Nolen Gertz
@ethicistforhire.bsky.social
Philosophy professor @utwentephilosophy.bsky.social
Author of #NihilismAndTechnology (RLI 2018), #Nihilism (MIT 2019), #PhilosophyOfWarAndExile (Palgrave 2014)
https://www.nolengertz.com
#Philsky #Philtech #Existentialism #Phenomenology #Filmsky
Author of #NihilismAndTechnology (RLI 2018), #Nihilism (MIT 2019), #PhilosophyOfWarAndExile (Palgrave 2014)
https://www.nolengertz.com
#Philsky #Philtech #Existentialism #Phenomenology #Filmsky
Pinned
Nolen Gertz
@ethicistforhire.bsky.social
· Dec 27
Nihilism and Technology, Updated Edition
Investigating how human values mediate the design and use of new technologies, the updated edition of Nolen Gertz’s Nihilism and Technology explores the ramifications of artificial intelligence. G...
rowman.com
Thread of things I wrote this year:
1) Updated edition of my #NihilismAndTechnology book with new chapters about why AI doesn't exist, why ChatGPT shouldn't exist, and why climate change can't be solved by nihilism...
rowman.com/ISBN/9781538...
1) Updated edition of my #NihilismAndTechnology book with new chapters about why AI doesn't exist, why ChatGPT shouldn't exist, and why climate change can't be solved by nihilism...
rowman.com/ISBN/9781538...
"...freedom as well as survival may well depend upon our success or failure to persuade the other part of the world to recognize facts as they are and to come to terms with the factuality of the world as it is." - Hannah Arendt, who died 50 years ago today
December 4, 2025 at 10:58 AM
"...freedom as well as survival may well depend upon our success or failure to persuade the other part of the world to recognize facts as they are and to come to terms with the factuality of the world as it is." - Hannah Arendt, who died 50 years ago today
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
an important read for at least 2 reasons:
1. shows how big tech operates on intuitions and vibes and not rigorous research
2. this is a masterpiece in how to breakdown complex scientific concepts in simple language and elegant pros that captivate the lay reader
taranis.ie/datacenters-...
1. shows how big tech operates on intuitions and vibes and not rigorous research
2. this is a masterpiece in how to breakdown complex scientific concepts in simple language and elegant pros that captivate the lay reader
taranis.ie/datacenters-...
Datacenters in space are a terrible, horrible, no good idea.
There is a rush for AI companies to team up with space launch/satellite companies to build datacenters in space. TL;DR: It's not going to work.
taranis.ie
December 3, 2025 at 7:07 PM
an important read for at least 2 reasons:
1. shows how big tech operates on intuitions and vibes and not rigorous research
2. this is a masterpiece in how to breakdown complex scientific concepts in simple language and elegant pros that captivate the lay reader
taranis.ie/datacenters-...
1. shows how big tech operates on intuitions and vibes and not rigorous research
2. this is a masterpiece in how to breakdown complex scientific concepts in simple language and elegant pros that captivate the lay reader
taranis.ie/datacenters-...
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
Check it out. At The New School, you could've studied composition with John Cage, social science methods with John Dewey, cultural history with Lewis Mumford, or photography with Berenice Abbott
December 4, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Check it out. At The New School, you could've studied composition with John Cage, social science methods with John Dewey, cultural history with Lewis Mumford, or photography with Berenice Abbott
„CSU—US’s largest public uni system—went all-in with a $17mill partnership with OpenAI. . .CSU unveiled its grand technological gesture just as it proposed slashing $375mill from its budget. While admin cut ribbons on AI, they were cutting faculty positions, academic programs, student services.“
AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself
Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.
www.currentaffairs.org
December 3, 2025 at 7:41 AM
"You know the difference between a real science and a pseudoscience? A real science recognizes and accepts its own history without feeling attacked." - Foucault
December 2, 2025 at 1:25 PM
"You know the difference between a real science and a pseudoscience? A real science recognizes and accepts its own history without feeling attacked." - Foucault
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
The current AI bubble is NOT a confidence scheme how dare you call it a confidence scheme don’t you realize if you undermine public confidence in it the whole thing falls apart?
Another depiction if the circularity of capital flows between OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, CoreWeave, AMD, and Oracle.
December 1, 2025 at 11:17 PM
The current AI bubble is NOT a confidence scheme how dare you call it a confidence scheme don’t you realize if you undermine public confidence in it the whole thing falls apart?
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
It should be acknowledged that we don't need AI to respect whales, but techbros do need stories like this to help sell AI to the public...
#NihilismAndTechnology
#NihilismAndTechnology
December 1, 2025 at 8:20 AM
It should be acknowledged that we don't need AI to respect whales, but techbros do need stories like this to help sell AI to the public...
#NihilismAndTechnology
#NihilismAndTechnology
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
Scientists: "If we use AI with humility and care we can achieve breakthroughs that'll make the world better for everyone!"
Tech bros: "If you give us a trillion dollars and all the electricity and all the water then we'll definitely develop AI with humility and care!"
Tech bros: "If you give us a trillion dollars and all the electricity and all the water then we'll definitely develop AI with humility and care!"
December 1, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Scientists: "If we use AI with humility and care we can achieve breakthroughs that'll make the world better for everyone!"
Tech bros: "If you give us a trillion dollars and all the electricity and all the water then we'll definitely develop AI with humility and care!"
Tech bros: "If you give us a trillion dollars and all the electricity and all the water then we'll definitely develop AI with humility and care!"
Nice that Lego turned Geordi into a Marxist...
December 1, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Nice that Lego turned Geordi into a Marxist...
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
this is quite the detail
November 30, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
Using official comm channels like the White House site to attack media, news outlets, and individual journalists is an attack on the foundation of democracy.
These attacks are not implicit. They are explicit, in your face and fundamentally undemocratic.
www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
These attacks are not implicit. They are explicit, in your face and fundamentally undemocratic.
www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
Media Offenders
Explore the Media Bias Tracker that fact checks and holds Fake News accountable. False claims debunked, Hall of Shame for serial offenders, Leaderboard of networks ranked by Repeated Lies. Stay inform...
www.whitehouse.gov
November 30, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Using official comm channels like the White House site to attack media, news outlets, and individual journalists is an attack on the foundation of democracy.
These attacks are not implicit. They are explicit, in your face and fundamentally undemocratic.
www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
These attacks are not implicit. They are explicit, in your face and fundamentally undemocratic.
www.whitehouse.gov/mediabias/
Scientists: "If we use AI with humility and care we can achieve breakthroughs that'll make the world better for everyone!"
Tech bros: "If you give us a trillion dollars and all the electricity and all the water then we'll definitely develop AI with humility and care!"
Tech bros: "If you give us a trillion dollars and all the electricity and all the water then we'll definitely develop AI with humility and care!"
December 1, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Scientists: "If we use AI with humility and care we can achieve breakthroughs that'll make the world better for everyone!"
Tech bros: "If you give us a trillion dollars and all the electricity and all the water then we'll definitely develop AI with humility and care!"
Tech bros: "If you give us a trillion dollars and all the electricity and all the water then we'll definitely develop AI with humility and care!"
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
🚨NEWS: A tech giant has filed a lawsuit asking federal courts to grant artificial intelligence algorithms a First Amendment right for to help landlords raise rent prices.
What stage of capitalism is this?
What stage of capitalism is this?
Tech Giant Says AI Has A First Amendment Right To Raise Your Rent
Fresh off a Trump settlement, RealPage is trying to overturn New York’s anti-rent-gouging law.
www.levernews.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:46 PM
🚨NEWS: A tech giant has filed a lawsuit asking federal courts to grant artificial intelligence algorithms a First Amendment right for to help landlords raise rent prices.
What stage of capitalism is this?
What stage of capitalism is this?
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
Hey @nature.com, have you got an explanation for how the hell THIS happened? & especially why you accepted a paper with such a bizarre piece of genAI slop in it?!
& more to the point, why we should take you seriously at all going forward?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
& more to the point, why we should take you seriously at all going forward?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 27, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Hey @nature.com, have you got an explanation for how the hell THIS happened? & especially why you accepted a paper with such a bizarre piece of genAI slop in it?!
& more to the point, why we should take you seriously at all going forward?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
& more to the point, why we should take you seriously at all going forward?
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
If you don't have time for all 300 edits, this one is pretty good www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7-I...
Star Trek Multi-INtake: All Good Things Come to an End
YouTube video by Ryan's Edits
www.youtube.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:51 AM
If you don't have time for all 300 edits, this one is pretty good www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7-I...
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
Tracee!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HqS...
Star Trek INtakes: Something's Wrong With Worf
YouTube video by Ryan's Edits
www.youtube.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Tracee!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HqS...
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
What a great headline
November 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
What a great headline
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
AI generated content of any kind undermines the credibility of whatever is being communicated
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 5:48 PM
AI generated content of any kind undermines the credibility of whatever is being communicated
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
This touches on a few of the biggest sources of low morale for me:
- flood of AI slop lands in my inbox as peer review requests
- my critical reviews of said AI slop are then ignored by editors at Journals that won't give my work consideration
- all while I'm expected to ⬆️ research output
- flood of AI slop lands in my inbox as peer review requests
- my critical reviews of said AI slop are then ignored by editors at Journals that won't give my work consideration
- all while I'm expected to ⬆️ research output
It's easy to see shoddy research as a bad actor problem. But if AI slop like this can make it through editors and peer reviewers, it means there are systemic problems at work. And I'd argue that at least part of the problem is the overwork culture in academia-- pressure to do more while caring less.
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
November 28, 2025 at 5:43 PM
This touches on a few of the biggest sources of low morale for me:
- flood of AI slop lands in my inbox as peer review requests
- my critical reviews of said AI slop are then ignored by editors at Journals that won't give my work consideration
- all while I'm expected to ⬆️ research output
- flood of AI slop lands in my inbox as peer review requests
- my critical reviews of said AI slop are then ignored by editors at Journals that won't give my work consideration
- all while I'm expected to ⬆️ research output
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
It's easy to see shoddy research as a bad actor problem. But if AI slop like this can make it through editors and peer reviewers, it means there are systemic problems at work. And I'd argue that at least part of the problem is the overwork culture in academia-- pressure to do more while caring less.
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
November 28, 2025 at 5:18 PM
It's easy to see shoddy research as a bad actor problem. But if AI slop like this can make it through editors and peer reviewers, it means there are systemic problems at work. And I'd argue that at least part of the problem is the overwork culture in academia-- pressure to do more while caring less.
Reposted by Nolen Gertz
It’s infuriating to me that I need to evaluate media to determine whether it’s AI generated now. The great “time saver” technology wastes incalculable time and energy for people who want to retain their grasp on reality
November 28, 2025 at 8:48 PM
It’s infuriating to me that I need to evaluate media to determine whether it’s AI generated now. The great “time saver” technology wastes incalculable time and energy for people who want to retain their grasp on reality
Was thinking of writing a rant about Black Friday and just remembered I already did...
medium.com/i-m-h-o/why-...
medium.com/i-m-h-o/why-...
Why Black Friday is More Red Than You Think
Marx was the greatest enemy of Capitalism, but he was also its greatest advocate
medium.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Was thinking of writing a rant about Black Friday and just remembered I already did...
medium.com/i-m-h-o/why-...
medium.com/i-m-h-o/why-...