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. […]
jon
Good for you Jill!
In the six months I’ve been reading your site I’ve followed this particular strand of your narrative with interest and sympathy, especially as I can empathise, heading to that day myself this summer. I can only imagine what you must be feeling right now. It’s BIG stuff but great stuff.
I’m glad you put the news on your site. There’s something scary but powerful about stating something important in public.
meredith
Wow! That’s so exciting!
Consider my fingers well and truly crossed…
Liz
Woohoo! Will be thinking about you, with fingers crossed.
Lisa
::throws confetti::
Hooray!
royby
Congrats Jill. Having a partner who submitted her Phd thesis a few months ago, I have some idea of what the process is like. We say that she went into ‘post-thetal depression’ haha. But in all humour there is truth.
I went into ‘post-thetal yeehah’. We had finally gotten rid of the third entity in the household.
Cheers – Roy
Thomas
Congratulations! This is really wonderful. Now you can look back on the “best time of your life” and know that you have completed something that still very few can. (It just feels like everybody has a Ph.D. when you look around, most people don’t!) Fireworks and huge cakes should revolve around you for the next few weeks!
Thomas
torill
It’s terrifying. Numbing. And soon you’ll feel that it’s not such a big deal any more, and you’ll wonder what you were so afraid of. And you know you’ll do great!
Alan McCallum
Good luck!
Alan
Christian
Lykke til Jill! NÂr fÂr vi lese det du har skrevet?
Jill
Thanks guys, but hey, I’m still sweating here – it’s not quite in yet!
When you can read it? When it passes! Which hopefully will be in about half a year. Those committees take a while. If they fail it, well, you’ll just have to wait even longer.
Thomas
No way are they going to fail you! You have done great work and you have a good advisor. This is going your way. I’m looking forward to the party!
Thomas
Diane
Fingers crossed. I gotta say, delivering that stack is a lovely feeling. Good luck!
Hilde
Congratulations! I look forward to the party!
Jamie Blustein
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
You will knock ’em dead. I’ve seen it before. As my external warned me before my oral defence: `it is a rite of passage that we all must go through.’ Just keep your cool (you have so-o-o much of it) and it will be over in a flash.
We will all be celebrating with you.