[Petit Fours #441] On curiosity, critical affects, and AIxHealth
Hi, everyone! From the first week of the autumn semester, without further ado, here’s what I’ve got for you today:
#1 Against Narcissistic-Sociopathic Technology Studies, or Why Do People USE Technologies?, by Lee Vinsel, is the best thing I’ve read online in a while: “To be clear, criticizing the deleterious effects of social media use, which seem real enough, is fine and welcome, but criticism is only compelling if it starts from a realistic picture of the way the world is. And to get such a picture - particularly when it comes to diffuse forms of technology use that go far beyond any one of our experiences - you actually have to take other human beings seriously. Even more, you have to work to understand them.” A healthy reminder to stay curious!
#2 Digital Futures posted a nice write-up of our DIS pictorial, including an interview with the first-author Alejandra Gómez Ortega: Honorable Mention for Paper on Intimate Technologies
#3 Last week, we had the pleasure to host Norman Makoto Su from UC Santa Cruz. A luxury to catch up in person! I want to point you to this paper from 2021 that came up in our discussions, co-authored with Amanda Lazar and Lilly Irani: Critical Affects: Tech Work Emotions Amidst the Techlash
#4 Looking for new ideas and contacts? Sign up to the AIxHealth: Research to Impact Collaborative: “AI is shaping global health in variously new, exciting, and controversial ways. We are launching a global collaborative to explore how (and whether) AI can deliver real benefits for global health—while addressing ethical concerns and practical challenges. We invite researchers, practitioners, and students to share ideas, tackle challenges, and help turn innovation into impact! Get plugged in by attending our virtual seminar series, held Thursdays at 2pm UTC.“
-A