Brian Maass
@brianmaass.com
Librarian, maker, tech enthusiast, design thinker...I'm trying...
Proud to support research data efforts at a great academic medical center
Proud to support research data efforts at a great academic medical center
Reposted by Brian Maass
"In our work, we found that none of the tested language models were ready for deployment in direct patient care."
#medlibs
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#medlibs
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reliability of LLMs as medical assistants for the general public: a randomized preregistered study - Nature Medicine
In a randomized controlled study involving 1,298 participants from a general sample, performance of humans when assisted by a large language model (LLM) was sensibly inferior to that of the LLM alone ...
www.nature.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:15 PM
"In our work, we found that none of the tested language models were ready for deployment in direct patient care."
#medlibs
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#medlibs
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Brian Maass
Whatever the productivity gains promised by LLMs, they result in heavier workloads—and that leads to workers experiencing “cognitive fatigue, burnout, and weakened decision-making.”
All this from the notoriously pro-worker rag [checks notes] Harvard Business Review: hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
All this from the notoriously pro-worker rag [checks notes] Harvard Business Review: hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It
One of the promises of AI is that it can reduce workloads so employees can focus more on higher-value and more engaging tasks. But according to new research, AI tools don’t reduce work, they consisten...
hbr.org
February 9, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Whatever the productivity gains promised by LLMs, they result in heavier workloads—and that leads to workers experiencing “cognitive fatigue, burnout, and weakened decision-making.”
All this from the notoriously pro-worker rag [checks notes] Harvard Business Review: hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
All this from the notoriously pro-worker rag [checks notes] Harvard Business Review: hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
Reposted by Brian Maass
When AI was added to a tool for sinus surgery: “Cerebrospinal fluid leaked from one patient’s nose. In another… a surgeon mistakenly punctured the base of a patient’s skull. In two other cases, patients suffered strokes after a major artery was accidentally injured”
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
As AI enters the operating room, reports arise of botched surgeries and misidentified body parts
Medical device makers have been rushing to add AI to their products. While proponents say the new technology will revolutionize medicine, regulators are receiving a rising number of claims of patient ...
www.reuters.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:42 PM
When AI was added to a tool for sinus surgery: “Cerebrospinal fluid leaked from one patient’s nose. In another… a surgeon mistakenly punctured the base of a patient’s skull. In two other cases, patients suffered strokes after a major artery was accidentally injured”
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Reposted by Brian Maass
The devil doesn't need any more advocates, but also: do you see the dehumanization in the move you made there?
We don't "sample", we interact. Language is fundamentally social and reducing people to their "output" is the basic problematic move of the AI boosters.
We don't "sample", we interact. Language is fundamentally social and reducing people to their "output" is the basic problematic move of the AI boosters.
February 7, 2026 at 4:01 PM
The devil doesn't need any more advocates, but also: do you see the dehumanization in the move you made there?
We don't "sample", we interact. Language is fundamentally social and reducing people to their "output" is the basic problematic move of the AI boosters.
We don't "sample", we interact. Language is fundamentally social and reducing people to their "output" is the basic problematic move of the AI boosters.
Reposted by Brian Maass
Would be interesting to compare the results on more recent models - but this problem won’t go away. LLMs are always going to be extrapolating from what has already, and often, been thought, which is why they aren’t windows to the future but anchors to the past.
Neat demonstration of how artificial so-called intelligence is taking us backwards.
"ChatGPT produced content most consistent with the 1960s and DALL-E 3 in the late 1980s and early '90s."
#AI - see @shannonvallor.bsky.social's work for important thinking on this
phys.org/news/2026-02...
"ChatGPT produced content most consistent with the 1960s and DALL-E 3 in the late 1980s and early '90s."
#AI - see @shannonvallor.bsky.social's work for important thinking on this
phys.org/news/2026-02...
New study uses Neanderthals to demonstrate gap between generative AI and scholarly knowledge
Technological advances over the past four decades have turned mobile devices and computers into the world's largest library, where information is just a tap away. Phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatche...
phys.org
February 7, 2026 at 11:55 AM
Would be interesting to compare the results on more recent models - but this problem won’t go away. LLMs are always going to be extrapolating from what has already, and often, been thought, which is why they aren’t windows to the future but anchors to the past.
Reposted by Brian Maass
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Brian Maass
A great thread on AI-driven epistemic contamination
Academic publishing is currently experiencing a viral spread of “zombie citations.” I tried following one to see how these references are infecting academic knowledge systems codeactsineducation.wordpress.com/2026/01/30/t...
Tracing the social half-life of a zombie citation
Photo by Henrik L. on Unsplash Academic publishing is currently experiencing a viral spread of “zombie citations.” This term refers to references of academic publications that do not ex…
codeactsineducation.wordpress.com
January 31, 2026 at 2:12 PM
A great thread on AI-driven epistemic contamination
Reposted by Brian Maass
tl;dr: Ghost in the Machine is a rich, historically grounded, well-researched exploration of what is going on in the name of "AI". It presents a lot of information, but also gives you time to sit with it, and ultimately leaves viewers better informed.
bsky.app/profile/emil...
>>
bsky.app/profile/emil...
>>
The film is of this moment because it situates the narrative being pushed by the AI bros in its both its historical (see upthread) and present context -- the latter being coverage of environmental damage and the exploitative labor practices behind "AI".
>>
>>
January 28, 2026 at 10:51 PM
tl;dr: Ghost in the Machine is a rich, historically grounded, well-researched exploration of what is going on in the name of "AI". It presents a lot of information, but also gives you time to sit with it, and ultimately leaves viewers better informed.
bsky.app/profile/emil...
>>
bsky.app/profile/emil...
>>
What even is this? Again, I know I am overly-invested in journalism principles due to some outstanding professors on my path-not-taken. But i can't express how much this gets under my skin.
Absolutely incredible sequence from CNN.
"Maduro was a paranoid lunatic always lying about the CIA trying to overthrow him. Anyways, now that the CIA has overthrown him..."
"Maduro was a paranoid lunatic always lying about the CIA trying to overthrow him. Anyways, now that the CIA has overthrown him..."
January 28, 2026 at 5:11 PM
What even is this? Again, I know I am overly-invested in journalism principles due to some outstanding professors on my path-not-taken. But i can't express how much this gets under my skin.
Reposted by Brian Maass
I hope all the AI boosters understand that they’re training their kids that only chumps do things the hard way—by working diligently and going through the discomfort and hassle of learning and acquiring skills.
And also teaching them that a 30% error rate is good enough.
And also teaching them that a 30% error rate is good enough.
January 27, 2026 at 11:31 AM
I hope all the AI boosters understand that they’re training their kids that only chumps do things the hard way—by working diligently and going through the discomfort and hassle of learning and acquiring skills.
And also teaching them that a 30% error rate is good enough.
And also teaching them that a 30% error rate is good enough.
Reposted by Brian Maass
Okay I think I've mapped out ICE politics as of Monday night
January 27, 2026 at 2:47 AM
Okay I think I've mapped out ICE politics as of Monday night
Reposted by Brian Maass
By my friend, the amazing cartoonist @mikedawson.bsky.social
Part of a longer story. You need to follow him.
Part of a longer story. You need to follow him.
January 26, 2026 at 4:23 PM
By my friend, the amazing cartoonist @mikedawson.bsky.social
Part of a longer story. You need to follow him.
Part of a longer story. You need to follow him.
Reposted by Brian Maass
A reminder to the news media: “conflicting accounts” is what you say BEFORE the incontrovertible video evidence appears. After that, your job is to ask why one side is lying, not to repeat the lie and pretend no one knows the truth.
January 25, 2026 at 12:28 PM
A reminder to the news media: “conflicting accounts” is what you say BEFORE the incontrovertible video evidence appears. After that, your job is to ask why one side is lying, not to repeat the lie and pretend no one knows the truth.
Reposted by Brian Maass
I know lots of people are saying some version of this, but I have to add: how the actual fuck are the Dems managing to fumble their opponents terrorizing citizens, shitting all over NATO, and protecting the Epstein pedos? Neoliberalism + the political consultant class needs to gooooo
January 20, 2026 at 3:53 AM
I know lots of people are saying some version of this, but I have to add: how the actual fuck are the Dems managing to fumble their opponents terrorizing citizens, shitting all over NATO, and protecting the Epstein pedos? Neoliberalism + the political consultant class needs to gooooo
Reposted by Brian Maass
"No peaceful demonstrator should ever be killed for standing up to their government. Unless, of course, they’re a suburban mom in an SUV that’s driving away from law enforcement."
We Support Protesting Against Any Authoritarian Government Except Our Own
"President Trump called on Iranians on Tuesday to keep protesting against their government and warned that those responsible for killing demonstrat...
buff.ly
January 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM
"No peaceful demonstrator should ever be killed for standing up to their government. Unless, of course, they’re a suburban mom in an SUV that’s driving away from law enforcement."
Reposted by Brian Maass
The message from the White House this morning is that, once again, it falls on ordinary American citizens to remain calm and professional when dealing with the heavily armed agents of the government because they are very emotional and might fly off into a murderous rage at the slightest insult.
January 11, 2026 at 3:19 PM
The message from the White House this morning is that, once again, it falls on ordinary American citizens to remain calm and professional when dealing with the heavily armed agents of the government because they are very emotional and might fly off into a murderous rage at the slightest insult.
Reposted by Brian Maass
Every word here is a lie except “and” and “the.”
First things first. The call must be for this woman and Greg Bovino who was on the scene today to IMMEDIATELY RESIGN.
First things first. The call must be for this woman and Greg Bovino who was on the scene today to IMMEDIATELY RESIGN.
January 8, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Every word here is a lie except “and” and “the.”
First things first. The call must be for this woman and Greg Bovino who was on the scene today to IMMEDIATELY RESIGN.
First things first. The call must be for this woman and Greg Bovino who was on the scene today to IMMEDIATELY RESIGN.
Reposted by Brian Maass
google points at reddit as first result
opens reddit thread
responses are complaining that OP didn't just google it
the cycle begins anew
opens reddit thread
responses are complaining that OP didn't just google it
the cycle begins anew
January 5, 2026 at 12:16 AM
google points at reddit as first result
opens reddit thread
responses are complaining that OP didn't just google it
the cycle begins anew
opens reddit thread
responses are complaining that OP didn't just google it
the cycle begins anew
Reposted by Brian Maass
i want to stress again that every time i try to explain this shit to normal people i sound like i have to be institutionalized
January 5, 2026 at 12:16 AM
i want to stress again that every time i try to explain this shit to normal people i sound like i have to be institutionalized
Reposted by Brian Maass
Getting IRB approval for the survey took 6 months, not because the IRB was concerned with any harm to humans, but because they were worried if we told people the names of the data brokers selling their data, the data brokers might [baselessly] sue the university.
4/
4/
January 3, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Getting IRB approval for the survey took 6 months, not because the IRB was concerned with any harm to humans, but because they were worried if we told people the names of the data brokers selling their data, the data brokers might [baselessly] sue the university.
4/
4/
Reposted by Brian Maass
Nebraskans love their rugged individualism
January 3, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Nebraskans love their rugged individualism
Reposted by Brian Maass
pound for pound this might be the funniest thing ever written
December 31, 2025 at 6:15 PM
pound for pound this might be the funniest thing ever written
Reposted by Brian Maass
Not to put too fine a point on it but the *reason* there are people who continue to mask is because we collectively have not taken steps to install better ventilation and technology across the board (in buildings, on public transit, etc) to clean the air of harmful airborne pathogens (incl measles!)
December 30, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Not to put too fine a point on it but the *reason* there are people who continue to mask is because we collectively have not taken steps to install better ventilation and technology across the board (in buildings, on public transit, etc) to clean the air of harmful airborne pathogens (incl measles!)