Alan Mackworth
@alanmackworth.bsky.social
Scientist, AI researcher, roboticist, professor emeritus. Coauthor “Artificial Intelligence: Foundations of Computational Agents” http://artint.info 🇨🇦
Pinned
Alan Mackworth
@alanmackworth.bsky.social
· Nov 18
“Artificial Intelligence: Foundations of Computational Agents” (3rd Edition) by @davpoole.bsky.social and
@alanmackworth.bsky.social is available in hardcopy and with full, free, open access online: artint.info. Check out the endorsements: artint.info#endorsements
@alanmackworth.bsky.social is available in hardcopy and with full, free, open access online: artint.info. Check out the endorsements: artint.info#endorsements
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Yesterday, @mark-carney.bsky.social may have given the most important speech of our era.
Whether it proves to be so, however, depends on what happens next. If Canada is serious about charting a third way, it must act—notably in deploying to Greenland, and saying no to the "Board of Peace."
Whether it proves to be so, however, depends on what happens next. If Canada is serious about charting a third way, it must act—notably in deploying to Greenland, and saying no to the "Board of Peace."
January 21, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Yesterday, @mark-carney.bsky.social may have given the most important speech of our era.
Whether it proves to be so, however, depends on what happens next. If Canada is serious about charting a third way, it must act—notably in deploying to Greenland, and saying no to the "Board of Peace."
Whether it proves to be so, however, depends on what happens next. If Canada is serious about charting a third way, it must act—notably in deploying to Greenland, and saying no to the "Board of Peace."
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
This post to Truth Social requires an immediate response from the international community and either impeachment or invocation of the 25th amendment by Congress. Republicans, you are sleepwalking the world towards an entirely preventable catastrophe.
January 20, 2026 at 3:02 PM
This post to Truth Social requires an immediate response from the international community and either impeachment or invocation of the 25th amendment by Congress. Republicans, you are sleepwalking the world towards an entirely preventable catastrophe.
Delighted to receive this award with @davpoole.bsky.social. @cs.ubc.ca @aaai.org Talk details here aaai.org/conference/a... #ai
January 19, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Delighted to receive this award with @davpoole.bsky.social. @cs.ubc.ca @aaai.org Talk details here aaai.org/conference/a... #ai
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Canada must not do this. It is a mockery of international political governance, legitimizing the idea that Trump can simply push aside other countries' sovereignty.
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Carney mulling $1B membership to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’
The Canadian PM said the POTUS invite came "a few weeks ago."
www.politico.com
January 18, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Canada must not do this. It is a mockery of international political governance, legitimizing the idea that Trump can simply push aside other countries' sovereignty.
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Honourable @evansolomon.bsky.social - my question to you is why isn't the GoC considering banning X considering the harm that platform is doing and the obvious We-Don't-Give-A-Shit attitude of its owner?
Let's get this trending, people! #BanX #BanGrok
Let's get this trending, people! #BanX #BanGrok
In 2024, I rose in Senate QP to ask why the Govt of Canada was still using X for official communications. Today, they are still there. What exactly will it take to break the spell?
A proliferation of sexual deepfakes on X has prompted other countries to investigate Grok, the platform’s AI software, but, so far, Ottawa remains silent.
www.hilltimes.com/story/2026/0...
www.hilltimes.com/story/2026/0...
January 11, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Honourable @evansolomon.bsky.social - my question to you is why isn't the GoC considering banning X considering the harm that platform is doing and the obvious We-Don't-Give-A-Shit attitude of its owner?
Let's get this trending, people! #BanX #BanGrok
Let's get this trending, people! #BanX #BanGrok
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Thousands of people on X are using Grok to create sexualized images of adults + minors wearing minimal clothing. This not only violates X's own content policy, it may violate the guidelines of Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store:
www.wired.com/story/x-grok...
www.wired.com/story/x-grok...
Why Are Grok and X Still Available in App Stores?
Elon Musk’s chatbot has been used to generate thousands of sexualized images of adults and apparent minors. Apple and Google have removed other “nudify” apps—but continue to host X and Grok.
www.wired.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Thousands of people on X are using Grok to create sexualized images of adults + minors wearing minimal clothing. This not only violates X's own content policy, it may violate the guidelines of Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store:
www.wired.com/story/x-grok...
www.wired.com/story/x-grok...
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
In 2024, I rose in Senate QP to ask why the Govt of Canada was still using X for official communications. Today, they are still there. What exactly will it take to break the spell?
A proliferation of sexual deepfakes on X has prompted other countries to investigate Grok, the platform’s AI software, but, so far, Ottawa remains silent.
www.hilltimes.com/story/2026/0...
www.hilltimes.com/story/2026/0...
‘Get the f**k off there’: MPs, Senators call on government to abandon X/Twitter following wave of ‘Grok porn’
A proliferation of sexual deepfakes on X (formerly Twitter) has prompted other countries to investigate Grok, the platform’s AI software, but, so far, Ottawa remains silent.
www.hilltimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:58 PM
In 2024, I rose in Senate QP to ask why the Govt of Canada was still using X for official communications. Today, they are still there. What exactly will it take to break the spell?
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
There’s an epidemic of people using Grok to do sexual violence to women on Twitter.
Yet Canadian politicians, media etc have failed to adopt another platform en masse, making it near-impossible to fully disengage and be tapped in to vital conversations and information.
What are we doing.
Yet Canadian politicians, media etc have failed to adopt another platform en masse, making it near-impossible to fully disengage and be tapped in to vital conversations and information.
What are we doing.
January 2, 2026 at 7:11 PM
There’s an epidemic of people using Grok to do sexual violence to women on Twitter.
Yet Canadian politicians, media etc have failed to adopt another platform en masse, making it near-impossible to fully disengage and be tapped in to vital conversations and information.
What are we doing.
Yet Canadian politicians, media etc have failed to adopt another platform en masse, making it near-impossible to fully disengage and be tapped in to vital conversations and information.
What are we doing.
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
It's well past time for Canadian government officials to get off of X, @jameswsthomson.com writes. This latest — disgusting — incident is just one more reason.
Canadian government officials, what are you still doing on X in 2026?
The platform's own chatbot started posting sexualized material of children and other people who couldn't consent. With no moral bottom in sight, it's well past time our officials found other ways to c...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:45 PM
It's well past time for Canadian government officials to get off of X, @jameswsthomson.com writes. This latest — disgusting — incident is just one more reason.
Highly recommended read for anyone in AI/Robotics. Complete with @rodneyabrooks.bsky.social's usual acerbic wit and hype-busting. Nice elucidation of the distinction between situated AI and embodied AI, with an argument that we need both. #AI #robotics
Just published my annual predictions update, tracking from Jan 1st 2018, with new commentary and new ten year predictions. It is long. rodneybrooks.com/predictions-...
Predictions Scorecard, 2026 January 01 – Rodney Brooks
rodneybrooks.com
January 1, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Highly recommended read for anyone in AI/Robotics. Complete with @rodneyabrooks.bsky.social's usual acerbic wit and hype-busting. Nice elucidation of the distinction between situated AI and embodied AI, with an argument that we need both. #AI #robotics
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
UPDATE: If you want to speak (in person or by phone) at tomorrow's important city council meeting – at which these proposed Vancouver budget cuts will be considered – you can sign up here (BUT NOTE: the deadline to sign up is 5:00pm today, Nov 11):
vancouver.ca/your-governm...
🧵...
vancouver.ca/your-governm...
🧵...
November 11, 2025 at 7:34 PM
UPDATE: If you want to speak (in person or by phone) at tomorrow's important city council meeting – at which these proposed Vancouver budget cuts will be considered – you can sign up here (BUT NOTE: the deadline to sign up is 5:00pm today, Nov 11):
vancouver.ca/your-governm...
🧵...
vancouver.ca/your-governm...
🧵...
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
more to be said here than could ever fit in such a short article but it covers some of it, and happy to get a few quotes in it (no paywall I think)
www.cnet.com/tech/service...
www.cnet.com/tech/service...
AI Lies to You Because It Thinks That's What You Want
AI is being trained to please users and, in doing so, is becoming indifferent to the truth.
www.cnet.com
September 1, 2025 at 12:59 AM
more to be said here than could ever fit in such a short article but it covers some of it, and happy to get a few quotes in it (no paywall I think)
www.cnet.com/tech/service...
www.cnet.com/tech/service...
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Excellent talk by Joëlle Pineau at the Reinforcement Learning Conference (RLC 2025) youtu.be/PZcaMKxljxc?...
Joelle Pineau, Beyond Bellman's Legacy - RLC 2025
YouTube video by Amii
youtu.be
August 24, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Excellent talk by Joëlle Pineau at the Reinforcement Learning Conference (RLC 2025) youtu.be/PZcaMKxljxc?...
The 3rd edition of "Artificial Intelligence: Foundations of Computational Agents" by @davpoole.bsky.social & @alanmackworth.bsky.social is freely available. artint.info
You can order a hardcopy of the book for 30% off and free shipping through mid-September: lnkd.in/gzbyUpKt Code: 102519 #AI
You can order a hardcopy of the book for 30% off and free shipping through mid-September: lnkd.in/gzbyUpKt Code: 102519 #AI
August 12, 2025 at 7:56 PM
The 3rd edition of "Artificial Intelligence: Foundations of Computational Agents" by @davpoole.bsky.social & @alanmackworth.bsky.social is freely available. artint.info
You can order a hardcopy of the book for 30% off and free shipping through mid-September: lnkd.in/gzbyUpKt Code: 102519 #AI
You can order a hardcopy of the book for 30% off and free shipping through mid-September: lnkd.in/gzbyUpKt Code: 102519 #AI
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
This is one of the best ideas I've heard in ages.
July 30, 2025 at 6:45 AM
This is one of the best ideas I've heard in ages.
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
I was interviewed by the journalist Jessica Nordell for her newsletter. We discussed some deep questions related to AI touching on humanities, politics, & dualistic assumptions underlying the conception of "intelligence" in AI. I hope you will read it!
jessicanordell.substack.com/cp/166912581
jessicanordell.substack.com/cp/166912581
How Your Cheese-Powered Baby Trounces AI
An O.G. AI Researcher on How Being Social and Cultural Makes us Intelligent--and Whether Machines Can Ever Learn Empathy
jessicanordell.substack.com
June 26, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I was interviewed by the journalist Jessica Nordell for her newsletter. We discussed some deep questions related to AI touching on humanities, politics, & dualistic assumptions underlying the conception of "intelligence" in AI. I hope you will read it!
jessicanordell.substack.com/cp/166912581
jessicanordell.substack.com/cp/166912581
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Off-cycle faculty position in AI at Queen's University School of Computing!!
employment.cs.queensu.ca/2025/05/06/c...
The framing of the position is so that it opens the pool to both anyone who does research in an AI sub-field, or uses AI largely for their research (AI applied to X).
1/3
employment.cs.queensu.ca/2025/05/06/c...
The framing of the position is so that it opens the pool to both anyone who does research in an AI sub-field, or uses AI largely for their research (AI applied to X).
1/3
Computational Intelligence Faculty Position - Employment Opportunities - Queen's School of Computing
employment.cs.queensu.ca
May 12, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Off-cycle faculty position in AI at Queen's University School of Computing!!
employment.cs.queensu.ca/2025/05/06/c...
The framing of the position is so that it opens the pool to both anyone who does research in an AI sub-field, or uses AI largely for their research (AI applied to X).
1/3
employment.cs.queensu.ca/2025/05/06/c...
The framing of the position is so that it opens the pool to both anyone who does research in an AI sub-field, or uses AI largely for their research (AI applied to X).
1/3
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Revisiting this classic from Paul Cisek today-
"Resynthesizing behavior through phylogenetic refinement"
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
Fave figure: "conceptual taxonomy implicit in mainstream cognitive science" ––which the article proceeds to systematically undermine/dismantle
"Resynthesizing behavior through phylogenetic refinement"
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
Fave figure: "conceptual taxonomy implicit in mainstream cognitive science" ––which the article proceeds to systematically undermine/dismantle
March 18, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Revisiting this classic from Paul Cisek today-
"Resynthesizing behavior through phylogenetic refinement"
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
Fave figure: "conceptual taxonomy implicit in mainstream cognitive science" ––which the article proceeds to systematically undermine/dismantle
"Resynthesizing behavior through phylogenetic refinement"
link.springer.com/content/pdf/...
Fave figure: "conceptual taxonomy implicit in mainstream cognitive science" ––which the article proceeds to systematically undermine/dismantle
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Dear Democrats + American "friends"
Even when your president says it is "unlikely" that he will use military force against our country it still worthy of a resounding response.
Right?
But we hear crickets.
You might be okay with the end of the rule of law.
Not us.
www.ctvnews.ca/world/articl...
Even when your president says it is "unlikely" that he will use military force against our country it still worthy of a resounding response.
Right?
But we hear crickets.
You might be okay with the end of the rule of law.
Not us.
www.ctvnews.ca/world/articl...
Trump says ‘highly unlikely’ U.S. ever uses military force to annex Canada
U.S. President Donald Trump says it is 'highly unlikely' the United States would ever use military force to annex Canada.
www.ctvnews.ca
May 5, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Dear Democrats + American "friends"
Even when your president says it is "unlikely" that he will use military force against our country it still worthy of a resounding response.
Right?
But we hear crickets.
You might be okay with the end of the rule of law.
Not us.
www.ctvnews.ca/world/articl...
Even when your president says it is "unlikely" that he will use military force against our country it still worthy of a resounding response.
Right?
But we hear crickets.
You might be okay with the end of the rule of law.
Not us.
www.ctvnews.ca/world/articl...
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Prime Minister Mark Carney 🇨🇦
"Large American online platforms have become seas of racism, misogyny, antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate in all its forms ... My government will act." #cdnpoli
"Large American online platforms have become seas of racism, misogyny, antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate in all its forms ... My government will act." #cdnpoli
May 3, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Prime Minister Mark Carney 🇨🇦
"Large American online platforms have become seas of racism, misogyny, antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate in all its forms ... My government will act." #cdnpoli
"Large American online platforms have become seas of racism, misogyny, antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate in all its forms ... My government will act." #cdnpoli
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
US students. Looking to apply to graduate school? Had an offer rescinded recently? The University of British Columbia in Canada will re-open the application portal in some departments for US students from April 14-18.
Details: www.grad.ubc.ca/us-applicant...
#ubc #AcademicSky #PhDSky #ScienceSky
Details: www.grad.ubc.ca/us-applicant...
#ubc #AcademicSky #PhDSky #ScienceSky
US Applicant Week
www.grad.ubc.ca
April 11, 2025 at 7:03 PM
US students. Looking to apply to graduate school? Had an offer rescinded recently? The University of British Columbia in Canada will re-open the application portal in some departments for US students from April 14-18.
Details: www.grad.ubc.ca/us-applicant...
#ubc #AcademicSky #PhDSky #ScienceSky
Details: www.grad.ubc.ca/us-applicant...
#ubc #AcademicSky #PhDSky #ScienceSky
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
Random #EduSky aside in dark times: I just learned that Russell & Norvig's dominant textbook for #AI survey courses has a challenger in Poole & Mackworth's book, which is much heavier on stochastic ML approaches than the former (as opposed to symbolic, logical ones).
I wonder who's winning... 🤔
I wonder who's winning... 🤔
March 19, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
I couldn't find a list of Artificial Intelligence Researcher in Canada who are on Blue Sky, but every day there are more and more coming over from the other place. So here's my Starter Pack for it!
Drop me a line in the responses to let me know who I'm missing.
go.bsky.app/3HYHS4r
Drop me a line in the responses to let me know who I'm missing.
go.bsky.app/3HYHS4r
March 27, 2025 at 5:53 PM
I couldn't find a list of Artificial Intelligence Researcher in Canada who are on Blue Sky, but every day there are more and more coming over from the other place. So here's my Starter Pack for it!
Drop me a line in the responses to let me know who I'm missing.
go.bsky.app/3HYHS4r
Drop me a line in the responses to let me know who I'm missing.
go.bsky.app/3HYHS4r
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
X Threatens Our Democracy. Canada Should Ban It
The risks of election interference, misinformation and attempts to support a US takeover are too great. #Canada #BanTwitter
thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025...
The risks of election interference, misinformation and attempts to support a US takeover are too great. #Canada #BanTwitter
thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025...
X Threatens Our Democracy. Canada Should Ban It | The Tyee
The risks of election interference, misinformation and attempts to support a US takeover are too great.
thetyee.ca
March 7, 2025 at 5:27 PM
X Threatens Our Democracy. Canada Should Ban It
The risks of election interference, misinformation and attempts to support a US takeover are too great. #Canada #BanTwitter
thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025...
The risks of election interference, misinformation and attempts to support a US takeover are too great. #Canada #BanTwitter
thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025...
Reposted by Alan Mackworth
🇨🇦🇺🇦“I stand with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And I stand with the people of Ukraine,”
- Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
- Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
March 2, 2025 at 7:29 PM
🇨🇦🇺🇦“I stand with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And I stand with the people of Ukraine,”
- Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
- Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada