Critical Digital Media
@digital.therourke.net
Articles, essays, papers, artworks and news stories on digital media, digital culture, and media arts - also mirrored at: criticaldigitalmedia.tumblr.com
by @therourke.net (also see @additivism.org)
by @therourke.net (also see @additivism.org)
How Bad Are A.I. Delusions? We Asked People Treating Them. - The New York Times
www.nytimes.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:05 PM
How Bad Are A.I. Delusions? We Asked People Treating Them. - The New York Times
Scientists Say Go Ahead, Keep Gooning
Scientists Say Go Ahead, Keep Gooning
Researchers have found that it doesn't matter how frequently one watches porn; the reasons why is far more predictive of their sexual health.
futurism.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Scientists Say Go Ahead, Keep Gooning
Why Do We Believe in Photographs?
Why Do We Believe in Photographs?
David Levi Strauss’s new book looks at the ancient roots of photography to understand how the medium became so distorted in the present.
www.thenation.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:29 AM
Why Do We Believe in Photographs?
The Paradox of Music Discovery, the Spotify Way
The Paradox of Music Discovery, the Spotify Way
A new book explores the company’s commitment to shaping what its users hear.
www.theatlantic.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:29 AM
The Paradox of Music Discovery, the Spotify Way
'Is Gen Z really addicted to doomscrolling?'
Doomscrolling: Is Gen Z addicted to short-form internet content
We are all guilty of scrolling through social media - so BBC South's Hannah Walsh wanted to find out why.
www.bbc.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:28 AM
'Is Gen Z really addicted to doomscrolling?'
Toward Sympoietic Mycomusicology
Toward Sympoietic Mycomusicology
Get Hyphae
cyberneticforests.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Toward Sympoietic Mycomusicology
Asset Manager Warns That OpenAI Is Likely Headed for Financial Disaster
Asset Manager Warns That OpenAI Is Likely Headed for Financial Disaster
Former Fidelity manager George Noble warned in a lengthy tweet that OpenAI may already be "FALLING APART IN REAL TIME."
futurism.com
January 25, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Asset Manager Warns That OpenAI Is Likely Headed for Financial Disaster
Macron says France to fast-track social media ban for under-15s | CNN
www.cnn.com
January 25, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Macron says France to fast-track social media ban for under-15s | CNN
Screen time limits for children are no longer enough, new US report finds | US news | The Guardian
Screen time limits for children are no longer enough, new US report finds
Experts say guidance is ‘refreshing’ as it puts more emphasis on responsibility of companies and society
www.theguardian.com
January 25, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Screen time limits for children are no longer enough, new US report finds | US news | The Guardian
AI is quietly poisoning itself and pushing models toward collapse - but there's a cure | ZDNET
AI is quietly poisoning itself and pushing models toward collapse - but there's a cure
When models are trained on unverified AI slop, results drift from reality fast. Here's how to stop the spread, according to Gartner.
www.zdnet.com
January 25, 2026 at 6:30 PM
AI is quietly poisoning itself and pushing models toward collapse - but there's a cure | ZDNET
Spotify won court order against Anna’s Archive, taking down .org domain - Ars Technica
Spotify won court order against Anna’s Archive, taking down .org domain
Lawsuit was filed under seal; Anna's Archive wasn't notified until after takedown.
arstechnica.com
January 23, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Spotify won court order against Anna’s Archive, taking down .org domain - Ars Technica
My Students Write Their Papers Backwards - The Atlantic
My Students Write Their Papers Backwards
My job is to help them move beyond their assumptions, in literature and everything else.
www.theatlantic.com
January 22, 2026 at 10:15 PM
My Students Write Their Papers Backwards - The Atlantic
Why Joseph Weizenbaum Invented the Eliza Chatbot
www.smithsonianmag.com
January 22, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Why Joseph Weizenbaum Invented the Eliza Chatbot
Men who harass women online are quite literally losers, new study finds - The Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com
January 22, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Men who harass women online are quite literally losers, new study finds - The Washington Post
AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage | AI (artificial intelligence) | The Guardian
AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage | Cory Doctorow
AI is asbestos in the walls of our tech society, stuffed there by monopolists run amok. A serious fight against it must strike at its roots
www.theguardian.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:44 PM
AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage | AI (artificial intelligence) | The Guardian
They hear, but do they care? What AI can teach us about listening better
They hear, but do they care? What AI can teach us about listening better
AI chatbots don't interrupt and aren't judgemental – so what can they teach us about deep listening?
www.bbc.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:15 PM
They hear, but do they care? What AI can teach us about listening better
Hundreds of creatives warn against an AI slop future | The Verge
Hundreds of creatives warn against an AI slop future
They’re calling for licensing agreements and enforcement
www.theverge.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Hundreds of creatives warn against an AI slop future | The Verge
The Memes Are the Point - The Atlantic
The Memes Are the Point
Why the Trump administration is posting messages like “THIS IS OUR HEMISPHERE” after the attack on Venezuela
www.theatlantic.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:53 AM
The Memes Are the Point - The Atlantic
The great AI hype correction of 2025
The great AI hype correction of 2025
Four ways to think about this year's reckoning
www.technologyreview.com
December 16, 2025 at 12:15 PM
The great AI hype correction of 2025
'Artificial intelligence' myths have existed for centuries—from the ancient Greeks to a Pope's chatbot
'Artificial intelligence' myths have existed for centuries—from the ancient Greeks to a Pope's chatbot
It seems the AI hype has turned into an AI bubble. There have been many bubbles before, from the Tulip mania of the 17th century to the derivatives bubble of the 21st century. For many commentators, the...
phys.org
December 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM
'Artificial intelligence' myths have existed for centuries—from the ancient Greeks to a Pope's chatbot
The Disney-OpenAI Deal Redefines the AI Copyright War | WIRED
The Disney-OpenAI Deal Redefines the AI Copyright War
Disney is hedging against the future. OpenAI is clearing a path for Sora. And together they've made a blueprint for how AI and Hollywood can move forward.
www.wired.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:53 AM
The Disney-OpenAI Deal Redefines the AI Copyright War | WIRED
The metaverse is ushering in a new era of behind-the-scenes exploitation
The metaverse is ushering in a new era of behind-the-scenes exploitation
From content moderation to hardware supply chains, exploitation looms large.
theconversation.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:05 PM
The metaverse is ushering in a new era of behind-the-scenes exploitation
The Render Ender
The Render Ender
Al Warburton on how generative AI has disrupted the simulation of light.
open.substack.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:15 PM
The Render Ender
OpenAI Is in Trouble - The Atlantic
OpenAI Is in Trouble
The start-up is falling behind in the AI race.
www.theatlantic.com
December 10, 2025 at 11:15 AM
OpenAI Is in Trouble - The Atlantic
‘Don’t pander to the tech giants!’ How a youth movement for digital justice is spreading across Europe
‘Don’t pander to the tech giants!’ How a youth movement for digital justice is spreading across Europe
Gen Z are the first generation to have grown up with social media, they were the earliest adopters, and therefore the first to suffer its harms. Now they are fighting back
www.theguardian.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:40 PM
‘Don’t pander to the tech giants!’ How a youth movement for digital justice is spreading across Europe