Tim Cowlishaw
@timcowlishaw.co.uk
PhD-ing @ UOC DARTS (Design Research + STS + Environmental Humanities + Digital Waste).
Working @ greenweb.org, smartcitizen.me and assorted other places.
Anglès a Tarragona (sempre guiri, antigament pixapí, mai "expat")
https://www.timcowlishaw.co.uk
Working @ greenweb.org, smartcitizen.me and assorted other places.
Anglès a Tarragona (sempre guiri, antigament pixapí, mai "expat")
https://www.timcowlishaw.co.uk
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
I now have this in my head so it's only fair if you all also have this in your head ant time anyone ever mentions the Sunn O)))
November 29, 2025 at 2:01 PM
I now have this in my head so it's only fair if you all also have this in your head ant time anyone ever mentions the Sunn O)))
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
The Quietus would not exist were it not for our subscribers. We're not doing a Black Friday sale as we can't afford to, but if you subscribe today, you'll be helping actual humans share their joy in music with independent editorial that's guaranteed AI-slop-free:
thequietus.com/subscribers/
thequietus.com/subscribers/
November 28, 2025 at 9:33 AM
The Quietus would not exist were it not for our subscribers. We're not doing a Black Friday sale as we can't afford to, but if you subscribe today, you'll be helping actual humans share their joy in music with independent editorial that's guaranteed AI-slop-free:
thequietus.com/subscribers/
thequietus.com/subscribers/
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
The chat interface was a marketing bet. Selling #AI as if it is not auto complete. It still is.
"#ChatGPT shifted the user’s relationship to text, moving the prompt from a ‘piece of writing for the model to finish’ to a ‘question calling for an answer’."
mail.cyberneticforests.com/what-was-…
"#ChatGPT shifted the user’s relationship to text, moving the prompt from a ‘piece of writing for the model to finish’ to a ‘question calling for an answer’."
mail.cyberneticforests.com/what-was-…
What Was ChatGPT?
A Chatbot Optimized for Social Distance
Three years after the launch of ChatGPT, we can finally speak in hindsight about what it was and how it came to be. Its meteoric rise shocked the world, gathering more users in less time than any product launch in history. But that specific
mail.cyberneticforests.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:49 PM
The chat interface was a marketing bet. Selling #AI as if it is not auto complete. It still is.
"#ChatGPT shifted the user’s relationship to text, moving the prompt from a ‘piece of writing for the model to finish’ to a ‘question calling for an answer’."
mail.cyberneticforests.com/what-was-…
"#ChatGPT shifted the user’s relationship to text, moving the prompt from a ‘piece of writing for the model to finish’ to a ‘question calling for an answer’."
mail.cyberneticforests.com/what-was-…
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
they're saying there's a spectre haunting europe and it's very nice, we're looking into it strongly, it's beautiful, we love it and we think it means well
November 21, 2025 at 10:39 PM
they're saying there's a spectre haunting europe and it's very nice, we're looking into it strongly, it's beautiful, we love it and we think it means well
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
November 21, 2025 at 9:25 PM
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
when the ai bubble bursts it's gonna be a whole Project™ to tease apart neural-nets-the-technology from chatbots-the-product-class in the public consciousness given that these companies have been trying their hardest to confuse everybody about this distinction for the last several years
November 18, 2025 at 1:33 PM
when the ai bubble bursts it's gonna be a whole Project™ to tease apart neural-nets-the-technology from chatbots-the-product-class in the public consciousness given that these companies have been trying their hardest to confuse everybody about this distinction for the last several years
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
What this reveals is that for most people in charge right now “AI” is less useful as a technology than as a piece of language to shift a conversation in whatever direction they need it to go. In one minute it will propel a new economy; in another it’s the reason for a recession.
November 17, 2025 at 1:39 PM
What this reveals is that for most people in charge right now “AI” is less useful as a technology than as a piece of language to shift a conversation in whatever direction they need it to go. In one minute it will propel a new economy; in another it’s the reason for a recession.
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
NEW: Welcome to the Great AI Bubble. Yes, it’s here. And yes, it’s going to burst.
It’s also got way more in common with the Epstein scandal than you really want to know.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
It’s also got way more in common with the Epstein scandal than you really want to know.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
The Great AI Bubble
Yes, it's a bubble. And yes, it's going to burst.
open.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 11:35 AM
NEW: Welcome to the Great AI Bubble. Yes, it’s here. And yes, it’s going to burst.
It’s also got way more in common with the Epstein scandal than you really want to know.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
It’s also got way more in common with the Epstein scandal than you really want to know.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
[To the tune of Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison]
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Walking down the street
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵House with chicken feet
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Walking down the street
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵House with chicken feet
🎵Baba Yaga
November 14, 2025 at 1:24 PM
[To the tune of Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison]
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Walking down the street
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵House with chicken feet
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵Walking down the street
🎵Baba Yaga
🎵House with chicken feet
🎵Baba Yaga
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
thinking about the scene in Twin Peaks at Laura's funeral where Bobby breaks down and says that everyone there killed Laura because they knew what was happening, they knew she was in trouble and they didn't do anything. thinking about that scene a lot today.
November 13, 2025 at 8:22 AM
thinking about the scene in Twin Peaks at Laura's funeral where Bobby breaks down and says that everyone there killed Laura because they knew what was happening, they knew she was in trouble and they didn't do anything. thinking about that scene a lot today.
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
The whole war on “woke” and “cancel culture” was contrived to protect the worst people in our society and make it possible for them to keep doing despicable things to other people.
November 13, 2025 at 12:29 AM
The whole war on “woke” and “cancel culture” was contrived to protect the worst people in our society and make it possible for them to keep doing despicable things to other people.
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
I reckon the most interesting subset of discourse here is when presumed [good] factors are actually either actually bad, or there to downplay or dismiss the bad even if the amount of good is way smaller than the bad.
A short thread to explain: on "training for electrification" + "demand response"
A short thread to explain: on "training for electrification" + "demand response"
I would love it if public discourse on data centers could be just a skosh more sophisticated than "data centers good vs. data centers bad."
November 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I reckon the most interesting subset of discourse here is when presumed [good] factors are actually either actually bad, or there to downplay or dismiss the bad even if the amount of good is way smaller than the bad.
A short thread to explain: on "training for electrification" + "demand response"
A short thread to explain: on "training for electrification" + "demand response"
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
🌐🚨 CALL FOR PAPERS 🚨🌐
'The Visual Politics of Digital Ecologies'
🗓️ 2-3 February 2026
📍 @oxfordgeography.bsky.social
We invite one-word titles (e.g. hallucinating, zooming, obscuring, glitching, generating)
Deadline: 14th November
Full info: digicologies.com/cfp
'The Visual Politics of Digital Ecologies'
🗓️ 2-3 February 2026
📍 @oxfordgeography.bsky.social
We invite one-word titles (e.g. hallucinating, zooming, obscuring, glitching, generating)
Deadline: 14th November
Full info: digicologies.com/cfp
October 6, 2025 at 6:29 PM
🌐🚨 CALL FOR PAPERS 🚨🌐
'The Visual Politics of Digital Ecologies'
🗓️ 2-3 February 2026
📍 @oxfordgeography.bsky.social
We invite one-word titles (e.g. hallucinating, zooming, obscuring, glitching, generating)
Deadline: 14th November
Full info: digicologies.com/cfp
'The Visual Politics of Digital Ecologies'
🗓️ 2-3 February 2026
📍 @oxfordgeography.bsky.social
We invite one-word titles (e.g. hallucinating, zooming, obscuring, glitching, generating)
Deadline: 14th November
Full info: digicologies.com/cfp
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
"the makers of AI aren’t damned by their failures, they’re damned by their goals. They want to build a genie to grant them wishes, and their wish is that nobody ever has to make art again. They want to create a new kind of mind, so they can force it into mindless servitude."
“I do understand: you want permission... You gave one to your teacher and they didn’t notice. Your boss told you to use it after they laid off half the team and it was fine. You fed one to your kids and they liked it.”
anthonymoser.github.io/writing/ai/h...
anthonymoser.github.io/writing/ai/h...
I Am An AI Hater
I am an AI hater. This is considered rude, but I do not care, because I am a hater.
anthonymoser.github.io
November 4, 2025 at 12:35 PM
"the makers of AI aren’t damned by their failures, they’re damned by their goals. They want to build a genie to grant them wishes, and their wish is that nobody ever has to make art again. They want to create a new kind of mind, so they can force it into mindless servitude."
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
New awareness campaign
November 3, 2025 at 3:23 PM
New awareness campaign
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
What’s wrong babe? You’ve hardly touched your Gregg’s Benedict.
October 30, 2025 at 6:42 PM
What’s wrong babe? You’ve hardly touched your Gregg’s Benedict.
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
Interested in data centers? In critical data center studies?
Here's an open biblio -- anyone can add or borrow from it. Please do add anything that's missing. Enjoy!
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Here's an open biblio -- anyone can add or borrow from it. Please do add anything that's missing. Enjoy!
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Critical Data Center Studies
Critical Data Center Studies Books Amoore, Louise. 2020. Ethics Algorithms and the Attributes of Ourselves and Others Duke https://www.dukeupress.edu/cloud-ethics Bedir, M; Groen. L; Kuijpers. M; Sa...
docs.google.com
October 30, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Interested in data centers? In critical data center studies?
Here's an open biblio -- anyone can add or borrow from it. Please do add anything that's missing. Enjoy!
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Here's an open biblio -- anyone can add or borrow from it. Please do add anything that's missing. Enjoy!
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Creía que no pudiera volverme más fan de Zohran y de repente saca esto! 🥹
Juntos vamos a construir la ciudad que merecemos!
Y con tu ayuda, voy a seguir aprendiendo español 😉
Y con tu ayuda, voy a seguir aprendiendo español 😉
October 29, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Creía que no pudiera volverme más fan de Zohran y de repente saca esto! 🥹
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
the cow's tools will never be used to dismantle the cow's barn
October 28, 2025 at 2:42 PM
the cow's tools will never be used to dismantle the cow's barn
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
I struggle to fully allow myself to be politically hopeful on account of being burned over and over again for my entire adult life, but god it does feel good to see Zack Polanski on all the horrible shows calmly and articulately telling the horrible presenters that bad things are actually bad
October 15, 2025 at 2:18 PM
I struggle to fully allow myself to be politically hopeful on account of being burned over and over again for my entire adult life, but god it does feel good to see Zack Polanski on all the horrible shows calmly and articulately telling the horrible presenters that bad things are actually bad
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
Reposted by Tim Cowlishaw
It is not "attribution and sourcing" to generate post-hoc citations that have not been read and did not inform the student's writing. Those should be regarded as fraudulent: artifacts testifying to human actions and thought that did not occur.
www.theverge.com/news/760508/...
www.theverge.com/news/760508/...
August 18, 2025 at 10:37 PM
It is not "attribution and sourcing" to generate post-hoc citations that have not been read and did not inform the student's writing. Those should be regarded as fraudulent: artifacts testifying to human actions and thought that did not occur.
www.theverge.com/news/760508/...
www.theverge.com/news/760508/...