Dietram A. Scheufele
@dietram.bsky.social
i research and teach #scicomm, #healthcomm, #socialmedia, #openscience, #ai, #misinfo, and #polarization. http://linktr.ee/scheufele
"It’s all hallucination, but we only call it that when we notice it’s wrong. The problem is, large language models are so good at what they do that what they make up looks right most of the time."
#AI #hallucination #information #ecologies
#AI #hallucination #information #ecologies
Why does AI hallucinate?
The tendency to make things up is holding chatbots back. But that’s just what they do.
www.technologyreview.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:26 PM
"It’s all hallucination, but we only call it that when we notice it’s wrong. The problem is, large language models are so good at what they do that what they make up looks right most of the time."
#AI #hallucination #information #ecologies
#AI #hallucination #information #ecologies
“Trey and I are attracted to that like flies to honey,” Mr. Stone said. “Oh, that’s where the taboo is? Over there? OK, then we’re over there.”
‘South Park’ Takes On Trump and Wins Bigly
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:17 AM
“Trey and I are attracted to that like flies to honey,” Mr. Stone said. “Oh, that’s where the taboo is? Over there? OK, then we’re over there.”
Our 2017 @nationalacademies.org report on “Human Genome Editing: Science, Ethics, and Governance" (www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/hum...) was designed to prevent exactly this kind of rogue science. One of the many reasons why we need industry-independent regulatory frameworks for emerging tech …
Genetically Engineered Babies Are Banned. Tech Titans Are Trying to Make One Anyway.
Silicon Valley startups are pushing the boundaries of reproductive genetics, hoping to prevent diseases as well as improve chances for a high IQ and other traits.
www.wsj.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Our 2017 @nationalacademies.org report on “Human Genome Editing: Science, Ethics, and Governance" (www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/hum...) was designed to prevent exactly this kind of rogue science. One of the many reasons why we need industry-independent regulatory frameworks for emerging tech …
“Any class in 2025 that doesn’t use AI in some way, shape or form will do so within five years.”
Great chatting with the Daily Cardinal's Zoey Jiang about #AI in #highered ...
Great chatting with the Daily Cardinal's Zoey Jiang about #AI in #highered ...
‘A new era of learning’: Professors grapple with AI in the classroom
Professors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison use artificial intelligence in their classrooms to aid student learning. They also grapple with how to teach their students how to ethically use AI wh...
www.dailycardinal.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:21 PM
"Among those who favor more nuclear power, the most common reason why is that it is a clean or low-carbon way of producing energy."
Interesting new @pewresearch.org data on #nuclear #energy ...
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Interesting new @pewresearch.org data on #nuclear #energy ...
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
October 31, 2025 at 5:56 PM
"Among those who favor more nuclear power, the most common reason why is that it is a clean or low-carbon way of producing energy."
Interesting new @pewresearch.org data on #nuclear #energy ...
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Interesting new @pewresearch.org data on #nuclear #energy ...
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
“Don't protest and don't trespass."
The slogan that kicked off the Boston Tea Party …
The slogan that kicked off the Boston Tea Party …
Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino says agents' use of force in Chicago "has been exemplary"
"If someone strays into a pepper ball, that's on them," CBP Chief of Patrol Gregory Bovino told CBS News.
www.cbsnews.com
October 25, 2025 at 12:33 AM
“Don't protest and don't trespass."
The slogan that kicked off the Boston Tea Party …
The slogan that kicked off the Boston Tea Party …
Reposted by Dietram A. Scheufele
Let’s not be naive: We need to be very aware of industry influence in computational social science! Through control of data (and experiment) access the situation is even more problematic than in other industries, which makes the data access rights under DSA article 40 particular important!
1. We ( @jbakcoleman.bsky.social, @cailinmeister.bsky.social, @jevinwest.bsky.social, and I) have a new preprint up on the arXiv.
There we explore how social media companies and other online information technology firms are able to manipulate scientific research about the effects of their products.
There we explore how social media companies and other online information technology firms are able to manipulate scientific research about the effects of their products.
October 24, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Let’s not be naive: We need to be very aware of industry influence in computational social science! Through control of data (and experiment) access the situation is even more problematic than in other industries, which makes the data access rights under DSA article 40 particular important!
This nicely reinforces findings from our recent @pnas.org piece in which we argue “that industry players like Meta make significant investments into long-term research streams … to absolve their platforms of responsibility for adverse effects on society or individuals.”
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
October 24, 2025 at 2:58 AM
This nicely reinforces findings from our recent @pnas.org piece in which we argue “that industry players like Meta make significant investments into long-term research streams … to absolve their platforms of responsibility for adverse effects on society or individuals.”
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
We warned against "political hijacking" of #openscience back in 2021 (academic.oup.com/joc/article/...). As @lewan.bsky.social's diagnosis in @science.org shows, ignoring the scholarship in this space for almost five years creates serious vulnerabilities for science and the societies it serves.
Trojan gold: New US “standard” is another veiled attack on science
Transparency, reproducibility, and acknowledging uncertainty are meritorious attributes of science that differentiate it from other human endeavors, such as politics. But they can also be subverted. I...
www.science.org
October 20, 2025 at 11:38 PM
We warned against "political hijacking" of #openscience back in 2021 (academic.oup.com/joc/article/...). As @lewan.bsky.social's diagnosis in @science.org shows, ignoring the scholarship in this space for almost five years creates serious vulnerabilities for science and the societies it serves.
Two-thirds of Democrats and four in five Republicans say that "the higher education system in the U.S. is generally going in the wrong direction."
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
#highered #scipol
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
#highered #scipol
October 18, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Two-thirds of Democrats and four in five Republicans say that "the higher education system in the U.S. is generally going in the wrong direction."
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
#highered #scipol
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
#highered #scipol
“[M]any students graduate without having benefited from talking very much with their teachers and peers, and they stay stuck in ideological bubbles, unwilling or unable to engage with challenging ideas.”
Harvard Students Skip Class and Still Get High Grades, Faculty Say
www.nytimes.com
October 11, 2025 at 11:47 PM
“[M]any students graduate without having benefited from talking very much with their teachers and peers, and they stay stuck in ideological bubbles, unwilling or unable to engage with challenging ideas.”
"[F]ederal judges called the Supreme Court’s emergency orders “mystical,” “overly blunt,” “incredibly demoralizing and troubling” and “a slap in the face to the district courts”."
Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders
www.nytimes.com
October 11, 2025 at 11:18 PM
"[F]ederal judges called the Supreme Court’s emergency orders “mystical,” “overly blunt,” “incredibly demoralizing and troubling” and “a slap in the face to the district courts”."
"At ASU, we currently have about 18,000 international student visas ... For Arizona, this has resulted in more than $160 billion in foreign direct investment ... No American student loses his seat to an international student—ASU admits every qualified student who applies."
Opinion | Foreign Students Help Make America Great
Trump has recognized this repeatedly, but some of his policies risk hindering American innovation.
www.wsj.com
September 29, 2025 at 12:18 AM
"At ASU, we currently have about 18,000 international student visas ... For Arizona, this has resulted in more than $160 billion in foreign direct investment ... No American student loses his seat to an international student—ASU admits every qualified student who applies."
Reposted by Dietram A. Scheufele
#Disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, but research on #DisasterManagement remains limited and siloed.
A recent @IssuesInST.bsky.social piece advocates for researchers to work together to develop a unified U.S. #DisasterResearch strategy: buff.ly/KLvNNgz
A recent @IssuesInST.bsky.social piece advocates for researchers to work together to develop a unified U.S. #DisasterResearch strategy: buff.ly/KLvNNgz
September 29, 2025 at 12:00 AM
#Disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, but research on #DisasterManagement remains limited and siloed.
A recent @IssuesInST.bsky.social piece advocates for researchers to work together to develop a unified U.S. #DisasterResearch strategy: buff.ly/KLvNNgz
A recent @IssuesInST.bsky.social piece advocates for researchers to work together to develop a unified U.S. #DisasterResearch strategy: buff.ly/KLvNNgz
“Brains, treated with the same urgency, may prove a better longer-term investment.“
How to spot a genius
In an age of artificial intelligence, the human kind is increasingly important
economist.com
September 25, 2025 at 2:33 AM
“Brains, treated with the same urgency, may prove a better longer-term investment.“
Long day, filled with very productive (Board of Trustees) meetings at the @klaus-tschira-stiftung.de and catching the closing ceremony of the @hlforum.bsky.social.
September 19, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Long day, filled with very productive (Board of Trustees) meetings at the @klaus-tschira-stiftung.de and catching the closing ceremony of the @hlforum.bsky.social.
Reposted by Dietram A. Scheufele
Report: You To Be Fired For Reading This Headline About Charlie Kirk
Report: You To Be Fired For Reading This Headline About Charlie Kirk
NEW YORK—Insisting your fate was sealed the moment you clicked the link, a report released Tuesday found that you will be fired for reading this headline about Charlie Kirk. “Shortly after you navigat...
theonion.com
September 18, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Report: You To Be Fired For Reading This Headline About Charlie Kirk
“There's a 25% chance that the future of #AI will go "really, really badly".”
Amodei on AI: "There's a 25% chance that things go really, really badly"
Amodei gave the percentage after being asked his "(p)doom number."
www.axios.com
September 17, 2025 at 10:36 PM
“There's a 25% chance that the future of #AI will go "really, really badly".”
“Meta proposed … [that] [r]esearchers could also write about their findings more vaguely, avoiding terms like “not compliant” or “illegal.””
Another reason why Meta forcing arrangements to have their employees as co-authors on academic publications is so deeply troubling.
Another reason why Meta forcing arrangements to have their employees as co-authors on academic publications is so deeply troubling.
Meta suppressed children's safety research, 4 whistleblowers claim | TechCrunch
Four whistleblowers share documents with Congress alleging that the company may have suppressed research on children's safety.
techcrunch.com
September 10, 2025 at 2:56 PM
“Meta proposed … [that] [r]esearchers could also write about their findings more vaguely, avoiding terms like “not compliant” or “illegal.””
Another reason why Meta forcing arrangements to have their employees as co-authors on academic publications is so deeply troubling.
Another reason why Meta forcing arrangements to have their employees as co-authors on academic publications is so deeply troubling.
"Acceptance of the scientific consensus was very high in the sample as a whole (95.1%), but also in every sub-sample (e.g. no trust in science: 87.3%) ... [P]eople are motivated to reject specific scientific beliefs, and not science as a whole."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
September 3, 2025 at 8:13 PM
"Acceptance of the scientific consensus was very high in the sample as a whole (95.1%), but also in every sub-sample (e.g. no trust in science: 87.3%) ... [P]eople are motivated to reject specific scientific beliefs, and not science as a whole."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
"Many researchers and educators lack the critical AI tools and resources to investigate fundamental #AI questions and train students."
NSF announces funding to establish the National AI Research Resource Operations Center
The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced a new solicitation to establish a National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Operations Center (NAIRR-OC). This marks a critical...
www.nsf.gov
September 3, 2025 at 7:31 PM
"Many researchers and educators lack the critical AI tools and resources to investigate fundamental #AI questions and train students."
“Have you ever pretended to hold more progressive views than you truly endorse to succeed socially or academically? An astounding 88 percent said yes.”
thehill.com
August 22, 2025 at 12:52 AM
“Have you ever pretended to hold more progressive views than you truly endorse to succeed socially or academically? An astounding 88 percent said yes.”
Grateful to the Responsible AI Initiative for allowing me to spend time with them this fall. And looking forward to conversations and collaborations with @utah.edu colleagues about innovating responsibly in this deeply disruptive space.
How is AI reshaping our information landscape—& what does it mean for democracy, science, & public trust? Join us Aug. 20 to hear from distinguished visitor @dietram.bsky.social on how industry & academia can work together to prepare society for AI's impacts.
Details: rai.utah.edu/distinguishe...
Details: rai.utah.edu/distinguishe...
August 12, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Grateful to the Responsible AI Initiative for allowing me to spend time with them this fall. And looking forward to conversations and collaborations with @utah.edu colleagues about innovating responsibly in this deeply disruptive space.
"As a result, on September 30, 2025 this service and the associated software, the AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser, which are optimized for older operating systems and dial-up internet connections, will be discontinued."
Holy sh*t! 😜
Holy sh*t! 😜
Dial-up Internet to be discontinued
Learn about why dial up internet has been discontinued.
help.aol.com
August 11, 2025 at 8:11 PM
"As a result, on September 30, 2025 this service and the associated software, the AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser, which are optimized for older operating systems and dial-up internet connections, will be discontinued."
Holy sh*t! 😜
Holy sh*t! 😜
"[A]lthough universities unleashed an age of massive technical innovation, they failed to innovate their own designs to meet the changing needs of society."
Most elite universities are ill-prepared for the corrosive amalgam of #AI, societal #polarization, and their own academic echo chambers ...
Most elite universities are ill-prepared for the corrosive amalgam of #AI, societal #polarization, and their own academic echo chambers ...
It’s Time for Universities to Redesign Their 75-Year-Old Contract
American research universities have unleashed an age of massive technical innovation—but they’ve failed to innovate their own designs to meet the changing needs of society.
issues.org
August 4, 2025 at 4:17 PM
"[A]lthough universities unleashed an age of massive technical innovation, they failed to innovate their own designs to meet the changing needs of society."
Most elite universities are ill-prepared for the corrosive amalgam of #AI, societal #polarization, and their own academic echo chambers ...
Most elite universities are ill-prepared for the corrosive amalgam of #AI, societal #polarization, and their own academic echo chambers ...