Prof. Catherine Flick
@liedra.net
Professor of Ethics and Games Technology, University of Staffordshire UK - she/her
Vice chair ACM Committee on Professional Ethics, Co-EIC ACM Games
Content lead #EMFCamp
Ethics of games & emerging tech; AI & crypto critic
https://liedra.net 🩷💜💙
Vice chair ACM Committee on Professional Ethics, Co-EIC ACM Games
Content lead #EMFCamp
Ethics of games & emerging tech; AI & crypto critic
https://liedra.net 🩷💜💙
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
Unbelievably, #DuvetKnowItsChristmas generates such good will on social media that over the years we've raised somewhere approaching a quarter of a million quid for homeless charities. If you can spare a bob or two, sling some to Centrepoint, and here's the link: www.gofundme.com/f/duvet-know...
Donate to Duvet Know It's Christmas, 2025, organized by Rhodri Marsden
Unbelievably, it's the 15th year of this thing.
What is it?
Improbably, the nig… Rhodri Marsden needs your support for Duvet Know It's Christmas, 2025
www.gofundme.com
December 24, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Unbelievably, #DuvetKnowItsChristmas generates such good will on social media that over the years we've raised somewhere approaching a quarter of a million quid for homeless charities. If you can spare a bob or two, sling some to Centrepoint, and here's the link: www.gofundme.com/f/duvet-know...
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
Entry for #duvetknowitschristmas from Antarctica: the Wasa station was established in 1989. And it looks like the very soft and high quality bed linen has been there since basically then. Here is my sleeping bunk. Tak Sverige!
December 24, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Entry for #duvetknowitschristmas from Antarctica: the Wasa station was established in 1989. And it looks like the very soft and high quality bed linen has been there since basically then. Here is my sleeping bunk. Tak Sverige!
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.
Congratulations to Stephen Macedo & Frances Lee, whose book In Covid's Wake has been recognized as:
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
⭐ A @newyorker.com Best Book of the Year
⭐ An @economist.com Book of the Year
⭐ A @wsj.com Best Book of the Year
Learn more about this eye-opening book: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
December 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM
This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
I had five fascinating conversations for this RPS piece, gathering perspectives on genAI chatbots in games, as seen in Where Winds Meet. Thanks to @meghna.bsky.social, @pyrofoux.bsky.social, @maxkreminski.bsky.social, and @chrisgardiner.bsky.social www.rockpapershotgun.com/horrible-bor...
"Horrible", "boring", and "cheap": Experts pan new chatbot NPCs, but some leave room for optimism
We speak to a collection of developers and AI experts about the potential impact of LLM-powered NPCs in videogames.
www.rockpapershotgun.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
Checking in on @cr3ative.co.uk to make sure the excel spreadsheet is ready
December 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Checking in on @cr3ative.co.uk to make sure the excel spreadsheet is ready
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
The assumption that middle aged adults could win a conflict about computer security with *teenagers* who have
a) more motivation
b) more time
c) more patience
d) more creativity
e) a much faster brain
f) with much higher plasticity
is just silly. Did they assume their kids are as daft as them?
a) more motivation
b) more time
c) more patience
d) more creativity
e) a much faster brain
f) with much higher plasticity
is just silly. Did they assume their kids are as daft as them?
Ah yes, we could never have predicted this, never www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
Teens flock to alternative apps after social media ban
The Commonwealth's long-awaited social media ban for under-16s came into effect this month. But some experts note a rise in alternatives to popular platforms as teens find ways to stay active on socia...
www.abc.net.au
December 23, 2025 at 9:48 AM
The assumption that middle aged adults could win a conflict about computer security with *teenagers* who have
a) more motivation
b) more time
c) more patience
d) more creativity
e) a much faster brain
f) with much higher plasticity
is just silly. Did they assume their kids are as daft as them?
a) more motivation
b) more time
c) more patience
d) more creativity
e) a much faster brain
f) with much higher plasticity
is just silly. Did they assume their kids are as daft as them?
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
Bari’s complaint was “there’s nothing new here” and while that’s untrue it’s also irrelevant
“we intentionally sent people to be tortured in a hellhole and bragged about it and The Hague is too good for everyone involved” is a story that simply cannot be told enough
“we intentionally sent people to be tortured in a hellhole and bragged about it and The Hague is too good for everyone involved” is a story that simply cannot be told enough
December 23, 2025 at 3:22 AM
Bari’s complaint was “there’s nothing new here” and while that’s untrue it’s also irrelevant
“we intentionally sent people to be tortured in a hellhole and bragged about it and The Hague is too good for everyone involved” is a story that simply cannot be told enough
“we intentionally sent people to be tortured in a hellhole and bragged about it and The Hague is too good for everyone involved” is a story that simply cannot be told enough
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
I ran a fairly large blog commenting platform in ~2001 and was taken by surprise when performance tanked because some blog entries suddenly had tens of thousands of comments.
Turns out Japanese teenagers were picking a random blog each day and using the comments as a chatroom.
Turns out Japanese teenagers were picking a random blog each day and using the comments as a chatroom.
December 23, 2025 at 1:14 AM
I ran a fairly large blog commenting platform in ~2001 and was taken by surprise when performance tanked because some blog entries suddenly had tens of thousands of comments.
Turns out Japanese teenagers were picking a random blog each day and using the comments as a chatroom.
Turns out Japanese teenagers were picking a random blog each day and using the comments as a chatroom.
Ah yes and in other "I told you so" news,
December 22, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Ah yes and in other "I told you so" news,
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
The 60 Minutes piece on the Trump Administration’s torture prison that Bari Weiss doesn’t want you to see has leaked.
December 22, 2025 at 10:09 PM
The 60 Minutes piece on the Trump Administration’s torture prison that Bari Weiss doesn’t want you to see has leaked.
Ah yes, we could never have predicted this, never www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
Teens flock to alternative apps after social media ban
The Commonwealth's long-awaited social media ban for under-16s came into effect this month. But some experts note a rise in alternatives to popular platforms as teens find ways to stay active on socia...
www.abc.net.au
December 22, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Ah yes, we could never have predicted this, never www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
*laughs in Post-92* university-funded PhD opportunities? ha ha ha what is that
December 22, 2025 at 3:19 PM
*laughs in Post-92* university-funded PhD opportunities? ha ha ha what is that
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
We've secured landmark agreements with all five major academic publishers, giving UK universities read and publish access to 11,000+ journals and breaking pricing links to article volume.
Landmark publishing agreements for UK universities - Jisc
www.jisc.ac.uk
December 22, 2025 at 12:26 PM
We've secured landmark agreements with all five major academic publishers, giving UK universities read and publish access to 11,000+ journals and breaking pricing links to article volume.
This will be interesting to watch - the aim will be to remove APCs - wondering how the journal publishers will deal with that?
"Jisc says the deal marks a key milestone for UK research, positioning UK universities at the forefront of efforts to reform scholarly publishing and create a system that is more sustainable, equitable, and focused on quality." www.researchinformation.info/news/jisc-se...
December 22, 2025 at 3:15 PM
This will be interesting to watch - the aim will be to remove APCs - wondering how the journal publishers will deal with that?
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a whopping 55% off in the Steam Winter Sale!
Inspired by movies such as The Wicker Man & the works of M.R. James, with a little pinch of Twin Peaks and Lovecraft - our folk horror adventure is the perfect play for Christmas!
store.steampowered.com/app/1182310/...
Inspired by movies such as The Wicker Man & the works of M.R. James, with a little pinch of Twin Peaks and Lovecraft - our folk horror adventure is the perfect play for Christmas!
store.steampowered.com/app/1182310/...
December 18, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a whopping 55% off in the Steam Winter Sale!
Inspired by movies such as The Wicker Man & the works of M.R. James, with a little pinch of Twin Peaks and Lovecraft - our folk horror adventure is the perfect play for Christmas!
store.steampowered.com/app/1182310/...
Inspired by movies such as The Wicker Man & the works of M.R. James, with a little pinch of Twin Peaks and Lovecraft - our folk horror adventure is the perfect play for Christmas!
store.steampowered.com/app/1182310/...
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
another example of AI as tracer dye, exposing an already existing problem (and, of course, significantly worsening it)
I think this post nails the actual problem, for researchers at least—AI hallucinations would simply not be a problem in academic work if we’d not normalized citation-as-signaling rather than actual engagement—you can only cite a fake paper if you’re not in the habit of reading the papers you cite
Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it
December 21, 2025 at 7:11 AM
another example of AI as tracer dye, exposing an already existing problem (and, of course, significantly worsening it)
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
The ThisWeekInVideogames article had a great section on this, which I love. Multiple artists keyed in on the importance of an *unfinished* piece in leaving room for imagination and potential, in both the artist and their client. A polished, "finished" genAI piece short-circuits that.
![“Those images clients show you have an insidious way of worming their way into your head, and I find I have to do a lot more work to sort of flush the system to break away from those inputs,” said Kirby Crosby. “And now my client has a very specific image in their head.”
One artist working at a medium-sized studio, who wished to remain anonymous, remarked that “non-artists have gotten so used to expecting a ‘polished product’ from [generative AI tools] that it’s become hard for them to imagine what sketches or concepts might look like later down the line.”
“Executive and leadership implicitly demand being shown “a final product” otherwise they don’t understand what they’re seeing,” said an aforementioned anonymous artist.
Having a generated AI image thrown into your briefs or reference pool can “plant an image in the client’s head which becomes difficult to iterate upon,” said Canavan. “So my job turns into arguing with said client about why my ideas are better than whatever series of flashy nothings they generated this morning.”
Sketch and working concept for LEGO Party! Image courtesy of SMG Studio. A rough line drawing and a flesh out render.
Sketch and working concept for LEGO Party! Image courtesy of SMG Studio.
“Many people try to make the case that… feedback could be provided on a “finished” looking genAI image and you could use genAI to create the same iterations faster; but that’s not how human brains work,” said another developer at a large studio, who also wished to remain anonymous.
“When I show someone a rough sketch they see it differently than I do. They’re not seeing the sketch, they’re seeing the potential for what the sketch could be through their own taste and experiences, and it sparks all kinds of wonderful ideas that I would’ve never thought of on my own.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:jupvzthhxsac2mwtqwulknsk/bafkreib55w23wbdfhonxwpuexx3gynyi6lb6roy6zo55xeogzckvazr3v4@jpeg)
December 20, 2025 at 12:07 PM
The ThisWeekInVideogames article had a great section on this, which I love. Multiple artists keyed in on the importance of an *unfinished* piece in leaving room for imagination and potential, in both the artist and their client. A polished, "finished" genAI piece short-circuits that.
Argos is having a good Xmas right now, I received a package and was happy with it but the next day they'd processed a refund that I hadn't asked for. Today I called them and apparently this has been happening a lot :O Their finance team is going to call me to process the payment again. lol
December 20, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Argos is having a good Xmas right now, I received a package and was happy with it but the next day they'd processed a refund that I hadn't asked for. Today I called them and apparently this has been happening a lot :O Their finance team is going to call me to process the payment again. lol
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
the slow death of legitimate, verifiable, reliable knowledge systems
I’m sorry, but it is disgraceful to be an academic who uses this technology to conduct research. It should be prohibited in all of our scholarly institutions, including universities and journals.
December 20, 2025 at 1:58 PM
the slow death of legitimate, verifiable, reliable knowledge systems
Such an important message from People Make Games: we should still be boycotting Microsoft where we can due to their complicity with genocide in Gaza. Very proud to support the PMG work and have donated to their fundraiser for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybj1...
Why We're Boycotting Xbox (and Maybe You Should Too)
YouTube video by People Make Games
www.youtube.com
December 20, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Such an important message from People Make Games: we should still be boycotting Microsoft where we can due to their complicity with genocide in Gaza. Very proud to support the PMG work and have donated to their fundraiser for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybj1...
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
Some of these redactions are almost like modern art
December 19, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Some of these redactions are almost like modern art
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
Celebrities having the power to abuse and getting away with it is particularly upsetting when they're as strikingly untalented and unfunny as David Walliams.
December 20, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Celebrities having the power to abuse and getting away with it is particularly upsetting when they're as strikingly untalented and unfunny as David Walliams.
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
Think of AI instead of cigarettes here. Nothing is inevitable.
this is a good reminder of how things that are shitty but have been accepted as normal and inevitable can actually turn out to be abnormal and evitable with some science, time, education and political will
December 20, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Think of AI instead of cigarettes here. Nothing is inevitable.
Reposted by Prof. Catherine Flick
Because our politics is in such a terrible place, I think we downplay quite how awful Kemi Badenoch has been.
In any other era the leader of the Conservatives saying 'only migrants commit sex crimes - mass deportations now' would have not just been career ending but would've sunk the whole party
In any other era the leader of the Conservatives saying 'only migrants commit sex crimes - mass deportations now' would have not just been career ending but would've sunk the whole party
December 18, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Because our politics is in such a terrible place, I think we downplay quite how awful Kemi Badenoch has been.
In any other era the leader of the Conservatives saying 'only migrants commit sex crimes - mass deportations now' would have not just been career ending but would've sunk the whole party
In any other era the leader of the Conservatives saying 'only migrants commit sex crimes - mass deportations now' would have not just been career ending but would've sunk the whole party