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. […]
Eirik
On a more sombre note, my father once shook hands with former Norwegian prime minister Einar Gerhardsen. In his youth, Gerhardsen was a delegate at a conference in Moscow, where he met both Lenin and Stalin. Through another relative, I’m just two degrees of separation from Hitler. Also, I once met PÂl Steigan, former leader of the Maoist party of Norway, famous (or notorius, rather?) in Norway for having met both Pol Pot and Chairman Mao. So, Jill, do you still want to shake my hand the next time we meet? 😉
Jill
Eirik, I had no idea you were such a central node in scary networks! Perhaps I’ll just disregard the whole degrees of separation thing….
chuck
There was a point in the 1970s when my mom had shaken hands with every living president. Of course, this group included Rihcard Nixon, so I’m not sure whether that’s a mark of distinction or not.
Eirik
Wow, that’s quite impressive, isn’t it? I mean, in Norway there are few people and little in the way of distance (here in Oslo, quite literally) between the rulers and the ruled. Which is why I know a number of people from different walks of life who have met our current Prime Minister, not to mention the previous ones. As for security, there actually is very little. Apart from a handful of government ministers and royals, you’re quite likely to bump into top politicians at your local corner store here in the capital. I do it all the time. 🙂
chuck
It helped that there were only three living presidents (LBJ, Ford, and Nixon) and that we lived in Washington, DC. But I’ll admit it’s unusual. I was *very* impressed when I was a kid (but it also seemed perfectly natural that politicians would intersect with regular folks like my mom).
Norman
In Australia, there was one society woman who was quite well known to have slept with every Australian Prime Minister between 1949 and 1965. She had also slept with the Prime Minister of 1940, and one of the best known Wardens of the Cinque Ports in Britain. It’s just a matter of having the right connections.
Jill
So you can become a collector of handshakes or sexual encounters, really, can’t you. Intangible collectibles, I like that 🙂
Norman
I have a confession Jill. Dame Patty was the woman, and all the office bearers I mentioned, were the same person. Sir Robert’s days in power lasted quite a while.
Jill
So that’s what Mum was saying on the phone that I didn’t quite understand but was too distracted to ask about.. I obviously have gaping holes in my knowledge of Australian history 😉 thanks for giving away the joke!