/false claims. Control group averaged 0.9 interactions, about 1.5 more than either intervention group (0.62 for the footnote warning label, 0.60 for the blur filter). socialmedialab.ca/2024/09/11/n...
[New Paper Alert] To Share or Not to Share: Randomized Controlled Study of Misinformation Warning Labels on Social Media - Social Media Lab
In recent years, content moderation on social media has become a flashpoint in global conversations about free speech, misinformation, and platform accountability. Once seen as essential for curbing h...
socialmedialab.ca
November 10, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Soft moderation (e.g., fact-checking labels) significantly reduced the frequency of interactions w/false claims. Control group averaged 0.9 interactions, about 1.5 more than either intervention group (0.62 for the footnote warning label, 0.60 for the blur filter). socialmedialab.ca/2024/09/11/n...
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
I appreciate the work of these authors to show that this problem not only is still here but has grown:
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
But it is also quite frustrating 🧵>>
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
But it is also quite frustrating 🧵>>
AI's capabilities may be exaggerated by flawed tests, according to new study
A study from the Oxford Internet Institute analyzed 445 tests used to evaluate AI models.
www.nbcnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I appreciate the work of these authors to show that this problem not only is still here but has grown:
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
But it is also quite frustrating 🧵>>
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
But it is also quite frustrating 🧵>>
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
wise and incredibly funny
This is fucking brilliant, and you should read it: lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:03 AM
wise and incredibly funny
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
NEW PUB: Twitch’s Digital News Standard: Breaking Journalistic Boundaries in Platform Streaming Environments in Digital Journalism
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/62NS2...
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/62NS2...
November 3, 2025 at 6:46 PM
NEW PUB: Twitch’s Digital News Standard: Breaking Journalistic Boundaries in Platform Streaming Environments in Digital Journalism
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/62NS2...
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/62NS2...
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
X and TikTok accounts are dedicated to posting AI-generated videos of women being strangled.
OpenAI’s Sora 2 Floods Social Media With Videos of Women Being Strangled
X and TikTok accounts are dedicated to posting AI-generated videos of women being strangled.
www.404media.co
November 7, 2025 at 3:58 PM
X and TikTok accounts are dedicated to posting AI-generated videos of women being strangled.
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
"After the federal mass-deportation initiative dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz” hit the shelter, a meeting was held the next day. Black residents affirmed they stood with Latino residents and the raid impacted everyone. Afterward folks were less divided by race..."
hammerandhope.org/article/trum...
hammerandhope.org/article/trum...
Trump Escalates Tyranny in Chicago
Having a common enemy sometimes unifies people, whether an unhoused Venezuelan migrant in Bronzeville or a mother in a South Shore apartment.
hammerandhope.org
November 7, 2025 at 6:39 PM
"After the federal mass-deportation initiative dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz” hit the shelter, a meeting was held the next day. Black residents affirmed they stood with Latino residents and the raid impacted everyone. Afterward folks were less divided by race..."
hammerandhope.org/article/trum...
hammerandhope.org/article/trum...
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
This program has spread nationwide, with many institutions, including my own, following this model. It’s been spectacular for my department and for my college.
A devastating set of decisions on the part of UC leadership to withdraw support from our nationally recognized postdoc program that prioritizes research excellence combined with addressing our university public service mission. www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
UC to Stop Funding Systemwide Postdoc Program
Established in 1984 to encourage women and minority Ph.D.s to pursue academia, the program has attracted right-wing criticism for prioritizing diverse candidates.
www.insidehighered.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:36 PM
This program has spread nationwide, with many institutions, including my own, following this model. It’s been spectacular for my department and for my college.
Had fun presenting on my forthcoming work about social media habits and addiction at the USC Neely Center and Addiction Sciences Institute the other week...A recording is now available on YouTube! Link below goes to my intro and ~15min talk; Q&A is at the end!
youtu.be/QT6G0PpvQhg?...
youtu.be/QT6G0PpvQhg?...
State of the Science: Digital Media and Addiction Webinar
YouTube video by Neely Center
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Had fun presenting on my forthcoming work about social media habits and addiction at the USC Neely Center and Addiction Sciences Institute the other week...A recording is now available on YouTube! Link below goes to my intro and ~15min talk; Q&A is at the end!
youtu.be/QT6G0PpvQhg?...
youtu.be/QT6G0PpvQhg?...
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Can AI agents coordinate influence campaigns without human guidance? And how does coordination arise among AI agents? In our latest research, we simulate LLM-powered AI agents acting like users on an online platform, some benign, some running an influence operation
Can AI agents coordinate influence campaigns without human guidance? And how does coordination arise among AI agents? In our latest research, we simulate LLM-powered AI agents acting like users on an online platform, some benign, some running an influence operation
November 3, 2025 at 7:46 PM
🚨 New preprint 🚨
Can AI agents coordinate influence campaigns without human guidance? And how does coordination arise among AI agents? In our latest research, we simulate LLM-powered AI agents acting like users on an online platform, some benign, some running an influence operation
Can AI agents coordinate influence campaigns without human guidance? And how does coordination arise among AI agents? In our latest research, we simulate LLM-powered AI agents acting like users on an online platform, some benign, some running an influence operation
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
"Haidt, who boosted his career blaming social media for every problem from mental health to school failure, drugs, shootings, suicide, and destroying childhood, completely ignores parental abuses, addictions, mental health, and crime issues."
These are the teens who urgently need help with severe family problems. How do America’s blame-social-media authorities justify ignoring them?
They don’t. The CDC’s new 2025 youth surveys even delete key questions asked in 2023 on the severe family crises driving teens’ worst mental health issues.
mikemales.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:44 PM
"Haidt, who boosted his career blaming social media for every problem from mental health to school failure, drugs, shootings, suicide, and destroying childhood, completely ignores parental abuses, addictions, mental health, and crime issues."
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
#AcademicSky #PrejudiceResearch
It's good, for other people, for you not to be a bigot.
New longitudinal paper shows:
Being racist makes you more mentally distressed over time.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
It's good, for other people, for you not to be a bigot.
New longitudinal paper shows:
Being racist makes you more mentally distressed over time.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
What goes around comes around? Holding racist attitudes predicts increased psychological distress over time
There has been a tendency for the academic literature, media, and practitioners to attribute prejudice — particularly extreme beliefs and the violence…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:48 PM
#AcademicSky #PrejudiceResearch
It's good, for other people, for you not to be a bigot.
New longitudinal paper shows:
Being racist makes you more mentally distressed over time.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
It's good, for other people, for you not to be a bigot.
New longitudinal paper shows:
Being racist makes you more mentally distressed over time.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
Bluesky is now testing dislikes. If you see a post you dislike you're in the beta techcrunch.com/2025/10/31/b...
Bluesky hits 40 million users, introduces 'dislikes' beta | TechCrunch
Bluesky is looking to a new signal — "dislikes" — to personalize users' feeds.
techcrunch.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Bluesky is now testing dislikes. If you see a post you dislike you're in the beta techcrunch.com/2025/10/31/b...
Thanks to Caltech Magazine for the #SoCaltech feature, which touches on my forthcoming research on social media habits and addiction as well as my past in social media marketing 🥳
October 31, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Thanks to Caltech Magazine for the #SoCaltech feature, which touches on my forthcoming research on social media habits and addiction as well as my past in social media marketing 🥳
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
Federal conspiracy charges because an ICE goon had to drive a little slower.
What an absolute joke.
What an absolute joke.
October 29, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Federal conspiracy charges because an ICE goon had to drive a little slower.
What an absolute joke.
What an absolute joke.
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
NEW: "The company’s estimates therefore suggest that every seven days, around 560,000 people may be exchanging messages with ChatGPT that indicate they are experiencing mania or psychosis." @lmatsakis.bsky.social reports: www.wired.com/story/chatgp...
OpenAI Says Hundreds of Thousands of ChatGPT Users May Show Signs of Manic or Psychotic Crisis Every Week
OpenAI Says Hundreds of Thousands of ChatGPT Users May Show Signs of Manic or Psychotic Crisis Every Week
www.wired.com
October 27, 2025 at 5:45 PM
NEW: "The company’s estimates therefore suggest that every seven days, around 560,000 people may be exchanging messages with ChatGPT that indicate they are experiencing mania or psychosis." @lmatsakis.bsky.social reports: www.wired.com/story/chatgp...
Reposted by Ian Axel Anderson
“Apple, Google, and Meta were under no obligation to remove these apps,” says @alexabdo.bsky.social. “If they did it because the DOJ threatened them, even implicitly, that’s a First Amendment violation. The government shouldn’t be able to behave like a mob boss in going after protected speech.”
The federal government "jawbones" private companies by pressuring them to silence voices they can’t legally censor themselves, and Big Tech has erased ICE‑watching apps and an ICE-Sighting Chicago Facebook group.
The full story: lataco.com/big-tech-ice
By Nik Venet
The full story: lataco.com/big-tech-ice
By Nik Venet
October 22, 2025 at 5:40 PM
“Apple, Google, and Meta were under no obligation to remove these apps,” says @alexabdo.bsky.social. “If they did it because the DOJ threatened them, even implicitly, that’s a First Amendment violation. The government shouldn’t be able to behave like a mob boss in going after protected speech.”