[Petit Fours #407] On outside options, synthetic users, and images of AI
Hi, all! Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
#1 In exciting news, the first, Master’s level pilot course in our CIVIS microprogramme Equitable and Just Digital Society: Developing Interdisciplinary Skills and Knowledge is now open for registration. “The aims of the course are to enable students to become ‘interactional experts’ - people who can work in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary ways to address the challenges of ensuring that digital tools and services are developed in equitable and just ways for the communities they aim to support.“ Navigating a university alliance is an adventure, at best, so it feels good that we have something concrete underway!
#2 If you, like me, are tired of the dominant visual representations of AI, you might want to check out Better Images of AI: “Images representing AI as sentient robots mask the accountability of the humans actually developing the technology, and can suggest the presence of robots where there are none. Such images potentially sow fear, and research shows they can be laden with historical assumptions about gender, ethnicity and religion. However, finding alternatives can be difficult! That’s why we, a non-profit collaboration, are researching, creating, curating and providing Better Images of AI.“
#3 We are living in such a weird moment that this resource might come in handy: Synthetic Users: If, When, and How to Use AI-Generated “Research”
#4 I believe much of what Judd Antin outlines here applies to leaving academia, too: How to Leave a Tech Job While I’ve no active plan of changing careers at the moment, it’s always good to keep an eye on ‘outside options’.
-A