Kristian Ulrichsen
@kristianulrichsen.bsky.social
Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. My work focuses on the study of the history, political economy, and international relations of the Gulf States.
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
In October 2000, I began working at Sportpages bookshop in London, in many ways the most enjoyable job I’ve had.
Exactly 25 years later, I’m thrilled to have written a book that Sportspages would have stocked (unfortunately it went the way of many small independent bookshops).
Exactly 25 years later, I’m thrilled to have written a book that Sportspages would have stocked (unfortunately it went the way of many small independent bookshops).
🇸🇦 ⚽ Kingdom of Football: Saudi Arabia and the Remaking of World Soccer by @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social is available now!
'A book of tremendous value.’ - Mehran Kamrava
Get 25% off w/code ULRICHSEN25 ➡️ tinyurl.com/33j442px
'A book of tremendous value.’ - Mehran Kamrava
Get 25% off w/code ULRICHSEN25 ➡️ tinyurl.com/33j442px
October 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM
In October 2000, I began working at Sportpages bookshop in London, in many ways the most enjoyable job I’ve had.
Exactly 25 years later, I’m thrilled to have written a book that Sportspages would have stocked (unfortunately it went the way of many small independent bookshops).
Exactly 25 years later, I’m thrilled to have written a book that Sportspages would have stocked (unfortunately it went the way of many small independent bookshops).
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
Für die @faznet.bsky.social habe ich das gerade erschienene Buch 'Kingdom of Football: Saudi Arabia and the Remaking of World Soccer' (Hurst, 2025) von @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social rezensiert.
www.faz.net/aktuell/spor...
www.faz.net/aktuell/spor...
Kingdom of Football: Was will Saudi-Arabien mit seinen Fußball-Projekten?
Saudi-Arabien investiert viel in den Sport. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen bietet in seinem Buch einen guten Überblick über die Fußballgeschichte des Landes – und die Ziele des Golf-Staats.
www.faz.net
October 20, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Für die @faznet.bsky.social habe ich das gerade erschienene Buch 'Kingdom of Football: Saudi Arabia and the Remaking of World Soccer' (Hurst, 2025) von @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social rezensiert.
www.faz.net/aktuell/spor...
www.faz.net/aktuell/spor...
It feels real at last!
October 18, 2025 at 7:04 PM
It feels real at last!
My latest article, looking at defense cooperation among GCC states after the Iranian and Israeli strikes this summer, and examining the historical record going back to the 1980s and asking whether the latest attacks will change things.
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen writes that #Israel’s attack on #Qatar has laid bare the weakness of the #Gulf Cooperation Council’s collective defense system.
Israel’s Attack on Qatar and the Failure of GCC Defense Cooperation
On September 9, 2025, Israel attacked Qatar in an act of international aggression that caused shockwaves in Doha, across the Gulf states, and around the world. Missile strikes on a building in a busy ...
arabcenterdc.org
October 17, 2025 at 2:08 PM
My latest article, looking at defense cooperation among GCC states after the Iranian and Israeli strikes this summer, and examining the historical record going back to the 1980s and asking whether the latest attacks will change things.
Opening paragraph
October 15, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Opening paragraph
In October 2000, I began working at Sportpages bookshop in London, in many ways the most enjoyable job I’ve had.
Exactly 25 years later, I’m thrilled to have written a book that Sportspages would have stocked (unfortunately it went the way of many small independent bookshops).
Exactly 25 years later, I’m thrilled to have written a book that Sportspages would have stocked (unfortunately it went the way of many small independent bookshops).
🇸🇦 ⚽ Kingdom of Football: Saudi Arabia and the Remaking of World Soccer by @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social is available now!
'A book of tremendous value.’ - Mehran Kamrava
Get 25% off w/code ULRICHSEN25 ➡️ tinyurl.com/33j442px
'A book of tremendous value.’ - Mehran Kamrava
Get 25% off w/code ULRICHSEN25 ➡️ tinyurl.com/33j442px
October 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM
In October 2000, I began working at Sportpages bookshop in London, in many ways the most enjoyable job I’ve had.
Exactly 25 years later, I’m thrilled to have written a book that Sportspages would have stocked (unfortunately it went the way of many small independent bookshops).
Exactly 25 years later, I’m thrilled to have written a book that Sportspages would have stocked (unfortunately it went the way of many small independent bookshops).
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
🇸🇦 ⚽ Kingdom of Football: Saudi Arabia and the Remaking of World Soccer by @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social is available now!
'A book of tremendous value.’ - Mehran Kamrava
Get 25% off w/code ULRICHSEN25 ➡️ tinyurl.com/33j442px
'A book of tremendous value.’ - Mehran Kamrava
Get 25% off w/code ULRICHSEN25 ➡️ tinyurl.com/33j442px
October 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
🇸🇦 ⚽ Kingdom of Football: Saudi Arabia and the Remaking of World Soccer by @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social is available now!
'A book of tremendous value.’ - Mehran Kamrava
Get 25% off w/code ULRICHSEN25 ➡️ tinyurl.com/33j442px
'A book of tremendous value.’ - Mehran Kamrava
Get 25% off w/code ULRICHSEN25 ➡️ tinyurl.com/33j442px
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
Why was Infantino hanging around Trump last 24hrs? V. close re WC26 but also together in Saudi/Qatar earlier in yr & regional instability has impact on Vision30/WC34. Special ep of The Athletic FC pod inc various linked issues & @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social take.
open.spotify.com/episode/2myc...
open.spotify.com/episode/2myc...
At what cost? Saudi Arabia and soccer
open.spotify.com
October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Why was Infantino hanging around Trump last 24hrs? V. close re WC26 but also together in Saudi/Qatar earlier in yr & regional instability has impact on Vision30/WC34. Special ep of The Athletic FC pod inc various linked issues & @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social take.
open.spotify.com/episode/2myc...
open.spotify.com/episode/2myc...
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
You’re welcome and so is @billlaw49.bsky.social.
The arabdigest.org & especially its podcasts are my go to source for insights about the #Arab world & the #MiddleEast.
The arabdigest.org & especially its podcasts are my go to source for insights about the #Arab world & the #MiddleEast.
Arab Digest Home - Essential reading from independent sources
Arab Digest Home - where business leaders and experts on the Middle East and North Africa come together to share analysis and insight
arabdigest.org
October 11, 2025 at 6:10 AM
You’re welcome and so is @billlaw49.bsky.social.
The arabdigest.org & especially its podcasts are my go to source for insights about the #Arab world & the #MiddleEast.
The arabdigest.org & especially its podcasts are my go to source for insights about the #Arab world & the #MiddleEast.
Thank you for listening 🙏
Though this predates the signing of the #Trump peace plan, great insights by @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social.
Ending the #Gaza war depends on the pressure Trump will apply on the participants. Meanwhile the #Gulf states wonder whether #Netanyahu has replaced #Iran as the gravest threat to the region.
Ending the #Gaza war depends on the pressure Trump will apply on the participants. Meanwhile the #Gulf states wonder whether #Netanyahu has replaced #Iran as the gravest threat to the region.
Trump chases a Nobel Peace Prize
Podcastaflevering · Arab Digest podcasts · 08-10-2025 · 30 min.
podcasts.apple.com
October 11, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Thank you for listening 🙏
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
And those students then using AI to write assignments, so they never learn to research, evaluate data, & then write academic papers for themselves, and therefore have to rely on AI to write professional articles throughout their career...
I've realised AI is nothing more than a pyramid scheme.
I've realised AI is nothing more than a pyramid scheme.
August 29, 2025 at 3:21 PM
And those students then using AI to write assignments, so they never learn to research, evaluate data, & then write academic papers for themselves, and therefore have to rely on AI to write professional articles throughout their career...
I've realised AI is nothing more than a pyramid scheme.
I've realised AI is nothing more than a pyramid scheme.
Yes, exactly.
This gets at a key problem posed by wide LLM adoption. It used to be, you had to put some *work* into plausible-sounding BS. Even AI hallucinations tend to *look right*. No “this looks like a lazy fabrication” tells.
It’s not necessarily more errors than human, it’s *much better disguised* errors.
It’s not necessarily more errors than human, it’s *much better disguised* errors.
What’s so pernicious about the fake references is they are plausible enough to seem genuine.
My ‘article’ was titled ‘The Qatar standoff and the tribal politics of the GCC’ and attributed to the Journal of Arabian Studies in 2022.
I’ve written about the topic and published in this journal before.
My ‘article’ was titled ‘The Qatar standoff and the tribal politics of the GCC’ and attributed to the Journal of Arabian Studies in 2022.
I’ve written about the topic and published in this journal before.
August 29, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Yes, exactly.
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
This gets at a key problem posed by wide LLM adoption. It used to be, you had to put some *work* into plausible-sounding BS. Even AI hallucinations tend to *look right*. No “this looks like a lazy fabrication” tells.
It’s not necessarily more errors than human, it’s *much better disguised* errors.
It’s not necessarily more errors than human, it’s *much better disguised* errors.
What’s so pernicious about the fake references is they are plausible enough to seem genuine.
My ‘article’ was titled ‘The Qatar standoff and the tribal politics of the GCC’ and attributed to the Journal of Arabian Studies in 2022.
I’ve written about the topic and published in this journal before.
My ‘article’ was titled ‘The Qatar standoff and the tribal politics of the GCC’ and attributed to the Journal of Arabian Studies in 2022.
I’ve written about the topic and published in this journal before.
August 29, 2025 at 3:06 PM
This gets at a key problem posed by wide LLM adoption. It used to be, you had to put some *work* into plausible-sounding BS. Even AI hallucinations tend to *look right*. No “this looks like a lazy fabrication” tells.
It’s not necessarily more errors than human, it’s *much better disguised* errors.
It’s not necessarily more errors than human, it’s *much better disguised* errors.
Given that I recently (for the first time) had to check a box to confirm I had not used AI in my review (for a journal I’ve reviewed for in the past, most recently in June), this may already be showing up, hence the new box.
I mean, at least you’re a human peer reviewing and they’ve not got AI to peer review the AI written paper…
August 29, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Given that I recently (for the first time) had to check a box to confirm I had not used AI in my review (for a journal I’ve reviewed for in the past, most recently in June), this may already be showing up, hence the new box.
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
What consequences do they get for falsifying references? It should be a professional punishment, like if an engineered were found to have faked the calculations for a building's safety. Banned from submitting to this and associated journals for a year or more, to start with.
August 29, 2025 at 6:00 AM
What consequences do they get for falsifying references? It should be a professional punishment, like if an engineered were found to have faked the calculations for a building's safety. Banned from submitting to this and associated journals for a year or more, to start with.
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
In a book submitted to a publisher. This is a problem that goes well beyond students looking for ways to cut corners when writing a paper.
I'm peer reviewing a manuscript for a reputable publisher and came across fake references which must be AI-generated - including to an article attributed to me which sounds fascinating but which I never wrote.
August 29, 2025 at 5:40 AM
In a book submitted to a publisher. This is a problem that goes well beyond students looking for ways to cut corners when writing a paper.
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
This is how LLMs work- the title of the work and the webpage URL are completely fabricated. If they did, like, 4 more seconds of validating they would be able to find the work they were looking for; the content, reference article, and even the website it based its response on are all real.
What’s so pernicious about the fake references is they are plausible enough to seem genuine.
My ‘article’ was titled ‘The Qatar standoff and the tribal politics of the GCC’ and attributed to the Journal of Arabian Studies in 2022.
I’ve written about the topic and published in this journal before.
My ‘article’ was titled ‘The Qatar standoff and the tribal politics of the GCC’ and attributed to the Journal of Arabian Studies in 2022.
I’ve written about the topic and published in this journal before.
August 29, 2025 at 6:07 AM
This is how LLMs work- the title of the work and the webpage URL are completely fabricated. If they did, like, 4 more seconds of validating they would be able to find the work they were looking for; the content, reference article, and even the website it based its response on are all real.
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
Happened to me as well. Half of the references in a submission to a top journal in my field were clearly hallucinated. The content was however plausible, even if somewhat incremental. Immediate reject.
August 29, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Happened to me as well. Half of the references in a submission to a top journal in my field were clearly hallucinated. The content was however plausible, even if somewhat incremental. Immediate reject.
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
I'd think publishers could (and should) develop detection methods for this sort of thing. It can't be all that hard to scan the bibliography and flag situations where a title can't be matched to an author.
I wouldn't expect the editors to see it via manual checking. It's up to the publishers.
I wouldn't expect the editors to see it via manual checking. It's up to the publishers.
I'm peer reviewing a manuscript for a reputable publisher and came across fake references which must be AI-generated - including to an article attributed to me which sounds fascinating but which I never wrote.
August 29, 2025 at 9:16 AM
I'd think publishers could (and should) develop detection methods for this sort of thing. It can't be all that hard to scan the bibliography and flag situations where a title can't be matched to an author.
I wouldn't expect the editors to see it via manual checking. It's up to the publishers.
I wouldn't expect the editors to see it via manual checking. It's up to the publishers.
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
Since Google Scholar searches return citations, won't fabricated citations eventually turn up in them?
I'm peer reviewing a manuscript for a reputable publisher and came across fake references which must be AI-generated - including to an article attributed to me which sounds fascinating but which I never wrote.
August 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Since Google Scholar searches return citations, won't fabricated citations eventually turn up in them?
From a journal editor:
I’m at the coalface of it here, and you wouldn’t believe some of what we see when editing. Proper academics who don’t seem to realise that they swim in what is actually a very small pond.
1/2
I’m at the coalface of it here, and you wouldn’t believe some of what we see when editing. Proper academics who don’t seem to realise that they swim in what is actually a very small pond.
1/2
I'm peer reviewing a manuscript for a reputable publisher and came across fake references which must be AI-generated - including to an article attributed to me which sounds fascinating but which I never wrote.
August 29, 2025 at 5:17 AM
From a journal editor:
I’m at the coalface of it here, and you wouldn’t believe some of what we see when editing. Proper academics who don’t seem to realise that they swim in what is actually a very small pond.
1/2
I’m at the coalface of it here, and you wouldn’t believe some of what we see when editing. Proper academics who don’t seem to realise that they swim in what is actually a very small pond.
1/2
This is what I worry about.
Soon we will no longer know what is fake and what is real, and reality will begin to distort.
August 29, 2025 at 5:03 AM
This is what I worry about.
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
AI is disrupting academic research as well (and fast)
I'm peer reviewing a manuscript for a reputable publisher and came across fake references which must be AI-generated - including to an article attributed to me which sounds fascinating but which I never wrote.
August 28, 2025 at 8:19 PM
AI is disrupting academic research as well (and fast)
Reposted by Kristian Ulrichsen
This is insane!
Generative AI goes rogue and makes things up. Plausible things, but still untrue.
Generative AI goes rogue and makes things up. Plausible things, but still untrue.
I'm peer reviewing a manuscript for a reputable publisher and came across fake references which must be AI-generated - including to an article attributed to me which sounds fascinating but which I never wrote.
August 28, 2025 at 6:33 AM
This is insane!
Generative AI goes rogue and makes things up. Plausible things, but still untrue.
Generative AI goes rogue and makes things up. Plausible things, but still untrue.