Louis Ravn
@louravn.bsky.social
PhD Candidate in AI, Digital Culture, and Deep Learning. @University of Amsterdam. deep-culture.org. He/him.
STS | critical AI studies | critical data studies | social theory
STS | critical AI studies | critical data studies | social theory
Pinned
Louis Ravn
@louravn.bsky.social
· Feb 4
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journals.sagepub.com
🌟 New article in Big Data & Society 🌟
In recent years, synthetic data have become imbued with a wide range of promises. In this new paper, I investigate how these *synthetic data promises* are fabricated and circulated.
The article is open-access: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
🧵…
In recent years, synthetic data have become imbued with a wide range of promises. In this new paper, I investigate how these *synthetic data promises* are fabricated and circulated.
The article is open-access: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
🧵…
Reposted by Louis Ravn
Just Published: 'The Infrastructural Unconscious: Do Computers Dream of Carbo-Silico Pipelines?' in "Reckoning with Everything: The Becoming-Environmental of Computing" edited by Bernhard Siegert and Benedikt Merkle, and published by @mesonpress.bsky.social .
February 11, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Just Published: 'The Infrastructural Unconscious: Do Computers Dream of Carbo-Silico Pipelines?' in "Reckoning with Everything: The Becoming-Environmental of Computing" edited by Bernhard Siegert and Benedikt Merkle, and published by @mesonpress.bsky.social .
Reposted by Louis Ravn
Agreed.
substack.com/@rileysociol...
substack.com/@rileysociol...
Dylan Riley (@rileysociology)
I may be a bit late to the game on this, but I saw something today that alarmed me. Two professors on line were essentially boasting about how they use AI to make decisions about what constitutes a “s...
substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:45 AM
Agreed.
substack.com/@rileysociol...
substack.com/@rileysociol...
Reposted by Louis Ravn
✨ We’re excited to share the first articles from AI & ARCHIVES — a special issue of the new journal Cambridge Forum on AI: Culture and Society (Cambridge University Press). www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
AI & Archives
AI & Archives
www.cambridge.org
January 29, 2026 at 1:28 PM
✨ We’re excited to share the first articles from AI & ARCHIVES — a special issue of the new journal Cambridge Forum on AI: Culture and Society (Cambridge University Press). www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
👇
Just published: "A few notes on the scalar foundations of foundation models," a position paper in which I discuss the need for rejecting large-scale vague AI, and talk about fascination as a technological operation. Available open-access at doi.org/10.1017/cfc.... .
January 22, 2026 at 10:20 AM
👇
Reposted by Louis Ravn
✨Welcoming Fabian Offer for the next #CriticalAI Seminar (online) on his upcoming book "Vector Media" on January 13, 2026 5:30-7 PM (Amsterdam)✨
The talk presents a new history and theory of the vector space in contemporary #AI systems
🗓️ Register here: www.create.humanities.uva.nl/events/2-cri...
The talk presents a new history and theory of the vector space in contemporary #AI systems
🗓️ Register here: www.create.humanities.uva.nl/events/2-cri...
#2 Critical AI Seminar Series: Vector Media
January 13, 17:30-19:00 (CEST): Vector Media This talk presents a new history and theory of the vector space in contemporary artificial intelligence systems. I will argue that the inevitable bias of s...
www.create.humanities.uva.nl
January 12, 2026 at 8:37 AM
✨Welcoming Fabian Offer for the next #CriticalAI Seminar (online) on his upcoming book "Vector Media" on January 13, 2026 5:30-7 PM (Amsterdam)✨
The talk presents a new history and theory of the vector space in contemporary #AI systems
🗓️ Register here: www.create.humanities.uva.nl/events/2-cri...
The talk presents a new history and theory of the vector space in contemporary #AI systems
🗓️ Register here: www.create.humanities.uva.nl/events/2-cri...
Reposted by Louis Ravn
CfP ✨Consider submitting to this fantastic panel on Deep Learning and Culture at the STS NL Conference ✨
Organised by @louravn.bsky.social @annaschjoett.bsky.social Dasha Simons, Paula Helm and Tobias Blanke (@d-eepculture.bsky.social)
Organised by @louravn.bsky.social @annaschjoett.bsky.social Dasha Simons, Paula Helm and Tobias Blanke (@d-eepculture.bsky.social)
🚨 Call for presentations: “Deep Learning and Culture” panel
🔍 We're organizing a panel on “Deep Learning and Culture” at the STS NL Conference (Uni of Twente, 17-19 April 2026).
📮 Please submit your abstract here: www.utwente.nl/en/bms/sts-n.... Deadline: 07 Jan. 2026.
See you there :)
🔍 We're organizing a panel on “Deep Learning and Culture” at the STS NL Conference (Uni of Twente, 17-19 April 2026).
📮 Please submit your abstract here: www.utwente.nl/en/bms/sts-n.... Deadline: 07 Jan. 2026.
See you there :)
December 15, 2025 at 1:19 PM
CfP ✨Consider submitting to this fantastic panel on Deep Learning and Culture at the STS NL Conference ✨
Organised by @louravn.bsky.social @annaschjoett.bsky.social Dasha Simons, Paula Helm and Tobias Blanke (@d-eepculture.bsky.social)
Organised by @louravn.bsky.social @annaschjoett.bsky.social Dasha Simons, Paula Helm and Tobias Blanke (@d-eepculture.bsky.social)
Reposted by Louis Ravn
❗ We are urgently looking for a new Lecturer in Cultural Data & AI at the University of Amsterdam: werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
The deadline for applying is very soon: Jan 4th.
You’ll work with @tpoell.bsky.social, @riederb.bsky.social, @dluitse.bsky.social, @louravn.bsky.social, me, & more
The deadline for applying is very soon: Jan 4th.
You’ll work with @tpoell.bsky.social, @riederb.bsky.social, @dluitse.bsky.social, @louravn.bsky.social, me, & more
Vacancy — Lecturer in Cultural Data & AI (D4)
<p>Would you like to teach cutting-edge theories, computational methods, and questions in Critical Data & AI? Then we have the perfect challenge for you!</p>
werkenbij.uva.nl
December 11, 2025 at 8:37 AM
❗ We are urgently looking for a new Lecturer in Cultural Data & AI at the University of Amsterdam: werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
The deadline for applying is very soon: Jan 4th.
You’ll work with @tpoell.bsky.social, @riederb.bsky.social, @dluitse.bsky.social, @louravn.bsky.social, me, & more
The deadline for applying is very soon: Jan 4th.
You’ll work with @tpoell.bsky.social, @riederb.bsky.social, @dluitse.bsky.social, @louravn.bsky.social, me, & more
Reposted by Louis Ravn
I have a new paper out in @jhokjournal.bsky.social - "Loss: A notion of error in machine learning." It attempts to draw some wider historical comparisons than are perhaps usual. I would love to know what you think. journalhistoryknowledge.org/article/view...
December 11, 2025 at 10:08 AM
I have a new paper out in @jhokjournal.bsky.social - "Loss: A notion of error in machine learning." It attempts to draw some wider historical comparisons than are perhaps usual. I would love to know what you think. journalhistoryknowledge.org/article/view...
🚨 Call for presentations: “Deep Learning and Culture” panel
🔍 We're organizing a panel on “Deep Learning and Culture” at the STS NL Conference (Uni of Twente, 17-19 April 2026).
📮 Please submit your abstract here: www.utwente.nl/en/bms/sts-n.... Deadline: 07 Jan. 2026.
See you there :)
🔍 We're organizing a panel on “Deep Learning and Culture” at the STS NL Conference (Uni of Twente, 17-19 April 2026).
📮 Please submit your abstract here: www.utwente.nl/en/bms/sts-n.... Deadline: 07 Jan. 2026.
See you there :)
December 10, 2025 at 2:10 PM
🚨 Call for presentations: “Deep Learning and Culture” panel
🔍 We're organizing a panel on “Deep Learning and Culture” at the STS NL Conference (Uni of Twente, 17-19 April 2026).
📮 Please submit your abstract here: www.utwente.nl/en/bms/sts-n.... Deadline: 07 Jan. 2026.
See you there :)
🔍 We're organizing a panel on “Deep Learning and Culture” at the STS NL Conference (Uni of Twente, 17-19 April 2026).
📮 Please submit your abstract here: www.utwente.nl/en/bms/sts-n.... Deadline: 07 Jan. 2026.
See you there :)
Reposted by Louis Ravn
We are excited to report that we have started developing our first *Little Tools of Difference*.
While deep learning has been driven by a culture of uniformity, we asked: What if we used these same state-of-the-art architectures to do the opposite?
More prototypes are coming soon, so stay tuned!
While deep learning has been driven by a culture of uniformity, we asked: What if we used these same state-of-the-art architectures to do the opposite?
More prototypes are coming soon, so stay tuned!
December 10, 2025 at 9:53 AM
We are excited to report that we have started developing our first *Little Tools of Difference*.
While deep learning has been driven by a culture of uniformity, we asked: What if we used these same state-of-the-art architectures to do the opposite?
More prototypes are coming soon, so stay tuned!
While deep learning has been driven by a culture of uniformity, we asked: What if we used these same state-of-the-art architectures to do the opposite?
More prototypes are coming soon, so stay tuned!
What happens when synthetic data are used in development contexts? My new article examines this question, arguing that critical research on synthetic data should consider data justice issues. Accordingly, the paper outlines avenues for #syntheticdatajustice.
🔗: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
🔗: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
October 20, 2025 at 7:49 AM
What happens when synthetic data are used in development contexts? My new article examines this question, arguing that critical research on synthetic data should consider data justice issues. Accordingly, the paper outlines avenues for #syntheticdatajustice.
🔗: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
🔗: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Louis Ravn
Want to know more about #syntheticdata #assetization, #blockchain and #cloudinfrastructures in #finance? In this paper for @financeandspace.bsky.social , I talk about those topics, plus how synthetic data might be reworking financial #subjectivities! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
October 17, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Want to know more about #syntheticdata #assetization, #blockchain and #cloudinfrastructures in #finance? In this paper for @financeandspace.bsky.social , I talk about those topics, plus how synthetic data might be reworking financial #subjectivities! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
🚨 CfP: Boundaries & boundary concepts in/as datafication 🚨
🔍 Together with the amazing @dropsmops.bsky.social and Sarah Davies, I'm organizing a workshop on boundaries & boundary concepts in datafication. Please see our flyer below for more details.
📅 19-20 Feb. 2026, University of Amsterdam.
🔍 Together with the amazing @dropsmops.bsky.social and Sarah Davies, I'm organizing a workshop on boundaries & boundary concepts in datafication. Please see our flyer below for more details.
📅 19-20 Feb. 2026, University of Amsterdam.
October 16, 2025 at 12:09 PM
🚨 CfP: Boundaries & boundary concepts in/as datafication 🚨
🔍 Together with the amazing @dropsmops.bsky.social and Sarah Davies, I'm organizing a workshop on boundaries & boundary concepts in datafication. Please see our flyer below for more details.
📅 19-20 Feb. 2026, University of Amsterdam.
🔍 Together with the amazing @dropsmops.bsky.social and Sarah Davies, I'm organizing a workshop on boundaries & boundary concepts in datafication. Please see our flyer below for more details.
📅 19-20 Feb. 2026, University of Amsterdam.
Reposted by Louis Ravn
Keywords are not neutral.
With Tobias Blanke, we investigate the power of keywords as interpretive tools in our work "Keywords in Digital Humanities: A critical assessment of computational techniques for mapping security and freedom in historical debates".
You can read the article now on DHQ!
With Tobias Blanke, we investigate the power of keywords as interpretive tools in our work "Keywords in Digital Humanities: A critical assessment of computational techniques for mapping security and freedom in historical debates".
You can read the article now on DHQ!
DHQ: Digital Humanities Quarterly: Keywords in Digital Humanities – A critical
assessment of computational techniques for mapping security and freedom in
histor...
dhq.digitalhumanities.org
October 15, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Keywords are not neutral.
With Tobias Blanke, we investigate the power of keywords as interpretive tools in our work "Keywords in Digital Humanities: A critical assessment of computational techniques for mapping security and freedom in historical debates".
You can read the article now on DHQ!
With Tobias Blanke, we investigate the power of keywords as interpretive tools in our work "Keywords in Digital Humanities: A critical assessment of computational techniques for mapping security and freedom in historical debates".
You can read the article now on DHQ!
Super fun to contribute to this brief interview with Terminally Online, a student-led organization on New Media at the University of Amsterdam.
We spoke about my wonderful team‘s research (@d-eepculture.bsky.social), who inspires me, and some of my own work.
🔗: www.linkedin.com/pulse/interv...
We spoke about my wonderful team‘s research (@d-eepculture.bsky.social), who inspires me, and some of my own work.
🔗: www.linkedin.com/pulse/interv...
Interview with Louis Ravn
Louis Ravn is a PhD Candidate on Deep Culture at the University of Amsterdam, working in the fields of science and technology studies and critical data/AI studies. Moreover, he is assistant editor for...
www.linkedin.com
October 9, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Super fun to contribute to this brief interview with Terminally Online, a student-led organization on New Media at the University of Amsterdam.
We spoke about my wonderful team‘s research (@d-eepculture.bsky.social), who inspires me, and some of my own work.
🔗: www.linkedin.com/pulse/interv...
We spoke about my wonderful team‘s research (@d-eepculture.bsky.social), who inspires me, and some of my own work.
🔗: www.linkedin.com/pulse/interv...
Reposted by Louis Ravn
I am very excited and honoured to be the recipient of an ERC Starting Grant, starting January 2026 🔆 @erc.europa.eu. The five-year project will explore the broader social, political, and ethical implications of training algorithmic models on synthetic data. www.york.ac.uk/news-and-eve...
New project to investigate societal consequences of using synthetic data to train algorithms
Researchers in the University of York’s Department of Sociology will lead one of the first large-scale, systematic social science studies of synthetic data.
www.york.ac.uk
September 4, 2025 at 3:22 PM
I am very excited and honoured to be the recipient of an ERC Starting Grant, starting January 2026 🔆 @erc.europa.eu. The five-year project will explore the broader social, political, and ethical implications of training algorithmic models on synthetic data. www.york.ac.uk/news-and-eve...
Reposted by Louis Ravn
this is the industry governments want to hand over education and other societal infrastructure
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Meta suppressed research on child safety, employees say
The company’s lawyers intervened to shape research that might have shed light on risks in virtual reality, four current and former staffers have told Congress. Meta denies the allegations.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 10, 2025 at 1:19 PM
this is the industry governments want to hand over education and other societal infrastructure
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
👇
September 5, 2025 at 12:35 PM
👇
Reposted by Louis Ravn
“My body is breaking down. My mother is collapsing from exhaustion. My cousin cheats death every day for a morsel of aid. Gaza's children are dying in front of our eyes, and we are powerless to help them.”
www.972mag.com/hunger-gaza-...
www.972mag.com/hunger-gaza-...
We are starving
My body is breaking down. My mother is collapsing from exhaustion. My cousin cheats death every day for a morsel of aid.
www.972mag.com
July 22, 2025 at 1:58 PM
“My body is breaking down. My mother is collapsing from exhaustion. My cousin cheats death every day for a morsel of aid. Gaza's children are dying in front of our eyes, and we are powerless to help them.”
www.972mag.com/hunger-gaza-...
www.972mag.com/hunger-gaza-...
Reposted by Louis Ravn
Weil gerade wieder davon die Rede ist, dass «Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion» ja gar keine «echte» Diversität schaffe: So schaut der faschistische Kampf gegen DEI in den USA aus. Es beginnt mit Zensur und endet in der Verfolgung von Marginalisierten bsky.app/profile/bild...
Für die FAS durfte ich über die aktuellen Löschkampagnen in den USA und über die veränderte Rolle digitaler Bildarchive angesichts generativer KI schreiben – und darüber, warum Datensicherung jetzt das Gebot der Stunde ist: zeitung.faz.net/fas/feuillet...
July 22, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Weil gerade wieder davon die Rede ist, dass «Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion» ja gar keine «echte» Diversität schaffe: So schaut der faschistische Kampf gegen DEI in den USA aus. Es beginnt mit Zensur und endet in der Verfolgung von Marginalisierten bsky.app/profile/bild...
Reposted by Louis Ravn
Das Fahrlässige an Kaubes Text ist, wie er der eigenen Frage ausweicht: «Hat Thiel einen Masterplan?», fragt er zu Beginn – um mit der These zu schliessen, die «politischen Thesen und theologischen Spekulationen» Thiels seien «nur private Marotten». Doch diese «Marotten» haben politische Effekte
1/
1/
Entweder ist Jürgen Kaube mittlerweile entfallen, dass er 2021 in einer Jury sass, die Peter Thiel für sein «umfassendes Wirken in der Analyse der Chancen und Risiken des technologischen Fortschritts» den Frank-Schirrmacher-Preis verliehen hat, oder es erschien ihm einfach nicht erwähnenswert
Hat der Tech-Milliardär Peter Thiel einen Masterplan?
Der Tech-Milliardär Peter Thiel fällt unter den Superreichen durch seine rechtslibertäre Ideologie und seine philosophischen Lektüren auf. Viele meinen, er habe einen gefährlichen Masterplan. Aber sti...
www.faz.net
July 5, 2025 at 6:13 AM
Das Fahrlässige an Kaubes Text ist, wie er der eigenen Frage ausweicht: «Hat Thiel einen Masterplan?», fragt er zu Beginn – um mit der These zu schliessen, die «politischen Thesen und theologischen Spekulationen» Thiels seien «nur private Marotten». Doch diese «Marotten» haben politische Effekte
1/
1/
Reposted by Louis Ravn
🎉 A lovely wedding present from Big Data & Society! I bring together an ethnographic study of AI practitioners with Simone de Beauvoir’s ethics of ambiguity, exploring how ambiguity shapes AI practice and ethics
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Artificial Intelligence and the ethics of navigating ambiguity - SJ Bennett, 2025
This paper examines ambiguity within AI practice, arguing for an ethics of AI which stays with fundamental ambiguities and accounts for their complex socio-mate...
journals.sagepub.com
June 30, 2025 at 11:40 AM
🎉 A lovely wedding present from Big Data & Society! I bring together an ethnographic study of AI practitioners with Simone de Beauvoir’s ethics of ambiguity, exploring how ambiguity shapes AI practice and ethics
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Louis Ravn
Very excited to share this. It was an absolute joy to work with @louravn.bsky.social @velocitygravity.bsky.social and my good buddy @matthewarcher.bsky.social
🌟 New commentary “Unraveling the Regimes of Synthetic Data Metrics“ in Digital Society: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📚 In it, @velocitygravity.bsky.social , @matthewarcher.bsky.social, @danishanley.bsky.social, and I argue that synth data metrics are linked to the politics of synth data.
🧵…
📚 In it, @velocitygravity.bsky.social , @matthewarcher.bsky.social, @danishanley.bsky.social, and I argue that synth data metrics are linked to the politics of synth data.
🧵…
Unraveling the Regimes of Synthetic Data Metrics: Expectations, Ethics, and Politics - Digital Society
Synthetic data - artificially produced data used for various data science tasks - have become the subject of intense scholarly interest, engendering both hope and hype in fields like machine learning ...
link.springer.com
June 12, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Very excited to share this. It was an absolute joy to work with @louravn.bsky.social @velocitygravity.bsky.social and my good buddy @matthewarcher.bsky.social
🌟 New commentary “Unraveling the Regimes of Synthetic Data Metrics“ in Digital Society: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📚 In it, @velocitygravity.bsky.social , @matthewarcher.bsky.social, @danishanley.bsky.social, and I argue that synth data metrics are linked to the politics of synth data.
🧵…
📚 In it, @velocitygravity.bsky.social , @matthewarcher.bsky.social, @danishanley.bsky.social, and I argue that synth data metrics are linked to the politics of synth data.
🧵…
Unraveling the Regimes of Synthetic Data Metrics: Expectations, Ethics, and Politics - Digital Society
Synthetic data - artificially produced data used for various data science tasks - have become the subject of intense scholarly interest, engendering both hope and hype in fields like machine learning ...
link.springer.com
June 11, 2025 at 9:11 AM
🌟 New commentary “Unraveling the Regimes of Synthetic Data Metrics“ in Digital Society: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📚 In it, @velocitygravity.bsky.social , @matthewarcher.bsky.social, @danishanley.bsky.social, and I argue that synth data metrics are linked to the politics of synth data.
🧵…
📚 In it, @velocitygravity.bsky.social , @matthewarcher.bsky.social, @danishanley.bsky.social, and I argue that synth data metrics are linked to the politics of synth data.
🧵…
Reposted by Louis Ravn
Das ist das neue Normal. 20 Prozent Rechtsextreme im Saal, und die Person of Colour mit dem Palästina-Pulli aus dem Parlament verbannen.
Cansın Köktürk: »Palestine«-Shirt – Linkenabgeordnete muss Plenarsaal verlassen
Bundestagspräsidentin Julia Klöckner achtet penibel auf die Einhaltung der Parlamentsetikette, auch in puncto Kleidung. Nun verwies sie die Linkenabgeordnete Cansın Köktürk des Saals. Die fällt nicht ...
www.spiegel.de
June 4, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Das ist das neue Normal. 20 Prozent Rechtsextreme im Saal, und die Person of Colour mit dem Palästina-Pulli aus dem Parlament verbannen.