The War on Knowledge (with Raina Bloom), 2025.02.24

In the weeks since January 20, the US information ecosystem has been unraveling fast. (We're looking at you Denali, Gulf of Mexico, and every holiday celebrating people of color and queer people that used to be on Google Calendar.) As the country's unelected South African tech billionaire continues to run previously secure government data through highly questionable LLMs, academic librarian Raina Bloom joins Emily and Alex for a talk about how we organize knowledge, and what happens when generative AI degrades or poison the systems that keep us all accurately -- and contextually -- informed.​​Raina Bloom is the Reference Services Coordinator for University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries.References:OpenAI tries to 'uncensor' ChatGPTElon Musk's DOGE is feeding sensitive federal data into AI to target cutsGuardian Media Group announces strategic partnership with OpenAIElon Musk's AI-fuelled war on human agencyArchive version(Post now deleted) A DOGE intern asks Reddit for help with file conversionWhen is it safe to use ChatGPT in higher education? Raina recommends the table on page 6 of UNESCO's QuickStart guide.Fresh AI Hell:Irish educational body, while acknowledging genAI's problems, still gives LLMs too much creditFrom haircuts to dress design, AI slop is creating unrealistic expectations that hurt small businessesAttorneys still falling for "AI" searchThe latest in uncanny valley body horror roboticsGoogle claims to have developed AI "co-scientist"Is AI 'reasoning' or 'pretending'? It's a false choice.Check out future streams on Twitch. Meanwhile, send us any AI Hell you see.Find our book The AI Con here, and MAIHT3k merch here.Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.Follow us!EmilyBluesky: emilymbender.bsky.socialMastodon: dair-community.social/@EmilyMBenderAlexBluesky: alexhanna.bsky.socialMastodon: dair-community.social/@alexTwitter: @alexhannaMusic by Toby Menon.Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park. Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.