Margaret Mitchell
@mmitchell.bsky.social
Researcher trying to shape AI towards positive outcomes. ML & Ethics +birds. Generally trying to do the right thing. TIME 100 | TED speaker | Senate testimony provider | Navigating public life as a recluse.
Former: Google, Microsoft; Current: Hugging Face
Former: Google, Microsoft; Current: Hugging Face
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
If you have been framing your work as involving/in relation to "AI", what do you mean by "AI"? How would you describe your work without using that phrase?
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November 10, 2025 at 8:33 PM
If you have been framing your work as involving/in relation to "AI", what do you mean by "AI"? How would you describe your work without using that phrase?
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Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
Thanks to @uwnews.uw.edu for covering my + @aylincaliskan.bsky.social's recent work published at AIES 2025! www.washington.edu/news/2025/11...
People mirror AI systems’ hiring biases, study finds
In a new UW study, 528 participants worked with simulated AI systems to select job candidates. The researchers simulated different levels of racial biases for resumes from white, Black, Hispanic and.....
www.washington.edu
November 10, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Thanks to @uwnews.uw.edu for covering my + @aylincaliskan.bsky.social's recent work published at AIES 2025! www.washington.edu/news/2025/11...
There's this form of behavioral engineering/coercion going on to use AI when you're not even trying to. Ex: Enterprise Google Slides replaced "Upload an Image", with "Generate an Image" (right?), requiring extra work +adaptation to sidestep the AI-as-default push. It drives me bonkers.
November 10, 2025 at 7:18 PM
There's this form of behavioral engineering/coercion going on to use AI when you're not even trying to. Ex: Enterprise Google Slides replaced "Upload an Image", with "Generate an Image" (right?), requiring extra work +adaptation to sidestep the AI-as-default push. It drives me bonkers.
Love the phrases "Cognitive Cost" and "Executive Function Theft" to pinpoint how exhausting it is to be constantly bombarded with apps telling you to use AI. I've been calling it "Corporate pressure" and "Force feeding". It's quite a lot right now. Seems a bit desperate tbh.
The #ExecutiveFunctionTheft of having to opt out.
Feeling annoyed at the cognitive cost of having to dismiss all the offers of "AI" assitance every time I use Acrobat to provide feedback on documents my students wrote. (NO I do NOT want an "AI" summary of this. In what world???)
Decided to check settings:
Decided to check settings:
November 10, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Love the phrases "Cognitive Cost" and "Executive Function Theft" to pinpoint how exhausting it is to be constantly bombarded with apps telling you to use AI. I've been calling it "Corporate pressure" and "Force feeding". It's quite a lot right now. Seems a bit desperate tbh.
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
We're surveying researchers about name changes in academic publishing.
If you've changed your name and dealt with updating publications, we want to hear your experience. Any reason counts: transition, marriage, cultural reasons, etc.
forms.cloud.microsoft/e/E0XXBmZdEP
If you've changed your name and dealt with updating publications, we want to hear your experience. Any reason counts: transition, marriage, cultural reasons, etc.
forms.cloud.microsoft/e/E0XXBmZdEP
October 21, 2025 at 12:45 PM
We're surveying researchers about name changes in academic publishing.
If you've changed your name and dealt with updating publications, we want to hear your experience. Any reason counts: transition, marriage, cultural reasons, etc.
forms.cloud.microsoft/e/E0XXBmZdEP
If you've changed your name and dealt with updating publications, we want to hear your experience. Any reason counts: transition, marriage, cultural reasons, etc.
forms.cloud.microsoft/e/E0XXBmZdEP
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
In this 2025 study, more than half of LLM responses cited fake sources or links.
www.cjr.org/tow_center/w...
www.cjr.org/tow_center/w...
AI Search Has A Citation Problem
We Compared Eight AI Search Engines. They’re All Bad at Citing News.
www.cjr.org
November 9, 2025 at 9:51 AM
In this 2025 study, more than half of LLM responses cited fake sources or links.
www.cjr.org/tow_center/w...
www.cjr.org/tow_center/w...
🪶 Golden-crowned Kinglets at the water spout.
November 9, 2025 at 6:46 AM
🪶 Golden-crowned Kinglets at the water spout.
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
Vince Gilligan on AI:
“AI is the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine. I think there’s a very high possibility that this is all a bunch of horseshit. It’s basically a bunch of centibillionaires whose greatest life goal is to become the world’s first trillionaires.”
“AI is the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine. I think there’s a very high possibility that this is all a bunch of horseshit. It’s basically a bunch of centibillionaires whose greatest life goal is to become the world’s first trillionaires.”
Vince Gilligan and Rhea Seehorn on What ‘Pluribus’ Is Really About, Why Hollywood ‘Needs More Heroes’ and How Silicon Valley Has ‘F—ed Up the World’
Vince Gilligan and Rhea Seehorn unpack the first two episodes of 'Pluribus' and slam AI: 'Silicon Valley' has 'f---ed up the world.'
variety.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Vince Gilligan on AI:
“AI is the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine. I think there’s a very high possibility that this is all a bunch of horseshit. It’s basically a bunch of centibillionaires whose greatest life goal is to become the world’s first trillionaires.”
“AI is the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine. I think there’s a very high possibility that this is all a bunch of horseshit. It’s basically a bunch of centibillionaires whose greatest life goal is to become the world’s first trillionaires.”
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
Holy shit. Noam Shazeer, one of the original authors on the "Attention is All You Need" paper and Character.AI founder, came out as major transphobe. Like Trumpian levels of "this is child mutilation" of transphobia.
(via The Information)
(via The Information)
November 7, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Holy shit. Noam Shazeer, one of the original authors on the "Attention is All You Need" paper and Character.AI founder, came out as major transphobe. Like Trumpian levels of "this is child mutilation" of transphobia.
(via The Information)
(via The Information)
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
New Yorker author describing gradient descent and oblivious to the existence of local minima:
"(The algorithm could be compared to a hiker navigating from a mountaintop to a valley; a simple strategy for eventually finding one’s way is to insure that every step moves downhill.)"
"(The algorithm could be compared to a hiker navigating from a mountaintop to a valley; a simple strategy for eventually finding one’s way is to insure that every step moves downhill.)"
November 3, 2025 at 2:13 PM
New Yorker author describing gradient descent and oblivious to the existence of local minima:
"(The algorithm could be compared to a hiker navigating from a mountaintop to a valley; a simple strategy for eventually finding one’s way is to insure that every step moves downhill.)"
"(The algorithm could be compared to a hiker navigating from a mountaintop to a valley; a simple strategy for eventually finding one’s way is to insure that every step moves downhill.)"
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
"'Luddite' isn’t an insult—it’s a warning and a word of caution. One we must return to, repeatedly, if we’re to resist the constant drumbeat of consumerism dressed up as science and progress."
Erik J. Larson reviews "The AI Con": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-return-of-the-luddites/
Erik J. Larson reviews "The AI Con": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-return-of-the-luddites/
November 5, 2025 at 7:34 PM
"'Luddite' isn’t an insult—it’s a warning and a word of caution. One we must return to, repeatedly, if we’re to resist the constant drumbeat of consumerism dressed up as science and progress."
Erik J. Larson reviews "The AI Con": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-return-of-the-luddites/
Erik J. Larson reviews "The AI Con": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-return-of-the-luddites/
This.
When fines are treated by companies as a cost of doing business, the regulatory model itself has failed. #regulatorycapture
November 7, 2025 at 4:23 AM
This.
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
When deception’s more profitable than honesty, users lose.
Internal documents suggest that Meta earns $3.5B(!) every 6 mo. from scam ads, revealing a deeper systemic problem: the economic incentive to tolerate “higher legal risk” content still outweighs any penalty. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Internal documents suggest that Meta earns $3.5B(!) every 6 mo. from scam ads, revealing a deeper systemic problem: the economic incentive to tolerate “higher legal risk” content still outweighs any penalty. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show
Meta projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, and it internally estimates that its platforms show users 15 billion scam ads a day, company documents show.
www.reuters.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:14 AM
When deception’s more profitable than honesty, users lose.
Internal documents suggest that Meta earns $3.5B(!) every 6 mo. from scam ads, revealing a deeper systemic problem: the economic incentive to tolerate “higher legal risk” content still outweighs any penalty. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Internal documents suggest that Meta earns $3.5B(!) every 6 mo. from scam ads, revealing a deeper systemic problem: the economic incentive to tolerate “higher legal risk” content still outweighs any penalty. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
I thought this headline was from some small newspaper and went to tag @nytpitchbot.bsky.social to share smthn even more ridiculous than the usual satirical NY Times pitches, but…Nope, this is actually from @nytimes.com
the question nobody with a soul is asking, answered by people nobody wants to hear from
November 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
I thought this headline was from some small newspaper and went to tag @nytpitchbot.bsky.social to share smthn even more ridiculous than the usual satirical NY Times pitches, but…Nope, this is actually from @nytimes.com
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
November 5, 2025 at 11:09 PM
In the US, today is the day: Vote!
November 4, 2025 at 5:51 PM
In the US, today is the day: Vote!
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
Teen Vogue took young people seriously. It's impossible to overstate how important, how rare, and how profoundly needed that is.
November 3, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Teen Vogue took young people seriously. It's impossible to overstate how important, how rare, and how profoundly needed that is.
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
Australian scientist who alerted world that COVID is airborne wins top science prize
When the WHO falsely claimed in March 2020 that COVID wasn’t airborne, Professor Lidia Morawska took action—organising 239 scientists worldwide to warn about SARS-CoV-2 airborne spread and urge global recognition.
When the WHO falsely claimed in March 2020 that COVID wasn’t airborne, Professor Lidia Morawska took action—organising 239 scientists worldwide to warn about SARS-CoV-2 airborne spread and urge global recognition.
Australian scientist who alerted world that Covid is airborne wins top science prize
Prof Lidia Morawska says recognition of her research comes at a fraught time – an ‘age of anti-science’
www.theguardian.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Australian scientist who alerted world that COVID is airborne wins top science prize
When the WHO falsely claimed in March 2020 that COVID wasn’t airborne, Professor Lidia Morawska took action—organising 239 scientists worldwide to warn about SARS-CoV-2 airborne spread and urge global recognition.
When the WHO falsely claimed in March 2020 that COVID wasn’t airborne, Professor Lidia Morawska took action—organising 239 scientists worldwide to warn about SARS-CoV-2 airborne spread and urge global recognition.
In the past, I've really appreciated @teenvogue.com's clear-eyed insights into the world. It now seems they're making moves to get rid of that kind of work.
And leaning into systemic discrimination to boot. From below: There are no longer any Black women or trans employees there.
And leaning into systemic discrimination to boot. From below: There are no longer any Black women or trans employees there.
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.
November 3, 2025 at 11:38 PM
In the past, I've really appreciated @teenvogue.com's clear-eyed insights into the world. It now seems they're making moves to get rid of that kind of work.
And leaning into systemic discrimination to boot. From below: There are no longer any Black women or trans employees there.
And leaning into systemic discrimination to boot. From below: There are no longer any Black women or trans employees there.
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
“Grocery stores throw out far more food than is shoplifted. Why don't shoplifters just take the food from the dumpster then. Because they have cameras on the dumpsters and security will be sent out when they see them on the monitors.” ~ mastodon.social/@AlSweigart/...
Grapes of Wrath 1939:
Grapes of Wrath 1939:
November 2, 2025 at 4:48 PM
“Grocery stores throw out far more food than is shoplifted. Why don't shoplifters just take the food from the dumpster then. Because they have cameras on the dumpsters and security will be sent out when they see them on the monitors.” ~ mastodon.social/@AlSweigart/...
Grapes of Wrath 1939:
Grapes of Wrath 1939:
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
"The AI Con reminds us that the fight over AI is not only about technology. It’s also about language, labor, and the stories we choose to tell about the future, which we can humanize rather than surrender to the myriad ways mass automation dehumanizes."
lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-...
lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-...
The Return of the Luddites | Los Angeles Review of Books
Erik J. Larson considers “The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want” by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna.
lareviewofbooks.org
October 31, 2025 at 4:07 PM
"The AI Con reminds us that the fight over AI is not only about technology. It’s also about language, labor, and the stories we choose to tell about the future, which we can humanize rather than surrender to the myriad ways mass automation dehumanizes."
lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-...
lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-...
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
Really appreciate this review of our book (w/ @alexhanna.bsky.social)
"By insisting on the term “automation,” Bender and Hanna reveal that what’s sold as innovation is often just labor displacement with better branding."
"…a demystifying, often hilarious lexicon that cuts through the fog of hype."
"By insisting on the term “automation,” Bender and Hanna reveal that what’s sold as innovation is often just labor displacement with better branding."
"…a demystifying, often hilarious lexicon that cuts through the fog of hype."
"The new Luddites aren’t afraid of AI. They’re afraid of the people who profit from pretending it’s intelligent." Erik J. Larson reviews "The AI Con" by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-return-of-the-luddites/
October 31, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Really appreciate this review of our book (w/ @alexhanna.bsky.social)
"By insisting on the term “automation,” Bender and Hanna reveal that what’s sold as innovation is often just labor displacement with better branding."
"…a demystifying, often hilarious lexicon that cuts through the fog of hype."
"By insisting on the term “automation,” Bender and Hanna reveal that what’s sold as innovation is often just labor displacement with better branding."
"…a demystifying, often hilarious lexicon that cuts through the fog of hype."
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
Started a thread in the other place and bringing it over here - I really think we should be more vocal about the opportunities that lay at the intersection of these two options!
So I'm starting a live thread of new roles as I become aware of them - feel free to add / extend / share :
So I'm starting a live thread of new roles as I become aware of them - feel free to add / extend / share :
Life situations are bleak right now for a lot of people. In tech, the "Venn Diagram" of (1) positive work and (2) making enough money to support your family is increasingly non-overlapping. We all do what we can.
This image has been living in my mind rent-free for months.
This image has been living in my mind rent-free for months.
October 29, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Started a thread in the other place and bringing it over here - I really think we should be more vocal about the opportunities that lay at the intersection of these two options!
So I'm starting a live thread of new roles as I become aware of them - feel free to add / extend / share :
So I'm starting a live thread of new roles as I become aware of them - feel free to add / extend / share :
🤖 Did you know your voice might be cloned without your consent from just *one sentence* of audio?
That's not great. So with @frimelle.bsky.social, we brainstormed a new idea for developers who want to curb malicious use: ✨The Voice Consent Gate.✨
Details, code, here: huggingface.co/blog/voice-c...
That's not great. So with @frimelle.bsky.social, we brainstormed a new idea for developers who want to curb malicious use: ✨The Voice Consent Gate.✨
Details, code, here: huggingface.co/blog/voice-c...
October 29, 2025 at 2:26 PM
🤖 Did you know your voice might be cloned without your consent from just *one sentence* of audio?
That's not great. So with @frimelle.bsky.social, we brainstormed a new idea for developers who want to curb malicious use: ✨The Voice Consent Gate.✨
Details, code, here: huggingface.co/blog/voice-c...
That's not great. So with @frimelle.bsky.social, we brainstormed a new idea for developers who want to curb malicious use: ✨The Voice Consent Gate.✨
Details, code, here: huggingface.co/blog/voice-c...
Reposted by Margaret Mitchell
The question isn’t "why does Signal use AWS?" It’s to look at the infrastructural requirements of any global, real-time, mass comms platform and ask how it is that we got to a place where there’s no realistic alternative to AWS and the other hyperscalers. 3/
October 27, 2025 at 10:38 AM
The question isn’t "why does Signal use AWS?" It’s to look at the infrastructural requirements of any global, real-time, mass comms platform and ask how it is that we got to a place where there’s no realistic alternative to AWS and the other hyperscalers. 3/