I just signed a petition calling for Norwegian universities to use research expertise on AI when deciding how to implement it, rather than having decisions be made mostly administratively. , If you are a researcher in Norway, please read it and sign it if you agree – and share with anyone else who might be interested. The petition was written by three researchers at UiT: Maria Danielsen (a philosopher who completed her PhD in 2025 on AI and ethics, including discussions of art and working life), Knut Ørke (Norwegian as a second language), and Holger Pötzsch (a professor of media studies with many years of research on digital media, video games, disruption, and working life, among other topics). This is not about preventing researchers from exploring AI methods in their research. It is about not uncritically accepting the hype that everyone must use AI everywhere without critical reflection. It is about not introducing Copilot as the default option in word processors, or training PhD candidates to believe they will fall behind if they do not use AI when writing articles, without proper academic discussion. Changes like these should be knowledge-based and discussed academically, not merely decided administratively, because they alter the epistemological foundations of research. Maria wrote to me a couple of months ago because she had read my opinion piece in Aftenposten in which I called for a strong brake on the use of language models in knowledge work. She was part of a committee tasked with developing UiT’s AI strategy and was concerned because there was so much hype and so few members of the committee with actual expertise in AI. I fully support the petition. There are probably some good uses for AI in research, but the uncritical, hype-driven insistence that we must simply adopt it everywhere is highly risky. There are many researchers in Norway with strong expertise in AI, language, ethics, working life, and culture. We must make use of this expertise. This is also partly about respect for research in the humanities, social sciences, psychology, and law. Introducing AI at universities and university colleges is not merely a technical issue, and perhaps not even primarily a technical one. It concerns much more: philosophy of science, methodological reflection, epistemology, writing, publishing, the working environment, and more. […]
Cecilius
Hi. that sounds really cool! I want to begin kicking and punching.. I was in your class last semester, and now I am studying in Newcastle, Australia. And me, and my flatmates wants to create our own BLOG!! But I am wondering if I can download it to my local area on the server at huminf.? Thanks for learning us about blogs.. I didnt know what the word meant until the course last semester.. and now I have friends that wants them!Ciao!
Jill
Cool to hear from you, Cecilie! And I love that you’re in Oz now, I hope you enjoy yourself 🙂 While you strictly speaking could start a new blog from the one you already have on the huminf server (log into your Moveable Type installation, go to the Main Menu (where you start) and click “Create New Weblog” – you’ll also have to create a new directory for it and set permissions like we did when we first set up our blogs) but since the new blog’s not really related to huminf it’d be better to use another server. TypePad is a new site where you do have to pay (US$4.95 a month) but you get server space for your blog and it’s run on a centralised version of MoveableType that’s supposed to be easy and good. You DON’T need to do that hard installation stuff. Blogger.com offers free serverspace at blogspot.com, if you can put up with a banner ad. Blogger is a simpler system than MoveableType, so you should find it pretty easy. You install nothing (it’s on their server), just sign up, choose a template, etc. It uses template tags in the same way as MoveableType does but the tags are different: you should be fine. There are quite a few other systems too depending on what you want.
Good luck with your studies and the blogging!
Cecilius
Hi!
I am going back to Bergen to finish my bachelor degree, so I am so sorry to leave Australia. But I love it, and I am coming back to do my Master degree down under. But I am going to make a blog for my flatmates, then I can follow their lives.. As a comfort:) I am also going on a holiday in february. It is so nice here, and I can imagine that you miss the beaches and the relaxed attitude down here..
See you!
Ciao!
DHRUV GANOTRA
HI I AM DHRUV GANOTRA FROM INDIA I HAD HERD ABOUT OF YOU SO MUCH .YOU ARE 21 YEARS AND I AM ONLY 14 YEARS I WILL EMAIL YOU EUERY WEEK. AND YOU BECAME LARA CROFT YOUR MUSCLES AND YOU ARE SO THIN AND TOY CAN CATCH 2 PISTOLS IF YOU ARE THIN THEN ALSO
Jill
Wow, Dhruv! I’m looking forward to more email! Who’s Toy?