William W Cohen
@professorwcohen.bsky.social
Pittsburgh, machine learning, …
I thought at first this was a Weird Al Yankovic video and I was like, huh, I haven't seen that one
To the Daily Beast staffer who put “79” into this headline, know this:
We salute you.
We salute you.
September 29, 2025 at 12:35 AM
I thought at first this was a Weird Al Yankovic video and I was like, huh, I haven't seen that one
And face it, writing your own code is more satisfying anyway.
We ran a randomized controlled trial to see how much AI coding tools speed up experienced open-source developers.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
The results surprised us: Developers thought they were 20% faster with AI tools, but they were actually 19% slower when they had access to AI than when they didn't.
July 10, 2025 at 11:58 PM
And face it, writing your own code is more satisfying anyway.
Reposted by William W Cohen
“rural voters who lost hospitals were roughly 5–10 percentage points more likely to vote Republican in subsequent presidential elections. If anything state Republicans seemed to benefit in rural areas from rejecting Medicaid and resulting rural health woes.” @mshepruralpolitics.bsky.social
People who think there is going to inevitably be a big pro-Dem backlash against Medicaid cuts should read this article.
You have to remember there is an entire proganda apparatus that will blame the Dems for the effects of these Republican cuts.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
You have to remember there is an entire proganda apparatus that will blame the Dems for the effects of these Republican cuts.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The Politics of Rural Hospital Closures - Political Behavior
Who do citizens hold responsible for outcomes and experiences? Hundreds of rural hospitals have closed or significantly reduced their capacity since just 2010, leaving much of the rural U.S. without a...
link.springer.com
July 4, 2025 at 12:51 PM
“rural voters who lost hospitals were roughly 5–10 percentage points more likely to vote Republican in subsequent presidential elections. If anything state Republicans seemed to benefit in rural areas from rejecting Medicaid and resulting rural health woes.” @mshepruralpolitics.bsky.social
Counter point: super intelligence is here and encouraging us to use cool and novel phrases. After all, you can’t lick a badger twice
‘You Can’t Lick a Badger Twice’: Google Failures Highlight a Fundamental AI Flaw
Google’s AI Overviews feature credible-sounding explanations for completely made-up idioms.
www.wired.com
April 24, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Counter point: super intelligence is here and encouraging us to use cool and novel phrases. After all, you can’t lick a badger twice
Reposted by William W Cohen
IMO, the most important piece on AI of the last 6 months and I recommend it to everyone. A genuinely careful consideration of the technology and its intersections with culture and labor from @randomwalker.bsky.social and @sayash.bsky.social Authors of AI Snake Oil substack.com/home/post/p-...
AI as Normal Technology
A new paper that we will expand into our next book
substack.com
April 19, 2025 at 12:37 PM
IMO, the most important piece on AI of the last 6 months and I recommend it to everyone. A genuinely careful consideration of the technology and its intersections with culture and labor from @randomwalker.bsky.social and @sayash.bsky.social Authors of AI Snake Oil substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by William W Cohen
This is excellent and you should read it
In a new essay from our "Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Freedoms" series, @randomwalker.bsky.social & @sayash.bsky.social make the case for thinking of #AI as normal technology, instead of superintelligence. Read here: knightcolumbia.org/content/ai-a...
AI as Normal Technology
knightcolumbia.org
April 22, 2025 at 3:36 AM
This is excellent and you should read it
Reposted by William W Cohen
destroying the liberal democratic values that made america a haven for jews for much of the last century does not make american jews safe and these nazis all know it but they're going to keep harping on it til you all associate us with the loss of your freedom
Leavitt: "Federal funding will be withheld until these universities comply with the administration's demands to keep Jewish American students on their college campuses safe, and to eradicate antisemitism and hate speech from their campuses."
April 11, 2025 at 2:21 AM
destroying the liberal democratic values that made america a haven for jews for much of the last century does not make american jews safe and these nazis all know it but they're going to keep harping on it til you all associate us with the loss of your freedom
Reposted by William W Cohen
Federal spending is *up* under Trump according to the Wall Street Journal. Chaos is not actually the same as cost savings.
Actual budgeting is a kind of actual policy-making and takes real work spread over real time. Running around breaking stuff isn't that.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Actual budgeting is a kind of actual policy-making and takes real work spread over real time. Running around breaking stuff isn't that.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
April 11, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Federal spending is *up* under Trump according to the Wall Street Journal. Chaos is not actually the same as cost savings.
Actual budgeting is a kind of actual policy-making and takes real work spread over real time. Running around breaking stuff isn't that.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Actual budgeting is a kind of actual policy-making and takes real work spread over real time. Running around breaking stuff isn't that.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by William W Cohen
She’s a PhD student, almost done with her dissertation. She came to the US on a Fulbright and completed a masters at Columbia. She is us, our students, our colleagues.
You can read her extremely reasonable op-ed here: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024...
We have to do something, what can we do?
You can read her extremely reasonable op-ed here: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024...
We have to do something, what can we do?
April 11, 2025 at 7:14 AM
She’s a PhD student, almost done with her dissertation. She came to the US on a Fulbright and completed a masters at Columbia. She is us, our students, our colleagues.
You can read her extremely reasonable op-ed here: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024...
We have to do something, what can we do?
You can read her extremely reasonable op-ed here: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024...
We have to do something, what can we do?
Government efficiency
This is equal to or greater than the budget of five different cabinet departments (Justice, Treasury, Energy, Interior and Commerce).
They are building a concentration camp network that dwarfs entire federal agencies.
They are building a concentration camp network that dwarfs entire federal agencies.
Trump Administration Aims to Spend $45 Billion to Expand Immigrant Detention
A request for proposals for new detention facilities and other services would allow the government to expedite the contracting process and rapidly expand detention.
www.nytimes.com
April 8, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Government efficiency
Reposted by William W Cohen
I needed this.
Several countries have recently managed to stop and even reverse the erosion of their democratic institutions.
In each case, people resisted growing authoritarianism.
This shows that when democracy deteriorates, its fate is not sealed, and democratic institutions can be reclaimed.
In each case, people resisted growing authoritarianism.
This shows that when democracy deteriorates, its fate is not sealed, and democratic institutions can be reclaimed.
April 1, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I needed this.
Reposted by William W Cohen
This is really concerning, not just the raid but that Indiana University has literally disappeared XiaoFeng Wang (a full professor with a named chair position) from their web sites.
The attacks on Chinese-born faculty were bad in Trump 1, but this I worry is way way worse.
The attacks on Chinese-born faculty were bad in Trump 1, but this I worry is way way worse.
I just heard that a cryptography professor at Indiana University had his house raided and was fired. Don’t know much more. www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/l...
FBI, Homeland Security agents search house on Xavier Court in Bloomington
FBI, Homeland Security provide no details about Friday's raid at Bloomington home involving at least a dozen agents
www.heraldtimesonline.com
March 29, 2025 at 2:52 PM
This is really concerning, not just the raid but that Indiana University has literally disappeared XiaoFeng Wang (a full professor with a named chair position) from their web sites.
The attacks on Chinese-born faculty were bad in Trump 1, but this I worry is way way worse.
The attacks on Chinese-born faculty were bad in Trump 1, but this I worry is way way worse.
Word. The last few decades, working in computer science research in the US had meant working with brilliant people from all over the world. That's always been our strength.
March 30, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Word. The last few decades, working in computer science research in the US had meant working with brilliant people from all over the world. That's always been our strength.
Reposted by William W Cohen
one rather remarkable footnote about the ozturk matter is
• six plainclothes officers on site
• and presumably support staff at hq
• stalked her for two days
• had a (private?) plane waiting to bundle her out of the state
like, they spent a *lot* of resources on this lady
• six plainclothes officers on site
• and presumably support staff at hq
• stalked her for two days
• had a (private?) plane waiting to bundle her out of the state
like, they spent a *lot* of resources on this lady
March 27, 2025 at 7:03 PM
one rather remarkable footnote about the ozturk matter is
• six plainclothes officers on site
• and presumably support staff at hq
• stalked her for two days
• had a (private?) plane waiting to bundle her out of the state
like, they spent a *lot* of resources on this lady
• six plainclothes officers on site
• and presumably support staff at hq
• stalked her for two days
• had a (private?) plane waiting to bundle her out of the state
like, they spent a *lot* of resources on this lady
Reposted by William W Cohen
Figured I’d hop on here today for the 15th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.
With everything going on right now, it’s easy to feel like regular folks can’t make a difference – but the ACA is a reminder that change is possible when we fight for progress.
With everything going on right now, it’s easy to feel like regular folks can’t make a difference – but the ACA is a reminder that change is possible when we fight for progress.
March 23, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Figured I’d hop on here today for the 15th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.
With everything going on right now, it’s easy to feel like regular folks can’t make a difference – but the ACA is a reminder that change is possible when we fight for progress.
With everything going on right now, it’s easy to feel like regular folks can’t make a difference – but the ACA is a reminder that change is possible when we fight for progress.
Reposted by William W Cohen
This is exactly right. And why you need pre commitment mechanisms
They’re going to do it piecemeal to reduce the risk of concerted pushback. It will be one firm and one school at a time playing Prisoner’s Dilemma. A few have already picked Defect.
March 22, 2025 at 12:20 PM
This is exactly right. And why you need pre commitment mechanisms
Nerdy but important
The first and most important thing to know about last night's Exec order is that it's intended to break current law and allow people throughout the federal gov look at yr tax returns. Beyond that it's intended to compel states to turn over all their data to the fed govt.
March 23, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Nerdy but important
Reposted by William W Cohen
A bit of a mess around the conflict of COLM with the ARR (and to lesser degree ICML) reviews release. We feel this is creating a lot of pressure and uncertainty. So, we are pushing our deadlines:
Abstracts due March 22 AoE (+48hr)
Full papers due March 28 AoE (+24hr)
Plz RT 🙏
Abstracts due March 22 AoE (+48hr)
Full papers due March 28 AoE (+24hr)
Plz RT 🙏
March 20, 2025 at 6:20 PM
A bit of a mess around the conflict of COLM with the ARR (and to lesser degree ICML) reviews release. We feel this is creating a lot of pressure and uncertainty. So, we are pushing our deadlines:
Abstracts due March 22 AoE (+48hr)
Full papers due March 28 AoE (+24hr)
Plz RT 🙏
Abstracts due March 22 AoE (+48hr)
Full papers due March 28 AoE (+24hr)
Plz RT 🙏
Reposted by William W Cohen
NEW! Sworn declarations filed last night confirm the Trump admin sent INNOCENT people to rot in prison El Salvador, including a professional soccer player jailed and tortured by the Maduro regime, who entered this country LEGALLY to seek asylum, and who has NO CRIMINAL RECORD in either country.
![I am the immigration attorney for Jerce Reyes Barrios, born in January 16, 1989 in Venezuela. 2. In February and March 2024, Mr. Reyes Barrios marched in two demonstrations in Venezuela protesting the authoritarian rule of Maduro. At the second demonstration, he was detained and taken to a clandestine building where he was tortured (electric shocks and suffocation) along with other demonstrators. 3. Shortly after his release, he fled Venezuela for the United States. He registered with CBP One in Mexico, then presented himself to CBP officials on the day of his appointment. He was taken into custody and detained at Otay Mesa Detention Facility in September 2024. 4. We applied for asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT protection in December 2024. His final individual hearing is set for April 17, 2025 before Judge Robinson at the Otay Mesa Immigration Court. 5. On March 15, 2025, Mr. Reyes Barrios was deported to El Salvador with no notice to counsel or family. It was not until March 18, 2025 that counsel was able to reach an ICE official and learn that he had in fact been deported. 6. Mr. Reyes Barrios was/is a professional soccer player in Venezuela. He has never been arrested or charged with a crime. He has a steady employment record as a soccer player, as well as a soccer coach for children and youth. 7. Initially, Mr. Reyes Barrios was placed in maximum security at Otay Mesa and accused of being a Tren de Aragua gang member. The accusation is based on two things. First, he has a tattoo on his arm of a crown sitting atop a soccer ball with a rosary and the word "Dies." OHS alleges that this tattoo is proof of gang membership. In reality, he chose this tattoo, because it is similar to the logo for his favorite soccer team Real Madrid. See logo below. [pictures of the tattoo and the pictures of the logo]. 8. Second, OHS reviewed his social media posts and found a photo of Mr. Reyes Barrios making a hand gesture that they allege is proof of gang membership.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2vtbmhmrwzbqcfv4we4uxzzt/bafkreifncv2sfxob3h7ozdkoymku3wfpbknlroa6bric46v5y7asbrzrim@jpeg)
March 20, 2025 at 12:40 PM
NEW! Sworn declarations filed last night confirm the Trump admin sent INNOCENT people to rot in prison El Salvador, including a professional soccer player jailed and tortured by the Maduro regime, who entered this country LEGALLY to seek asylum, and who has NO CRIMINAL RECORD in either country.
Huge turnout, 140 people and $15k raised for Casa San Jose bail fund!
March 20, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Huge turnout, 140 people and $15k raised for Casa San Jose bail fund!
Also, explaining something to someone stupid is the best way to understand it. Having a stupid person right there to ask questions is awesome.
I feel like being slightly stupid helps you do good research.
When stuff becomes too complicated you give up when you're stupid, but if you're too smart you might push through.
Being stupid forces you to take the simplest path.
When stuff becomes too complicated you give up when you're stupid, but if you're too smart you might push through.
Being stupid forces you to take the simplest path.
March 20, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Also, explaining something to someone stupid is the best way to understand it. Having a stupid person right there to ask questions is awesome.
Reposted by William W Cohen
I feel like being slightly stupid helps you do good research.
When stuff becomes too complicated you give up when you're stupid, but if you're too smart you might push through.
Being stupid forces you to take the simplest path.
When stuff becomes too complicated you give up when you're stupid, but if you're too smart you might push through.
Being stupid forces you to take the simplest path.
March 20, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I feel like being slightly stupid helps you do good research.
When stuff becomes too complicated you give up when you're stupid, but if you're too smart you might push through.
Being stupid forces you to take the simplest path.
When stuff becomes too complicated you give up when you're stupid, but if you're too smart you might push through.
Being stupid forces you to take the simplest path.
Haven't seen much about this here but thehill.com/homenews/hou...
thehill.com
March 15, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Haven't seen much about this here but thehill.com/homenews/hou...
Reposted by William W Cohen
Trans people are targeted because their very existence demonstrates remarkable power: the analytical depth to reimagine identity and the courage to live authentically despite opposition—qualities that challenge our current rigid power structures
March 14, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Trans people are targeted because their very existence demonstrates remarkable power: the analytical depth to reimagine identity and the courage to live authentically despite opposition—qualities that challenge our current rigid power structures