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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor.

@mortenbay.bsky.social

2.2K followers 1.1K following 1K posts

Media and tech scholar. Teaches at USC Annenberg. Writes stuff for normal people too. Stings in a tribute band. Author of six books, with the latest being 'Mediating Plureality: Technology, Perception, and Ethics in a Divided Democracy'.

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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 12h

From the very moment I heard them the first time, I felt like they had something. I can't put my finger on it. It's just...awesome.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 12h

They should just call it the Tech Brollroom.

A new low for the industry.

Aozora @aozorasf.bsky.social · 1d

This is who is paying for the destruction of the White House East Wing, per @wsj.com

Altria Group Inc.
Amazon
Apple Inc.
Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp.
Caterpillar Inc.
Coinbase Global
Comcast Corp.
Hard Rock International
Google
HP Inc.
Lockheed Martin Corp.
Meta Platforms Inc.
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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 15h

"It's not so much a question, but more of a comment"

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 15h

☝️My experience with AI browsers so far.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

I mean, my undergraduate students grasp the difference between utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics and why they are all imperfect (but all we have).

So yeah, kindergarten-level is right.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

This reminds me how frustrated I am, as a tech ethicist, that what passes for ethics these days basically amounts to rules of conduct similar to what you'd find on a public bus.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

Hence the EU's and California's legislations that delay the release of foundation models until their test results have been approved / made public.

It's good policy, no matter what Zuck says.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

LINK?

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

@davie504.bsky.social's deadpan humor is one of my favorite online things. But he has a very serious point here: While YouTube auto-threatens him for copyright violations, his music is being uploaded to AI platforms and used without consequence.

It's not the tech, it's the platforms, folks.

I'm Suing

YouTube video by Davie504

youtu.be

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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

Now that Palmer Luckey is also doing it with Anduril etc., I really feel the Tolkien family needs to step in. We may not have Droit Morale in the U.S., but they do in the EU, where Tolkien's works are still under copyright. At least that should bar Palantir, Anduril, etc. from doing business there.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

Ther are so many good words they could have used. Their deliberate choice not to use any of them is quite telling.

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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

Even more puzzling: that we are still talking about this situation as something new, 10 years after it became reality.

There's a whole area of scholarship on this dating back at least that long, if not longer.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

It's the NY Post. Even their film reviews are biased in favor of the right.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

The same one in which the doors and walls of bathroom stalls constitute a horizontal band so narrow that privacy is impossible...in a country that otherwise prizes individualism and privacy?

That one?

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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

I bet if he knew what you have contributed to the Internet world that keeps his career alive, he would thank you right back!

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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

William Michael Albert Broad, Gentleman. I like that.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

Once I followed up with "What's the guitar you have with you?", he got it, smiled and said "Oh! A Gibson Hummingbird". Embarrassed, I said "Good choice!" and made myself very scarce very quickly.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

Reminds me of the time I was flying back to LA from Copenhagen and Kiefer Sutherland was on the flight, carrying a guitar. As I passed him in his biz class, I asked him, in guitar player parlance, "So what's your weapon of choice?". But you don't ask Jack Bauer that. His reponse: "I'm Sorry??!!"

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

You sat next to him? Oh man, I would have to harness ALL the self-discipline I had not to bother the poor guy with all kinds of questions. Like "Who did the amazing remix of 'Catch My Fall' on 'Vital Idol'" or "'Cyberpunk'? What were you thinking?!"

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

I think my students see her as someone listened to by people much older than them. They see her as someone even their parents might listen to.

It would be like teaching social media and mostly using Facebook as a case study.

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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

Meanwhile, I've been thinking a lot about that girl from NYC who calls herself the human trampoline.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 1d

Well I just got very jealous.

I know his first four solo albums backwards and forwards because I listened to them relentlessly as a teenager. His work with Keith Forsey is one of the greatest post-1970s songwriting/production collabs.

So happy for you!

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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 2d

Hvad folk, der ikke hader katte ikke forstår, er hvor meget katte hader dem.

Hunde FTW.

Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 2d

On that trip, when Tom introduced himself, people would ask if he was from Finland.

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Morten Bay, Philosophiae Doctor. @mortenbay.bsky.social · 2d

I have school papers from the 6-9th grade in my parent's attic, also 30+ years later. And they live on a different continent from me!

Still, I just can't throw them out. WHAT IF SOME SITUATION ARISES WHEN I NEED THEM AND I DON'T HAVE THEM?? IT WOULD TRIGGER THE APOCALYPSE!!

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