Hello friends of CSM! This year weāve had a bottomless brunch of big tech trials, which somehow feels like progress but also sort of likeā¦ weāre slowly getting nowhere? We wanted to understand better what it means to take big tech to court: in what ways are they ducking out of being accountable for their harms? What kinds of expert witnesses are litigators calling on to build a case? And what makes an expert witness anyway? Yep, itās a lot. A few weeks ago, we wrapped up a podcast miniseries...
about 1 month agoĀ ā¢Ā 2 min read
Laws are like pancakes Hi hi hello everyone ā weāve just wrapped up our podcast series on FAccT. In case you werenāt aware that this series even existed and you now feel woefully behind, hereās a quick rundown: First I spoke to Andrew Strait about our favourite papers presented at the conference; it was a great chat and a good overview of what FAccT even is. Then I interviewed the authors of three of my favourite papersā¦ In Abandoning Algorithms I Interviewed Nari Johnson and Sanika Moharana...
4 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read
What the FAccT? Hello hello everyone ā a couple of weeks ago I was at FAccT, and I read loads of interesting research papers, lots of which had relevant findings on technology politics issues, and some that were too wonky to really absorb. After spending a week surrounded by smart people working on issues Iām interested in, I have some thoughts on the general state of this type of technology research. If you prefer the medium of voice, I actually had a great conversation (at least I enjoyed...
5 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read
Hello! You might have followed the sit-in of Google employees protesting Project Nimbus, a cloud infrastructure contract with the Israeli government. I sat down with one of the core organisers, Dr Kate Sim, to talk more about it. Listen to the conversation here! We discuss how the sit-in came about, how she distinguishes between moral and immoral B2B relationships with countries, and the role that employees should play in shaping the mission and focus of businesses. Iām still left with...
6 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read
The Human in the Loop Hi Reader, This month we hosted our first New Protagonist meetup. This was a chance for our members to learn more about each other, and share dominant narratives that stuck out to them recently. Weāre aiming to host these monthly so that we donāt lose steam in thinking through these issues together. Remember, if you want to be part of the New Protagonist Network, please register your interest here! šļø New podcast episode: whatās it like to work in the AI supply chain?...
7 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 3 min read
AI, what the hell is it? Hi Reader, People use the term AI to mean a million different things, and for loads of reasons: some people use it to point at the combined trajectory of new technologies; others use it to raise money from salivating investors who will fund anything that has āAIā in its name; and some use it to sound smart at a time when it feels terrifying not to be in the loop of the new. But time and again, friends and colleagues have pointed to the fact that itās not actually a...
8 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 5 min read
we're back! Hi Reader, Itās been almost exactly a year since I last emailed you... To celebrate that ghosting anniversary, Iām here with some exciting news: we are finally launching the Computer Says Maybe podcast! Over the next few months, weāre doing a few topical episodes on chunky issues, and over time will aim to develop into a weekly or bimonthly rhythm. Weāll have rotating co-hosts and expert guests that help us deep dive into a particular topic. If youāre keen to explore your area in...
10 months agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read