[Petit Fours #411] On orders from an algorithm, AI therapists, and Reproduction
Hi, everyone! Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:
#1 Today, I’m in Aarhus, Denmark, on the final work trip of the year. I’m here to serve on the assessment committee for Kalle Kusk’s PhD defence. Since the thesis, Orders From an Algorithm – An Ethnographic Study of Platform-Mediated Food Delivery, is not freely available online, I recommend checking out Kalle’s publications, instead!
#2 For an interesting long read on mental health, therapy, and AI, check out Jess McAllen’s piece The Therapist in the Machine.
#3 Aure Schrock’s podcast Academic Writing Talk is concise and thoughtful. I recommend in particular this episode on Making Space for Trust and Empathy with Graduate Students by Using the “Three Rs”. (Spoiler: The three Rs stand for relatable, responsive, realistic.)
#4 Louisa Hall’s novel Reproduction is a novel I am unlikely to forget anytime soon. It is a remarkable depiction of navigating relationships, being pregnant, giving birth, and parenting a baby. As a fair warning, though, it has all the ingredients to be massively triggering.
-A