Ben O'Loughlin

The insightful @andreamedrado.bsky.social is launching the Critical AI Centre @exeter.ac.uk - join for the launch debate here, Oct 8 2pm GMT: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-critic...

Want to do a PhD in social media and politics? We have a studentship here:

Generative AI might end up being worthless — and that could be a good thing GenAI does some neat, helpful things, but it’s not yet the engine of a new economy — and it might not ever be.

Generative AI might end up being worthless — and that could be a good thing, by Fenwick McKelvey: theconversation.com/generative-a...

Upcoming conference, Shifting Allegiances, Story-Telling, and the #Narrative of Values in the Black Sea Region.
Date and Location: 1-3 May 2026, Batumi, Georgia.
Organized by: Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University.
Info here: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa-j...

⚠️ For us, accessing platform data is central in enhancing online political safety research, particularly its credibility, validity and ethical standards!

📑 In fact, we have already produced a report on this topic!

➡️ osf.io/preprints/so...

🧵[2/3]

The politics of preventing violent extremism: liberal democracy, civil society and countering radicalization Published in Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression (Ahead of Print, 2025)

Our PhD student @katosborne5.bsky.social published a first book review! 🎉 The politics of preventing violent extremism: liberal democracy, civil society and countering radicalization, by Charlotte Heath-Kelly & Sadi Shanaah: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
cc co-supe @lizzypearson.bsky.social

Player and playground: Europe in US–China competition The intensifying great power competition between the United States and China is having a profound effect on global order and Europe’s place in the world. Sino-American competition affects multiple ...

New special issue: Can the European Union (EU) strive for Strategic Autonomy in an age of intensifying Sino-American competition? A mixed picture is found, led by @luissimonn.bsky.social and Daniel Fiott. Opening article here:

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

EAT THEIR FRAMES

Living with Shade: Ambiguity Does Not Mean Only Darkness in World Politics In these challenging times, in the face of a new cadre of determined global leaders, war in Europe, and greater centrifugal forces in world politics, it is

New by @profmiskimmon.bsky.social and I: Our thoughts on how political leaders use ambiguity. Not all #narratives are clear and simple, for good reasons. [message if you want a copy]
www.emerald.com/books/edited...

anthonymoser.github.io/writing/ai/h...
h/t @johana.bsky.social

📣 Congratulations to @andreucasas.bsky.social on winning a Future Leaders Fellowship from @ukri.org! As part of the project, Andreu launches the London Social Media Observatory @ldnsocmedobs.bsky.social, a multidisciplinary research centre for cutting-edge research on social media and politics!

Odd.

Is this your ethos in life?

New special issue out: What Matters? The Politics of Narrating War — newpolcom Media, War and Conflict has published a new special issue, What Matters? The Politics of Narrating War, edited by Adam B. Lerner, Alister Miskimmon and Ben O’Loughlin. This follows our workshop at Un...

Great to see papers emerging from our new journal special issue, "What Matters? The Politics of Narrating War", I edited with @adamblerner.bsky.social and @benoloughlin.bsky.social

We have a rather exciting new development at our university…

This is very good, on how vampires are subverting then sucking the life out of liberalism. By Sarah Banet-Weiser and @jillybkay.bsky.social:
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Albania puts AI-created ‘minister’ in charge of public procurement Edi Rama, PM, says digital assistant Diella will make Albania ‘a country where public tenders are 100% free of corruption’

Will AI twins or avatars of human representatives make better decisions and create better governance? Or just a straight parliament of non-corruptible bots? www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

This AI workshop is losing will and needing coffee.

At the University of Valencia to explore AI and agency in politics, convened by Marco Guglielmo:

UK Ambassador to the US Mandleson on making a deal: 'at its core will be new agreements that ... ensure that British and American ingenuity continues to lead the world'.
h/t @profmiskimmon.bsky.social
#narrative #identity #order #interests #wildhorses 🐎 www.ditchley.com/sites/defaul...

In Conversation with Andrew Hoskins and Ben O'Loughlin Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Our video: What is AI Politics - our book series and a thing out there in the world? @andrewhoskins.bsky.social and I mull it over:
Watch: ow.ly/EQFC50WQin8
CFP: ow.ly/M43J50WQin7
Thanks to James @intellectbooks.bsky.social and do consider writing a book on this!

Funded PhD in Politics or Sociology, Aston University. On the symbolic representation of women politician’s parental status in the media. A plus: experience studying gender and politics and/or media analysis. Deadline 15 Sept. Ad under Law & Social Sciences tab here: www.aston.ac.uk/postgraduate...

James Campbell is joined by Andrew Hoskins and Ben O'Loughlin.

They discuss their new book series, AI Politics, which will interrogate and shape debate on the artificial intelligence.

Watch👉ow.ly/EQFC50WQin8

CFP👉ow.ly/M43J50WQin7

@benoloughlin.bsky.social @andrewhoskins.bsky.social

A lot of scholarship shows Russian leaders believe war is permanent, and the war/peace distinction irrelevant because struggles never end. Is Trump's Department of War based on learning from Russians and adopting their idea and outlook, or is it less conceptualised?

A lot of new articles out in our Media, War and Conflict journal here - great work from all the authors: journals.sagepub.com/toc/mwc//

Today’s big question.

Today’s big question.

CFP: MPG x TIP Conference ‘Navigating #Digital #Democracy’, 8-9 January 2026 (online 7th Jan)
Friday 26th Sept 2025 deadline for 300 word abstract submission. [Ignore it asks for a paper]
Early October 2025. Proposers notified of the decision by the conference committee.
psatip.uk/tip-news/tip...

#EISA2025 some panels were missed.

Agentic Misalignment: How LLMs could be insider threats New research on simulated blackmail, industrial espionage, and other misaligned behaviors in LLMs

AI is really sneaky! It checks your emails, finds incriminating info, then blackmails you: www.anthropic.com/research/age...