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Normally "here's an AI robot that talks to kids to teach them a language" would be a hard no from me. But I found one that I think is great, and I want to talk about why. The SkoBot is a language revitalization robot, led by the Ashinaabe engineer Danielle Boyer. Here's why I like this project:

We're seeing lots of headlines about the catastrophic impact of massive data center expansion. But what else could data centers look like? In my perpetual quest to seek out alternative technofutures, I want to highlight the really cool work of Keolu Fox. 🧵

With Sora bringing deepfaked videos back into the public discourse, I am reminded of the C2PA standard, which is one tool for attempting to verify an image— from being taken by a camera to being displayed to a user on a website— has not been generated with AI.

The Verge

This system can sort real pictures from AI fakes — why aren’t platforms using it?

It’s taking years to get platforms to adopt the C2PA’s standard.

As much as I'm a Luddite, this feels like a place where increasing adoption of a tech solution (I guess, if developing and implementing a standard counts as "tech") could genuinely help address a pressing issue.

Just added our first guest zine to the DAIR Zine Library: it's Identity 2.0's AI-Z: conversations about resistance and generative AI. Check it out!! >>> zines.dair-institute.org/ai-z <<< from: www.identity20.org A small detail they did here that I'm thinking a lot about in my own work: "AI use disclaimers" in their work. I've been toying with adding a little handwritten "a human wrote this" image at the bottom of my email signature with a link to more info. Are other folks doing this?

Fascinating to be included here:

AP News

How Silicon Valley is using religious language to talk about AI

As the rapid, unregulated development of artificial intelligence continues, the language people in Silicon Valley use to describe it is becoming in...

I stand by what I said— it is natural for anyone to be drawn to escapism and fantastical thinking in response to fear and uncertainty. Billionaires are not immune. I will get on my soapbox to voice my frustration that we are often made to engage on tech billionaires' terms, and add an evergreen reminder that their fantasies aren't better, worthier, or truer than yours. 🧵

Fun announcement: I'll be running a Possible Futures workshop in-person in Seattle in a month! Details are in the event link. I would love to meet anyone else who's in Seattle, let's make art and imagine alternative technofutures :)

Eventbrite

DAIR Presents: Imagining Possible Futures, Seattle

Imagine alternative technofutures with us in this free, in-person zine-making workshop. Come write, draw, collage, and chat with us!

Reading Empire of AI and thinking about how sooo many so-called "AI experts" popping up out of nowhere to help everyone get on board with the "AI revolution" are woefully unaware of who they're parroting, where those messages came from, and towards what end they're building. 🧵