Alice Thwaite
@alicelthwaite.bsky.social
Ethics by design.
Also likes: swimming, sewing, walking outside, and electronic music.
Based in London, UK.
Also likes: swimming, sewing, walking outside, and electronic music.
Based in London, UK.
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
I would like to share something.
A year ago, Trump won and I was furious and scared so I sent a text to a few of local women I knew and asked them to join me at a meeting and invite like-minded women they knew. A few showed up, then a few more. We became a group called The Salon and we meet monthly
A year ago, Trump won and I was furious and scared so I sent a text to a few of local women I knew and asked them to join me at a meeting and invite like-minded women they knew. A few showed up, then a few more. We became a group called The Salon and we meet monthly
November 19, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I would like to share something.
A year ago, Trump won and I was furious and scared so I sent a text to a few of local women I knew and asked them to join me at a meeting and invite like-minded women they knew. A few showed up, then a few more. We became a group called The Salon and we meet monthly
A year ago, Trump won and I was furious and scared so I sent a text to a few of local women I knew and asked them to join me at a meeting and invite like-minded women they knew. A few showed up, then a few more. We became a group called The Salon and we meet monthly
Is there a place which lists lots of small businesses in London (like restaurants, bars, sandwich shops, greengrocers, clothing stores, nurseries) which are independent and aren't backed by private equity? I would use that frequently.
November 19, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Is there a place which lists lots of small businesses in London (like restaurants, bars, sandwich shops, greengrocers, clothing stores, nurseries) which are independent and aren't backed by private equity? I would use that frequently.
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
September 6, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
Something I didn't get to say yesterday:
We heard over and over during the event about "human-centered" approaches to "AI". But if refusal is not on the table (at every level: individual students and teachers right up through UNESCO) then we have in fact centered the technology, not the people.
We heard over and over during the event about "human-centered" approaches to "AI". But if refusal is not on the table (at every level: individual students and teachers right up through UNESCO) then we have in fact centered the technology, not the people.
It has been really interesting to attend UNESCO's Digital Learning Week (though unfortunately I'm not able to stick around). My public lecture from yesterday can be found here:
www.youtube.com/live/l-OWi6V...
>>
www.youtube.com/live/l-OWi6V...
>>
September 3, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Something I didn't get to say yesterday:
We heard over and over during the event about "human-centered" approaches to "AI". But if refusal is not on the table (at every level: individual students and teachers right up through UNESCO) then we have in fact centered the technology, not the people.
We heard over and over during the event about "human-centered" approaches to "AI". But if refusal is not on the table (at every level: individual students and teachers right up through UNESCO) then we have in fact centered the technology, not the people.
I'm in a small coastal town in Sicily.
August 2, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I'm in a small coastal town in Sicily.
Microsoft propaganda...
Text reads "a new generation of AI technologies can help people save energy and costs" and "AI is playing a critical role in the race towards a sustainable future"
I don't choose to have this ideology appear on my work computer.
Text reads "a new generation of AI technologies can help people save energy and costs" and "AI is playing a critical role in the race towards a sustainable future"
I don't choose to have this ideology appear on my work computer.
June 18, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Microsoft propaganda...
Text reads "a new generation of AI technologies can help people save energy and costs" and "AI is playing a critical role in the race towards a sustainable future"
I don't choose to have this ideology appear on my work computer.
Text reads "a new generation of AI technologies can help people save energy and costs" and "AI is playing a critical role in the race towards a sustainable future"
I don't choose to have this ideology appear on my work computer.
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
When warnings of Insectageddon were issued a few years ago, there was widespread denial. Less so now. It's devastating. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Half the tree of life’: ecologists’ horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects
A new point in history has been reached, entomologists say, as climate-led species’ collapse moves up the food chain even in supposedly protected regions free of pesticides
www.theguardian.com
June 3, 2025 at 9:12 AM
When warnings of Insectageddon were issued a few years ago, there was widespread denial. Less so now. It's devastating. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Pre COVID, pretty much everyone was in agreement that AI should never be used in drone warfare. But now the technology is SO common. There's so much creep of tech that no one asked for, and no one wants, and it's very overwhelming and very upsetting.
May 30, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Pre COVID, pretty much everyone was in agreement that AI should never be used in drone warfare. But now the technology is SO common. There's so much creep of tech that no one asked for, and no one wants, and it's very overwhelming and very upsetting.
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
I helped build a government AI system. DOGE fired me, rolled the AI out to the whole agency, and implied the AI can do my job and the jobs of the others they've fired.
It can't. But, what DOGE accidentally revealed about themselves in the process is fascinating. 🧵
It can't. But, what DOGE accidentally revealed about themselves in the process is fascinating. 🧵
March 21, 2025 at 10:41 PM
I helped build a government AI system. DOGE fired me, rolled the AI out to the whole agency, and implied the AI can do my job and the jobs of the others they've fired.
It can't. But, what DOGE accidentally revealed about themselves in the process is fascinating. 🧵
It can't. But, what DOGE accidentally revealed about themselves in the process is fascinating. 🧵
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
This is why they can't fix it: it's not broken
It's *structurally indifferent to truth*
It's *structurally indifferent to truth*
Again, @ft.com reporters or whoever else needs to hear this:
"Hallucinations" are not the result of "flaws," they are literally inherent in & inextricable from what LLM systems do & are.
Whether an "AI" tells you something that matches reality or something that doesn't, *it is working as designed*
"Hallucinations" are not the result of "flaws," they are literally inherent in & inextricable from what LLM systems do & are.
Whether an "AI" tells you something that matches reality or something that doesn't, *it is working as designed*
May 14, 2025 at 5:42 AM
This is why they can't fix it: it's not broken
It's *structurally indifferent to truth*
It's *structurally indifferent to truth*
Get yourself outside - something is in the air! Bumped into 2 neighbours in South East London for a nice chat and 3 strangers randomly said hi. Beautiful.
May 13, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Get yourself outside - something is in the air! Bumped into 2 neighbours in South East London for a nice chat and 3 strangers randomly said hi. Beautiful.
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
🔴 Remember the £330million contract given to Trump donor Peter Thiel's firm Palantir to build an NHS data platform?
Well we've found out that most English hospitals aren't using it - because it's not very good
Scoop on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/palantirs-...
Well we've found out that most English hospitals aren't using it - because it's not very good
Scoop on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/palantirs-...
Palantir's NHS data platform rejected by most hospitals
US spy tech firm's £330million software isn't much cop, experts say
democracyforsale.substack.com
May 13, 2025 at 7:40 AM
🔴 Remember the £330million contract given to Trump donor Peter Thiel's firm Palantir to build an NHS data platform?
Well we've found out that most English hospitals aren't using it - because it's not very good
Scoop on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/palantirs-...
Well we've found out that most English hospitals aren't using it - because it's not very good
Scoop on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/palantirs-...
I've recently been removing the logos from clothing, sewing "Luddite" into them, and embroidering a motto. This one is on how you should behave when you're out.
May 3, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I've recently been removing the logos from clothing, sewing "Luddite" into them, and embroidering a motto. This one is on how you should behave when you're out.
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
I get at least three heartbreaking, incoherent emails a day now from random strangers who believe they’ve awakened an LLM god or LLM consciousness of a new dimension. The most salient quote from the screenshots below: “(An LLM) will never just say, ‘Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about??’”
this feels like an incredible new urban legend taking shape on reddit otoh I've lowkey seen this happen. like jerusalem syndrome but for talking to the computer
May 1, 2025 at 6:55 AM
I get at least three heartbreaking, incoherent emails a day now from random strangers who believe they’ve awakened an LLM god or LLM consciousness of a new dimension. The most salient quote from the screenshots below: “(An LLM) will never just say, ‘Jesse, what the fuck are you talking about??’”
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
The mods of r/ChangeMyView shared the sub was the subject of a study to test the persuasiveness of LLMs & that they didn't consent. There’s a lot that went wrong, so here’s a 🧵 unpacking it, along with some ideas for how to do research with online communities ethically. tinyurl.com/59tpt988
From the changemyview community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the changemyview community
tinyurl.com
April 26, 2025 at 10:02 PM
The mods of r/ChangeMyView shared the sub was the subject of a study to test the persuasiveness of LLMs & that they didn't consent. There’s a lot that went wrong, so here’s a 🧵 unpacking it, along with some ideas for how to do research with online communities ethically. tinyurl.com/59tpt988
This is such a legitimate and succinct criticism of ethics in corporations from Dan Mcquillan.
April 28, 2025 at 8:53 AM
This is such a legitimate and succinct criticism of ethics in corporations from Dan Mcquillan.
👋🏼 I have a heat pump and solar panels and can confirm that they do work and are pretty efficient in a 1910 Edwardian home (though the installation was laborious and expensive). So weird that it's seen as contentious and not as a viable option.
April 22, 2025 at 11:06 AM
👋🏼 I have a heat pump and solar panels and can confirm that they do work and are pretty efficient in a 1910 Edwardian home (though the installation was laborious and expensive). So weird that it's seen as contentious and not as a viable option.
Day 6 of a cold/seasonal flu. Peak melodrama: I believe my muscles are wasting away because I haven't exercised, I will never achieve my dreams because of brain fog, and there's a chance I will never get better again because of long viral symptoms. Approach with caution.
April 21, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Day 6 of a cold/seasonal flu. Peak melodrama: I believe my muscles are wasting away because I haven't exercised, I will never achieve my dreams because of brain fog, and there's a chance I will never get better again because of long viral symptoms. Approach with caution.
The number of interesting, London based in person events in 2025 is off the scale compared to 2024.
April 20, 2025 at 10:39 AM
The number of interesting, London based in person events in 2025 is off the scale compared to 2024.
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
BREAKING: Google loses the adtech case, has unlawful monopoly over advertising tech.
HUGE deal - it is the source of their monopoly profits - and now puts pressure on the EU to step up and finish the job.
www.theverge.com/news/650665/...
HUGE deal - it is the source of their monopoly profits - and now puts pressure on the EU to step up and finish the job.
www.theverge.com/news/650665/...
Google loses adtech monopoly case
A loss for Google.
www.theverge.com
April 17, 2025 at 3:34 PM
BREAKING: Google loses the adtech case, has unlawful monopoly over advertising tech.
HUGE deal - it is the source of their monopoly profits - and now puts pressure on the EU to step up and finish the job.
www.theverge.com/news/650665/...
HUGE deal - it is the source of their monopoly profits - and now puts pressure on the EU to step up and finish the job.
www.theverge.com/news/650665/...
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
SXSW is coming to London from 2-7th June, and its exactly as you might expect: Expensive, AI, NFTs.
I propose FKFJ: The exact opposite of SXSW, on the same dates.
An distributed affordable community thing across London, about technology, music, and art.
No central org. Just put on an event.
Yes?
I propose FKFJ: The exact opposite of SXSW, on the same dates.
An distributed affordable community thing across London, about technology, music, and art.
No central org. Just put on an event.
Yes?
April 17, 2025 at 1:55 PM
SXSW is coming to London from 2-7th June, and its exactly as you might expect: Expensive, AI, NFTs.
I propose FKFJ: The exact opposite of SXSW, on the same dates.
An distributed affordable community thing across London, about technology, music, and art.
No central org. Just put on an event.
Yes?
I propose FKFJ: The exact opposite of SXSW, on the same dates.
An distributed affordable community thing across London, about technology, music, and art.
No central org. Just put on an event.
Yes?
Ancient philosophers are so dramatic.
April 15, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Ancient philosophers are so dramatic.
I have just bought a ticket for Re:publica though and the programme there looks very inspirational.
April 14, 2025 at 8:52 AM
I have just bought a ticket for Re:publica though and the programme there looks very inspirational.
Realising that this quote from Careless People encapsulates the culture of SXSW London. The programme/speakers are very 2014 and times have... ermmm... totally changed.
April 14, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Realising that this quote from Careless People encapsulates the culture of SXSW London. The programme/speakers are very 2014 and times have... ermmm... totally changed.
Reposted by Alice Thwaite
