michael veale
@michae.lv
prof @laws.ucl.ac.uk, technology, law, policy, society, whimsical latvian top level domain names. michae.lv and fediverse https://someone.elses.computer/@mikarv 🏳️🌈
Pinned
michael veale
@michae.lv
· May 6
How should legal education respond to AI? Together with 11 UCL Laws colleagues, this paper is our vision for the sector. It's rooted in academic integrity, fundamental competences, and concerns around impacts on learning to learn and intellectual risk taking. (🧵)
discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10...
discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10...
Reposted by michael veale
“This frustrating gap between initial ease and final effort is the essence of the Gen AI Paradox: better quality, worse motivation”
On AI’s ‘mediocrity trap’ — experiments indicates that while AI helps the less skilled make something passable, the highly skilled don’t use it to produce something better than they could have; they produce something ok, but lose motivation to make it great. www.jin-li.org/uploads/1/1/...
November 26, 2025 at 9:36 PM
“This frustrating gap between initial ease and final effort is the essence of the Gen AI Paradox: better quality, worse motivation”
On AI’s ‘mediocrity trap’ — experiments indicates that while AI helps the less skilled make something passable, the highly skilled don’t use it to produce something better than they could have; they produce something ok, but lose motivation to make it great. www.jin-li.org/uploads/1/1/...
November 26, 2025 at 9:18 PM
On AI’s ‘mediocrity trap’ — experiments indicates that while AI helps the less skilled make something passable, the highly skilled don’t use it to produce something better than they could have; they produce something ok, but lose motivation to make it great. www.jin-li.org/uploads/1/1/...
anyone made a rough calculation of the cost to unis both of the salary sacrifice schemes tax change and the int’l student fee tax? narrative here is surely that the people who are paying for this budget are UG students in their fee rises — these should be turning into teaching, not staying afloat.
November 24, 2025 at 8:26 AM
anyone made a rough calculation of the cost to unis both of the salary sacrifice schemes tax change and the int’l student fee tax? narrative here is surely that the people who are paying for this budget are UG students in their fee rises — these should be turning into teaching, not staying afloat.
me: does this two hour film really need two hours
me: remember to give the students a 5 min break in their two hour lecture
me: remember to give the students a 5 min break in their two hour lecture
November 23, 2025 at 1:26 PM
me: does this two hour film really need two hours
me: remember to give the students a 5 min break in their two hour lecture
me: remember to give the students a 5 min break in their two hour lecture
Reposted by michael veale
oh whoa the models aren't just getting better and better consistently huh
November 23, 2025 at 10:35 AM
oh whoa the models aren't just getting better and better consistently huh
don’t bet on the use of legitimate interest being successfully challenged under the current text though
"If agreed, the changes would make it easier for tech firms to use personal data to train AI models without asking for consent"
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
European Commission accused of ‘massive rollback’ of digital protections
Proposed changes to AI Act would make it easier for tech firms to use personal data to train models without consent
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:40 AM
don’t bet on the use of legitimate interest being successfully challenged under the current text though
Reposted by michael veale
This week Open AI walked back a call for the govt to backstop financing for its trillion dollar investments in data centers. This was only the tip of the iceberg; a slow bailout for AI firms is already underway. Read more from @ambakak.bsky.social and I in @wsj.com: www.wsj.com/opinion/you-...
Opinion | You May Already Be Bailing Out the AI Business
Washington is treating the industry as if it’s too big to fail, even as the market sends lukewarm signals.
www.wsj.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:56 PM
This week Open AI walked back a call for the govt to backstop financing for its trillion dollar investments in data centers. This was only the tip of the iceberg; a slow bailout for AI firms is already underway. Read more from @ambakak.bsky.social and I in @wsj.com: www.wsj.com/opinion/you-...
Reposted by michael veale
This is one of the worst, most horrifying exposures we have ever seen. It is hard to overstate how bad the things that people are using tools like for are, and it's insane to pretend like these tools are anything other than nonconsensual porn machines
www.404media.co/ai-porn-secr...
www.404media.co/ai-porn-secr...
Massive Leak Shows Erotic Chatbot Users Turned Women’s Yearbook Pictures Into AI Porn
Chatbot roleplay and image generator platform SecretDesires.ai left cloud storage containers of nearly two million of images and videos exposed, including photos and full names of women from social me...
www.404media.co
November 19, 2025 at 5:11 PM
This is one of the worst, most horrifying exposures we have ever seen. It is hard to overstate how bad the things that people are using tools like for are, and it's insane to pretend like these tools are anything other than nonconsensual porn machines
www.404media.co/ai-porn-secr...
www.404media.co/ai-porn-secr...
New from @jpquintais.bsky.social & me: a critical and wide analysis of the Obligations of all General-Purpose AI Model providers under the EU AI Act. We give a deep ~50 page, 300 footnote treatment and find so many tensions, loopholes, inconsistencies and more.
Link: files.michae.lv/papers/Veale...
Link: files.michae.lv/papers/Veale...
November 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
New from @jpquintais.bsky.social & me: a critical and wide analysis of the Obligations of all General-Purpose AI Model providers under the EU AI Act. We give a deep ~50 page, 300 footnote treatment and find so many tensions, loopholes, inconsistencies and more.
Link: files.michae.lv/papers/Veale...
Link: files.michae.lv/papers/Veale...
The future that privacy advocates want:
November 15, 2025 at 11:14 AM
The future that privacy advocates want:
Reposted by michael veale
NEW: The US Department of Justice issued a warrant demanding SpaceX seize and disable Starlink devices and accounts being used at a scam compound in Myanmar.
At least 9 Starlink devices were linked to a crypto scam that stole $6 million people, an FBI affidavit says
Story with @lhn.bsky.social
At least 9 Starlink devices were linked to a crypto scam that stole $6 million people, an FBI affidavit says
Story with @lhn.bsky.social
DOJ Issued Seizure Warrant to Starlink Over Satellite Internet Systems Used at Scam Compound
A new US law enforcement initiative is aimed at crypto fraudsters targeting Americans—and now seeks to seize infrastructure it claims is crucial to notorious scam compounds.
www.wired.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:55 PM
NEW: The US Department of Justice issued a warrant demanding SpaceX seize and disable Starlink devices and accounts being used at a scam compound in Myanmar.
At least 9 Starlink devices were linked to a crypto scam that stole $6 million people, an FBI affidavit says
Story with @lhn.bsky.social
At least 9 Starlink devices were linked to a crypto scam that stole $6 million people, an FBI affidavit says
Story with @lhn.bsky.social
Another provision driven largely by the Chinese market here — Tencent has a growing power over Apple’s App Store governance.
Apple introduces a new program for app developers offering a reduced 15% commission on qualifying mini app transactions.
Apple halves commissions for mini app makers | TechCrunch
Apple introduces a new program for app developers offering a reduced 15% commission on qualifying mini app transactions.
techcrunch.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Another provision driven largely by the Chinese market here — Tencent has a growing power over Apple’s App Store governance.
Studies of abusers on dark web forums show that while mainstream AI models can produce CSAM, it’s not very realistic, so they use LoRAs to make it so. This testing won’t really do much because abusers aren’t using vanilla models. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK seeks to curb AI child sex abuse imagery with tougher testing - BBC News
A new law will allow authorised testers to assess AI models for their ability to generate abuse material
www.bbc.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Studies of abusers on dark web forums show that while mainstream AI models can produce CSAM, it’s not very realistic, so they use LoRAs to make it so. This testing won’t really do much because abusers aren’t using vanilla models. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by michael veale
Join us for an early kick-starter morning session with Prof. Orla Lynskey and Prof. Lee Bygrave on publishing in generalist journals and monographs, on 4 December at 9:00-10:00 AM CET ☕️– register here: tinyurl.com/ykw878md
November 9, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Join us for an early kick-starter morning session with Prof. Orla Lynskey and Prof. Lee Bygrave on publishing in generalist journals and monographs, on 4 December at 9:00-10:00 AM CET ☕️– register here: tinyurl.com/ykw878md
Reposted by michael veale
We wrote this paper a while ago and since then OpenAI has claimed plans to be "core infrastructure" of education, Google has rammed Gemini into schools via its education platforms, and AWS showed it underpins most edtech platforms... 1/
New paper just out on how changing sociotechnical systems of knowledge production and access - platforms, the cloud, AI - pose profound challenges to educational practice and research doi.org/10.1080/0305...
Knowledge infrastructure crisis: digital democratic deficits and alternative designs for education
The production and circulation of knowledge in education increasingly depends on large-scale digital infrastructures. In this article we provide a critical review of the transformation of the conte...
doi.org
November 7, 2025 at 9:31 PM
We wrote this paper a while ago and since then OpenAI has claimed plans to be "core infrastructure" of education, Google has rammed Gemini into schools via its education platforms, and AWS showed it underpins most edtech platforms... 1/
Reposted by michael veale
James Watson was not just a scientist who was a racist. He was worse - a scientist who offered other racists the comfort of scientific authority.
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:40 PM
James Watson was not just a scientist who was a racist. He was worse - a scientist who offered other racists the comfort of scientific authority.
Reposted by michael veale
We have found unreasonable that @ec.europa.eu applied a general presumption of non-disclosure to a risk assessment report drawn up by the social media platform X under the Digital Services Act #DSA.
🧵 1/3
🧵 1/3
Commission should analyse risk assessment report of social media firm X for possible disclosure, says Ombudswoman
European Ombudswoman Teresa Anjinho has found maladministration in the European Commission’s refusal to analyse a 2023 risk assessment report drawn up by ...
www.ombudsman.europa.eu
November 5, 2025 at 9:17 AM
We have found unreasonable that @ec.europa.eu applied a general presumption of non-disclosure to a risk assessment report drawn up by the social media platform X under the Digital Services Act #DSA.
🧵 1/3
🧵 1/3
No more Sora in Sora
Studio Ghibli, Bandai Namco, Square Enix demand OpenAI stop using their content to train AI
Studio Ghibli, Bandai Namco, Square Enix demand OpenAI stop using their content to train AI
No more Spirited Away and Demon Slayer in Sora 2.
buff.ly
November 3, 2025 at 5:56 PM
No more Sora in Sora
Reposted by michael veale
arXiv will no longer accept review articles and position papers unless they have been accepted at a journal or a conference and complete successful peer review.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
Attention Authors: Updated Practice for Review Articles and Position Papers in arXiv CS Category – arXiv blog
blog.arxiv.org
November 1, 2025 at 5:28 PM
arXiv will no longer accept review articles and position papers unless they have been accepted at a journal or a conference and complete successful peer review.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
Cornelia Woll (who has been slightly less silent on Palestine than other German higher education leaders) prohibited for running for another term as president of the Hertie School. table.media/research/ana...
Interne Konflikte an der Hertie School: Warum Präsidentin Cornelia Woll nicht zur Wiederwahl antreten darf
Die Hertie School belässt es bei einer Amtszeit der aktuellen Präsidentin Cornelia Woll. Eine Findungskommission unter Leitung von Helge Braun ließ sie nicht zur Wiederwahl zu. Unter anderem, weil der...
table.media
November 1, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Cornelia Woll (who has been slightly less silent on Palestine than other German higher education leaders) prohibited for running for another term as president of the Hertie School. table.media/research/ana...
Pretty interesting podcast from BBC Monitoring on the ‘responsible AI’ discourse within ISIS/Daesh and Al-Qaeda. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Jihadists and AI–The Documentary Podcast – Apple Podcasts
Podcast Episode · The Documentary Podcast · 30/10/2025 · 30m
podcasts.apple.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Pretty interesting podcast from BBC Monitoring on the ‘responsible AI’ discourse within ISIS/Daesh and Al-Qaeda. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Reposted by michael veale
“To leave our students to their own devices — which is to say, to the devices of A.I. companies — is to deprive them of indispensable opportunities to develop their linguistic mastery, and with it their most elementary powers of thought” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o... #AI #reading #writing #philsky
Opinion | Why Even Basic A.I. Use Is So Bad for Students
www.nytimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:20 AM
“To leave our students to their own devices — which is to say, to the devices of A.I. companies — is to deprive them of indispensable opportunities to develop their linguistic mastery, and with it their most elementary powers of thought” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o... #AI #reading #writing #philsky
Reposted by michael veale
"Meanwhile, the regulations to bring in a requirement on providers to report CSAM content to the National Crime Agency have been revoked; they were due to come into force on 3 November and, at the time of writing, there are no further details available as to why they have been reversed." > Curious.
🎂 The #onlinesafetyact is two, and so are we.
🎁 Here's the latest edition of our #onlinesafety newsletter, which has been hitting inboxes nearly every second Monday since we started.
✏️ Do sign up, if you haven't already, to receive it direct. ⬇️
mailchi.mp/581367f72801...
🎁 Here's the latest edition of our #onlinesafety newsletter, which has been hitting inboxes nearly every second Monday since we started.
✏️ Do sign up, if you haven't already, to receive it direct. ⬇️
mailchi.mp/581367f72801...
October 27, 2025 at 1:10 PM
"Meanwhile, the regulations to bring in a requirement on providers to report CSAM content to the National Crime Agency have been revoked; they were due to come into force on 3 November and, at the time of writing, there are no further details available as to why they have been reversed." > Curious.