Olivier Driessens
@odriessens.bsky.social
Media Sociologist; Associate Prof in Media and Communication, Centre for Tracking and Society, University of Copenhagen
Media, tech & social change, continuity, digital futures, sustainability
Media, tech & social change, continuity, digital futures, sustainability
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
“When teachers value the polished but anodyne text extruded from these systems over students’ authentic voices, we reinforce harmful linguistic ideologies”- @emilymbender.bsky.social
www.chronicle.com/article/how-...
www.chronicle.com/article/how-...
Opinion Forum | How AI Is Changing Higher Education
The technology is reshaping every aspect of university life. Fifteen scholars weigh in on what happens next.
www.chronicle.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:36 PM
“When teachers value the polished but anodyne text extruded from these systems over students’ authentic voices, we reinforce harmful linguistic ideologies”- @emilymbender.bsky.social
www.chronicle.com/article/how-...
www.chronicle.com/article/how-...
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
Why are tech billionaires fixated on doomsday?
Because "apocalypse capitalism" is the business model— existential threats as trillion-dollar opportunities.
New at the Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Apocalypse Capitalism
www.thenerdreich.com/silicon-vall...
Because "apocalypse capitalism" is the business model— existential threats as trillion-dollar opportunities.
New at the Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Apocalypse Capitalism
www.thenerdreich.com/silicon-vall...
Silicon Valley Apocalypse Capitalism
“Maybe if you aren’t trying to destroy the world, you’re not trying hard enough.”
www.thenerdreich.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Why are tech billionaires fixated on doomsday?
Because "apocalypse capitalism" is the business model— existential threats as trillion-dollar opportunities.
New at the Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Apocalypse Capitalism
www.thenerdreich.com/silicon-vall...
Because "apocalypse capitalism" is the business model— existential threats as trillion-dollar opportunities.
New at the Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Apocalypse Capitalism
www.thenerdreich.com/silicon-vall...
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
After more than 10 years of “the Danish Model”, nativism is hegemonic in the country, the far right polls near level highs again, and the Social Democrats lost Copenhagen and poll at historic low.
European Social Democrats should look at the facts, not the myths!
Me in @theguardian.com
European Social Democrats should look at the facts, not the myths!
Me in @theguardian.com
The ‘Danish model’ is the darling of centre-left parties like Labour. The problem is, it doesn’t even work in Denmark | Cas Mudde
This week’s local elections are the latest reminder that when social democrats move rightwards, they’re making a mistake, says academic and author Cas Mudde
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:59 PM
After more than 10 years of “the Danish Model”, nativism is hegemonic in the country, the far right polls near level highs again, and the Social Democrats lost Copenhagen and poll at historic low.
European Social Democrats should look at the facts, not the myths!
Me in @theguardian.com
European Social Democrats should look at the facts, not the myths!
Me in @theguardian.com
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
Trump's economy is being held up by a massive AI bubble.
A recent study found that of 300 companies that owned generative AI tools, 95% reported zero return on their investments.
We will not entertain a bailout of these companies should this bubble pop.
A recent study found that of 300 companies that owned generative AI tools, 95% reported zero return on their investments.
We will not entertain a bailout of these companies should this bubble pop.
November 19, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Trump's economy is being held up by a massive AI bubble.
A recent study found that of 300 companies that owned generative AI tools, 95% reported zero return on their investments.
We will not entertain a bailout of these companies should this bubble pop.
A recent study found that of 300 companies that owned generative AI tools, 95% reported zero return on their investments.
We will not entertain a bailout of these companies should this bubble pop.
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
Relevant paper: the more people understand AI, the less they want to use it.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The authors' conclusion: don't explain your AI tech too much to your customers.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The authors' conclusion: don't explain your AI tech too much to your customers.
Lower Artificial Intelligence Literacy Predicts Greater AI Receptivity - Stephanie M. Tully, Chiara Longoni, Gil Appel, 2025
As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms society, understanding factors that influence AI receptivity is increasingly important. The current research investig...
journals.sagepub.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Relevant paper: the more people understand AI, the less they want to use it.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The authors' conclusion: don't explain your AI tech too much to your customers.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The authors' conclusion: don't explain your AI tech too much to your customers.
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 18, 2025 at 7:16 PM
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
Scientists and scholars in AI and its social impacts call on von der Leyen to retract #AIHype statement.
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
Scientists call on the President of the European Commission to retract AI hype statement
Experts in AI call on the President of the European Commission to retract unscientific AI hype statement she made in the budget speech.
www.iccl.ie
November 10, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Scientists and scholars in AI and its social impacts call on von der Leyen to retract #AIHype statement.
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
‘Opposing the inevitability of AI at universities is possible and necessary’ | Radboud University
Since the widespread release of ChatGPT in December of 2022, AI has taken over much of the world by storm – including academia. Most of this happened with very little pushback, despite a myriad of iss...
www.ru.nl
November 1, 2025 at 10:26 PM
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
Must read! @apache.be hits the nerve of a debate almost lost: keep that nonsense out of our educational structure. Why should we instruct our students how to adjust to these utterly ridiculous systems? Learn them to think instead, that’s why society pays us!
I am close to tears; they listened and made an english version apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
@apache.be you rule 🖤
@apache.be you rule 🖤
October 24, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Must read! @apache.be hits the nerve of a debate almost lost: keep that nonsense out of our educational structure. Why should we instruct our students how to adjust to these utterly ridiculous systems? Learn them to think instead, that’s why society pays us!
Can we have one for our office? Especially one for emptying the dishwasher. No human seems to be able to do it.
The loading-the-dishwasher struggle is real. Even—or especially—for the $20,000 1X Neo humanoid home robot.
🔗: on.wsj.com/47whlZ1
🔗: on.wsj.com/47whlZ1
November 1, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Can we have one for our office? Especially one for emptying the dishwasher. No human seems to be able to do it.
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
When people learn with ChatGPT instead of following their own searches, they end up knowing less, caring less, and producing worse advice, even when the facts are the same.
Friction is an essential ingredient for learning! Convenience makes us shallow.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Friction is an essential ingredient for learning! Convenience makes us shallow.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Experimental evidence of the effects of large language models versus web search on depth of learning
Abstract. The effects of using large language models (LLMs) versus traditional web search on depth of learning are explored. A theory is proposed that when
academic.oup.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:14 PM
When people learn with ChatGPT instead of following their own searches, they end up knowing less, caring less, and producing worse advice, even when the facts are the same.
Friction is an essential ingredient for learning! Convenience makes us shallow.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Friction is an essential ingredient for learning! Convenience makes us shallow.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
There's been endless talk about an AI bubble, but less about exactly how, why, and how much it's a bubble. So I turned to the framework put forward by scholars Brent Goldfarb and David A. Kirsch, authors of "Bubbles and Crashes," for assessing tech bubbles.
Spoiler: On a scale of 1 to 8, AI is an 8
Spoiler: On a scale of 1 to 8, AI is an 8
AI Is the Bubble to Burst Them All
I talked to the scholars who literally wrote the book on tech bubbles—and applied their test.
www.wired.com
October 27, 2025 at 8:58 PM
There's been endless talk about an AI bubble, but less about exactly how, why, and how much it's a bubble. So I turned to the framework put forward by scholars Brent Goldfarb and David A. Kirsch, authors of "Bubbles and Crashes," for assessing tech bubbles.
Spoiler: On a scale of 1 to 8, AI is an 8
Spoiler: On a scale of 1 to 8, AI is an 8
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
Belgian AI scientists are advocating *against* the use of AI in academia. “If independent thinking is no longer encouraged at university, where would it?” apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Belgian AI scientists resist the use of AI in academia
Several AI scientists have published an open letter calling for a ban on AI use by students.
apache.be
October 24, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Belgian AI scientists are advocating *against* the use of AI in academia. “If independent thinking is no longer encouraged at university, where would it?” apache.be/2025/10/24/b...
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
built on theft and at massive environmental cost and most importantly, numerous studies keep demonstrating that genAI tools often work a little better than by chance. how is it that we can’t expunge these slop machines out of our institutions and communities
www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...
www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...
Largest study of its kind shows AI assistants misrepresent news content 45% of the time – regardless of language or territory
An intensive international study was coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC
www.bbc.co.uk
October 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM
built on theft and at massive environmental cost and most importantly, numerous studies keep demonstrating that genAI tools often work a little better than by chance. how is it that we can’t expunge these slop machines out of our institutions and communities
www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...
www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/...
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
thx to @nature.com @helenpearson.bsky.social for including our words & letter‼️
> unis are allowing or even encouraging the use of AI tools — many of which are controlled by companies, have unknown cognitive impacts and are dogged by ethical and environmental concerns.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
> unis are allowing or even encouraging the use of AI tools — many of which are controlled by companies, have unknown cognitive impacts and are dogged by ethical and environmental concerns.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
October 21, 2025 at 2:45 PM
thx to @nature.com @helenpearson.bsky.social for including our words & letter‼️
> unis are allowing or even encouraging the use of AI tools — many of which are controlled by companies, have unknown cognitive impacts and are dogged by ethical and environmental concerns.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
> unis are allowing or even encouraging the use of AI tools — many of which are controlled by companies, have unknown cognitive impacts and are dogged by ethical and environmental concerns.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
what a waste of resources; might as well award grants fully randomly
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
October 22, 2025 at 9:15 PM
what a waste of resources; might as well award grants fully randomly
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
“…for an AI chatbot to generate an autopsy report, contract workers have to sift through thousands of gruesome crime scene images, a gig known as ‘data labeling.’”
The AI Industry Is Traumatizing Desperate Contractors in the Developing World for Pennies
AI is propped up by a global sweat shop operation, where exploited workers polish the software for wealthy corporations in the west.
futurism.com
October 19, 2025 at 2:51 PM
“…for an AI chatbot to generate an autopsy report, contract workers have to sift through thousands of gruesome crime scene images, a gig known as ‘data labeling.’”
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
“When it comes to responsible AI use, there are, at best, many conflicting positions. Equating responsibility with disclosing genAI use conceals, in fact, several fundamental questions concerning the responsibilities that academics have to their disciplines, each other, and society at large.”
“The delegation of tasks to “tools & assistants” constitutes a methodological decision (…) Researchers should therefore be required to explain why they are trusting a black box that is neither open nor fair.”
— @altibel.bsky.social & @petertarras.bsky.social
www.leidenmadtrics.nl/articles/why...
— @altibel.bsky.social & @petertarras.bsky.social
www.leidenmadtrics.nl/articles/why...
Why AI transparency is not enough
Recently, a taxonomy to disclose the use of generative AI (genAI) in research outputs was presented as an approach that creates transparency and thereby supports responsible genAI use. In this post we...
www.leidenmadtrics.nl
October 16, 2025 at 9:35 PM
“When it comes to responsible AI use, there are, at best, many conflicting positions. Equating responsibility with disclosing genAI use conceals, in fact, several fundamental questions concerning the responsibilities that academics have to their disciplines, each other, and society at large.”
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
"I don't have anything to hide why should I care about privacy?"
The politician in South Carolina who has introduced a bill redefining contraception as abortion also wants people who share websites to be charged with aiding and abetting homicide.
October 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
"I don't have anything to hide why should I care about privacy?"
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
This summer I got a bunch of smart academics together to think about anti-extractive Canadian AI futures. Our white paper, which parses good and bad AI policy directions for the federal government, is out now!
www.uottawa.ca/research-inn...
www.uottawa.ca/research-inn...
www.uottawa.ca
October 15, 2025 at 12:20 PM
This summer I got a bunch of smart academics together to think about anti-extractive Canadian AI futures. Our white paper, which parses good and bad AI policy directions for the federal government, is out now!
www.uottawa.ca/research-inn...
www.uottawa.ca/research-inn...
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
#Denmark politicians wage a #culture #war on #academia —with @roskildeuni.bsky.social as their go-to target.
These attacks are assaults on #freedom, #rights and #democracy. We spoke out:
@berlingske.bsky.social : www.berlingske.dk/synspunkter/...
@politiken.dk : politiken.dk/debat/debati...
These attacks are assaults on #freedom, #rights and #democracy. We spoke out:
@berlingske.bsky.social : www.berlingske.dk/synspunkter/...
@politiken.dk : politiken.dk/debat/debati...
October 8, 2025 at 8:19 AM
#Denmark politicians wage a #culture #war on #academia —with @roskildeuni.bsky.social as their go-to target.
These attacks are assaults on #freedom, #rights and #democracy. We spoke out:
@berlingske.bsky.social : www.berlingske.dk/synspunkter/...
@politiken.dk : politiken.dk/debat/debati...
These attacks are assaults on #freedom, #rights and #democracy. We spoke out:
@berlingske.bsky.social : www.berlingske.dk/synspunkter/...
@politiken.dk : politiken.dk/debat/debati...
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
📣 Germany's close to reversing its opposition to mass surveillance & private message scanning, & backing the Chat Control bill. This could end private comms-& Signal-in the EU.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
We are alarmed by reports that Germany is on the verge of a catastrophic about-face, reversing its longstanding and principled opposition to the EU’s Chat Control proposal which, if passed, could spell the end of the right to privacy in Europe. signal.org/blog/pdfs/ge...
signal.org
October 6, 2025 at 6:46 AM
📣 Germany's close to reversing its opposition to mass surveillance & private message scanning, & backing the Chat Control bill. This could end private comms-& Signal-in the EU.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
Reposted by Olivier Driessens
New preprint 🌟 Psychology is core to cognitive science, and so it is vital we preserve it from harmful frames. @irisvanrooij.bsky.social & I use our psych and computer science expertise to analyse and craft:
Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Psychologists. doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🧵 1/
Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Psychologists. doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🧵 1/
October 4, 2025 at 5:33 AM
New preprint 🌟 Psychology is core to cognitive science, and so it is vital we preserve it from harmful frames. @irisvanrooij.bsky.social & I use our psych and computer science expertise to analyse and craft:
Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Psychologists. doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🧵 1/
Critical Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Psychologists. doi.org/10.31234/osf...
🧵 1/