@fgraver@hcommons.social

Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Aug 03, 2026

Back to work today after 5 weeks summer holidays. So, of course I’ve been awake since 3am, since my brain apparently needed to run through everything I might need to do this week…

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Aug 01, 2026

Another Reason Not to Use “AI” For Your Writing | Whatever https://whatever.scalzi.com/2026/07/31/another-reason-not-to-use-ai-for-your-writing/

Whatever

Another Reason Not to Use “AI” For Your Writing

Back in February I did a long post about “AI” and why I wouldn’t use it for my own writing, and one of the reasons I gave was “the fact that ‘AI’-generated text …

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Aug 01, 2026

Google Earth AI Fiasco Underscores Why Tech Firms Must Listen to Outside Experts | TechPolicy.Press https://techpolicy.press/google-earth-ai-fiasco-underscores-why-tech-firms-must-listen-to-outside-experts

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 31, 2026

When Homer envisioned Achilles, did he see a black man? | Aeon Essays https://aeon.co/essays/when-homer-envisioned-achilles-did-he-see-a-black-man

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 31, 2026

Replying to @fgraver@hcommons.social

«By the early 20th century, devising technical-scientific answers to complex political problems had become a standard feature of international politics. What theorists and advocates of European integration, most famously David Mitrany, later conceptualised as ‘functionalism’ – cooperation over technical rather than ideological common ground – has been a remarkably persistent feature and, not least, served as the founding rationale of the EU.»

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 31, 2026

Replying to @fgraver@hcommons.social

«The making of international organisations, then, was not insulated from imperial expansion, multinational business interests or great-power competition. On the contrary, many of the organisations we today praise as great but tragically ailing bulwarks against power politics have historically been the latter’s fellow travellers. Their claim to neutrality did not restrain power; it normalised it, and it often did so by fiat. International organisations invented a technocratic international that was not unlike a gated community: sheltered from its own conditions of existence.»

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 31, 2026

Replying to @fgraver@hcommons.social

«Technocracy, short of literal rule by experts, then constitutes a style or mode of politics that mobilises and thus uses (or abuses) expertise. Think of the Troika of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF that managed the bailouts of Greece, Cyprus, Portugal and Ireland after the 2008 financial crisis: all three institutions justified their harsh and controversial interventions across these countries by reference to economic expert advice. This allowed them to sidestep democratic deliberation as well as, most controversially, accountability. The crux is that experts and their technocratic mobilisers are different sets of actors with different motivations: the former translate their credentialed specialist knowledge into advice and recommendations; the latter try to persuade us that they simply follow that advice.»

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 31, 2026

Are we witnessing the end of the technocratic international? | Aeon Essays https://aeon.co/essays/are-we-witnessing-the-end-of-the-technocratic-international

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 31, 2026

The ‘Sovereignty’ Narratives That Don’t Help Europe | TechPolicy.Press https://techpolicy.press/the-sovereignty-narratives-that-dont-help-europe

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 31, 2026

Forbidden Planet hit cinemas in 1956. Its warnings about AI should terrify us https://theconversation.com/forbidden-planet-hit-cinemas-in-1956-its-warnings-about-ai-should-terrify-us-288391

«Forbidden Planet suggests an uncomfortable reading of “AI”: amplified id. Not human intelligence sharpened, but human appetite unleashed.

The Krell did not destroy themselves because their machines failed. They destroyed themselves because their machines succeeded.»

The Conversation

Forbidden Planet hit cinemas in 1956. Its warnings about AI should terrify us

Technology may give us extraordinary new power. But it may also give our deepest, least understood desires a power of their own.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 31, 2026

What It Now Takes to Establish a Fact | TechPolicy.Press https://techpolicy.press/what-it-now-takes-to-establish-a-fact

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 25, 2026

Replying to @eivind@fribygda.no

@eivind@fribygda.no @LarsFosdal@mastodon.social Ikke reis på camping in Canada, spesielt indre og nordre Ontario, på våren eller starten av sommeren. Kombinasjonen av black flies og noseeums gjør det til helvete på jord…

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 25, 2026

Replying to @fgraver@hcommons.social

@eivind@fribygda.no @LarsFosdal@mastodon.social Ser at sviknott kan oversettes til «noseeums» eller sand flies—da vet jeg hva de er, ja!

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 25, 2026

Replying to @eivind@fribygda.no

@eivind@fribygda.no @LarsFosdal@mastodon.social Min erfaring med black flies fra Canada (og Wiki oversetter knott til black fly) er at de biter som bare f. og kommer i enorme svermer. Og ofte er de så små at de kan trenge gjennom myggnetting… Har ikke vært like plaget av knott på Innlandet som av black flies i Canada, men har alltid tenkt at den norske varianten bare er litt snillere… Men Sviknott hadde jeg aldri hørt om; ser de er noe litt annet, ja. Se https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_fly

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 25, 2026

Replying to @LarsFosdal@mastodon.social

@LarsFosdal@mastodon.social @eivind@fribygda.no Det er de, uansett hva man kaller dem!

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 25, 2026

Replying to @eivind@fribygda.no

@eivind@fribygda.no @LarsFosdal@mastodon.social Tror det riktige er gnats. Evt. black flies i Nordamerika.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 16, 2026

Guerrilla London Bus Ads Mock Kylie Jenner’s Meta Glasses Campaign https://hyperallergic.com/guerrilla-london-bus-ads-mock-kylie-jenners-meta-glasses-campaign/

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 11, 2026

The AI Resist List https://airesistlist.org/

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jul 01, 2026

Replying to @print@theforkiverse.com

@print@theforkiverse.com @bizette@theforkiverse.com Pfft. The one opera I did see as a child — Borodin & Rimsky-Korsakov’s Prince Igor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Igor) – isn’t even on the list. How can a book with such a gap be trusted. (There was an *opera* of Robin Hood?? Who knew.)

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jun 27, 2026

Replying to @francis@mastodon.babb.no

@francis@mastodon.babb.no @hallvors@oslo.town Enig; det var et veldig bra innlegg. Og Amerikansk eierskap at kritisk IT-infrastruktur er en sak som fortjener mye mer kritisk oppmerksomhet enn den har fått hittil.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jun 27, 2026

Kritisk IT-infrastruktur i amerikanske hender https://www.khrono.no/kritisk-it-infrastruktur-i-amerikanske-hender/1069325

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Jun 22, 2026

Replying to @MaryAustinBooks@mstdn.social

@MaryAustinBooks@mstdn.social I’ve already seen it spread—and retracted—on Mastodon. But it does say something about the times we live in when satire becomes indistinguishable from reality.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · May 05, 2026

Replying to @Pepijn@mastodon.online

@Pepijn You will certainly find some Canadians—especially Quebeckers—who would claim the same for their provinces.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · May 05, 2026

Replying to @Pepijn@mastodon.online

@Pepijn Wait… If the Welsh Senedd counts then I should be able to count Canadian provincial legislatures, no? That would add 3 to my total, and put me at 7 as well.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · May 05, 2026

Replying to @fgraver@hcommons.social

@Remittancegirl Then there’s this, related, issue. Microsoft this time. https://mastodon.green/@gerrymcgovern/116521485454720727

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · May 05, 2026

Replying to @Remittancegirl@mstdn.social

@Remittancegirl No. No, I can’t. But horror does seem to be the only way to describe it. And of course no tech company will be held responsible. 1.5 million is a drop in the bucket for Google; they'll pay this and write it off as the cost of business. I can’t imagine there will be a court outcome that actually affects their business model.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 27, 2026

On LLMs, language, cultural references, and supressing the horrors of war. A worth-while read from @jilltxt@aoir.social.

“Du må ikke sove”: a floating motif detached from its meaning (or: LLMs can write Norwegian but miss cultural references) – Jill Walker Rettberg https://jilltxt.net/du-ma-ikke-sove-a-floating-motif-detached-from-its-meaning-or-llms-can-write-norwegian-but-miss-cultural-references/

(The original poem in it’s entirety can be found here: https://www.nb.no/items/d7fb96765bfb5f0bef6b1218f5cd7231?page=325)

aoir.social

Jill Walker Rettberg (@jilltxt@aoir.social) - Mastodon

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 25, 2026

Replying to @cogdog@cosocial.ca

@cogdog@cosocial.ca I’m pretty sure that had @pimmthedog used a megabite, that SD card would no longer be in one piece…

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 25, 2026

Replying to @cogdog@cosocial.ca

@cogdog@cosocial.ca I count 7 bites of data there.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 23, 2026

Replying to @stveje@mstdn.social

@stveje @CiaraNi Me too.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 23, 2026

Replying to @CiaraNi@mastodon.green

@CiaraNi @stveje Based on what you and others have pointed out, I doubt you’re wrong. Unfortunately.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 23, 2026

Replying to @CiaraNi@mastodon.green

@CiaraNi @stveje Oh, good grief. I thought it was real and am both disappointed in myself for not being more attuned to the telltale signs you pointed out and angry at the original poster who obviously intended this to deceive. This is why we can’t have nice things.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 11, 2026

Replying to @AndrewRadev@hachyderm.io

@AndrewRadev @aral Those meddeling kids!

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 08, 2026

Replying to @Downes@mastodon.social

@Downes@mastodon.social Enjoy the next big thing! I’ve followed your work with MOOCs and connectivism in one way or another since 2008—Enjoy retirement in the knowledge that you’ve made a big impact on educators around the world.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 06, 2026

Replying to @Pepijn@mastodon.online

@Pepijn I went with a Synology BeeStation and have not regretted it. Only one disk, however. But super easy—set it up and forget it. I’ve used it to access files remotely.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 05, 2026

#SilentSunday

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 03, 2026

It seems to me that those who value results are more likely to delve into using AI than those who value process.

I work with fine arts education—filmmaking—and for me, process is *everything*. And so AI becomes marginal, at best. But I can see lots of use cases—also in filmmaking—where AI can help achieve a result more efficiently.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 03, 2026

Wallace Shawn’s Road to Socialism https://jacobin.com/2026/04/wallace-shawn-socialism-theater-class/

jacobin.com

Wallace Shawn’s Road to Socialism

The left-wing actor and playwright Wallace Shawn, the writer of two plays currently running in New York, describes a harsh midlife conversion to class politics — transforming from a disengaged liberal

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 03, 2026

Five Sci-Fi Stories About the Dark Side of A.I. - Reactor https://reactormag.com/five-sci-fi-stories-about-the-dark-side-of-a-i/

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 03, 2026

This resonates: «Generative models are fundamentally cliche machines. If you ask AI to write a film script, it will produce an average film script masterfully. If you ask it to write an essay, it will produce an average essay masterfully.

Once upon a time, mastery of the banal was adequate for writers. It was enough to prove that you were capable of writing. But that skill has no purpose any more – it can be automated. Skill will be found in the purpose of the work. What can you alone make happen with language?»

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/02/artificial-intelligence-writers-powerful-language?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 03, 2026

Well. Given how long I lived in Canada, I can appreciate the enormity of this scandal. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/02/maple-syrup-scam-quebec-canada?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 03, 2026

Killer rabbits, bunny boilers and the holy hand grenade of Antioch: Easter bunny movies – ranked!

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/apr/02/easter-bunny-movies-ranked?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 01, 2026

Slowjamastan: The new 'nation' hiding in the US https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20260330-slowjamastan-the-worlds-newest-nation-youve-never-heard-of

www.bbc.com

Slowjamastan: The new 'nation' hiding in the US

More than 25,000 self-proclaimed citizens have pledged their allegiance to this faux dictatorship, where Crocs and reply-all emails are forbidden.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 01, 2026

An Outpouring of Love and Esteem for Stephen Lewis | The Tyee https://thetyee.ca/News/2026/04/01/Outpouring-Love-Esteem-Stephen-Lewis/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Apr 01, 2026

As it stands right now, the rest of NATO is better off without the US. Trump is too stupid and unpredicable to be an ally for anyone. He does not understand international relations, economics, or the basic principles of what being an ally means. The only thing he is interested in is personal enrichment and stroking his own puffed-up ego.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/01/trump-says-he-is-absolutely-considering-withdrawing-us-from-nato?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Mar 30, 2026

Stefan Fisher-Høyrem leverer her en lang og meget grundig gjennomgang av den siste salven Aksel Braanen Sterri leverte mot Inga Strümke i den pågående debatten om hvilken trussel KI egentlig utgjør i samfunnet.

For meg er det ingen tvil: her har vi all grunn til å stole mer på Strümke enn Sterri.

Sterri vs. Strümke https://www.stefanfisherhoyrem.com/blogg/sterri-vs-strumke

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Mar 23, 2026

Using your AI chatbot as a search engine? Be careful what you believe https://theconversation.com/using-your-ai-chatbot-as-a-search-engine-be-careful-what-you-believe-277616

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Mar 06, 2026

Replying to @actualham__dup_5929@social.coop

@actualham 😂😬😭

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Feb 27, 2026

Replying to @JosteinSN@oslo.town

@JosteinSN 😮 Kolonialismen og kapitalismen i skjønn forening.

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Fredrik Graver @fgraver@hcommons.social · Feb 05, 2026

A modest proposal for the use of AI https://crookedtimber.org/2026/02/04/a-modest-proposal-for-the-use-of-ai/

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Fredrik Graver

Posts

Another Reason Not to Use “AI” For Your Writing

Forbidden Planet hit cinemas in 1956. Its warnings about AI should terrify us

Jill Walker Rettberg (@jilltxt@aoir.social) - Mastodon

Wallace Shawn’s Road to Socialism

Slowjamastan: The new 'nation' hiding in the US

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