🌶 David Gray Widder
@davidthewid.bsky.social
🔜 Assistant Prof at UT Austin's iSchool.
AI ethics, political economy of tech, feminist STS
trying to help computer ppl think more critically about computer, including me
art: instagram.com/davidthewid
exCMU/NASA/MSR/IntelLabs.
davidwidder.me
AI ethics, political economy of tech, feminist STS
trying to help computer ppl think more critically about computer, including me
art: instagram.com/davidthewid
exCMU/NASA/MSR/IntelLabs.
davidwidder.me
Pinned
🪲 What is a "bug"? 🐛
Software bugs may seem obvious.
🚨But in a short piece, eminent bug expert @clegoues.bsky.social I seek to answer this seemingly simple question, and find that it is far from clear cut …
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Software bugs may seem obvious.
🚨But in a short piece, eminent bug expert @clegoues.bsky.social I seek to answer this seemingly simple question, and find that it is far from clear cut …
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
I honestly don’t get the value of this company. They hoover up energy and water. Their product constantly gets things wrong and, in extreme cases, coaches people into suicide.
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
“authors & publishers who filed a lawsuit against the Sam Altman-led firm have secured access to internal Slack messages… discussing the mass deletion of a pirated books dataset… A NY district court ordered OpenAI to hand over the communications regarding data deletion”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
OpenAI in Danger After Authors Suing It Gain Access to Its Internal Slack Messages
Authors and publishers, who are suing OpenAI, secured access to internal Slack messages and emails discussing the deletion of pirated books.
futurism.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:35 AM
I honestly don’t get the value of this company. They hoover up energy and water. Their product constantly gets things wrong and, in extreme cases, coaches people into suicide.
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
Meta earns $3.5 billion every six months from showing Faceboon and Instagram users 15 billion “higher legal risk” scam ad impressions a day, internal documents state.
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Meta earns $3.5 billion every six months from showing Faceboon and Instagram users 15 billion “higher legal risk” scam ad impressions a day, internal documents state.
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
also: this book is $20, but as this review states, worth much more.
great book exploring a marxist political economy of AI without jargon.
I plan to teach undergrads with this, and its also the first book I recommend when friends and family ask me how to think about AI.
great book exploring a marxist political economy of AI without jargon.
I plan to teach undergrads with this, and its also the first book I recommend when friends and family ask me how to think about AI.
The TL;DR (even though it’s a very short review): perhaps the first book to attempt a serious move towards an analysis of AI rooted in the logics of capital, indeed as a direct manifestation of capital — and then attempts to think towards futures on those same terms.
October 30, 2025 at 10:36 PM
also: this book is $20, but as this review states, worth much more.
great book exploring a marxist political economy of AI without jargon.
I plan to teach undergrads with this, and its also the first book I recommend when friends and family ask me how to think about AI.
great book exploring a marxist political economy of AI without jargon.
I plan to teach undergrads with this, and its also the first book I recommend when friends and family ask me how to think about AI.
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
📣 I am hiring a postdoc! aial.ie/hiring/postd...
applications from suitable candidates that are passionate about investigating the use of genAI in public service operations with the aim of keeping governments transparent and accountable are welcome
pls share with your networks
applications from suitable candidates that are passionate about investigating the use of genAI in public service operations with the aim of keeping governments transparent and accountable are welcome
pls share with your networks
October 30, 2025 at 7:51 PM
📣 I am hiring a postdoc! aial.ie/hiring/postd...
applications from suitable candidates that are passionate about investigating the use of genAI in public service operations with the aim of keeping governments transparent and accountable are welcome
pls share with your networks
applications from suitable candidates that are passionate about investigating the use of genAI in public service operations with the aim of keeping governments transparent and accountable are welcome
pls share with your networks
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
The TL;DR (even though it’s a very short review): perhaps the first book to attempt a serious move towards an analysis of AI rooted in the logics of capital, indeed as a direct manifestation of capital — and then attempts to think towards futures on those same terms.
October 30, 2025 at 10:21 PM
The TL;DR (even though it’s a very short review): perhaps the first book to attempt a serious move towards an analysis of AI rooted in the logics of capital, indeed as a direct manifestation of capital — and then attempts to think towards futures on those same terms.
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
In happier news: for Critical Inquiry, I reviewed @hagenblix.bsky.social and Ingeborg Glimmer’s WHY WE FEAR AI, which has just lately been catching some deserved hotness. 🔥 Read my take here: criticalinquiry.uchicago.edu/matthew_kirs...
Critical Inquiry
A journal of Art, Culture and Politics, Published by the University of Chicago
criticalinquiry.uchicago.edu
October 30, 2025 at 10:18 PM
In happier news: for Critical Inquiry, I reviewed @hagenblix.bsky.social and Ingeborg Glimmer’s WHY WE FEAR AI, which has just lately been catching some deserved hotness. 🔥 Read my take here: criticalinquiry.uchicago.edu/matthew_kirs...
CMU "expressive activity registration" policy hampers even simple student debates: the Campus Republicans and Campus Democrats had to register and pay $1000 for needless security, just to debate each other.
Required registration policies kill expression.
www.publicsource.org/cmu-expressi...
Required registration policies kill expression.
www.publicsource.org/cmu-expressi...
CMU made protesting on campus harder. A year later, even debate is difficult.
At CMU, “expressive activities” on campus of over 50 participants must register with the university. Some worry the policy is chilling campus speech.
www.publicsource.org
October 30, 2025 at 4:36 PM
CMU "expressive activity registration" policy hampers even simple student debates: the Campus Republicans and Campus Democrats had to register and pay $1000 for needless security, just to debate each other.
Required registration policies kill expression.
www.publicsource.org/cmu-expressi...
Required registration policies kill expression.
www.publicsource.org/cmu-expressi...
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
n the Netherlands, its election day. Because of the #Microsoft outage, however, parts of the train system are down, leaving thousands of citizens unable to plan their travel, buy tickets, or determine whether they could return to their hometowns in time for polls to close.
October 29, 2025 at 8:07 PM
n the Netherlands, its election day. Because of the #Microsoft outage, however, parts of the train system are down, leaving thousands of citizens unable to plan their travel, buy tickets, or determine whether they could return to their hometowns in time for polls to close.
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
Did economists paid my Microsoft apologize as well?
October 25, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Did economists paid my Microsoft apologize as well?
Had the pleasure to speak with @mariahollenhorst.bsky.social of Marketplace about AI Hype on NPR today: www.marketplace.org/story/2025/1...
Our full report on how Big Cloud is investing in AI startups is here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Our full report on how Big Cloud is investing in AI startups is here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Like it or not, we’re all living in the AI economy now
AI investment is driving the U.S. stock market to new highs. Ultimately, that could impact everyone.
www.marketplace.org
October 22, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Had the pleasure to speak with @mariahollenhorst.bsky.social of Marketplace about AI Hype on NPR today: www.marketplace.org/story/2025/1...
Our full report on how Big Cloud is investing in AI startups is here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Our full report on how Big Cloud is investing in AI startups is here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
Really excited to present one of the papers coming out of my PhD at the AI, Ethics and Society (AIES) conference tomorrow called "The ‘Wild West’ of Medicine: Exploring the Emergence of ‘Grassroots’ AI Governance in Radiology". Link here: ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AI.... Thread on the paper below 👇
View of The ‘Wild West’ of Medicine: Exploring the Emergence of ‘Grassroots’ AI Governance in Radiology
ojs.aaai.org
October 21, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Really excited to present one of the papers coming out of my PhD at the AI, Ethics and Society (AIES) conference tomorrow called "The ‘Wild West’ of Medicine: Exploring the Emergence of ‘Grassroots’ AI Governance in Radiology". Link here: ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AI.... Thread on the paper below 👇
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
We should be paying more attention. Nvidia's all over the headlines. But we should be paying a lot more attention to Big Cloud's land grab—especially as it's leading to what the researchers say are a host of new anticompetitive practices.
Their full paper here:
Their full paper here:
How Big Cloud becomes Bigger: Scrutinizing Google, Microsoft, and Amazon's investments
<div>
In an AI gold rush, those selling the proverbial pickaxes are surest to win: cloud companies provide scalable managed computational resources as a subscr
papers.ssrn.com
August 18, 2025 at 6:45 PM
We should be paying more attention. Nvidia's all over the headlines. But we should be paying a lot more attention to Big Cloud's land grab—especially as it's leading to what the researchers say are a host of new anticompetitive practices.
Their full paper here:
Their full paper here:
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
Important paper on ‘Big Cloud’ (Amazon, Google, Microsoft).
Big Cloud cos are prolific investors, much as largest venture capital firms. They create (financial, technical & contractual) dependency in start-ups, a form of vertical integration that escapes regulation.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Big Cloud cos are prolific investors, much as largest venture capital firms. They create (financial, technical & contractual) dependency in start-ups, a form of vertical integration that escapes regulation.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
How Big Cloud becomes Bigger: Scrutinizing Google, Microsoft, and Amazon's investments
<div>
In an AI gold rush, those selling the proverbial pickaxes are surest to win: cloud companies provide scalable managed computational resources as a subscr
papers.ssrn.com
August 16, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Important paper on ‘Big Cloud’ (Amazon, Google, Microsoft).
Big Cloud cos are prolific investors, much as largest venture capital firms. They create (financial, technical & contractual) dependency in start-ups, a form of vertical integration that escapes regulation.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Big Cloud cos are prolific investors, much as largest venture capital firms. They create (financial, technical & contractual) dependency in start-ups, a form of vertical integration that escapes regulation.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
💫 "In this report, we explore an underrecognized manner in which AI ecosystems increasingly depend on Big Cloud: Big Cloud’s investment in other companies." @ssrn.bsky.social @davidthewid.bsky.social buff.ly/AdcJjoM
papers.ssrn.com
August 21, 2025 at 11:01 AM
💫 "In this report, we explore an underrecognized manner in which AI ecosystems increasingly depend on Big Cloud: Big Cloud’s investment in other companies." @ssrn.bsky.social @davidthewid.bsky.social buff.ly/AdcJjoM
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
“The Purdue student newspaper owns its own presses” is the sound of engines revving
Purdue to the rescue of IU student newspaper, whose institution was attempting censorship. Details in alt!
October 18, 2025 at 10:32 PM
“The Purdue student newspaper owns its own presses” is the sound of engines revving
more cool people in our D&S family :)
📣 Please join us in welcoming our ten new affiliates: Kiara Childs, Mar Hicks, Harry Hudome, Shannon Mattern, Joan Mukogosi, Miliaku Nwabueze, Marie-Therese Png, Jess Reia, Melinda Sebastian, & Émile P. Torres. We're excited to work with and learn from them! datasociety.net/announcement...
October 17, 2025 at 7:22 PM
more cool people in our D&S family :)
October 13, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
Second main takeaway:
2️⃣➤ Each investment may be insignificant, but cumulatively they shape tech ecosystems in Big Cloud’s interest.
Thus, beyond scrutinizing only the big deals (eg, MSFT-OpenAI), we must track these investments and their effects in an ecosystem-wide, cumulative, & ongoing manner.
2️⃣➤ Each investment may be insignificant, but cumulatively they shape tech ecosystems in Big Cloud’s interest.
Thus, beyond scrutinizing only the big deals (eg, MSFT-OpenAI), we must track these investments and their effects in an ecosystem-wide, cumulative, & ongoing manner.
August 6, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Second main takeaway:
2️⃣➤ Each investment may be insignificant, but cumulatively they shape tech ecosystems in Big Cloud’s interest.
Thus, beyond scrutinizing only the big deals (eg, MSFT-OpenAI), we must track these investments and their effects in an ecosystem-wide, cumulative, & ongoing manner.
2️⃣➤ Each investment may be insignificant, but cumulatively they shape tech ecosystems in Big Cloud’s interest.
Thus, beyond scrutinizing only the big deals (eg, MSFT-OpenAI), we must track these investments and their effects in an ecosystem-wide, cumulative, & ongoing manner.
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
First main takeaway:
1️⃣➤ Dependence on Big Cloud is not just technical or contractual. It is also 💸 *financial* 💸
Structural separation is needed: Big Cloud must divest their cloud businesses, so they don’t both provide infra AND compete with customers *and investees* which rely on that infra.
1️⃣➤ Dependence on Big Cloud is not just technical or contractual. It is also 💸 *financial* 💸
Structural separation is needed: Big Cloud must divest their cloud businesses, so they don’t both provide infra AND compete with customers *and investees* which rely on that infra.
August 6, 2025 at 2:40 PM
First main takeaway:
1️⃣➤ Dependence on Big Cloud is not just technical or contractual. It is also 💸 *financial* 💸
Structural separation is needed: Big Cloud must divest their cloud businesses, so they don’t both provide infra AND compete with customers *and investees* which rely on that infra.
1️⃣➤ Dependence on Big Cloud is not just technical or contractual. It is also 💸 *financial* 💸
Structural separation is needed: Big Cloud must divest their cloud businesses, so they don’t both provide infra AND compete with customers *and investees* which rely on that infra.
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
Finally, fully *half* of all Big Cloud investments are made internationally, and each has their target countries.
Interestingly, Big Cloud invests primarily through accelerators abroad while prioritizing traditional equity investments at home.
Interestingly, Big Cloud invests primarily through accelerators abroad while prioritizing traditional equity investments at home.
August 6, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Finally, fully *half* of all Big Cloud investments are made internationally, and each has their target countries.
Interestingly, Big Cloud invests primarily through accelerators abroad while prioritizing traditional equity investments at home.
Interestingly, Big Cloud invests primarily through accelerators abroad while prioritizing traditional equity investments at home.
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
Big Cloud is also *investing* in a way that brings much of the same risks as vertical integration, which competition authorities watch for.
And startups operating in the AI supply chain *more likely to rely on Big Cloud as their lead or sole investor* when they invest vs other investors:
And startups operating in the AI supply chain *more likely to rely on Big Cloud as their lead or sole investor* when they invest vs other investors:
August 6, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Big Cloud is also *investing* in a way that brings much of the same risks as vertical integration, which competition authorities watch for.
And startups operating in the AI supply chain *more likely to rely on Big Cloud as their lead or sole investor* when they invest vs other investors:
And startups operating in the AI supply chain *more likely to rely on Big Cloud as their lead or sole investor* when they invest vs other investors:
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
Big Cloud invests heavily through accelerator programs, locking in startups early:
• They offer *massive cloud credits* that smaller cloud companies can’t compete with
• Capture ecosystems by pushing startups to use their other tech
• Incentivizes compute-heavy tech, such as building Gen AI.
• They offer *massive cloud credits* that smaller cloud companies can’t compete with
• Capture ecosystems by pushing startups to use their other tech
• Incentivizes compute-heavy tech, such as building Gen AI.
August 6, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Big Cloud invests heavily through accelerator programs, locking in startups early:
• They offer *massive cloud credits* that smaller cloud companies can’t compete with
• Capture ecosystems by pushing startups to use their other tech
• Incentivizes compute-heavy tech, such as building Gen AI.
• They offer *massive cloud credits* that smaller cloud companies can’t compete with
• Capture ecosystems by pushing startups to use their other tech
• Incentivizes compute-heavy tech, such as building Gen AI.
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
We might remember Microsoft's huge investment in OpenAI, but this was just the tip of a massive hidden iceberg🥶:
Big Cloud deploys *hundreds of billions* over *thousands of deals*, often in smaller, lesser-known startups.
They invest like VCs — and *100x more* than other Big Tech companies.
Big Cloud deploys *hundreds of billions* over *thousands of deals*, often in smaller, lesser-known startups.
They invest like VCs — and *100x more* than other Big Tech companies.
August 6, 2025 at 2:40 PM
We might remember Microsoft's huge investment in OpenAI, but this was just the tip of a massive hidden iceberg🥶:
Big Cloud deploys *hundreds of billions* over *thousands of deals*, often in smaller, lesser-known startups.
They invest like VCs — and *100x more* than other Big Tech companies.
Big Cloud deploys *hundreds of billions* over *thousands of deals*, often in smaller, lesser-known startups.
They invest like VCs — and *100x more* than other Big Tech companies.
Reposted by 🌶 David Gray Widder
📣🚨NEW: ☁️ Big Cloud—Google, Microsoft & Amazon—control two thirds of the cloud compute market. They’re getting rich off the AI gold rush.
In new work with @nathanckim.bsky.social, we show how Big Cloud is expanding their empire by scrutinizing their *investments*… 🧵
📄PDF: dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn...
In new work with @nathanckim.bsky.social, we show how Big Cloud is expanding their empire by scrutinizing their *investments*… 🧵
📄PDF: dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn...
August 6, 2025 at 2:40 PM
📣🚨NEW: ☁️ Big Cloud—Google, Microsoft & Amazon—control two thirds of the cloud compute market. They’re getting rich off the AI gold rush.
In new work with @nathanckim.bsky.social, we show how Big Cloud is expanding their empire by scrutinizing their *investments*… 🧵
📄PDF: dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn...
In new work with @nathanckim.bsky.social, we show how Big Cloud is expanding their empire by scrutinizing their *investments*… 🧵
📄PDF: dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn...