Rachel Coldicutt
@rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social
Internet person. Community tech, careful innovation, socially progressive tech policy.
https://www.careful.industries
https://buttondown.email/justenoughinternet
DMs don't work but hello [at] careful.industries will find me eventually
https://www.careful.industries
https://buttondown.email/justenoughinternet
DMs don't work but hello [at] careful.industries will find me eventually
Pinned
FOMO is not a strategy
End of year reflections on how people are using genAI at work
buttondown.com
Anyway, yes, #FOMOisnotastrategy and here I am making it a hash tag like it's 2010 buttondown.com/justenoughin...
The problem with being in a love-matched monogamous relationship is that both me and my OH are the two least practical people on earth. We are emotionally compatible but absolutely useless at running a household. We need a strictly administrative 3rd party to come and make some lists and shout at us
November 22, 2025 at 1:40 PM
The problem with being in a love-matched monogamous relationship is that both me and my OH are the two least practical people on earth. We are emotionally compatible but absolutely useless at running a household. We need a strictly administrative 3rd party to come and make some lists and shout at us
Timeless information-management skills
We need some research into how much time is spent trying to make sense of the gobbledegook that gets churned out. Not to mention the time spent arguing about what was actually said. We just need to train people to take a decent short minute.
November 22, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Timeless information-management skills
Sthg I don't specifically call out in this blog post on AI notetakers is how awful some bits of govt meeting culture appear to be. The bit about presenteeism directly reflects feedback from
junior folk who talked about how important it is to turn up to meetings www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
junior folk who talked about how important it is to turn up to meetings www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
Nine risks caused by AI notetakers — Careful Industries
AI transcription tools are not currently mature or reliable enough to be regarded as an always on, single-source of truth for meeting notes. Nine common risks, and six possible mitigations.
www.careful.industries
November 22, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Sthg I don't specifically call out in this blog post on AI notetakers is how awful some bits of govt meeting culture appear to be. The bit about presenteeism directly reflects feedback from
junior folk who talked about how important it is to turn up to meetings www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
junior folk who talked about how important it is to turn up to meetings www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
"America is British", "socialism is heaven". Good Charlotte Edwardes profile of Danny Kruger, in which he gets the opportunity to say what he really thinks. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
November 22, 2025 at 8:15 AM
"America is British", "socialism is heaven". Good Charlotte Edwardes profile of Danny Kruger, in which he gets the opportunity to say what he really thinks. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Watching the Michelin programme again and have they turned up the yellow contrast on the British chefs' teeth?
November 21, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Watching the Michelin programme again and have they turned up the yellow contrast on the British chefs' teeth?
If you're heading into the weekend with a pile of Copilot meeting summaries to read, you might find this interesting. Some risks of relying on AI notetakers - and some strategies for dealing with them.
I've written up the findings from our work with people and organisations who have used AI notetakers in meetings, identified 9 risks and a bunch of mitigation strategies. www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
Nine risks caused by AI notetakers — Careful Industries
AI transcription tools are not currently mature or reliable enough to be regarded as an always on, single-source of truth for meeting notes. Nine common risks, and six possible mitigations.
www.careful.industries
November 21, 2025 at 3:47 PM
If you're heading into the weekend with a pile of Copilot meeting summaries to read, you might find this interesting. Some risks of relying on AI notetakers - and some strategies for dealing with them.
Reposted by Rachel Coldicutt
Government says Whitehall depts will have to stump up some cash for digital ID schemes. PAC members remain to be convinced because of "how government works"
UK minister ducks cost questions on nationwide digital ID scheme
UK minister ducks cost questions on nationwide digital ID scheme
Committee hears departments may have to stump up cash before savings materialize
A UK tech minister has declined to put a figure on the cost of the government's digital ID plans as MPs question the contributions expected from central departments.…
dlvr.it
November 21, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Government says Whitehall depts will have to stump up some cash for digital ID schemes. PAC members remain to be convinced because of "how government works"
Just catching up with this amazing bit of London Centric reporting and this is such an excellent description of the weird epistemic ambiguity produced by AI: "There’s clearly something political about it but nobody knows what it is." www.londoncentric.media/p/ai-artwork...
London's giant AI artwork to be torn down
The bizarre story of why a much-talked-about creation is being torn down. Plus: Docklands Light Railway extension, giant laser stalks the night sky, and more tales of Android phone theft rejection.
www.londoncentric.media
November 21, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Just catching up with this amazing bit of London Centric reporting and this is such an excellent description of the weird epistemic ambiguity produced by AI: "There’s clearly something political about it but nobody knows what it is." www.londoncentric.media/p/ai-artwork...
Reposted by Rachel Coldicutt
I've been saying this for years to AI engineers who seem to think they are developing the 'luxury' service. Nope, it's the rubbish option that rich people will upgrade from.
There is one more post to be written here, about how AI is now often an austerity technology, inserted into a human process to compensate for the fact that there is just not enough time and money, and many workers are expected to do more and more with less and less.
November 21, 2025 at 8:39 AM
I've been saying this for years to AI engineers who seem to think they are developing the 'luxury' service. Nope, it's the rubbish option that rich people will upgrade from.
Reposted by Rachel Coldicutt
Time for me to wheel out my favourite transcription of a call I was on earlier this year. Can you guess what was really said? (Answer in the alt text).
November 21, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Time for me to wheel out my favourite transcription of a call I was on earlier this year. Can you guess what was really said? (Answer in the alt text).
I've written up the findings from our work with people and organisations who have used AI notetakers in meetings, identified 9 risks and a bunch of mitigation strategies. www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
Nine risks caused by AI notetakers — Careful Industries
AI transcription tools are not currently mature or reliable enough to be regarded as an always on, single-source of truth for meeting notes. Nine common risks, and six possible mitigations.
www.careful.industries
November 21, 2025 at 7:09 AM
I've written up the findings from our work with people and organisations who have used AI notetakers in meetings, identified 9 risks and a bunch of mitigation strategies. www.careful.industries/blog/2025-11...
Just had a little cry while watching a TV show about Michelin-starred restaurants. Am definitely feeling completely fine about everything.
November 20, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Just had a little cry while watching a TV show about Michelin-starred restaurants. Am definitely feeling completely fine about everything.
Reposted by Rachel Coldicutt
Doing this next week with my excellent friend and former colleague/co-founder @katybeale.bsky.social 😍. I'll be talking about the Careful Consequences Check, a way to QA digital products against their social and ethical impacts www.careful.industries/consequences
November 20, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Doing this next week with my excellent friend and former colleague/co-founder @katybeale.bsky.social 😍. I'll be talking about the Careful Consequences Check, a way to QA digital products against their social and ethical impacts www.careful.industries/consequences
Sometimes, at the end of a project, you get a quirky thank you gift and other times you get a framed picture of yourself in the style of Clippy that you have to *carry home* because they make you open it before you leave
November 19, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Sometimes, at the end of a project, you get a quirky thank you gift and other times you get a framed picture of yourself in the style of Clippy that you have to *carry home* because they make you open it before you leave
Reposted by Rachel Coldicutt
New @carefultrouble.bsky.social paper out today with a whole bevy of academic partners, on the impacts of AI in urban environments. As the plan for AI Growth Zones starts to roll out, we find innovation policy is disconnected from the real impacts of AI on people and places
November 19, 2025 at 8:43 AM
New @carefultrouble.bsky.social paper out today with a whole bevy of academic partners, on the impacts of AI in urban environments. As the plan for AI Growth Zones starts to roll out, we find innovation policy is disconnected from the real impacts of AI on people and places
Reposted by Rachel Coldicutt
Last night we launched our essay collection at @britishacademy.bsky.social with a bumper panel reflecting ideas from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social describing rewilding as a metaphor for civic renewal to @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social imagining how future data centres could be owned by communities.
November 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Last night we launched our essay collection at @britishacademy.bsky.social with a bumper panel reflecting ideas from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social describing rewilding as a metaphor for civic renewal to @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social imagining how future data centres could be owned by communities.
In Cambridge where it is raining, showcasing the absolute bleakness of the neverending grey fenland horizons
November 19, 2025 at 9:04 AM
In Cambridge where it is raining, showcasing the absolute bleakness of the neverending grey fenland horizons
New @carefultrouble.bsky.social paper out today with a whole bevy of academic partners, on the impacts of AI in urban environments. As the plan for AI Growth Zones starts to roll out, we find innovation policy is disconnected from the real impacts of AI on people and places
November 19, 2025 at 8:43 AM
New @carefultrouble.bsky.social paper out today with a whole bevy of academic partners, on the impacts of AI in urban environments. As the plan for AI Growth Zones starts to roll out, we find innovation policy is disconnected from the real impacts of AI on people and places
If, in some imaginary world, I had any direct influence on tech policy making I'd mandate some kind of "back to the floor" training for those making tech policy. Specifically, I'd make them do a stint as delivery managers for massive complex projects, with sight of all the moving parts
November 18, 2025 at 10:52 PM
If, in some imaginary world, I had any direct influence on tech policy making I'd mandate some kind of "back to the floor" training for those making tech policy. Specifically, I'd make them do a stint as delivery managers for massive complex projects, with sight of all the moving parts
The current media celebration of "perimenopause is kicking my ass" as the dominant narrative about being a woman in midlife is q annoying. Sure, not every day is amazing and hormones are a total PITA but ALSO many midlife women are indefatigable agents for change balancing many responsibilities
November 18, 2025 at 9:37 AM
The current media celebration of "perimenopause is kicking my ass" as the dominant narrative about being a woman in midlife is q annoying. Sure, not every day is amazing and hormones are a total PITA but ALSO many midlife women are indefatigable agents for change balancing many responsibilities
Older gent at the gym this morning wearing a knitted tank top and long-sleeved press shirt while lifting some weights. Good to see he'd taken this tie off though.
November 18, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Older gent at the gym this morning wearing a knitted tank top and long-sleeved press shirt while lifting some weights. Good to see he'd taken this tie off though.
In today's edition of Couldn't Make It Up
EXC: Kensington and Chelsea Council is investigating whether Lord Peter Mandelson committed an offence when he publicly urinated in the street last week
Kensington Council Investigating Peter Mandelson For Urinating In The Street
Exclusive: Kensington and Chelsea Council is investigating whether Lord Peter Mandelson committed an offence when he publicly urinated in the stree...
www.politicshome.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
In today's edition of Couldn't Make It Up
Talking to my mum she's mentioned a few times that, in the fairly quiet town where she lives, it's more and more common for the older people she chats to when out and about to say increasingly racist and ill-informed things mixed in with morning pleasantries. What are Labour playing at?
Govt minister Alex Norris is asked if the govt will take jewellery from people [fleeing war and persecution]. Norris says the govt won't be taking peoples wedding rings but they will seize assets.
November 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Talking to my mum she's mentioned a few times that, in the fairly quiet town where she lives, it's more and more common for the older people she chats to when out and about to say increasingly racist and ill-informed things mixed in with morning pleasantries. What are Labour playing at?