@bcmerchant.bsky.social
1.6k Following138.3k Followers
author of Blood in the Machine, tech writer, luddite
newsletter: https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/
books: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/brian-merchant/
kofi link: https://ko-fi.com/brianmerchant
@emilymbender.bsky.socialReposted by @bcmerchant.bsky.socialHearing lots of discourse about "stochastic parrots" recently? Here's a discussion of the backstory, both of the phrase itself and what's going on now.
@hellobrittparis.bsky.socialReposted by @bcmerchant.bsky.socialRegister for our AAUP webinar for the 3rd segment of our Toolkit series on intervening in institutional procurement TODAY Wednesday 10/7 at 3pm ET introducing our "Strategy Playbook for Addressing AI at Work" resource with Cynthia Conti-Cook! www.aaup.org/event/strate...
@sistergoldenbear.bsky.socialReposted by @bcmerchant.bsky.socialAbout damn time
@jasonkoebler.bsky.socialReposted by @bcmerchant.bsky.socialBREAKING: A federal judge has ruled for the first time that a Flock search was unconstitutional and violated a woman's Fourth Amendment rights. Oklahoma cop pulled over a woman and searched her in Flock "because he saw her license plate was from California"
@bcmerchant.bsky.socialthis is true
@bcmerchant.bsky.socialit's really not! no one ever really gave a shit that Al Gore inflated his role in funding the development of the internet, it was a goofy thing to make fun of, and everyone knew it wasn't true folks with vested interests in AI (Jack Clark, Stapp etc) bring up SP quite a lot, it really irks them
@bcmerchant.bsky.socialsurprisingly poor metaphor for someone who is trying to play the role of a condescending AI understander
@geftokingmongoose.bsky.socialReposted by @bcmerchant.bsky.socialGod this shit was cool as fuck
@bcmerchant.bsky.socialyes
@bcmerchant.bsky.socialok a little hyperbolic but they really do hate it!
@razzball.bsky.socialReposted by @bcmerchant.bsky.socialAnnouncing the merger with Titanic footage is an incredible bit
@bcmerchant.bsky.social2026 lol
@bcmerchant.bsky.socialI don't actually know any critics going around saying "AI is just a stochastic parrot" in 2024 -- it's typically pro-AI folks who bring it up themselves, who *want* that to be the extent of critics' understanding of the current systems; a straw man that they can then more easily wave away
@elivalley.bsky.socialReposted by @bcmerchant.bsky.socialDemocrats caved and/or facilitated this monopolization of practically every major media property in the US into the hands of a MAGA fascist psychopath. If the US had an opposition party, each of its presidential contenders would would vow to dissolve this monopoly by any means necessary.
@bcmerchant.bsky.social❤️
@allergyphd.bsky.socialReposted by @bcmerchant.bsky.socialA great listen this morning!
@bcmerchant.bsky.sociallol
@bcmerchant.bsky.socialAvengers: The 120 Days of Sodom
@kevinbarron.bsky.socialReposted by @bcmerchant.bsky.social“To have someone say that’s bullshit, here’s why that’s bullshit, and have a two-word phrase that encapsulates it, drives (those heavily invested in it) absolutely crazy”.
This is a must-watch. @bcmerchant.bsky.social @emilymbender.bsky.social are two of the best minds on this Ai insanity.
@bcmerchant.bsky.socialsorry, reworded
