Dr Zena Assaad
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zenaassaad.bsky.social
Dr Zena Assaad
@zenaassaad.bsky.social
Host of the Responsible Bytes Podcast 🎙

Senior lecturer @ Australian National University researching safe & trusted autonomy, AI & human-machine teaming.

Top 10 Women in AI APAC | 100 brilliant women in AI ethics | 🇦🇺🇱🇧

https://www.zenaassaad.com
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
Eight more news organizations have filed a new lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI, seeking $10B in damages for violating copyright law by stealing their content to build and operate AI tools. The lawsuit joins a similar one filed by other news organizations that include the Sun Sentinel.
8 more newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft, alleging stolen content used in AI apps
Eight newspapers owned or managed by MediaNews Group filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing the tech giants of violating copyright law.
www.sun-sentinel.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
Dystopia defined:
Fox News hires Palantir to build AI newsroom tools www.axios.com/2025/11/18/f...
Fox News hires Palantir to build AI newsroom tools
Fox News and Palantir have built three main tools to improve efficiency.
www.axios.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
Remember when the CEO of microsoft also said the very wrong thing that AI was great in software and that 30% of their code was done by AI and then this was the result

www.neowin.net/news/microso...
Microsoft finally admits almost all major Windows 11 core features are broken
Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 Shell and every associated core feature and element are actually broken, and have been like this for many months.
www.neowin.net
November 26, 2025 at 5:36 AM
Thanks to @markgkenny.bsky.social for inviting me to speak at the Stephen Fitzgerald Scholars Program event today. It's always a pleasure to be a part of this amazing program.
November 26, 2025 at 6:26 AM
A report I wrote with @jessicadorsey.bsky.social for @perryworldhouse.bsky.social is now freely available to read. It's part of the work we are doing as responsible by design ambassadors on lawful military AI and AWS. The report blends Jess's legal perspective and my technical perspective 👇🏼
November 25, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
Policymakers, if you want to base your decisions on AI slop, generate it yourselves instead of paying Deloitte through the nose to do it. #healthpolicy

theindependent.ca/news/lji/maj...
Major N.L. healthcare report contains errors likely generated by A.I. – The Independent
$1.6 million Health Human Resources Plan from Deloitte cites research papers that don’t exist, making it the second major government policy paper called into question in as many months
theindependent.ca
November 23, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
Gmail users!!

They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.

Pass it on!!

www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Gmail can read your emails and attachments to train its AI, unless you opt out
A new Gmail update may allow Google to use your private messages and attachments for AI training. Here's how to turn it off.
www.malwarebytes.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
The small modular reactor startup is capitalizing on surging interest from tech companies and data center developers.
X-energy rides nuclear wave, raises $700M Series D | TechCrunch
The small modular reactor startup is capitalizing on surging interest from tech companies and data center developers.
techcrunch.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
"Anatomy of an AI Coup" examines a shift of power from policy makers and bureaucrats to those with the skill to train and fine-tune large language models - often behind system prompts, which further calibrate the gov. worker's options toward the decisions of those who calibrate the system.
Anatomy of an AI Coup | TechPolicy.Press
DOGE is gutting federal agencies to install AI across the government. Democracy is on the line, writes Tech Policy Press fellow Eryk Salvaggio.
www.techpolicy.press
November 20, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
“Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health, according to unredacted filings in a lawsuit by U.S. school districts against Meta and other social media platforms.”
Meta buried 'causal' evidence of social media harm, US court filings allege - The Economic Times
Meta reportedly halted internal research into the mental health impacts of Facebook and Instagram after finding causal evidence of harm. Internal documents revealed users reported lower depression and...
m.economictimes.com
November 23, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
South Korea sees room for cooperation with Taiwan on US chip tariffs, trade minister says reut.rs/3M5SN25
South Korea sees room for cooperation with Taiwan on US chip tariffs, trade minister says
South Korea sees room for cooperation with Taiwan on U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on chips, the country's trade minister said on Monday.
reut.rs
November 24, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
You all MUST READ this piece by Kaitlyn Greenidge about the power of art to “exist outside of a tech lord’s algorithm.”

www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-...
The Artist Who Reminds Us that Another Way Is Possible
The late artist Abigail McGrath cultivated a creative life for herself filled with freedom, joy, and a commitment to beauty. In an age of authoritarianism and algorithms, it’s a kind of life worth pro...
www.harpersbazaar.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:09 PM
New #ResponsibleBytesPodcast episode with Alison Kershaw chatting about science communication and generative AI 👇🏼

Listen anywhere you get your podcasts 🔗🔗

𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲: open.spotify.com/show/2x2yNvU...

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/r...

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞: www.youtube.com/@Responsible...
November 19, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
“While the AI industry claims its models can “think,” “reason,” and “learn,” their supposed achievements rest on marketing hype and stolen intellectual labor. In reality, AI erodes academic freedom, weakens critical reading, and subordinates the pursuit of knowledge to corporate interests.”
AI Is Hollowing Out Higher Education
Olivia Guest & Iris van Rooij urge teachers and scholars to reject tools that commodify learning, deskill students, and promote illiteracy.
www.project-syndicate.org
November 15, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
Well-written and informative. To sum-AI does not belong in educational spaces.
“While the AI industry claims its models can “think,” “reason,” and “learn,” their supposed achievements rest on marketing hype and stolen intellectual labor. In reality, AI erodes academic freedom, weakens critical reading, and subordinates the pursuit of knowledge to corporate interests.”
AI Is Hollowing Out Higher Education
Olivia Guest & Iris van Rooij urge teachers and scholars to reject tools that commodify learning, deskill students, and promote illiteracy.
www.project-syndicate.org
November 16, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
Regardless of how many researchers highlight the cultural trends against "AI" data centers, & the increasingly widepread public awareness of the unequal economic & environmental harms of these systems, a lot of tech-pilled ppl will only pay attention once it shows up somewhere like WIRED.

So here:
The Data Center Resistance Has Arrived
A new report finds that local opposition to data centers skyrocketed in the second quarter of this year.
www.wired.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
🚨 NEW REPORT 🚨

‘In whose tech we trust: Part II’ by Jason Van der Schyff et al, outlines practical policy options for Indo-Pacific governments and industry to manage the national-security risks posed by foreign-owned, controlled or influenced technology suppliers.

🔖 Read it now 👉 bit.ly/3LOrkSm
November 16, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
The death of a neighborhood bodega cat named Kit Kat has shaken San Francisco’s Mission District and prompted new debates about robotaxi safety.
Beloved SF cat’s death fuels Waymo criticism | TechCrunch
The death of a neighborhood bodega cat named Kit Kat has shaken San Francisco’s Mission District and prompted new debates about robotaxi safety.
techcrunch.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
Recently, I had the great joy of chatting with my dear friend of 36 years Karen O'Sullivan from the destination bookstore Great Ocean Reads in Apollo Bay.

It's wonderful to be able to combine work with pleasure.

You can listen here: greatoceanreads.podbean.com/e/episode-5-...
Episode 5 Tracey Spicer, author Man-Made | Great Ocean Reads Podcast
In Episode 5 of the Great Ocean Reads Podcast, Karen speaks with her great friend, journalist, author and self confessed bogan from the outskirts of Brisbane, Tracey Spicer. Tracey has written two boo...
greatoceanreads.podbean.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
When scholarship is politically steered, the public loses access to evidence and the means to hold power to account.
Why threats to academic freedom are growing – and how universities can respond to intimidation
When scholarship is politically steered, the public loses access to evidence and the means to hold power to account.
tcnv.link
November 10, 2025 at 8:28 PM
The latest issue of the Australian Army Journal arrived in the mail yesterday. I contributed a paper to this edition on considerations for safely scaling swarms in military operations.

You can freely access and read the paper here: researchcentre.army.gov.au/library/aust...
November 9, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Reposted by Dr Zena Assaad
Tired of being unemployed when my work is what companies say they need: making complex systems clear, usable. I’ve spent years designing human-centered research & translating user insights into decisions that make products and experiences better. DM #UX research leads! jgcarpenter.com #AI #HCI #HRI
Julie Carpenter, PhD
jgcarpenter.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:58 PM