Cate Denial

"AI" is Yesterday's News I gave this talk yesterday to the Massachusetts Teachers Association, as part of the MTA Retired First Wednesday Speaker Series. Thank you very much for inviting me to speak to you today. I’m honored...

an algorithm controlled by some of the largest and richest corporations the world has ever seen, run by the wealthiest men the world has ever known."

2ndbreakfast.audreywatters.com/ai-is-yester...

-- a system, a technology that demands teachers work harder with less dignity and less authority; one that transfers knowledge from the lived experience and expertise of the classroom into a repository . . . (more)

From @audreywatters.bsky.social's newsletter today:

"There is no magic bullet, no magic technology that “saves” time; only a system that demands more and more from each of us, only a technology that further extracts and exploits and denigrates . . ." (more)

This is an amazing resource, showing the media capture of various AI/tech companies.

Flow chart showing OpenAI, Google Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Perplexity, ProRate.ai, IBM, Mistral, Anthropic, Nvidia, in that order with the biggest deals, with OpenAI having 21 deals, Google 17, Meta 8, Microsoft 4, Amazon 3.

Check out this interactive website by Nana Mgbechikwere, showing BigTech and "AI" companies' media capture.

No wonder the public is getting misinformed.

They say it is inspired by @surveillancewatch.bsky.social, which ❤️

nananwachukwu.github.io

Let us know if we can help in any way!

Tired of relentless boosterism and narratives of inevitability? Worried about the thoughtless outsourcing of our universities' work and mission? We got you. 👊

Congrats!

Banner that reads "I'm presenting! CLASS 2026: the AAC&U conference on learning and student success. Tuscon, AZ, April 15-18."

And is if my last post wasn't exciting enough, I'm also presenting with @drkevinrmcclure.com and @detroittoaccra.bsky.social on "Faculty, Care, and Leadership in the Contemporary University." April 17, 4.45pm!

A banner that reads "I'm Presenting! CLASS 2026: Conference on Learning and Student Success" Tuscon, AZ, April 15-18.

So excited to be presenting with @josheyler.bsky.social, @liznorell.bsky.social, and @thetattooedprof.bsky.social on "The Case against Using GenAI in Education: Meeting the Moment with Care and Courage" at AAC&U's CLASS conference! April 17, 11am. It's going to be so much fun!

Banner that reads "I'm presenting! CLASS 2026: the AAC&U conference on learning and student success. Tuscon, AZ, April 15-18."

And is if my last post wasn't exciting enough, I'm also presenting with @drkevinrmcclure.com and @detroittoaccra.bsky.social on "Faculty, Care, and Leadership in the Contemporary University." April 17, 4.45pm!

A banner that reads "I'm Presenting! CLASS 2026: Conference on Learning and Student Success" Tuscon, AZ, April 15-18.

So excited to be presenting with @josheyler.bsky.social, @liznorell.bsky.social, and @thetattooedprof.bsky.social on "The Case against Using GenAI in Education: Meeting the Moment with Care and Courage" at AAC&U's CLASS conference! April 17, 11am. It's going to be so much fun!

I'm so sorry to hear this. Not being able to get warm really takes it out of you. I always feel slower and clumsier when I'm cold, too.

If you define "research" as, say, producing scatter plots or sorting quantitative data faster than a human could, well...is that really research? Or is it processing? "Using google maps" is different than "taking a vacation."

I felt that in my soul

How I'm Teaching About Generative AI Every choice I make about how to discuss GenAI with my students is predicated on trusting them

New today in TIW: Historian @cjdenial.bsky.social on teaching about AI. "in every iteration of this conversation I have had with students in the last two years, there is one constant: almost no one knows about the ethical issues surrounding GenAI before they delve into the readings I’ve assigned."

This gives away the whole game, as people have been warning for years and years. This is identity erasure of a whole class. the precedents for having documents revoked by group…are not good.

This is a fabulous example of why LLMs are not useful for historical research. I'll be using this reading in class!

Yikes!

the little handle thing on the screen looks like a gnome head

I just learned that Northside Mutual Aid (supporting North Minneapolis families impacted by ICE) is still trying to meet $80,000 in rent needs from FEBRUARY.

Can we move some funds in their direction? 🌻

That's fast! Well done!

I, too, dream of tetris when I play it for any length of time!

Yes, agreed, and the thing I linked to said that there is some limited evidence that it can help with intrusive thoughts in the immediate aftermath of something. But that's a long way from what people are saying more generally.

Rent assistance needed in Minneapolis - full thread below

There's still a need for newborn supplies in Minneapolis!

And yes, I also have CPTSD.

“Tetris for Trauma” Viral Twitter Thread: A Master Class in Misleading Psych Research A TV writer claims that research shows that Tetris is “literally a trauma first aid kit.” Her tweets sound scientific, but the research behind it is unconvincing.

I'm seeing a lot of people share the 'tetris helps with PTSD' thing again, and here's an analysis of the science that finds the studies very unconvincing: www.madinamerica.com/2021/10/tetr...

Wow, I am sorry everyone's in this situation. So glad to see so much solidarity!

there are so many responses I could make that I can't pick one 😀