Dr Matt Mahmoudi

I did my PhD in the 2000s, when student-initiated projects began being replaced w/ "be someone's assistant" projects. I applied for AHRC funding. No luck. Started half-time while doing my job as a British Library #maps curator half-time. Re-applied the next year. Still no luck. 1/ #academicsky 💙📚 🗃

Major UK report on the water industry notes the challenge of "data centres for the projected increase in Artificial
Intelligence use, which have a high-water need" assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687dfc...

Ursula K. Le Guin was "formed by the 1950s, a decade of right-wing assaults on intellectual freedom and economic equality."

@julie-phillips.com on thinking with Le Guin's writing and actions: "As the politics of anger and fear return to power, I try to find encouragement in what she did”.

American newspaper clips from 1940, “Superman Poisoning American Children, Irate Nazis Claim. Plus, my Vanity Fair story: Can Superman Win the Culture War?

The right-wing backlash against #Superman has happened before.

Here’s my @vanityfair.com report w/ the full history —starting with April 1940, when the official SS newspaper attacked the comic book hero & its creators.

Plus, that time Superman fought the KKK…

🔗 www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...

Excited to share my latest article. It examines how humanitarian data came to be repurposed for citizenship determination, focusing on an often-overlooked form of biometric border-making: the digitized mechanisms for keeping citizens out of refugee camps. tinyurl.com/bde5a6dw

The New Artificial Intelligentsia | Los Angeles Review of Books In the fifth essay of the Legacies of Eugenics series, Ruha Benjamin explores how AI evangelists wrap their self-interest in a cloak of humanistic concern.

My latest on “The New Artificial Intelligentsia,” part of the Legacies of Eugenics series in the Los Angeles Review of Books. Thanks to all who read + share! lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-...

here's the blogpost as promised

aial.ie/blog/2025-ai...

I signed.

a couple of hours before my keynote, I went through an intense negotiation with the organisers (for over a hour) where we went through my slides and had to remove anything that mentions 'Palestine' 'Israel' and replace 'genocide' with 'war crimes'

1/

my keynote happening in a few mins. registration here to stream it

aiforgood.itu.int/summit25/reg...

The AI for Good Global Summit starts in Geneva tomorrow and undersigned AI scholars, scientists, human rights advocates and experts, demand that the UN to take a firm stand against tech sector complicity in grave violations of international law, including genocide.

Sign below 👇🏽👇🏽

uncomplicit.tech

Hey @neuripsconf.bsky.social will the reviews for the workshop proposals be shared with authors? Understanding the reasoning behind decisions would be greatly valuable, many of us put a lot of effort into our submissions. Transparency would be appreciated!

Tony Blair’s staff took part in ‘Gaza Riviera’ project with BCG Former UK prime minister’s institute participated in meetings on plan to turn shattered enclave into trading hub

FT reveals Tony Blair’s staff took part in ‘Gaza Riviera’ project with BCG and suggested the term. Now trying to frantically distance themselves ↘️ on.ft.com/4lJ8FnV

US contractors say their colleagues are firing live ammo as Palestinians seek food in Gaza American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food, according to accounts and videos obtained by The Asso...

apnews.com/article/pale... contractors say their colleagues are firing live ammo as Palestinians seek food in Gaza

Thanks for sharing! Really great to see this sort of analysis done at scale/comparatively across city! Sophie and I talked to them about an earlier version of this work (on NYC), incidentally.. really cool approach, but remain concerned with the methodology and results…

Computer-vision research powers surveillance technology - Nature An analysis of research papers and citing patents indicates the extensive ties between computer-vision research and surveillance.

New paper hot off the press www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We analysed over 40,000 computer vision papers from CVPR (the longest standing CV conf) & associated patents tracing pathways from research to application. We found that 90% of papers & 86% of downstream patents power surveillance

1/

The Sociological Review Foundation statement of solidarity with the people of Palestine

I just heard from a colleague at a conference where all panels start with a statement against genocide in Gaza. @thesociologicalreview.org remains the only conference/body I've seen do this in last 18 months. thesociologicalreview.org/announcement... Which academic assocs are standing up on this?

the g7 be like we support our well established right to occupy pillage and start wars and to then defend ourselves from the consequences of that

the ancient culture of wanting to decide one’s future

Only Iranians will free Iran.
Don't fall for it. Palestine will be free, and this nightmare in our region will end, but we must see past this truly perverse live manufacturing of propaganda and consent. [4/4]

To those elated by revolution in Iran under the auspices of the Israeli genocidal state: Have you seen Gaza? The West Bank? Lebanon? Syria? Yemen? Israel has nothing to offer you or anyone but a twisted moral launderette that transmutes western guilt into expansionist settler colonialism. [3/4]

The way Israel has managed to distract us from their relentless killing of Palestinians, thru their campaign in Iran, is truly mind boggling. They’re doing so thru the continued use of dehumanisation-its de facto specialism-reified by western media at every turn [2/4]

Speechless at how every media story related to the destruction in Iran somehow continues to miss the death toll, while photos extend only to obnoxious Israeli equipment of war. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's internal, self-imposed victimhood propaganda tour is getting the full bells and whistles. [1/4]

Last week we hosted a live show on AI and warfare, going deep on the use of AI in Gaza, and it's now live on our Computer Says Maybe feed.

Exceptional group of guests: @marwasf.bsky.social, @docmattmoudi.bsky.social, Karen Palacio (aka kardaver), and Wanda Muñoz.

Essential if difficult listening.

Computer Says Maybe | AI in Gaza: Live from Mexico City This episode contains some descriptions of torture methods, automated human targeting by machines, and psychological warfare throughoutLast week Alix hosted a live show in Mexico City right after R...

This was a difficult, but necessary listen esp in light of the escalations this week. Appreciate the analysis from @docmattmoudi.bsky.social @marwasf.bsky.social and @alixdunn.com's team for not shying away from what we need to face.

csm.transistor.fm/episodes/ai-...

Honoured to have Mizue Aizeki, Coline Schupfer and I’s edited collection represented in this profoundly important series 🙏🏽

It is possible to have an opinion on things happening in the world that is not shaped by what is (il)legal but by like a set of political and ethical commitments that are not derived from liberal legalism

Palantir Technologies and the Age of Automated Genocide | Novara Media Why do the IDF and NHS both work with Palantir?

Just listened to this excellent conversation between @docmattmoudi.bsky.social and @eleanorkpenny.bsky.social and you should too. I hear from tech worker pals all the time - Palantir is getting all over the British state. Serious stakes.

Join the @novaramedia.com supporter drive while you're at it!

Thank you Craig!!! 🙏🏽

US House Passes 10-Year Moratorium on State AI Laws | TechPolicy.Press The US House advanced a 10-year pause on state AI regulation, but its fate is uncertain in the Senate.

This is really not good; www.techpolicy.press/us-house-pas...