Daniel Lowd
@lowd.cc
CS Prof at the University of Oregon, studying adversarial machine learning, data poisoning, interpretable AI, probabilistic and relational models, and more. Avid unicyclist and occasional singer-songwriter. He/him
...but turning special into a binary class, along with this anti-growth mindset that non-specials can't become special (and it's evil of them to try)... well, it extrapolates poorly as an allegory. Still a fun movie.
November 17, 2025 at 8:48 PM
...but turning special into a binary class, along with this anti-growth mindset that non-specials can't become special (and it's evil of them to try)... well, it extrapolates poorly as an allegory. Still a fun movie.
The theme of family is good. I'm less a fan of the theme that "If everyone is special, no one is." It's not that everyone is equal at everything (clearly not), and it's certainly not that we should force equality (Harrison Bergeron makes that point well)...
November 17, 2025 at 8:48 PM
The theme of family is good. I'm less a fan of the theme that "If everyone is special, no one is." It's not that everyone is equal at everything (clearly not), and it's certainly not that we should force equality (Harrison Bergeron makes that point well)...
Maybe we just label all outputs of AI in some clearly distinguishable manner. Since they’re “artificial” maybe we use a large “A.” And make it red so it really stands out.
November 7, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Maybe we just label all outputs of AI in some clearly distinguishable manner. Since they’re “artificial” maybe we use a large “A.” And make it red so it really stands out.
When it comes to education, LLMs are the worst but also LLMs are the best.
On the balance, a net positive, I think.
On the balance, a net positive, I think.
November 6, 2025 at 7:25 AM
When it comes to education, LLMs are the worst but also LLMs are the best.
On the balance, a net positive, I think.
On the balance, a net positive, I think.
If you want to try it out, it's freely available here:
tracker.marylowd.com
It works on desktop and mobile. All you need to sign up/login is an email address to get the magic link.
tracker.marylowd.com
It works on desktop and mobile. All you need to sign up/login is an email address to get the magic link.
Word Tracker
tracker.marylowd.com
November 1, 2025 at 11:36 PM
If you want to try it out, it's freely available here:
tracker.marylowd.com
It works on desktop and mobile. All you need to sign up/login is an email address to get the magic link.
tracker.marylowd.com
It works on desktop and mobile. All you need to sign up/login is an email address to get the magic link.
This was partly to help @marylowd.bsky.social
track her words and partly an excuse to try out vibe coding.
I hate CSS and I don't know Javascript, so I couldn't have made this without AI. In a few hours, I had an initial prototype. Then I spent a few days iterating and creating version 2.
track her words and partly an excuse to try out vibe coding.
I hate CSS and I don't know Javascript, so I couldn't have made this without AI. In a few hours, I had an initial prototype. Then I spent a few days iterating and creating version 2.
November 1, 2025 at 11:36 PM
This was partly to help @marylowd.bsky.social
track her words and partly an excuse to try out vibe coding.
I hate CSS and I don't know Javascript, so I couldn't have made this without AI. In a few hours, I had an initial prototype. Then I spent a few days iterating and creating version 2.
track her words and partly an excuse to try out vibe coding.
I hate CSS and I don't know Javascript, so I couldn't have made this without AI. In a few hours, I had an initial prototype. Then I spent a few days iterating and creating version 2.
Oh wow I have to check this out
October 20, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Oh wow I have to check this out
Eh, I think monarchy-as-mascot is mostly harmless. It’s a silly cultural phenomenon that makes some people happy, like Mardi Gras or the Olympics. And if you’re going to have a national, cultural focal point like that, a figurehead monarchy is much less dangerous than religion.
October 20, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Eh, I think monarchy-as-mascot is mostly harmless. It’s a silly cultural phenomenon that makes some people happy, like Mardi Gras or the Olympics. And if you’re going to have a national, cultural focal point like that, a figurehead monarchy is much less dangerous than religion.
I’ve done therapy. It’s… fine, but only if you have a specific goal and a good therapist who is a good match for you. That’s hard to find.
Talking to AI is like a fancy form of journaling — you reflect on your thoughts and feelings and a milquetoast average of the internet responds.
Talking to AI is like a fancy form of journaling — you reflect on your thoughts and feelings and a milquetoast average of the internet responds.
October 16, 2025 at 8:26 PM
I’ve done therapy. It’s… fine, but only if you have a specific goal and a good therapist who is a good match for you. That’s hard to find.
Talking to AI is like a fancy form of journaling — you reflect on your thoughts and feelings and a milquetoast average of the internet responds.
Talking to AI is like a fancy form of journaling — you reflect on your thoughts and feelings and a milquetoast average of the internet responds.
Reposted by Daniel Lowd
I can remember analogous panics about Dungeons and Dragons.
Everything that teenagers start doing in large numbers is dangerous. It always causes them to lose touch with reality and estranges them from their families. I doubt that civilization can survive if we keep letting teenagers do new stuff.
Everything that teenagers start doing in large numbers is dangerous. It always causes them to lose touch with reality and estranges them from their families. I doubt that civilization can survive if we keep letting teenagers do new stuff.
October 16, 2025 at 3:43 AM
I can remember analogous panics about Dungeons and Dragons.
Everything that teenagers start doing in large numbers is dangerous. It always causes them to lose touch with reality and estranges them from their families. I doubt that civilization can survive if we keep letting teenagers do new stuff.
Everything that teenagers start doing in large numbers is dangerous. It always causes them to lose touch with reality and estranges them from their families. I doubt that civilization can survive if we keep letting teenagers do new stuff.
Reposted by Daniel Lowd
Yeah to be clear I expect slop to end up like kitsch in that it becomes its own countercultural art movement that people defiantly brand their work as to get attention and cater to the audience that's looking for it.
October 2, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Yeah to be clear I expect slop to end up like kitsch in that it becomes its own countercultural art movement that people defiantly brand their work as to get attention and cater to the audience that's looking for it.