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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 9h

Plenty of non-human things have agency.

Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 10h

Good point. The attribution of creativity, whether it be of dodgy looking hands or made up academic article titles, remains a human act. It’s an act of the imagination.

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 10h

Probably.

Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 17h

Yes, indeed. But there are plenty of acts of creativity that are harmful or careless! I’m not making an argument in favour of AI here. I’m just interested in the flaws and the way they are framed.

Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 18h

Most of it is time saving poorly drafted summaries of things we know or expect. I like the shitty distorted hands. They’re the only good bit!

Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 18h

Hallucinations are the dangerous bit of all of this but also the most interesting. Otherwise, we already know what it’s telling us.

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 18h

Forgive my ignorance but when we talk about AI hallucinations are we not just talking about poor quality creativity? If you take a set sum of knowledge and experience and then develop something new that reaches beyond, even in a crap and unconvincing way, that’s an act of creativity.

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Reposted by Ollie Douglas

Bevis Musson @bevismusson.bsky.social · 3d

You know what, let's do the Annual Mister Global National Costume thread tonight after all. Usual rules apply - this is all in fun, this isn't about the contestants looks or making fun of them, it's about the costumes and appreciating them (or, you know, making fun of them...)

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 5d

And the new book looks amazing too. We have a Jane Austen trail at the moment.

Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 5d

Hi @cartoonkate.bsky.social. I saw George Monbiot mention your new book. I then came across your graphic novel about anti-road protest. I wanted to ask if the few copies I see are original/first editions. I’m guessing there was a print run (colour covers) and a B&W web release. Is that right?

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 6d

We develop amazing attachments to place. It took me years to work up the courage to take my kids to visit the farm I grew up on (we left there just as I hit my teens).

As for the tote, we have a very scruffy one at home. It makes me think about work!

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 7d

Thoughts with you.

I spy an @themerl.bsky.social tote bag there!

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 7d

We should all read this and then read it again.

Kubobukata, chthonically fatigued @kubobukata.bsky.social · 7d

The Oatmeal, y'all.

theoatmeal.com/comics/ai_art

A cartoonist's review of AI art - The Oatmeal

This is a comic about AI art.

theoatmeal.com

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 12d

Latest episode folks. With thanks to @katrinanavickas.bsky.social and @joevaughan.net for general awesomeness!

The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 12d

New Absolute Units is live!

Join us and @katrinanavickas.bsky.social as we explore resistance to enclosure in the modern era: from riots, to raves, to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Listen below, or search 'Absolute Units' wherever you get your podcasts!

merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...

Absolute Units - a podcast from The Museum of English Rural Life.

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Reposted by Ollie Douglas

The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 12d

New Absolute Units is live!

Join us and @katrinanavickas.bsky.social as we explore resistance to enclosure in the modern era: from riots, to raves, to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Listen below, or search 'Absolute Units' wherever you get your podcasts!

merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...

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Reposted by Ollie Douglas

Nicola Chester @nicolawriting.bsky.social · 14d

It’s book publication day for #GhostsoftheFarm! It’s been a lifetime’s companionable & instructional haunting, & I’m thrilled to bring these women from out the shadows, honour them & raise & address my own rural ghosts. Love & thanks to @chelseagreenbooks.bsky.social & my early readers too x

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Reposted by Ollie Douglas

The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 18d

Our new season of free online art talks begins next week!

Join our friends at the University of Reading Art Collection (@unirdg-artcol.bsky.social) on the eve of Thurs 2 October for a Zoom call with Dr Henrietta Hammant.

Book online: merl.reading.ac.uk/event/conver...

Closer Look: Conversations with a Curator - The Museum of English Rural Life

Join us for our second season of exciting free online talks, where you’ll get the chance to dive deep into the world of art with our expert curators, conservators and scholars. Discover the stories be...

merl.reading.ac.uk

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 21d

This fine point is why I will never completely discount retrospective diagnosis. But to be fair to the wise historians who criticise it, this its value is rarely in producing better histories and much more about emphasising how the past can be mobilised in the present. Or indeed weaponised.

John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 21d

People say "autism never used to exist" and then you go to the Natural History Museum and the exhibit has a caption like "Born in 1762, The Revd [name] was famously irascible, steadfast in his routine, and dedicated his life to collecting 25,000 rare beetle specimens".

Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 21d

Fundamentally, the headbanging Right doesn't believe Autism (or ADHD) exists. Or in so far as it does exist, a human conspiracy has created it.

We're back to their core outlook that 'It didn't exist back in the good old days so can't exist now.'

'It must just be some modern woke Marxist nonsense'.

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 23d

Thank you!

Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 23d

Sounds awesome!

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 23d

I think we spoke briefly about the Wilderness at Whiteknights (please don’t judge my nonsense Katy - any rubbish I might spout is mine and mine alone!). :-)

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 23d

Also, teach-outs are a brilliant idea. Maybe we should host teach-outs at The MERL?!

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 23d

Is this impact?! Thanks for listening.

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 26d

The book is brilliant. An absolute must read!

Katrina Navickas @katrinanavickas.bsky.social · 26d

I'm so proud to be on the MERL podcast, where I'll be discussing the opening chapters of my new book, which you can preorder now:
reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/contest...

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Ollie Douglas @olliedouglas.bsky.social · 26d

Thanks Ian!

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