ana valdivia
@anavaldi.bsky.social
Lecturer in AI, Government & Policy at the OII (University of Oxford) | Associate Editor at Big Data & Society | Investigating algorithmic accountability | Writing a book on the Materiality of AI
https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/ana-valdivia
https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/ana-valdivia
Reposted by ana valdivia
Really good, short, LRB blog by @michaelchessum.bsky.social abt the rise of the Greens...
Spoiler - his conclusion -
"For more than a hundred years, the Labour Party has had a monopoly on political representation on the British left. That is now breaking down."
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/oc...
Spoiler - his conclusion -
"For more than a hundred years, the Labour Party has had a monopoly on political representation on the British left. That is now breaking down."
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/oc...
Michael Chessum | Green New Left
As Starmer drove Labour to the right, the Greens argued for a wealth tax and against the genocide in Gaza. Zack Polanski...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Really good, short, LRB blog by @michaelchessum.bsky.social abt the rise of the Greens...
Spoiler - his conclusion -
"For more than a hundred years, the Labour Party has had a monopoly on political representation on the British left. That is now breaking down."
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/oc...
Spoiler - his conclusion -
"For more than a hundred years, the Labour Party has had a monopoly on political representation on the British left. That is now breaking down."
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/oc...
Reposted by ana valdivia
Matthew Gandy (@cam.ac.uk) will present on “Attentive Observation: Walking, Listening, Staying Put” tonight at 18:00 as part of the interdisciplinary lecture series “On Environment.”
Find out more: www.carsoncenter.uni-muenchen.de/events_conf_...
#lectureseries #rccevents #envhum #envhist
Find out more: www.carsoncenter.uni-muenchen.de/events_conf_...
#lectureseries #rccevents #envhum #envhist
November 5, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Matthew Gandy (@cam.ac.uk) will present on “Attentive Observation: Walking, Listening, Staying Put” tonight at 18:00 as part of the interdisciplinary lecture series “On Environment.”
Find out more: www.carsoncenter.uni-muenchen.de/events_conf_...
#lectureseries #rccevents #envhum #envhist
Find out more: www.carsoncenter.uni-muenchen.de/events_conf_...
#lectureseries #rccevents #envhum #envhist
Reposted by ana valdivia
Our paper on clusters of schools across the UK is out.
We find five clusters: multi-racial & super-diverse middle & working-class schools of towns & cities, suburban white middle class schools, established elite schools & (post-)industrial white working class schools.
doi.org/10.1002/berj...
We find five clusters: multi-racial & super-diverse middle & working-class schools of towns & cities, suburban white middle class schools, established elite schools & (post-)industrial white working class schools.
doi.org/10.1002/berj...
August 5, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Our paper on clusters of schools across the UK is out.
We find five clusters: multi-racial & super-diverse middle & working-class schools of towns & cities, suburban white middle class schools, established elite schools & (post-)industrial white working class schools.
doi.org/10.1002/berj...
We find five clusters: multi-racial & super-diverse middle & working-class schools of towns & cities, suburban white middle class schools, established elite schools & (post-)industrial white working class schools.
doi.org/10.1002/berj...
Reposted by ana valdivia
Wim Vanderbauwhede: “You give an input and it ‘guesses’ the answer a user would want to get, based on the input and the data it was trained on. The ‘machines’ don’t think; they generate something plausible, something that seems acceptable.” apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Belgian AI scientists resist the use of AI in academia
Several AI scientists have published an open letter calling for a ban on AI use by students.
apache.be
October 24, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Wim Vanderbauwhede: “You give an input and it ‘guesses’ the answer a user would want to get, based on the input and the data it was trained on. The ‘machines’ don’t think; they generate something plausible, something that seems acceptable.” apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Reposted by ana valdivia
Reposted by ana valdivia
Who today is influencing science a la Big Tobacco or Oil and Gas?
In our new preprint we show how tech companies like Meta are capturing research on their product, using mechanisms that subtly (or not so subtly) shape what science gets produced
In our new preprint we show how tech companies like Meta are capturing research on their product, using mechanisms that subtly (or not so subtly) shape what science gets produced
October 24, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Who today is influencing science a la Big Tobacco or Oil and Gas?
In our new preprint we show how tech companies like Meta are capturing research on their product, using mechanisms that subtly (or not so subtly) shape what science gets produced
In our new preprint we show how tech companies like Meta are capturing research on their product, using mechanisms that subtly (or not so subtly) shape what science gets produced
Reposted by ana valdivia
It's perhaps pertinent to note that people in reply *don't believe* these numbers. Yet they are from a UKRI spreadsheet. So is UKRI wrong? Or are the numbers just unbelievably bad?
Given that people is asking me for the numbers, here the table provided by UKRI:
October 24, 2025 at 7:37 AM
It's perhaps pertinent to note that people in reply *don't believe* these numbers. Yet they are from a UKRI spreadsheet. So is UKRI wrong? Or are the numbers just unbelievably bad?
Reposted by ana valdivia
Last time I checked those were at roughly 5% success rate as per the AHRC website.
October 23, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Last time I checked those were at roughly 5% success rate as per the AHRC website.
Reposted by ana valdivia
But column two says "Year application received". This to me suggests that the success rate is "the probability that you would have been successful by Oct. 2025, given that you submitted in 2025", which is different from "the probability that you will be successful, given that you submitted in 2025"
October 23, 2025 at 2:10 PM
But column two says "Year application received". This to me suggests that the success rate is "the probability that you would have been successful by Oct. 2025, given that you submitted in 2025", which is different from "the probability that you will be successful, given that you submitted in 2025"
Reposted by ana valdivia
This is at a time when universities are turning more to grant capture as the primary currency for promotion etc (usually regardless of what you do with it)
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
October 23, 2025 at 12:01 PM
This is at a time when universities are turning more to grant capture as the primary currency for promotion etc (usually regardless of what you do with it)
Reposted by ana valdivia
CAIL = prerequisite knowledge for a critical perspective, such as to tell apart nonsense hype from true theoretical computer scientific claims. For example, the idea that human-like systems are a sensible or possible goal is the result of circular reasoning and anthropomorphism. olivia.science/ai
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October 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM
CAIL = prerequisite knowledge for a critical perspective, such as to tell apart nonsense hype from true theoretical computer scientific claims. For example, the idea that human-like systems are a sensible or possible goal is the result of circular reasoning and anthropomorphism. olivia.science/ai
🧵
🧵
Reposted by ana valdivia
Makes the ERC Starting Grants look very attainable in comparison (12.2% success rate for latest round)
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
October 23, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Makes the ERC Starting Grants look very attainable in comparison (12.2% success rate for latest round)
Reposted by ana valdivia
My performance (and employability, let alone promotability) is based on my ability to win these grants. Even if i did nothing but wrote them (+ all the networking & other prep work) I could easily go years - decades - without winning one, according to these stats.
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
October 23, 2025 at 11:57 AM
My performance (and employability, let alone promotability) is based on my ability to win these grants. Even if i did nothing but wrote them (+ all the networking & other prep work) I could easily go years - decades - without winning one, according to these stats.
Reposted by ana valdivia
1% for new investigator is particular obnoxious as it would seem to directly undermine the core aims of the scheme. You're not helping ECRs develop if you won't give any of them money to manage as PIs
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
October 23, 2025 at 12:10 PM
1% for new investigator is particular obnoxious as it would seem to directly undermine the core aims of the scheme. You're not helping ECRs develop if you won't give any of them money to manage as PIs
Reposted by ana valdivia
When a Microsoft data center opened next to the small Mexican town of La Esperanza, locals say electricity outages and water shortages grew severe. The local doctor rushed patients a half hour to the nearest hospital when blackouts cut off his oxygen concentrator. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...
From Mexico to Ireland, Fury Mounts Over a Global A.I. Frenzy
www.nytimes.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM
When a Microsoft data center opened next to the small Mexican town of La Esperanza, locals say electricity outages and water shortages grew severe. The local doctor rushed patients a half hour to the nearest hospital when blackouts cut off his oxygen concentrator. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...
Reposted by ana valdivia
📺 TV en DIRECTO | Sánchez pedirá a los Veintisiete fondos para viviendas protegidas y un mecanismo europeo para frenar la especulación: "Es la primera vez que el Consejo Europeo se va a hablar de la emergencia habitacional que vive toda Europa" tinyurl.com/2ad8we5s
October 23, 2025 at 8:46 AM
📺 TV en DIRECTO | Sánchez pedirá a los Veintisiete fondos para viviendas protegidas y un mecanismo europeo para frenar la especulación: "Es la primera vez que el Consejo Europeo se va a hablar de la emergencia habitacional que vive toda Europa" tinyurl.com/2ad8we5s
Reposted by ana valdivia
Thought provoking article by @nytimes.com highlighting the hidden cost of AI, its environmental impact and the consequences for local communities with commentary from @anavaldi.bsky.social @oii.ox.ac.uk.
When a Microsoft data center opened next to the small Mexican town of La Esperanza, locals say electricity outages and water shortages grew severe. The local doctor rushed patients a half hour to the nearest hospital when blackouts cut off his oxygen concentrator. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...
From Mexico to Ireland, Fury Mounts Over a Global A.I. Frenzy
www.nytimes.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Thought provoking article by @nytimes.com highlighting the hidden cost of AI, its environmental impact and the consequences for local communities with commentary from @anavaldi.bsky.social @oii.ox.ac.uk.
Reposted by ana valdivia
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
AI Surrogates and illusions of generalizability in cognitive science
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have generated enthusiasm for using AI simulations of human research participants to generate new know…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
Reposted by ana valdivia
Great article. The point is that, even if the sample is unrepresentative, it is larger at the bottom. This will impress reviewers, journalists and, of course, the university's department of communications. Also, AI is a tool that allows bypassing Ethics committes and thus speeds up research.
As we move from observing cognition in the world, to the lab, to computerized tasks, to online platforms, the targets of those observations are narrowed to cognition that is DEAD: Decontextualized, Engineered, Anonymized and Disembodied. 7/
October 22, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Great article. The point is that, even if the sample is unrepresentative, it is larger at the bottom. This will impress reviewers, journalists and, of course, the university's department of communications. Also, AI is a tool that allows bypassing Ethics committes and thus speeds up research.
Reposted by ana valdivia
Wow. Harvard nuking its PhD programs
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles | News | The Harvard Crimson
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for th...
www.thecrimson.com
October 21, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Wow. Harvard nuking its PhD programs
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
- Science PhD admissions reduced by more than 75%
- Arts & Humanities reduced by about 60%
- Social Sciences by 50–70%
- History by 60%
- Biology by 75%
- The German department will lose all PhD seats
- Sociology from six PhD students to zero
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
October 22, 2025 at 7:55 AM
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
Very glad to see this piece by the @nytimes.com on data center struggles from Mexico to Ireland:
"Government support worldwide has helped tech firms build with little accountability, said Ana Valdivia, an Oxford University lecturer studying data center development."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...
"Government support worldwide has helped tech firms build with little accountability, said Ana Valdivia, an Oxford University lecturer studying data center development."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...
From Mexico to Ireland, Fury Mounts Over a Global A.I. Frenzy
www.nytimes.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Very glad to see this piece by the @nytimes.com on data center struggles from Mexico to Ireland:
"Government support worldwide has helped tech firms build with little accountability, said Ana Valdivia, an Oxford University lecturer studying data center development."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...
"Government support worldwide has helped tech firms build with little accountability, said Ana Valdivia, an Oxford University lecturer studying data center development."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/t...
Reposted by ana valdivia
#AcademicJob Assistant Professor in the Social Studies of Medicine joint between Departments of Sociology and History & Philosophy of Science at University of Cambridge. Apply by 17 November
#HPS #STS #Sociology #SocMed #HistMed #MedHum #MedAnth #MedEthics #PhilJobs
#HPS #STS #Sociology #SocMed #HistMed #MedHum #MedAnth #MedEthics #PhilJobs
A great job, application due November 17th. Please spread and help me with the right hashtags
Assistant Professor Social Studies of Medicine
This is a joint post 65% Sociology, 35% HPS. The Departments of Sociology and History and Philosophy of Science are looking to recruit an Assistant Professor in the Social Studies of Medicine in a
www.cam.ac.uk
October 20, 2025 at 9:14 AM
#AcademicJob Assistant Professor in the Social Studies of Medicine joint between Departments of Sociology and History & Philosophy of Science at University of Cambridge. Apply by 17 November
#HPS #STS #Sociology #SocMed #HistMed #MedHum #MedAnth #MedEthics #PhilJobs
#HPS #STS #Sociology #SocMed #HistMed #MedHum #MedAnth #MedEthics #PhilJobs
🌱 "There is a huge amount of carbon dioxide emissions and water use related to data centres that we often forget about because it is not a very visible thing," she said.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Scottish data centres powering AI already using enough water to fill 27 million bottles a year
The volume of tap water used by Scotland's data centres has quadrupled since 2021, figures show.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 16, 2025 at 8:38 AM
🌱 "There is a huge amount of carbon dioxide emissions and water use related to data centres that we often forget about because it is not a very visible thing," she said.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Very glad to take part on "Humanities in Times of Geopolitical Turmoil" seminar series organised by @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social and @fabianlferrari.bsky.social.
📆 Follow the thing AI: 20/11/2025: 15:30 - 16:30
@oii.ox.ac.uk
cdh.uu.nl/event/cdh-on...
📆 Follow the thing AI: 20/11/2025: 15:30 - 16:30
@oii.ox.ac.uk
cdh.uu.nl/event/cdh-on...
October 15, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Very glad to take part on "Humanities in Times of Geopolitical Turmoil" seminar series organised by @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social and @fabianlferrari.bsky.social.
📆 Follow the thing AI: 20/11/2025: 15:30 - 16:30
@oii.ox.ac.uk
cdh.uu.nl/event/cdh-on...
📆 Follow the thing AI: 20/11/2025: 15:30 - 16:30
@oii.ox.ac.uk
cdh.uu.nl/event/cdh-on...