Mita Williams

159 - Why We Fear AI feat. Hagen Blix

This week we’re joined by @hagenblix.bsky.social to talk about their new book on AI and labor/power/knowledge/eugenics. We also discuss some library Reddit developments.

© CBC/Radio-Canada 2026. All rights reserved.

I had the pleasure of joining Matt Galloway on CBC’s The Current this morning to talk about *that* Amazon Ring Superbowl ad. It's heartening to see the perception of commercial surveillance networks shifting toward rejection.

Saying no to bad tech is always an option.

www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

It's always something like this and never something like 'use AI to check whether a manager is sexually harassing a subordinate'. (Which, to be clear, is not a great idea either; my point is these tools are mainly seen by management as a way to exert tighter control over labor.)

If you can't decide, why not do both?

WordPress has a subscribe to email function and Ghost works as an either/or platform for both modes.

Really appreciate this thoughtful post by @laurenpressley.bsky.social on what librarians are particularly ready to contribute to the conversations in higher ed about how to address AI. laurenpressley.com/library/2026...

ICE purchases facility in Romulus, agency spokesperson says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has purchased a facility in Romulus, Michigan, a spokesperson for the federal agency told CBS News Detroit on Sunday afternoon.

Romulus, Michigan

"Romulus Mayor Robert A. McCraight said he was telling lawmakers 'at all levels' that a detention center is not permitted and will be opposed by the city..."

www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news...

Part of why I am insistent that public libraries must be expanded is because they can offer us a foundation for unleashing creativity and for nurturing imagination. This is an affirmative project at a time when we desperately need to be FOR things and not just against them.

Suprematism, by Nikolai Suetin, 1920-21, 📸 by @tiltoncreative

‘Andor’ Creator Tony Gilroy Gives the Interview He Couldn’t During Its Release While promoting his cautionary tale about fascism, Disney asked Gilroy to refrain from using the word. Nine months after it aired its finale, the 'Star Wars' series feels scarily prescient.

“We were stunned [about the prescience] for a while, but we’ve really gotten to the point where it’s really sad. It’s just sad how predictable and lame and obvious and wrong it all is. Fascism is just a total fail in the end.” www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-featur...

I try to keep my socials mostly as a respite from bad news, but this ongoing development in the US scares me out of my skin.

You gotta get off substack

I just did the dumbest thing of my entire career to prove a much more serious point.

I tricked ChatGPT and Google, and made them tell other users I’m a competitive hot-dog-eating world champion

People are using this trick on a massive scale to make AI tell you lies. I’ll explain how I did it

Basically, the right-wing wants you to think that being racist is the most dangerous (and cool) thing you can do right now. Films like The People's Joker and Nirvanna The Band The Movie prove the most dangerous thing for algorithmic streaming platforms is actually copyright infringement.

I propose to make universal the old policy of the Blackfriars conference at the American Shakespeare Center:

If you do not end your paper on time, you will be forced to exit, pursued by a bear. Literally, a bear will come take your paper from you.

An illustration showing cute fat rabbits piling into an underground burrow. There is text, part of which has been edited. The original text says "There are tunnels underground where bunnies are safe — safe" and the edited text adds "from emails"

Stay safe out there y'all

Paddington In the Superbowl Halftime Show

I Photoshop Paddington into a movie, TV show, or pop culture until I forget: Day 1792

UofWinds 431, Week 07 2026: Community Lighthouses, What does it mean to make something, Simon Willison's Tools Good morning. I'm writing at my desk, surrounded by a trio of beverages: a coffee, water in a sticker covered YETI bottle, and a small thermos carrying the extras of a smoothie that I made yesterday. ...

UofWinds 431, Week 07 2026: Community Lighthouses, What does it mean to make something, Simon Willison's Tools:

www.uofwinds.com/431/

here's the link if you want to watch it. and you should 😉
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Fu...

Disturbingly detailed analysis of my first rewatch incoming

halftime show fromt eh supebowl showing a set on the field featuring a nyc bodega

This kind of smart, walkable, mixed-use urbanism is illegal to build in most American cities.

Macbeth: SHIT

The Sermon on the Mount, by Beryl Lewis, before 1965, 📸 by @ScottStrazzante

More links: magneticnorth.aedileworks.com/2020/02/23/w...

Amazon has been planning to turn consumer Ring cameras into their own private network was the plan all this time. They even planned the whole lost dog feature in 2019: www.cnet.com/tech/service...

Me holding copy of the book

You’ve seen the halftime show … now read my friend Petra’s new book from @dukepress.bsky.social about how Bad Bunny became the global voice of Puerto Rican resistance! 👏🏽👏🏽

www.dukeupress.edu/p-fkn-r

Commenting on energy injustice is now the floor for any halftime act.

When he gave the Grammy to that young boy who made everyone think of Liam…even if that wasn’t actually Liam, it was just the perfect way of cutting through all the bullshit.

Every kid impacted by this administration’s cruelty is another Liam.

Holding us accountable for the shameful failure to restore power to PR

No Kings includes Draft Kings

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS HE SAID CANADA.