Matthew Stott
@mjstott.bsky.social
Reposted by Matthew Stott
"AI is here to stay - you can't uninvent it, you may as well join the crowd and start adapting and using it"
It is the fact that it spread so wide and so fast and so deep into every single digital space that we must provide scrutiny and pushback and regulation!!!! That's why we're doing this!!!
It is the fact that it spread so wide and so fast and so deep into every single digital space that we must provide scrutiny and pushback and regulation!!!! That's why we're doing this!!!
December 11, 2025 at 5:12 PM
"AI is here to stay - you can't uninvent it, you may as well join the crowd and start adapting and using it"
It is the fact that it spread so wide and so fast and so deep into every single digital space that we must provide scrutiny and pushback and regulation!!!! That's why we're doing this!!!
It is the fact that it spread so wide and so fast and so deep into every single digital space that we must provide scrutiny and pushback and regulation!!!! That's why we're doing this!!!
Reposted by Matthew Stott
WhatsApp responded to the findings of our new Cambridge Trust and Safety index:
"WhatsApp said in a statement that it welcomed the research into an industry it said was "aiming to mislead internet services."
Unsurprisingly, X did not return messages seeking comment
www.reuters.com/business/med...
"WhatsApp said in a statement that it welcomed the research into an industry it said was "aiming to mislead internet services."
Unsurprisingly, X did not return messages seeking comment
www.reuters.com/business/med...
Key barrier to online fraud can be bypassed for pennies, say researchers
A central barrier to the creation of bogus social media accounts can be bypassed for as little as a few cents at a time, researchers at the University of Cambridge determined, a sign of just how low t...
www.reuters.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:39 PM
WhatsApp responded to the findings of our new Cambridge Trust and Safety index:
"WhatsApp said in a statement that it welcomed the research into an industry it said was "aiming to mislead internet services."
Unsurprisingly, X did not return messages seeking comment
www.reuters.com/business/med...
"WhatsApp said in a statement that it welcomed the research into an industry it said was "aiming to mislead internet services."
Unsurprisingly, X did not return messages seeking comment
www.reuters.com/business/med...
Reposted by Matthew Stott
A bit inconvenient for potential alien life forms if they’re constantly being incinerated by their own suns
For the first time, astronomers have detected a coronal mass ejection from a star other than our Sun, and it was a big one – powerful enough to strip the atmosphere from nearby planets. That's bad news for the search for extraterrestrial life. Here's why: physicsworld.com/a/astronomer... 🧪⚛️🔭
Astronomers observe a coronal mass ejection from a distant star – Physics World
Burst from M-dwarf star could be powerful enough to strip the atmosphere of any planets that orbit it, with implications for the search for extraterrestrial life
physicsworld.com
December 11, 2025 at 11:49 AM
A bit inconvenient for potential alien life forms if they’re constantly being incinerated by their own suns
Reposted by Matthew Stott
December 11, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Reposted by Matthew Stott
This is what is going to happen. There will be a thin top layer of non-digital universities — and all the tech billionaires will send their kids to those places.
Total success to the first college/university that pledges to be AI-free and brand it as an opportunity to receive a real education.
My employer, Dartmouth College, today boasts it's 1st Ivy "to launch AI at an institutional scale." It is doing this by partnering--"more than a collaboration"--with Anthropic, a company that stole the books of many faculty, me included, which many of us are suing.
December 11, 2025 at 1:39 PM
This is what is going to happen. There will be a thin top layer of non-digital universities — and all the tech billionaires will send their kids to those places.
Reposted by Matthew Stott
if you give a mouse a cookie
December 10, 2025 at 4:09 PM
if you give a mouse a cookie
Reposted by Matthew Stott
On second thought, the "will not" does a lot of heavy lifting here. The deafness and imperviousness is perhaps better explained by "do not want to"? The pursuit of anti-democratic goals is too persistent and too strategic to be explained by anything other than, well, strategy.
How many times do we need to point this out?
By appeasing the far right, you do not weaken it. You strengthen it.
While weakening your own position.
There's a vast amount of academic research showing this.
But Labour will not listen.
www.theguardian.com/law/2025/dec...
By appeasing the far right, you do not weaken it. You strengthen it.
While weakening your own position.
There's a vast amount of academic research showing this.
But Labour will not listen.
www.theguardian.com/law/2025/dec...
Starmer urges Europe’s leaders to curb ECHR to halt rise of far right
Exclusive: PM calls for members of European convention on human rights to allow tougher action to protect borders
www.theguardian.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:43 AM
On second thought, the "will not" does a lot of heavy lifting here. The deafness and imperviousness is perhaps better explained by "do not want to"? The pursuit of anti-democratic goals is too persistent and too strategic to be explained by anything other than, well, strategy.
Reposted by Matthew Stott
From what I've read, the main response has been "watch more TV". Since most social media are at least partly text-based, the likely impact of the ban is that kids will read less. What the ban really targets is writing, which can only be done if you have an account
www.thenewdaily.com....
www.thenewdaily.com....
December 9, 2025 at 10:37 PM
From what I've read, the main response has been "watch more TV". Since most social media are at least partly text-based, the likely impact of the ban is that kids will read less. What the ban really targets is writing, which can only be done if you have an account
www.thenewdaily.com....
www.thenewdaily.com....
Reposted by Matthew Stott
things Copilot has tried desperately to help me with this morning: a thread
1) suggesting '10 compelling titles' for a spreadsheet I use to log student attendance
1) suggesting '10 compelling titles' for a spreadsheet I use to log student attendance
December 9, 2025 at 9:22 AM
things Copilot has tried desperately to help me with this morning: a thread
1) suggesting '10 compelling titles' for a spreadsheet I use to log student attendance
1) suggesting '10 compelling titles' for a spreadsheet I use to log student attendance
Reposted by Matthew Stott
HEY FRIENDS!! Did you know that Australia - #2 in the world for data centre investment - is now formally missing its climate targets thanks in large part to the resulting surge in power demand?
It's massive news - @crikey.com.au let me NERD OUT to explain why:
www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/04/d...
It's massive news - @crikey.com.au let me NERD OUT to explain why:
www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/04/d...
December 4, 2025 at 11:19 PM
HEY FRIENDS!! Did you know that Australia - #2 in the world for data centre investment - is now formally missing its climate targets thanks in large part to the resulting surge in power demand?
It's massive news - @crikey.com.au let me NERD OUT to explain why:
www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/04/d...
It's massive news - @crikey.com.au let me NERD OUT to explain why:
www.crikey.com.au/2025/12/04/d...
Reposted by Matthew Stott
Aren’t most people at the pub half cut? So perhaps passing a test among those there is not all that great of a thing?
December 9, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Aren’t most people at the pub half cut? So perhaps passing a test among those there is not all that great of a thing?
Reposted by Matthew Stott
This is a really important thing about speed cameras. They actually do change driver behavior and force people to slow down. They should be an important tool in creating safer streets *along with* design changes.
When cameras are installed, they issue many violations in the first month, followed by a steep decline in the second month. This suggests that the cameras effectively deter speeding by changing underlying driver behavior rather than relying on sustained revenue extraction.
December 9, 2025 at 2:02 AM
This is a really important thing about speed cameras. They actually do change driver behavior and force people to slow down. They should be an important tool in creating safer streets *along with* design changes.
Reposted by Matthew Stott
Bluesky will comply with Australia's teen social media ban, according to an update that it put out today.
Although the company wasn't listed as one of the 10 companies assessed as definitely being in the ban, Australia's law is supposed to apply to all social media platforms
Although the company wasn't listed as one of the 10 companies assessed as definitely being in the ban, Australia's law is supposed to apply to all social media platforms
December 9, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Bluesky will comply with Australia's teen social media ban, according to an update that it put out today.
Although the company wasn't listed as one of the 10 companies assessed as definitely being in the ban, Australia's law is supposed to apply to all social media platforms
Although the company wasn't listed as one of the 10 companies assessed as definitely being in the ban, Australia's law is supposed to apply to all social media platforms
Reposted by Matthew Stott
i cannot stop laughing at this
can't stop watching this clip of a tesla Optimus teleoperator taking his headset off before properly logging out the robot
December 9, 2025 at 12:51 AM
i cannot stop laughing at this
Reposted by Matthew Stott
Pretty infuriating: King Gizzard quit Spotify over ethical concerns -- and now Spotify is letting AI knockoffs of its music (with all the lyrics copied verbatim) proliferate on its platform
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...
King Gizzard Pulled Their Music From Spotify in Protest, and Now Spotify Is Hosting AI Knockoffs of Their Songs
An impersonator appears to be using generative AI to poorly clone rock band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's iconic sound on Spotify.
futurism.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Pretty infuriating: King Gizzard quit Spotify over ethical concerns -- and now Spotify is letting AI knockoffs of its music (with all the lyrics copied verbatim) proliferate on its platform
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...
Reposted by Matthew Stott
I was like, no way, despite the art and the curiosity gap hed, could the answer here be “reading books.” But it is! The hobby we are abandoning is literally *reading books*.
www.sfchronicle.com/health/aging...
www.sfchronicle.com/health/aging...
Older adults are slowly abandoning this hobby — but the health payoff is huge
What’s largely considered a solitary activity can improve communication skills and strengthen empathy and compassion, say experts in mental health and geriatric care.
www.sfchronicle.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:52 AM
I was like, no way, despite the art and the curiosity gap hed, could the answer here be “reading books.” But it is! The hobby we are abandoning is literally *reading books*.
www.sfchronicle.com/health/aging...
www.sfchronicle.com/health/aging...
Reposted by Matthew Stott
"Children are being targeted with VPN advertisements, with social media posts circulating that instruct people to use the technology to evade Australia’s teen social media ban." - @cameronwilson.bsky.social
Australians look to VPNs to get around social media ban as how-to guides and ads target them
The government says using a VPN to hide your location will not be enough to trick platforms into avoiding Australia's restrictions, if companies have followed eSafety's guidelines for preventing circu...
www.crikey.com.au
December 8, 2025 at 12:31 AM
"Children are being targeted with VPN advertisements, with social media posts circulating that instruct people to use the technology to evade Australia’s teen social media ban." - @cameronwilson.bsky.social
Reposted by Matthew Stott
Automating what @oliviertesquet.bsky.social has just dubbed the Groksgemeinschaft
“School officials have created a Microsoft Copilot prompt to review course descriptions with an eye toward avoiding ‘advocacy-oriented or prescriptive terms.’”
Terms: “dismantling, decolonizing, interrogating, challenging, centering, combating, liberation, resistance, activism, justice oriented”
Terms: “dismantling, decolonizing, interrogating, challenging, centering, combating, liberation, resistance, activism, justice oriented”
To Root Out Wokeness in the Course Catalog, This Texas University Is Turning to AI
“The AI was upset with my use of the phrase ‘women's rights movement.’”
www.texasmonthly.com
December 7, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Automating what @oliviertesquet.bsky.social has just dubbed the Groksgemeinschaft
Reposted by Matthew Stott
We know that Australian children’s civics education is at an all-time low. The government’s social media ban may make this worse.
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/the-und...
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/the-und...
December 7, 2025 at 8:50 PM
We know that Australian children’s civics education is at an all-time low. The government’s social media ban may make this worse.
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/the-und...
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/the-und...
Reposted by Matthew Stott
Michelle Grattan writes that threats relating to technology, disinformation, economic security and foreign interference are overshadowing traditional security concerns in Australians’ minds.
Australians see AI as leading threat to people and businesses: survey
theconversation.com
December 7, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Michelle Grattan writes that threats relating to technology, disinformation, economic security and foreign interference are overshadowing traditional security concerns in Australians’ minds.
The social media ban for Australian kids under 16 is about to come into effect. Teaching critical thinking, media literacy and digital literacy must be part of the equation also.
#SocialMedia #DigitalLiteracy #CriticalThinking #MediaLiteracy #Education
#SocialMedia #DigitalLiteracy #CriticalThinking #MediaLiteracy #Education
Great article from @zionlights.bsky.social in the New Humanist on teaching children to think critically and how Finland is leading the charge. newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6482
With some cautiously optimistic thoughts from me.
With some cautiously optimistic thoughts from me.
December 7, 2025 at 8:23 AM
The social media ban for Australian kids under 16 is about to come into effect. Teaching critical thinking, media literacy and digital literacy must be part of the equation also.
#SocialMedia #DigitalLiteracy #CriticalThinking #MediaLiteracy #Education
#SocialMedia #DigitalLiteracy #CriticalThinking #MediaLiteracy #Education
Reposted by Matthew Stott
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
Reposted by Matthew Stott
I wrote this piece at the start of the year, so it's nice to see it finally out before the year's end! It looks at the notion of "hard steps" in evolution that allegedly make intelligent life rare in the universe, and why that might not be correct after all.
nautil.us/we-might-not...
nautil.us/we-might-not...
We Might Not Be So Strange
We Might Not Be So Strange: Perhaps intelligent life wasn’t so unlikely after all.
nautil.us
November 28, 2025 at 6:12 PM
I wrote this piece at the start of the year, so it's nice to see it finally out before the year's end! It looks at the notion of "hard steps" in evolution that allegedly make intelligent life rare in the universe, and why that might not be correct after all.
nautil.us/we-might-not...
nautil.us/we-might-not...
Reposted by Matthew Stott
It's that time of the year innit. It's sentimental...
As always, proceeds from sales of White Wine In The Sun over the Christmas period go to Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia). ❤️
Thank you for listening, sharing and supporting this important organisation over the years.
youtu.be/x1rw1fx170s?...
As always, proceeds from sales of White Wine In The Sun over the Christmas period go to Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia). ❤️
Thank you for listening, sharing and supporting this important organisation over the years.
youtu.be/x1rw1fx170s?...
White Wine In The Sun (2021) by Tim Minchin: BACK
YouTube video by Tim Minchin
youtu.be
November 30, 2025 at 1:21 PM
It's that time of the year innit. It's sentimental...
As always, proceeds from sales of White Wine In The Sun over the Christmas period go to Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia). ❤️
Thank you for listening, sharing and supporting this important organisation over the years.
youtu.be/x1rw1fx170s?...
As always, proceeds from sales of White Wine In The Sun over the Christmas period go to Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia). ❤️
Thank you for listening, sharing and supporting this important organisation over the years.
youtu.be/x1rw1fx170s?...