Dan McQuillan
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
Pinned
Resisting AI
Resisting AI - An Anti-fascist Approach to Artificial Intelligence; Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, yet it causes damage to society in ways that can’t be fixed. Calling for the restructuri...
bristoluniversitypress.co.uk
I wrote 'Resisting AI' (subtitled 'An Anti-fascist approach to Artificial Intelligence') to help preempt the kind of convergence of far right politics and the tech sector that we are waking up to today. The struggle against fascistic solutionism continues. bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/resisting-ai
Reposted by Dan McQuillan
February 7, 2026 at 8:45 PM
The machinic mediation of ressentiment has resulted in a fusion of social media and generative AI as the cryptocurrency of cruelty.
February 8, 2026 at 7:50 AM
The machinic mediation of ressentiment has resulted in a fusion of social media and generative AI as the cryptocurrency of cruelty.
s-y-s-t-e-m-p-r-o-m-p-t
February 6, 2026 at 11:39 PM
s-y-s-t-e-m-p-r-o-m-p-t
Don't preach to the wrong congregation or you might get called 'Taliban' 😱 bsky.app/profile/evge...
A true scientific outlook, this. You should ask the Taliban if they need a consultant.
February 6, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Don't preach to the wrong congregation or you might get called 'Taliban' 😱 bsky.app/profile/evge...
Is that a rideshare app?
February 6, 2026 at 11:23 PM
Is that a rideshare app?
Ah, right; using academic language and repeatedly posting the same out-of-context term are def the same.
February 6, 2026 at 11:11 PM
Ah, right; using academic language and repeatedly posting the same out-of-context term are def the same.
Someone's been messing with your system prompt...
February 6, 2026 at 11:05 PM
Someone's been messing with your system prompt...
Nothing Tankie about that at all.
February 6, 2026 at 10:57 PM
Nothing Tankie about that at all.
It's getting weird with all the 'Taliban' slurs, btw. You feeling alright?
February 6, 2026 at 10:49 PM
It's getting weird with all the 'Taliban' slurs, btw. You feeling alright?
Seems like 'working with' and 'understanding the operations of' (and the resulting technopolitics) are not the same thing.
February 6, 2026 at 10:48 PM
Seems like 'working with' and 'understanding the operations of' (and the resulting technopolitics) are not the same thing.
Maybe your socialist visioning should engage in more detail with how these technologies actually work.
February 6, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Maybe your socialist visioning should engage in more detail with how these technologies actually work.
"What might language models become if they were not designed around monetization imperatives and corporate risk management?" - Still shit, bro 💩
I've got a new major essay in The Ideas Letter - on the need to rethink socialism in the age of AI www.theideasletter.org/essay/social...
Socialism After AI - The Ideas Letter
Morozov argues that socialist attempts to harness AI have merely treated it like earlier tools of capitalist production—as a neutral instrument that can simply be redirected. In fact, he says,…
www.theideasletter.org
February 6, 2026 at 10:23 PM
"What might language models become if they were not designed around monetization imperatives and corporate risk management?" - Still shit, bro 💩
I love the way Evgeny describes this as 'a major essay' 🤣
February 6, 2026 at 10:23 PM
I love the way Evgeny describes this as 'a major essay' 🤣
Reposted by Dan McQuillan
Some quite valid points in here about the need for socialists to have a positive sense of "worldmaking". But the idea that AI is a vessel for that seems quite bizarre to me, given how much it is (as the same essay points out), a tool that deeply embeds class power, and Taylorist deskilling
I've got a new major essay in The Ideas Letter - on the need to rethink socialism in the age of AI www.theideasletter.org/essay/social...
Socialism After AI - The Ideas Letter
Morozov argues that socialist attempts to harness AI have merely treated it like earlier tools of capitalist production—as a neutral instrument that can simply be redirected. In fact, he says,…
www.theideasletter.org
February 6, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Some quite valid points in here about the need for socialists to have a positive sense of "worldmaking". But the idea that AI is a vessel for that seems quite bizarre to me, given how much it is (as the same essay points out), a tool that deeply embeds class power, and Taylorist deskilling
Reposted by Dan McQuillan
With Jeff Bezos's dismantling of the Washington Post and Amazon's extensive ICE and DoD profiteering, it's imperative to understand precisely how both have openly become instruments of authoritarianism
How Jeff Bezos and Amazon became instruments of authoritarianism
And how to stop them
www.bloodinthemachine.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:24 PM
With Jeff Bezos's dismantling of the Washington Post and Amazon's extensive ICE and DoD profiteering, it's imperative to understand precisely how both have openly become instruments of authoritarianism
Today in oxymoronic mission statements: 'Harnessing the Power of AI for Justice' www.techandjustice.bsg.ox.ac.uk
Harnessing AI to expand access to justice
Explore how artificial intelligence is transforming justice—expanding access, enhancing accountability in cyber operations, and advancing fairness in AI-assisted legal proceedings.
www.techandjustice.bsg.ox.ac.uk
February 4, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Today in oxymoronic mission statements: 'Harnessing the Power of AI for Justice' www.techandjustice.bsg.ox.ac.uk
Switching from Big Tech to Brit Tech just puts the toxic cocktail of AI in the hands of local oligarchs. AI sovereignty is a solutionist narrative that hides the structural splits in our social & technical arrangements. Resist AI, refuse authoritarianism, reclaim the common good.
February 3, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Switching from Big Tech to Brit Tech just puts the toxic cocktail of AI in the hands of local oligarchs. AI sovereignty is a solutionist narrative that hides the structural splits in our social & technical arrangements. Resist AI, refuse authoritarianism, reclaim the common good.
Reposted by Dan McQuillan
Top tip: to avoid having the British Union of Fascists logo on the side of your mock-up train, don't use horrible text-to-image AI slop instead of actual designers and artists.
www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
February 2, 2026 at 8:50 AM
Top tip: to avoid having the British Union of Fascists logo on the side of your mock-up train, don't use horrible text-to-image AI slop instead of actual designers and artists.
www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
Belatedly sharing this longer 'Resisting AI' interview with McMaster Uni which ranges across the politics of AI, the failure of the usual remedies, forms of self-organised resistance, moves towards decomputing, and a focus on the role of universities. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nva...
'Resisting AI' with Dan McQuillan | Critical AI Talks
YouTube video by McMaster Humanities
www.youtube.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Belatedly sharing this longer 'Resisting AI' interview with McMaster Uni which ranges across the politics of AI, the failure of the usual remedies, forms of self-organised resistance, moves towards decomputing, and a focus on the role of universities. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nva...
Reposted by Dan McQuillan
People are getting tumescent about a site that points text engines at each other so they can recursively dredge up parts of their search space that were trained on the entirety of Reddit while also triggering automation subroutines that have access to your API keys and passwords #moltbook
January 31, 2026 at 3:34 PM
People are getting tumescent about a site that points text engines at each other so they can recursively dredge up parts of their search space that were trained on the entirety of Reddit while also triggering automation subroutines that have access to your API keys and passwords #moltbook
Reposted by Dan McQuillan
ICE is using Palantir's tools which use health data to target victims. And the UK is outsourcing NHS services to Palantir. www.404media.co/here-is-the-...
Here is the User Guide for ELITE, the Tool Palantir Made for ICE
404 Media is publishing a version of the user guide for ELITE, which lets ICE bring up dossiers on individual people and provides a “confidence score” of their address.
www.404media.co
February 1, 2026 at 7:32 AM
ICE is using Palantir's tools which use health data to target victims. And the UK is outsourcing NHS services to Palantir. www.404media.co/here-is-the-...
People are getting tumescent about a site that points text engines at each other so they can recursively dredge up parts of their search space that were trained on the entirety of Reddit while also triggering automation subroutines that have access to your API keys and passwords #moltbook
January 31, 2026 at 3:34 PM
People are getting tumescent about a site that points text engines at each other so they can recursively dredge up parts of their search space that were trained on the entirety of Reddit while also triggering automation subroutines that have access to your API keys and passwords #moltbook
Relatable. Also, I really don't buy this 'Anthropic are the nice guys' bs.
January 30, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Relatable. Also, I really don't buy this 'Anthropic are the nice guys' bs.
Seriously?! This 'use & governance' narrative abdicates from the necessity of refusal while simultaneously discrediting citizen assemblies. AI agents are complete BS, the question which should be asked is what further precaritisation & immiseration they'll be used to divert our attention from.
Invitation to Tender: The Delegation Conversation.
We are looking for a partner who can design and adapt deliberative methods for a proposed People’s Forum on the use and governance of Advanced AI Assistants.
Full details: adalovelaceinstitute.org/ai-assistant...
Deadline: 15 February 2026.
We are looking for a partner who can design and adapt deliberative methods for a proposed People’s Forum on the use and governance of Advanced AI Assistants.
Full details: adalovelaceinstitute.org/ai-assistant...
Deadline: 15 February 2026.
Invitation to Tender: The Delegation Conversation
A People’s Forum on the use and governance of Advanced AI Assistants
adalovelaceinstitute.org
January 30, 2026 at 11:24 AM
Seriously?! This 'use & governance' narrative abdicates from the necessity of refusal while simultaneously discrediting citizen assemblies. AI agents are complete BS, the question which should be asked is what further precaritisation & immiseration they'll be used to divert our attention from.
Right! What can be more interesting IMO is seeing AI as a diagnostic of the underlying changes, from energy politics to militarisation
January 29, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Right! What can be more interesting IMO is seeing AI as a diagnostic of the underlying changes, from energy politics to militarisation