Shirley Siluk
@ebishirl.bsky.social
Writer/editor and former journalist. Author of "News Speak: How Language Can Manipulate Meaning in What We Read, Watch and Listen to" and "Prove It!: Fact-Finding Secrets of a Fanatical Online Researcher."
Really good article by @hagenblix.bsky.social and Ingeborg Glimmer about AI and why the biggest problem with it isn't "hype" - it's how it's enabling assaults on democracy, workers and anyone who disagrees with the current political project of those in power.
We wrote a thing about AI, fascism, and why framing this as "hype" is too apolitical
www.liberalcurrents.com/deflating-hy...
www.liberalcurrents.com/deflating-hy...
Deflating “Hype” Won’t Save Us
The problem with AI isn’t hype. The problem is who and what it’s useful for.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Really good article by @hagenblix.bsky.social and Ingeborg Glimmer about AI and why the biggest problem with it isn't "hype" - it's how it's enabling assaults on democracy, workers and anyone who disagrees with the current political project of those in power.
Reposted by Shirley Siluk
It was weirdly fitting that the Charlie Kirk murder blended into the 9/11 anniversary as once again Americans were told to “watch what they say”
The hypocritical censorship around a “free speech hero.” My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
The hypocritical censorship around a “free speech hero.” My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
Americans told to watch what we say about ‘free speech icon’ Charlie Kirk
Professors, teachers, journalists and others get canceled for what they said about right-wing free speech advocate Charlie Kirk.
www.inquirer.com
September 14, 2025 at 6:33 PM
It was weirdly fitting that the Charlie Kirk murder blended into the 9/11 anniversary as once again Americans were told to “watch what they say”
The hypocritical censorship around a “free speech hero.” My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
The hypocritical censorship around a “free speech hero.” My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
I'll echo this recommendation. "Why We Fear AI" provides a refreshing take for anyone who's read the hype-filled books written by tech bros, offering a much deeper dive into the real-world implications of "AI" (which is not really intelligent) and the motivations behind the companies pushing it.
I think you might like our book! We situate AI in the context of managerial and technological means for wage depression and labor discipline. Taylorism was about centralizing knowledge of work processes among management; AI is an attempt to do something similar by technological means.
Why We Fear AI: On The Interpretation of Nightmares
Writer & Cognitive Scientist
hagenblix.github.io
August 9, 2025 at 3:02 PM
I'll echo this recommendation. "Why We Fear AI" provides a refreshing take for anyone who's read the hype-filled books written by tech bros, offering a much deeper dive into the real-world implications of "AI" (which is not really intelligent) and the motivations behind the companies pushing it.
Really happy to review Why We Fear AI by @hagenblix.bsky.social and Ingeborg Glimmer. I encourage people to read the book, because it's a refreshingly thoughtful take on the current state of so-called "AI" and why the tech is being promoted so heavily despite its many flaws and limitations.
Just read this amazing review of Why We Fear AI from @ebishirl.bsky.social! It's so great to see people take ideas from the book, and make them into useful tools to think with!
Why We Fear AI: Book review
Reading many books about so-called AI feels like eating a bag of Doritos for dinner – enjoyable (maybe) at the moment but unsatisfying in the long run. That’s because these books often come across …
shirleymsiluk.wordpress.com
July 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Really happy to review Why We Fear AI by @hagenblix.bsky.social and Ingeborg Glimmer. I encourage people to read the book, because it's a refreshingly thoughtful take on the current state of so-called "AI" and why the tech is being promoted so heavily despite its many flaws and limitations.
Reposted by Shirley Siluk
hi @politico.com my name is marisa kabas and i publish the handbasket and you basically copied my story and then linked me in the 23rd paragraph of your story without specific attribution: www.politico.com/news/2025/07...
here's my original: www.thehandbasket.co/p/fema-david...
here's my original: www.thehandbasket.co/p/fema-david...
Have you seen this man?
In the wake of deadly floods in Texas, FEMA Acting Administrator David Richardson is nowhere to be found.
www.thehandbasket.co
July 10, 2025 at 7:44 PM
hi @politico.com my name is marisa kabas and i publish the handbasket and you basically copied my story and then linked me in the 23rd paragraph of your story without specific attribution: www.politico.com/news/2025/07...
here's my original: www.thehandbasket.co/p/fema-david...
here's my original: www.thehandbasket.co/p/fema-david...
Reposted by Shirley Siluk
I talked with @astra.bsky.social about the apocalyptic politics of Christian Nationalists and tech oligarchs, how AI is capturing and altering us toward fascist ends, and how we can fight "end times fascism." Audio + transcript:
Traitors to the Earth: Fascism, Christian Nationalism, and the Tech Elite
“They understand that what they’re doing is devastating, and they’re doing it anyway,” says Astra Taylor.
truthout.org
June 26, 2025 at 2:33 PM
I talked with @astra.bsky.social about the apocalyptic politics of Christian Nationalists and tech oligarchs, how AI is capturing and altering us toward fascist ends, and how we can fight "end times fascism." Audio + transcript:
@bagleycartoons.bsky.social is always so good, but today's cartoon really says it all.
June 27, 2025 at 7:40 PM
@bagleycartoons.bsky.social is always so good, but today's cartoon really says it all.
Great episode - highly recommend.
Nearly 30 years later, the internet has torn us apart with a firehose of hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and lies that have divided Americans over things we once agreed on, like science, diversity, and even democracy itself. longshadowpodcast.com/podcasts/bre...
Episode 1: The End of the World as We Know It
A history podcast hosted by Garrett Graff that makes sense of America’s most pivotal events including Columbine, 9/11, January 6, and beyond.
longshadowpodcast.com
June 26, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Great episode - highly recommend.
Reposted by Shirley Siluk
Merkley had a pretty effective day.
Or will have, if you make this go viral.
Or will have, if you make this go viral.
MERKLEY: How do you feel about being responsible for hundreds of thousands of kids dying because of your sudden interruption in these key programs?
VOUGHT: I reject the assertion
MERKLEY: I find your response both ignorant & callous. Few Americans have had a more devastating & disastrous impact
VOUGHT: I reject the assertion
MERKLEY: I find your response both ignorant & callous. Few Americans have had a more devastating & disastrous impact
June 25, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Merkley had a pretty effective day.
Or will have, if you make this go viral.
Or will have, if you make this go viral.
Reposted by Shirley Siluk
Talked about this some time ago; AI models are self-poisoning.
RAG does help, but ultimately you will need something isolated and local to keep it from deteriorating.
TL;DR: LLMs suffer from brainrot. ;)
www.theregister.com/2025/05/27/o...
RAG does help, but ultimately you will need something isolated and local to keep it from deteriorating.
TL;DR: LLMs suffer from brainrot. ;)
www.theregister.com/2025/05/27/o...
AI model collapse is not what we paid for
Opinion: Prediction: General-purpose AI could start getting worse
www.theregister.com
May 28, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Talked about this some time ago; AI models are self-poisoning.
RAG does help, but ultimately you will need something isolated and local to keep it from deteriorating.
TL;DR: LLMs suffer from brainrot. ;)
www.theregister.com/2025/05/27/o...
RAG does help, but ultimately you will need something isolated and local to keep it from deteriorating.
TL;DR: LLMs suffer from brainrot. ;)
www.theregister.com/2025/05/27/o...
Yes, this needs to be a group effort - the damage being done is far too great for one or a couple of people to track on their own. (And I know that's intentional - it gets back to Steve Bannon's call to "flood the zone with sh..") Let's get this going with @froomkin.bsky.social.
May 6, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Yes, this needs to be a group effort - the damage being done is far too great for one or a couple of people to track on their own. (And I know that's intentional - it gets back to Steve Bannon's call to "flood the zone with sh..") Let's get this going with @froomkin.bsky.social.
Another monstrous potential impact from DOGE - disappearing public art.
“We were seeing the disappearance of many downtown sculptures”
Will DOGE set its sights on Chicago’s public art? - Chicago Reader
Over 1,400 pieces of public art in Illinois are in limbo after the DOGE downsized the General Services Administration.
chicagoreader.com
April 30, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Another monstrous potential impact from DOGE - disappearing public art.
Calling all archivists - time to scour the NOAA research websites and save as much as you can.
Almost all NOAA Research websites that rely on cloud services - including Amazon, Google and WordPress - are poised to disappear at midnight ET Saturday after a contract was targeted for "early termination." Labs may also feel the effects.
Story for @bloomberg.com (free link):
Story for @bloomberg.com (free link):
US Weather Agency Websites to Vanish Under Planned Contract Cuts
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency is poised to eliminate most websites tied to its research division under plans for the cancellation of a cloud web services contract, a move that could s...
www.bloomberg.com
April 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Calling all archivists - time to scour the NOAA research websites and save as much as you can.
Every part of this thread is worth reading. I wish more people would take these arguments to heart.
As a former child junior olympic-level runner, I have a few thoughts on the attacks on trans girls in sports. I ran for one of the most competitive teams in Southern California, and people who ran for my have gone on to become professional athletes. And these bans: they're fucking NONSENSE. 🧵
April 3, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Every part of this thread is worth reading. I wish more people would take these arguments to heart.
This is such a brilliant way to understand MAGA's determination to destroy everything: "Fascists are residual culture that refuse to go away." It goes back to the fact that the US never adequately punished/held accountable the Confederacy's proponents after the Civil War.
This is why fascism is for losers. It is the last gasp of a group of ideologues who realize that they've already lost the future and have nothing to lose by burning it all down. Everything made more sense when I realized that a few years ago. Fascists are residual culture that refuse to go away.
March 28, 2025 at 12:45 PM
This is such a brilliant way to understand MAGA's determination to destroy everything: "Fascists are residual culture that refuse to go away." It goes back to the fact that the US never adequately punished/held accountable the Confederacy's proponents after the Civil War.
Reposted by Shirley Siluk
So look at that. DOGE has cost the US Treasury fucking half a trillion dollars. HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS. This is your cost savings.
To review what we from @washingtonpost.com are reporting out of the IRS today:
- Projected tax revenue this year is down 10% ($500 billion) as Trump's downsizing is emboldening tax cheats
- IRS is nearing an agreement with ICE to assist on mass deportations
- Projected tax revenue this year is down 10% ($500 billion) as Trump's downsizing is emboldening tax cheats
- IRS is nearing an agreement with ICE to assist on mass deportations
March 22, 2025 at 9:20 PM
So look at that. DOGE has cost the US Treasury fucking half a trillion dollars. HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS. This is your cost savings.
A very helpful thread for anyone planning to fly these days.
March 22, 2025 at 2:50 PM
A very helpful thread for anyone planning to fly these days.
I've switched to Duck Duck Go instead of Google because Google's results (and user interface) are increasingly awful and useless. But this looks like another alternative to use to supplement Duck Duck Go searches.
March 21, 2025 at 3:36 PM
I've switched to Duck Duck Go instead of Google because Google's results (and user interface) are increasingly awful and useless. But this looks like another alternative to use to supplement Duck Duck Go searches.
This quote from Chrisman Frank, co-founder of the Musk/DOGE-friendly AI-powered Synthesis Tutor, is horrifying - & also sums up what Trump/DOGE believes: that AI is capable of replacing humans in any task. (It's not, & it won't, but we're all going to suffer the impacts of their current experiment.)
March 21, 2025 at 3:15 PM
This quote from Chrisman Frank, co-founder of the Musk/DOGE-friendly AI-powered Synthesis Tutor, is horrifying - & also sums up what Trump/DOGE believes: that AI is capable of replacing humans in any task. (It's not, & it won't, but we're all going to suffer the impacts of their current experiment.)
Such a good post. As disheartening as it might be to hear that none of the large, powerful institutions that COULD save us WILL actually save us (and I've come to accept that's true), this piece also reinforces something I very much believe: ultimately, fighting back is up to WE THE PEOPLE.
March 21, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Such a good post. As disheartening as it might be to hear that none of the large, powerful institutions that COULD save us WILL actually save us (and I've come to accept that's true), this piece also reinforces something I very much believe: ultimately, fighting back is up to WE THE PEOPLE.
Excellent update from @marisakabas.bsky.social about the infuriating Trump/DOGE assault on the US Institute of Peace.
New — I wrote about the armed break-in at the US Institute of Peace and the subsequent court hearing that showed Trump and DOGE's threats of violence may be influencing legal decisions.
The Trump administration's 'assault' on Peace
The violent attack on the US Institute of Peace is a heavy-handed metaphor for this administration's goals.
www.thehandbasket.co
March 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Excellent update from @marisakabas.bsky.social about the infuriating Trump/DOGE assault on the US Institute of Peace.
This is a brilliant thread, and this part in particular sums up my own take on GenAI-for-writing nonsense: "To know what's a WORKABLE idea, you have to know how the work is done."
"I don't use ai to WRITE, I just use it to get ideas/edit/push through block/wtf ever else they inexplicably think doesn't count as writing" strikes me as such a nonsensical point of view, because it's all interrelated.
To know what's a WORKABLE idea, you have to know how the work is done.
To know what's a WORKABLE idea, you have to know how the work is done.
March 20, 2025 at 3:24 PM
This is a brilliant thread, and this part in particular sums up my own take on GenAI-for-writing nonsense: "To know what's a WORKABLE idea, you have to know how the work is done."
Amen.
By Arthur Caplan:
"many scientists and administrators now seem to think that the best response to the war on DEI is to keep their heads low and wait out four hard years."
"the only way forward is speaking truth to power."
"many scientists and administrators now seem to think that the best response to the war on DEI is to keep their heads low and wait out four hard years."
"the only way forward is speaking truth to power."
March 18, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Amen.
Just watched this again last night: the final episode of season 1 of Andor. Such a powerful show.
Manifesto - by Nemik
There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. (1/5.)
There will be times when the struggle seems impossible. I know this already. Alone, unsure, dwarfed by the scale of the enemy. (1/5.)
March 15, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Just watched this again last night: the final episode of season 1 of Andor. Such a powerful show.
Reposted by Shirley Siluk
Folks in Southern coastal states had better hope their governor can pick up the slack.
DOGE is straight-up sabotaging Florida. Trump and Musk fired a scientist working on hurricane resilience right before a major storm—to “cut waste.” Now Florida’s left even more exposed.
DOGE is straight-up sabotaging Florida. Trump and Musk fired a scientist working on hurricane resilience right before a major storm—to “cut waste.” Now Florida’s left even more exposed.
March 14, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Folks in Southern coastal states had better hope their governor can pick up the slack.
DOGE is straight-up sabotaging Florida. Trump and Musk fired a scientist working on hurricane resilience right before a major storm—to “cut waste.” Now Florida’s left even more exposed.
DOGE is straight-up sabotaging Florida. Trump and Musk fired a scientist working on hurricane resilience right before a major storm—to “cut waste.” Now Florida’s left even more exposed.