Sarah Gilbert
@sarahagilbert.bsky.social
Research Director, Citizens and Technology Lab, Cornell University, r/AskHistorians moderator
I study how to make the internet freer and safer— and how to help the helpers on the ground making that possible. She/her
https://citizensandtech.org/
I study how to make the internet freer and safer— and how to help the helpers on the ground making that possible. She/her
https://citizensandtech.org/
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Should scientists apply to OpenAI's fund for research on AI & mental health? Should policymakers consider it a credible safety effort?
Avriel Epps & I see it as "grantwashing," and it's an insult to anyone whose loved one's death involved chatbots. We explain:
www.techpolicy.press/beware-of-op...
Avriel Epps & I see it as "grantwashing," and it's an insult to anyone whose loved one's death involved chatbots. We explain:
www.techpolicy.press/beware-of-op...
Beware of OpenAI's 'Grantwashing' on AI Harms | TechPolicy.Press
J. Nathan Matias and Avriel Epps say OpenAI's announced research funding is the perfect corporate action to make sure we don't find answers for years.
www.techpolicy.press
December 18, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Should scientists apply to OpenAI's fund for research on AI & mental health? Should policymakers consider it a credible safety effort?
Avriel Epps & I see it as "grantwashing," and it's an insult to anyone whose loved one's death involved chatbots. We explain:
www.techpolicy.press/beware-of-op...
Avriel Epps & I see it as "grantwashing," and it's an insult to anyone whose loved one's death involved chatbots. We explain:
www.techpolicy.press/beware-of-op...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
We have just updated our Social Media Research Toolkit, a curated collection of over 50 research tools compiled by researchers at the Social Media Lab. The kit only features tools that have been used in peer-reviewed academic research. socialmedialab.ca/apps/social-...
Social Media Research Toolkit - Social Media Lab
The Social Media Research Toolkit is a curated collection of more than 50 tools compiled by researchers at the Social Media Lab.
socialmedialab.ca
December 16, 2025 at 1:40 PM
We have just updated our Social Media Research Toolkit, a curated collection of over 50 research tools compiled by researchers at the Social Media Lab. The kit only features tools that have been used in peer-reviewed academic research. socialmedialab.ca/apps/social-...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
The ACM Digital Library, where a LOT of computing-related research is published (I'd say at least 75% of my own publications), is now not only providing (without consent of the authors and without opt-in by readers) AI-generated summaries of papers, but they appear as the *default* over abstracts.
December 16, 2025 at 11:31 PM
The ACM Digital Library, where a LOT of computing-related research is published (I'd say at least 75% of my own publications), is now not only providing (without consent of the authors and without opt-in by readers) AI-generated summaries of papers, but they appear as the *default* over abstracts.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
With mounting deaths that involve generative AI & social media in some way, the public is increasingly asking science for answers. Did these technologies play a role? Is this a wider trend? And if so, what can we do to prevent such deaths in the future?
New pre-print: osf.io/3ebj2/files/...
New pre-print: osf.io/3ebj2/files/...
December 11, 2025 at 3:40 PM
With mounting deaths that involve generative AI & social media in some way, the public is increasingly asking science for answers. Did these technologies play a role? Is this a wider trend? And if so, what can we do to prevent such deaths in the future?
New pre-print: osf.io/3ebj2/files/...
New pre-print: osf.io/3ebj2/files/...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
My latest article "Why Marginalized Areas Bear the Brunt of the Disinformation Crisis" in @techpolicypress.bsky.social
It is time to stop treating disinformation as a user behavior problem and start seeing it for what it is: a structural, infrastructural, and systemic problem engineered by design.
It is time to stop treating disinformation as a user behavior problem and start seeing it for what it is: a structural, infrastructural, and systemic problem engineered by design.
Why Marginalized Areas Bear the Brunt of the Disinformation Crisis | TechPolicy.Press
It is time to stop treating disinformation as a user behavior problem and start seeing it as a systemic problem engineered by design, writes David Nemer.
www.techpolicy.press
May 1, 2025 at 2:04 PM
My latest article "Why Marginalized Areas Bear the Brunt of the Disinformation Crisis" in @techpolicypress.bsky.social
It is time to stop treating disinformation as a user behavior problem and start seeing it for what it is: a structural, infrastructural, and systemic problem engineered by design.
It is time to stop treating disinformation as a user behavior problem and start seeing it for what it is: a structural, infrastructural, and systemic problem engineered by design.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
OK, so for the next few hours, I will be answering questions on Reddit's AskHistorians forum about my new book -- feel free to pop over there if you are so inclined! reddit.com/r/AskHistori...
From the AskHistorians community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the AskHistorians community
reddit.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:51 PM
OK, so for the next few hours, I will be answering questions on Reddit's AskHistorians forum about my new book -- feel free to pop over there if you are so inclined! reddit.com/r/AskHistori...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Get ready for the transatlantic battle over "free speech" to start in earnest.
🚨
I am hearing from multiple sources that the EU Commission is announcing its first DSA fine tomorrow against X on ad transparency, blue check & dark pattern, and researcher access to data.
The fine is in the "100s of millions of Euros."
Elon about to get big mad.
I am hearing from multiple sources that the EU Commission is announcing its first DSA fine tomorrow against X on ad transparency, blue check & dark pattern, and researcher access to data.
The fine is in the "100s of millions of Euros."
Elon about to get big mad.
December 4, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Get ready for the transatlantic battle over "free speech" to start in earnest.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Our School of Information Sciences is running four searches, and we can hire more than four candidates. Here’s the first link, for a job that might appeal to people working in history of information, history of science, or digital humanities. +
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor in Information, Culture & Society - School of Information Science
Duties & Responsibilities
illinois.csod.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Our School of Information Sciences is running four searches, and we can hire more than four candidates. Here’s the first link, for a job that might appeal to people working in history of information, history of science, or digital humanities. +
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
The UW Center for an Informed Public is looking for postdocs (for 2026-2028) from across diverse disciplines whose research sheds light on the challenges of our modern information environment, promotes civic health, and/or helps people/communities navigate online spaces: apply.interfolio.com/177901
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:26 PM
The UW Center for an Informed Public is looking for postdocs (for 2026-2028) from across diverse disciplines whose research sheds light on the challenges of our modern information environment, promotes civic health, and/or helps people/communities navigate online spaces: apply.interfolio.com/177901
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
HRDAG's executive director Megan Price teamed up with CAT Lab Founder @natematias.bsky.social to research how human participation can improve AI. Read our latest findings. hrdag.org/2025/11/17/n...
New Research Shows Community Engagement Improves the Validity and Reliability of Artificial Intelligence
Community involvement can improve the validity and reliability of artificial intelligence (AI), argue HRDAG Executive Director Dr. Megan Price and Citizens and Technology Lab founder Dr. J. Nathan Mat...
hrdag.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:38 PM
HRDAG's executive director Megan Price teamed up with CAT Lab Founder @natematias.bsky.social to research how human participation can improve AI. Read our latest findings. hrdag.org/2025/11/17/n...
Folks who care about social media research, data access, and data ethics issues should be sure to check out this new report on research use of data from high-reach individuals from @annalenhart.bsky.social Lenhart and Brandon Silverman.
iddp.gwu.edu/performing-a...
iddp.gwu.edu/performing-a...
Performing in Autonomy Theater | Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics (IDDP) | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University
Balancing the needs of social media researchers with perspectives of high profile figures.
iddp.gwu.edu
November 14, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Folks who care about social media research, data access, and data ethics issues should be sure to check out this new report on research use of data from high-reach individuals from @annalenhart.bsky.social Lenhart and Brandon Silverman.
iddp.gwu.edu/performing-a...
iddp.gwu.edu/performing-a...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
It's not just about content moderation, it's also the care executing it
An email saying you're banned vs one that also gives you reasons and details
An appeals option where you're shouting into the void vs one where you're heard
Showing an account is "deleted" when it's just temporarily suspended
An email saying you're banned vs one that also gives you reasons and details
An appeals option where you're shouting into the void vs one where you're heard
Showing an account is "deleted" when it's just temporarily suspended
November 14, 2025 at 6:03 PM
It's not just about content moderation, it's also the care executing it
An email saying you're banned vs one that also gives you reasons and details
An appeals option where you're shouting into the void vs one where you're heard
Showing an account is "deleted" when it's just temporarily suspended
An email saying you're banned vs one that also gives you reasons and details
An appeals option where you're shouting into the void vs one where you're heard
Showing an account is "deleted" when it's just temporarily suspended
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Hi Bluesky 👋
Small life update: I’m at the centre of a multimillion dollar lawsuit in Alberta launched by a failed candidate for Jason Kenney’s UCP
It may be the longest and most expensive media trial in Canadian history
I’m ready to go public about it and I want to share more details with you 🧵
Small life update: I’m at the centre of a multimillion dollar lawsuit in Alberta launched by a failed candidate for Jason Kenney’s UCP
It may be the longest and most expensive media trial in Canadian history
I’m ready to go public about it and I want to share more details with you 🧵
November 7, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Hi Bluesky 👋
Small life update: I’m at the centre of a multimillion dollar lawsuit in Alberta launched by a failed candidate for Jason Kenney’s UCP
It may be the longest and most expensive media trial in Canadian history
I’m ready to go public about it and I want to share more details with you 🧵
Small life update: I’m at the centre of a multimillion dollar lawsuit in Alberta launched by a failed candidate for Jason Kenney’s UCP
It may be the longest and most expensive media trial in Canadian history
I’m ready to go public about it and I want to share more details with you 🧵
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
This is appalling. There has to be a way to hold massive companies accountable for *knowingly* facilitating & profiting from criminal behavior. And yes, I understand the value of Section 230, but here we have a trillion $ company that profits by letting its users get scammed. Has to be a better way.
Over the years I have read A LOT of damning stories about what Meta executives were saying internally about serious harms on their platforms (most of them written by Reuters’ @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social ). His new story is a blockbuster:
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
sherwood.news/tech/meta-pr...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
sherwood.news/tech/meta-pr...
Meta projected 10% of 2024 revenue came from scams and banned goods, Reuters reports
The report shows that the company was hesitant to crack down harder on scams, due to the billions in revenue that they were generating for Meta....
sherwood.news
November 6, 2025 at 3:56 PM
This is appalling. There has to be a way to hold massive companies accountable for *knowingly* facilitating & profiting from criminal behavior. And yes, I understand the value of Section 230, but here we have a trillion $ company that profits by letting its users get scammed. Has to be a better way.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
A lot of people immediately dismiss this as a Gen AI slop but its more than that. It's important to understand that where Grok failed and became MechaHitler because of alignment failures and reward hacking, Musk learned that he needed to align the data and reality itself rather than the model.
October 28, 2025 at 4:39 PM
A lot of people immediately dismiss this as a Gen AI slop but its more than that. It's important to understand that where Grok failed and became MechaHitler because of alignment failures and reward hacking, Musk learned that he needed to align the data and reality itself rather than the model.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
How can research on tech & society best support the public who democracy exists to serve?
I'm grateful to all for a conversation about what deep, long-term collaboration with the people of New York looks like, and to @sengonzalezny.bsky.social for challenging us to ground our work in community
I'm grateful to all for a conversation about what deep, long-term collaboration with the people of New York looks like, and to @sengonzalezny.bsky.social for challenging us to ground our work in community
Who's in the room when legislators make tech decisions? What makes communities visible? What makes science legible? Some highlights from CAT Lab @cornelluniversity.bsky.social Summit on NY State tech policy.
citizensandtech.org/2025/10/at-c...
w @eleag.bsky.social @natematias.bsky.social
citizensandtech.org/2025/10/at-c...
w @eleag.bsky.social @natematias.bsky.social
At CAT Lab Summit on New York State Tech Policy, a Call for Listening - Citizens and Technology Lab
For most of us, daily life depends on government data of one kind or another. Your payroll taxes (or unemployment check), the bus schedule, your property taxes or medical bills—all of these are genera...
citizensandtech.org
October 24, 2025 at 3:26 PM
How can research on tech & society best support the public who democracy exists to serve?
I'm grateful to all for a conversation about what deep, long-term collaboration with the people of New York looks like, and to @sengonzalezny.bsky.social for challenging us to ground our work in community
I'm grateful to all for a conversation about what deep, long-term collaboration with the people of New York looks like, and to @sengonzalezny.bsky.social for challenging us to ground our work in community
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
defend science and the rule of law.
HRDAG remains a nonpartisan, nonpolitical organization. Our mission is focused on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Today, we denounce violations of human rights occurring in the United States. hrdag.org/in-the-face-...
Today, we denounce violations of human rights occurring in the United States. hrdag.org/in-the-face-...
October 21, 2025 at 8:42 PM
defend science and the rule of law.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Sam Altman: "Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases."
I'd like to know what they've done to mitigate AI-induced psychosis, which I think is far more common that reported here.
I'd like to know what they've done to mitigate AI-induced psychosis, which I think is far more common that reported here.
Can AI chatbots trigger psychosis? What the science says
Chatbots can reinforce delusional beliefs, and, in rare cases, users have experienced psychotic episodes.
www.nature.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Sam Altman: "Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases."
I'd like to know what they've done to mitigate AI-induced psychosis, which I think is far more common that reported here.
I'd like to know what they've done to mitigate AI-induced psychosis, which I think is far more common that reported here.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
My friend Rivi drew a remarkable graphic narrative for Inside Higher Ed, in which she uses her illustrations to let six Chinese graduate students in the U.S. tell their stories of visa chaos, political fears, and uncertain futures.
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
Visa Chaos: A Graphic Narrative (opinion)
A graphic narrative written and drawn by Rivi Handler-Spitz.
www.insidehighered.com
September 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
My friend Rivi drew a remarkable graphic narrative for Inside Higher Ed, in which she uses her illustrations to let six Chinese graduate students in the U.S. tell their stories of visa chaos, political fears, and uncertain futures.
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
1/
I’m thrilled (and a little proud 🤗) to share my first single-authored publication!
It’s now out open access in Information, Communication & Society:
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/1369...
I’m thrilled (and a little proud 🤗) to share my first single-authored publication!
It’s now out open access in Information, Communication & Society:
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/1369...
Tackling (misleading) incivility online: a user-centric evaluation of different comment moderation strategies
Uncivil online comments, e.g., in the form of insults or misinformation, come with severe consequences for platforms, users, and democratic processes – making effective moderation essential. Howeve...
www.tandfonline.com
September 26, 2025 at 1:10 PM
1/
I’m thrilled (and a little proud 🤗) to share my first single-authored publication!
It’s now out open access in Information, Communication & Society:
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/1369...
I’m thrilled (and a little proud 🤗) to share my first single-authored publication!
It’s now out open access in Information, Communication & Society:
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/1369...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
i love ta-nehisi coates so much
September 28, 2025 at 5:01 PM
i love ta-nehisi coates so much
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Not the point of this piece exactly but a great example of how chatbot validation could increase polarization
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/w...
September 27, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Not the point of this piece exactly but a great example of how chatbot validation could increase polarization
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/w...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
I was introduced to Borsook's work in grad school and still cite it regularly as it remains relevant!
1/ A longtime Wired editor just wrote a mush-brained essay about how he totally missed the political rot of Silicon Valley (& still doesn't get it).
But in the late 1990s, a Wired journalist warned of a toxic ideology bubbling up from tech. Paulina Borsook has largely been erased. Let's change that
But in the late 1990s, a Wired journalist warned of a toxic ideology bubbling up from tech. Paulina Borsook has largely been erased. Let's change that
September 24, 2025 at 7:17 PM
I was introduced to Borsook's work in grad school and still cite it regularly as it remains relevant!