Felienne Hermans
@felienne.bsky.social
"What I had not realized is that extremely short exposure to a relatively simple computer program could induce powerful delusional thinking in quite normal people" - Weizenbaum 1976
Weekly newsletter on AI and teaching and more(nl/en): www.felienne.nl
Weekly newsletter on AI and teaching and more(nl/en): www.felienne.nl
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Good example in Empire of AI with psychosis. They internally predicted vulnerability among users and allowed it anyway. Another example with Meta and their AI policy for children. They have internal experiments showing these bots solicit kids as young as 8 and the legal team approved it anyways.
December 28, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Good example in Empire of AI with psychosis. They internally predicted vulnerability among users and allowed it anyway. Another example with Meta and their AI policy for children. They have internal experiments showing these bots solicit kids as young as 8 and the legal team approved it anyways.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
I think people underestimate how much of this is intentional. We see the internal docs leaked constantly showing the legal team will review something absolutely heinous and just go "ok ship it." Like internally these companies are aware of the massive risk, and just don't care.
December 28, 2025 at 11:14 AM
I think people underestimate how much of this is intentional. We see the internal docs leaked constantly showing the legal team will review something absolutely heinous and just go "ok ship it." Like internally these companies are aware of the massive risk, and just don't care.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
“Woman Enjoying Career Literally Made Possible by Feminism Declares Feminism a Failure”
December 28, 2025 at 1:48 AM
“Woman Enjoying Career Literally Made Possible by Feminism Declares Feminism a Failure”
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
It is EXHAUSTING not only being made responsible for coming up with new kinds of assignments for our students; it's also tedious reading op-eds that suggest the core problem is a crisis in teaching. But, as Chris and I lay out here, this isn't a crisis in teaching; it's an attack on learning.
"We envision a resistance that is...a repudiation of the efficiencies that automated algorithmic education falsely promises: a resistance comprising the collective force of small acts of friction."
"How to Resist AI in Education" by me & @cnygren.bsky.social
www.publicbooks.org/four-frictio...
"How to Resist AI in Education" by me & @cnygren.bsky.social
www.publicbooks.org/four-frictio...
Four Frictions: or, How to Resist AI in Education - Public Books
We are calling for resistance to the AI industry’s ongoing capture of higher education.
www.publicbooks.org
December 24, 2025 at 7:39 PM
It is EXHAUSTING not only being made responsible for coming up with new kinds of assignments for our students; it's also tedious reading op-eds that suggest the core problem is a crisis in teaching. But, as Chris and I lay out here, this isn't a crisis in teaching; it's an attack on learning.
One of the saddest things I heard this year was about a man-woman presenter duo on Dutch tv doing a morning show, of which the woman had to report to the studio each week ONE FULL HOUR before the man (6am versus 7)
will also add - yes, this is my personal crusade - that turning podcasts into videos implicitly asks women to once again make more effort than men, as the bar for "camera-ready" for one gender is obviously higher than for the other
‘Painful to hear!’ How podcasts’ rush to video is turning them into dreadful listens
December 27, 2025 at 2:22 PM
One of the saddest things I heard this year was about a man-woman presenter duo on Dutch tv doing a morning show, of which the woman had to report to the studio each week ONE FULL HOUR before the man (6am versus 7)
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Groeiende kritiek op de manier waarop Peter Wennink in zijn rapport met cijfers omspringt www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
Groeiende kritiek op de manier waarop Peter Wennink in zijn rapport met cijfers omspringt
Rapport Wennink: Het ongemak groeit over de analyse die Peter Wennink maakte van de Nederlandse economie. De adviezen zijn het probleem niet, maar ze worden voorafgegaan door elkaar tegensprekende cij...
www.nrc.nl
December 26, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Groeiende kritiek op de manier waarop Peter Wennink in zijn rapport met cijfers omspringt www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Als je met Uber te maken hebt, moet je je altijd goed bedenken dat het een van de meest leugenachtige bedrijven op aarde is. Stel je een extreem hoge bereidheid voor om toezichthouders actief te misleiden en doe dat dan keer 10. En dan nog zit je te laag met je inschatting.
Arbeidsinspectie is klaar met Uber Eats en wil het bezorgplatform een maand sluiten in de regio Amsterdam
Arbeidsinspectie is klaar met Uber Eats en wil het bezorgplatform een maand sluiten in de regio Amsterdam
De Arbeidsinspectie en politie constateren dat Uber Eats te weinig doet om illegale maaltijdkoeriers te weren van het platform. Na een reeks boetes wil de inspectie nu een ingrijpendere straf opleggen: een bezorgverbod van een maand in de regio Amsterdam.
www.nrc.nl
December 24, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Als je met Uber te maken hebt, moet je je altijd goed bedenken dat het een van de meest leugenachtige bedrijven op aarde is. Stel je een extreem hoge bereidheid voor om toezichthouders actief te misleiden en doe dat dan keer 10. En dan nog zit je te laag met je inschatting.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
imagine the kind of person you would have to be to watch that 60 Minutes segment and think "I must do everything I can to defend the people in charge of this process of sending people to be tortured."
December 22, 2025 at 11:10 PM
imagine the kind of person you would have to be to watch that 60 Minutes segment and think "I must do everything I can to defend the people in charge of this process of sending people to be tortured."
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
In 2025, America saw the highest number of measles cases in over 30 years. That’s just a preview of what’s to come as RFK Jr continues his rollback of vaccine guidance.
December 22, 2025 at 6:30 PM
In 2025, America saw the highest number of measles cases in over 30 years. That’s just a preview of what’s to come as RFK Jr continues his rollback of vaccine guidance.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
iCloud, Mega, and as a torrent. Archivists have uploaded the 60 Minutes episode Bari Weiss spiked.
Archivists Posted the 60 Minutes CECOT Segment Bari Weiss Killed
iCloud, Mega, and as a torrent. Archivists have uploaded the 60 Minutes episode Bari Weiss spiked.
www.404media.co
December 23, 2025 at 12:15 AM
iCloud, Mega, and as a torrent. Archivists have uploaded the 60 Minutes episode Bari Weiss spiked.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
So everyone's watching the 60 Minutes that was supposed to be banned and everyone who knows how PDFs work can unredact the Epstein files, it's like the Christmas spirit has irony poisoning this year
December 23, 2025 at 5:14 AM
So everyone's watching the 60 Minutes that was supposed to be banned and everyone who knows how PDFs work can unredact the Epstein files, it's like the Christmas spirit has irony poisoning this year
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
BREAKING: WATCH the full 60 Minutes CECOT segment here. This was sent to me anonymously. It appears to be the segment CBS' Bari Weiss killed. www.muellershewrote.com/p/watch-the-...
WATCH: The 60 Minutes CECOT Segment
I was sent the CECOT segment anonymously in a group chat.
www.muellershewrote.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:46 PM
BREAKING: WATCH the full 60 Minutes CECOT segment here. This was sent to me anonymously. It appears to be the segment CBS' Bari Weiss killed. www.muellershewrote.com/p/watch-the-...
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
via The New Yorker, Ellis Rosen cartoon
December 23, 2025 at 5:31 AM
via The New Yorker, Ellis Rosen cartoon
Don't miss my last regular newsletter before I take a Christmas holidays writing break!
In it, among other things, a form of resistance to AI in science that I disagree with, new evidence that AI really can't think.
In it, among other things, a form of resistance to AI in science that I disagree with, new evidence that AI really can't think.
December 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Don't miss my last regular newsletter before I take a Christmas holidays writing break!
In it, among other things, a form of resistance to AI in science that I disagree with, new evidence that AI really can't think.
In it, among other things, a form of resistance to AI in science that I disagree with, new evidence that AI really can't think.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
FWIW, the jury is still out on Gen AI being good at text summaries. Because it shortens & emphasizes text based on distribution, not meaning, it’s less of a summary (ie, salient points highlighted) than a compression (ie, the most frequently asserted terms in the distribution). Not the same thing!
December 21, 2025 at 8:47 PM
FWIW, the jury is still out on Gen AI being good at text summaries. Because it shortens & emphasizes text based on distribution, not meaning, it’s less of a summary (ie, salient points highlighted) than a compression (ie, the most frequently asserted terms in the distribution). Not the same thing!
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
"If you are a homeowner, the cons of burglary very likely outweigh the pros for you. If you are a burglar the opposite is true"
November 26, 2025 at 12:08 PM
"If you are a homeowner, the cons of burglary very likely outweigh the pros for you. If you are a burglar the opposite is true"
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
One small way to try to re-establish social trust would be to transparently disclose *in this very column* that you hung out with Jeffrey Epstein.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/o...
Opinion | The Epstein Story? Count Me Out.
www.nytimes.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:41 PM
One small way to try to re-establish social trust would be to transparently disclose *in this very column* that you hung out with Jeffrey Epstein.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/o...
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Not excellent news, but at least they listened to the community and now AI summaries are not the default view
Update: the ACM DL is being updated so that author-provided abstracts are the default view again, and AI summaries are more explicitly labeled with "AI-Summary". These changes should be visible worldwide by sometime tomorrow.
December 18, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Not excellent news, but at least they listened to the community and now AI summaries are not the default view
This was such a lovely conversation on all of my recent work combined (including thinking about AI)
Culture sways coding
Hedy clears language blockers
Felienne finds tribe
Elm Town 88 – Wonder: Unconscious bias with Felienne Hermans:
youtu.be/rCl4YgVTeUk
elm.town/episodes/elm...
Thanks to @felienne.bsky.social for coming to Elm Town!
Hedy clears language blockers
Felienne finds tribe
Elm Town 88 – Wonder: Unconscious bias with Felienne Hermans:
youtu.be/rCl4YgVTeUk
elm.town/episodes/elm...
Thanks to @felienne.bsky.social for coming to Elm Town!
Elm Town 88 – Wonder: Unconscious bias with Felienne Hermans
YouTube video by Elm Town Podcast
youtu.be
December 17, 2025 at 6:06 AM
This was such a lovely conversation on all of my recent work combined (including thinking about AI)
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
An absolute bedrock institution for understanding how the planet works, just civilization-scaled vandalism by the most incurious morons on Earth
December 17, 2025 at 2:52 AM
An absolute bedrock institution for understanding how the planet works, just civilization-scaled vandalism by the most incurious morons on Earth
New York Times would like to stress once more that the emperor really absolutely 100% is wearing clothes
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com
"The foreign policy establishment should not write off the Trump approach," Jonathan Guyer writes. "Sometimes Mr. Trump’s unconventional foreign policy — let’s call it cowboy diplomacy — just works."
"The foreign policy establishment should not write off the Trump approach," Jonathan Guyer writes. "Sometimes Mr. Trump’s unconventional foreign policy — let’s call it cowboy diplomacy — just works."
Opinion | Trump’s Diplomats Act More Like Cowboys. Could That Be a Good Thing?
Sometimes Trump’s unconventional foreign policy just works.
nyti.ms
December 16, 2025 at 5:59 AM
New York Times would like to stress once more that the emperor really absolutely 100% is wearing clothes
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
🚨 THE BATTLE BEGINS 🚨
Your favorite year-end contest is back. It’s time to choose who will be this year’s Worst Person In Tech for 2025!
Each day of this week new matchups will drop until we choose the winner on Friday.
🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/worst-person...
Your favorite year-end contest is back. It’s time to choose who will be this year’s Worst Person In Tech for 2025!
Each day of this week new matchups will drop until we choose the winner on Friday.
🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/worst-person...
December 15, 2025 at 4:09 PM
🚨 THE BATTLE BEGINS 🚨
Your favorite year-end contest is back. It’s time to choose who will be this year’s Worst Person In Tech for 2025!
Each day of this week new matchups will drop until we choose the winner on Friday.
🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/worst-person...
Your favorite year-end contest is back. It’s time to choose who will be this year’s Worst Person In Tech for 2025!
Each day of this week new matchups will drop until we choose the winner on Friday.
🗳️ Cast your ballot: twsu.forms.app/worst-person...
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
This is the exact lighting they use for the pic to accompany a profile of a professor who got suspended because he kept using slurs in class as a supposed intellectual provocation.
I guess this has probably already gone viral somewhere but I am simply dying at this picture of a bear that looks like it hired a photographer to do a glamour shoot
December 15, 2025 at 8:51 PM
This is the exact lighting they use for the pic to accompany a profile of a professor who got suspended because he kept using slurs in class as a supposed intellectual provocation.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
The RFK, jr effect.
December 13, 2025 at 9:40 PM
The RFK, jr effect.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
So RAM prices have basically tripled because of the AI demand, wonder how that's negatively affecting everyone else who might, you know, use computers 🤷
pcpartpicker.com
December 13, 2025 at 3:18 PM
So RAM prices have basically tripled because of the AI demand, wonder how that's negatively affecting everyone else who might, you know, use computers 🤷