Tom Williams
@tomwilliams.phd
Human-Robot Interaction researcher, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Colorado School of Mines.
Author of "Degrees of Freedom: On Robotics and Social Justice", forthcoming at MIT Press.
Personal: tomwilliams.phd
Lab: MIRRORLab.mines.edu
Author of "Degrees of Freedom: On Robotics and Social Justice", forthcoming at MIT Press.
Personal: tomwilliams.phd
Lab: MIRRORLab.mines.edu
Pinned
Tom Williams
@tomwilliams.phd
· Apr 23
"Degrees of Freedom: On Robotics and Social Justice" from @mitpress.bsky.social is available for pre-order... and on sale thru Friday!
The PDF will be *free* at launch, but if you want a physical copy I strongly recommend you preorder through @barnesandnoble (bit.ly/dof-bn) with code PREORDER25.
The PDF will be *free* at launch, but if you want a physical copy I strongly recommend you preorder through @barnesandnoble (bit.ly/dof-bn) with code PREORDER25.
It's unboxing day for DEGREES OF FREEDOM from @mitpress.bsky.social! :D
November 23, 2025 at 5:44 PM
It's unboxing day for DEGREES OF FREEDOM from @mitpress.bsky.social! :D
I'm wildly excited for tonight.
Why?
I'm running my first ROBOT COMEDY event tonight and it's already SOLD OUT!
Check out this lineup 🤩🧵➡️
Why?
I'm running my first ROBOT COMEDY event tonight and it's already SOLD OUT!
Check out this lineup 🤩🧵➡️
November 22, 2025 at 3:47 PM
I'm wildly excited for tonight.
Why?
I'm running my first ROBOT COMEDY event tonight and it's already SOLD OUT!
Check out this lineup 🤩🧵➡️
Why?
I'm running my first ROBOT COMEDY event tonight and it's already SOLD OUT!
Check out this lineup 🤩🧵➡️
Reposted by Tom Williams
Very simple lesson here:
Faculty governance will defend academic values, like academic freedom, even when it is unpopular.
Political appointees who serve as Regents will blow with the ideological winds, which in Texas are anti-speech.
Faculty governance will defend academic values, like academic freedom, even when it is unpopular.
Political appointees who serve as Regents will blow with the ideological winds, which in Texas are anti-speech.
Texas A&M Was Wrong to Fire Professor Over Gender Lesson, Panel Rules
The firing put the school at the center of national debates over gender identity and academic freedom. A faculty panel ruled unanimously against the termination.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/u...
The firing put the school at the center of national debates over gender identity and academic freedom. A faculty panel ruled unanimously against the termination.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/u...
Texas A&M Was Wrong to Fire Professor Over Gender Lesson, Panel Rules
www.nytimes.com
November 22, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Very simple lesson here:
Faculty governance will defend academic values, like academic freedom, even when it is unpopular.
Political appointees who serve as Regents will blow with the ideological winds, which in Texas are anti-speech.
Faculty governance will defend academic values, like academic freedom, even when it is unpopular.
Political appointees who serve as Regents will blow with the ideological winds, which in Texas are anti-speech.
Reposted by Tom Williams
Holy f@$k!
“ChatGPT exhibits the highest level of anti-Black racism ever experimentally recorded.”
This whole video is jaw-dropping.
“ChatGPT exhibits the highest level of anti-Black racism ever experimentally recorded.”
This whole video is jaw-dropping.
I need everyone, esp anyone working in education or tech (but really everyone) to WATCH THIS CLIP of @drtanksley.bsky.social discussing the technologies infiltrating our schools & psyches and how she is addressing it with our young people. youtu.be/5mtcSL4S3HQ
Howard University AI Panel
YouTube video by Tiera Tanksley
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Holy f@$k!
“ChatGPT exhibits the highest level of anti-Black racism ever experimentally recorded.”
This whole video is jaw-dropping.
“ChatGPT exhibits the highest level of anti-Black racism ever experimentally recorded.”
This whole video is jaw-dropping.
Reposted by Tom Williams
I need everyone, esp anyone working in education or tech (but really everyone) to WATCH THIS CLIP of @drtanksley.bsky.social discussing the technologies infiltrating our schools & psyches and how she is addressing it with our young people. youtu.be/5mtcSL4S3HQ
Howard University AI Panel
YouTube video by Tiera Tanksley
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 1:43 PM
I need everyone, esp anyone working in education or tech (but really everyone) to WATCH THIS CLIP of @drtanksley.bsky.social discussing the technologies infiltrating our schools & psyches and how she is addressing it with our young people. youtu.be/5mtcSL4S3HQ
Reposted by Tom Williams
“(CU) has definitely been repressing student activists, which is already in itself a horrible thing for them to do … but repressing journalists is a new low for them, honestly.”
Agreed.
www.dailycamera.com/2025/11/20/c...
Agreed.
www.dailycamera.com/2025/11/20/c...
CU Boulder bans student journalists from campus after they covered a pro-Palestine protest
The University of Colorado Boulder banned three student journalists from campus and charged them with code of conduct violations after they covered a pro-Palestine protest in October.
www.dailycamera.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:40 PM
“(CU) has definitely been repressing student activists, which is already in itself a horrible thing for them to do … but repressing journalists is a new low for them, honestly.”
Agreed.
www.dailycamera.com/2025/11/20/c...
Agreed.
www.dailycamera.com/2025/11/20/c...
Reposted by Tom Williams
Any President who calls for the opposition party to be hanged should be immediately impeached and removed from office.
November 20, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Any President who calls for the opposition party to be hanged should be immediately impeached and removed from office.
Reposted by Tom Williams
No one knows how many people die in Mississippi's jails, in part, because many of the state’s hundreds of local law enforcement agencies find reporting requirements burdensome, state officials say
No One Knows How Many People Die in Mississippi’s Jails. Here’s Why.
From medical neglect to suicide, the lack of information on jail deaths can allow the same deadly problems to lead to more deaths.
www.themarshallproject.org
November 17, 2025 at 9:37 PM
No one knows how many people die in Mississippi's jails, in part, because many of the state’s hundreds of local law enforcement agencies find reporting requirements burdensome, state officials say
Reposted by Tom Williams
"It is cruelty & political indoctrination. I'd need to tell my students that ‘What you came here to learn, I’m unable to tell you, because I’m restricted to tell you that information, even though such knowledge is available at every major university in this world.’"
— Leonard Bright, AAUP TAMU
— Leonard Bright, AAUP TAMU
Texas A&M Requires Approval for Courses That “Advocate” Certain Ideologies
Many faculty members decried the new restrictions on race- and gender-related courses as an assault on academic freedom. Meanwhile, the board also discussed a once-per-semester systemwide course revie...
www.insidehighered.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:18 PM
"It is cruelty & political indoctrination. I'd need to tell my students that ‘What you came here to learn, I’m unable to tell you, because I’m restricted to tell you that information, even though such knowledge is available at every major university in this world.’"
— Leonard Bright, AAUP TAMU
— Leonard Bright, AAUP TAMU
Reposted by Tom Williams
With new documentation already surfacing in the aftermath of Spanberger’s win in VA, what everyone already knows will be made plain: there and elsewhere, the Trump DOJ is engaged in a direct extortion campaign against institutions of higher learning. There is no better time to organize and fight.
Former UVA President Jim Ryan has just released a 12-page memo of his own account of his forced resignation last summer. Here’s just a bit in which Paul Manning, a member of the Board, was told by DOJ that unless Ryan departed they would “bleed UVA white.”
November 14, 2025 at 3:18 PM
With new documentation already surfacing in the aftermath of Spanberger’s win in VA, what everyone already knows will be made plain: there and elsewhere, the Trump DOJ is engaged in a direct extortion campaign against institutions of higher learning. There is no better time to organize and fight.
Thank you @umich.edu Robotics for hosting me today to talk about my forthcoming book!
One of the most rewarding campus visits I've ever had in terms of sheer number of identified collaboration opportunities for proposals and papers!
One of the most rewarding campus visits I've ever had in terms of sheer number of identified collaboration opportunities for proposals and papers!
November 13, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Thank you @umich.edu Robotics for hosting me today to talk about my forthcoming book!
One of the most rewarding campus visits I've ever had in terms of sheer number of identified collaboration opportunities for proposals and papers!
One of the most rewarding campus visits I've ever had in terms of sheer number of identified collaboration opportunities for proposals and papers!
Reposted by Tom Williams
Just attended a talk by the author of this book @tomwilliams.phd. Really great break down of how white supremacy misogyny and robotics intersect. mitpress.mit.edu/978026255402...
Degrees of Freedom
In Degrees of Freedom, Tom Williams explores critical questions at the intersection of robotics and social justice. He considers the ways in which roboticist...
mitpress.mit.edu
November 12, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Just attended a talk by the author of this book @tomwilliams.phd. Really great break down of how white supremacy misogyny and robotics intersect. mitpress.mit.edu/978026255402...
Reposted by Tom Williams
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
Reposted by Tom Williams
Easily the most interesting (and optimistic) thing I've read in a while climatedrift.substack.com/p/why-solarp...
November 10, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Easily the most interesting (and optimistic) thing I've read in a while climatedrift.substack.com/p/why-solarp...
Reposted by Tom Williams
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 AM
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
*Degrees of Freedom* from @mitpress.bsky.social will be on shelves ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!
To celebrate, I have a new newsletter post out (tomwilliamsphd.beehiiv.com/p/degrees-of...) re: how to get 30% off the book on release, and 20% off the book any date thereafter.
To celebrate, I have a new newsletter post out (tomwilliamsphd.beehiiv.com/p/degrees-of...) re: how to get 30% off the book on release, and 20% off the book any date thereafter.
November 9, 2025 at 7:38 PM
*Degrees of Freedom* from @mitpress.bsky.social will be on shelves ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!
To celebrate, I have a new newsletter post out (tomwilliamsphd.beehiiv.com/p/degrees-of...) re: how to get 30% off the book on release, and 20% off the book any date thereafter.
To celebrate, I have a new newsletter post out (tomwilliamsphd.beehiiv.com/p/degrees-of...) re: how to get 30% off the book on release, and 20% off the book any date thereafter.
Reposted by Tom Williams
I don’t know how many times I’ve watched this video.
I don’t know how we’ve gotten to the point where men in full balaclavas can abduct daycare teachers while they’re watching children.
But I do know that this isn’t sustainable. Abolish ICE. There is no way to reform this.
I don’t know how we’ve gotten to the point where men in full balaclavas can abduct daycare teachers while they’re watching children.
But I do know that this isn’t sustainable. Abolish ICE. There is no way to reform this.
Federal agents pulling a woman out of Rayito Del Sol, a daycare by Lane Tech high school
November 5, 2025 at 9:42 PM
I don’t know how many times I’ve watched this video.
I don’t know how we’ve gotten to the point where men in full balaclavas can abduct daycare teachers while they’re watching children.
But I do know that this isn’t sustainable. Abolish ICE. There is no way to reform this.
I don’t know how we’ve gotten to the point where men in full balaclavas can abduct daycare teachers while they’re watching children.
But I do know that this isn’t sustainable. Abolish ICE. There is no way to reform this.
Reposted by Tom Williams
BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral race, NBC News projects. nbcnews.to/4nIzNUC
November 5, 2025 at 2:33 AM
BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral race, NBC News projects. nbcnews.to/4nIzNUC
Reposted by Tom Williams
Disturbing news out of Auburn University, where the admin is pressuring professors to sign a statement saying they're complying with an "anti-DEI" law and TPUSA is holding a rally and trying to record classes.
I hear faculty are terrified to sign, worried this is a pretense for mass firings.
I hear faculty are terrified to sign, worried this is a pretense for mass firings.
Auburn University requires faculty to review courses to comply with anti-DEI law
Auburn's provost office posted a web site on how to comply with state and federal DEI mandates on Oct. 31.
www.al.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Disturbing news out of Auburn University, where the admin is pressuring professors to sign a statement saying they're complying with an "anti-DEI" law and TPUSA is holding a rally and trying to record classes.
I hear faculty are terrified to sign, worried this is a pretense for mass firings.
I hear faculty are terrified to sign, worried this is a pretense for mass firings.
Reposted by Tom Williams
Chris Murphy: "There's a lot of history that has taken place in the East Wing & it was just destroyed without any conversation in the public, without any consent of Congress. It's absolutely illegal. That visual is powerful b/c you're watching destruction of the rule of law as those walls come down"
October 22, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Chris Murphy: "There's a lot of history that has taken place in the East Wing & it was just destroyed without any conversation in the public, without any consent of Congress. It's absolutely illegal. That visual is powerful b/c you're watching destruction of the rule of law as those walls come down"
Reposted by Tom Williams
Tech companies want us to outsource all cognitive labor to their models. Instead, academics must defend universities by barring toxic, addictive AI technologies from classrooms, argue @olivia.science and @irisvanrooij.bsky.social .
bit.ly/48FNcJj
bit.ly/48FNcJj
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.
bit.ly
October 17, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Tech companies want us to outsource all cognitive labor to their models. Instead, academics must defend universities by barring toxic, addictive AI technologies from classrooms, argue @olivia.science and @irisvanrooij.bsky.social .
bit.ly/48FNcJj
bit.ly/48FNcJj
Reposted by Tom Williams
There are so many obvious constitutional violations in this story. It is enraging.
There is no war, there is no foreign invasion, there is nothing that justify it. This is a choice to create a military presence that will brutalize residents of cities that do not support the President.
There is no war, there is no foreign invasion, there is nothing that justify it. This is a choice to create a military presence that will brutalize residents of cities that do not support the President.
"The boy, who is Hispanic and African American, was held in a garage for five hours “without informing his family, stating any charges, or allowing him to call an attorney,” the statement said. He is a U.S. citizen, as is his entire immediate family, the release said."
Feds ram SUV after chase down residential street in Chicago, then tear-gas crowd
The crash happened late Tuesday morning near 105th Street and Avenue N in the East Side neighborhood. Two men being pursued were arrested as were two bystanders. The crash drew dozens of neighbors who...
chicago.suntimes.com
October 16, 2025 at 12:06 AM
There are so many obvious constitutional violations in this story. It is enraging.
There is no war, there is no foreign invasion, there is nothing that justify it. This is a choice to create a military presence that will brutalize residents of cities that do not support the President.
There is no war, there is no foreign invasion, there is nothing that justify it. This is a choice to create a military presence that will brutalize residents of cities that do not support the President.
Reposted by Tom Williams
would love to know where vought got the authority to shutdown a government agency established by statute
White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers reut.rs/4qjMIyT
White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers
White House budget director Russell Vought said he wants to close the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and expects to do so within the next two to three months.
reut.rs
October 15, 2025 at 10:41 PM
would love to know where vought got the authority to shutdown a government agency established by statute
Reposted by Tom Williams
“the constitution forbids race conscious remedies” would be news to the people who wrote the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments
Griem goes there, arguing in response to Justice Jackson that there can be no race-conscious remedy absent a finding of intentional discrimination.
October 15, 2025 at 3:47 PM
“the constitution forbids race conscious remedies” would be news to the people who wrote the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments
Reposted by Tom Williams
I can’t help but think today about how many young people were savaged on social media, branded as anti-semites and abandoned by their schools for daring to call for a ceasefire. I remember saying that it was the first time I can remember that calling for ceasefire was regarded as a hostile demand.
October 14, 2025 at 12:59 AM
I can’t help but think today about how many young people were savaged on social media, branded as anti-semites and abandoned by their schools for daring to call for a ceasefire. I remember saying that it was the first time I can remember that calling for ceasefire was regarded as a hostile demand.