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
The Immigration Police routine is a learning experience indeed. Among other things, it’s fairly obvious how having pink skin simplifies so many things…
Ida
I guess I was fortunate – only one hour fifteen minutes in the queue (in the cellar of the Police station in Stavanger), 3 minutes at the counter to get a sticker….
Yes! I was at the “fremmedpolitiet” today to get my 2-year sticker sayig that I have “Permanent Oppholdstillatelse”. Funny that, I have permanent residency (married to a Norwegian man for, soon, 24 years and I do not have to apply for anything but I need to personally turn up at the immigration office every two years in order get this sticker. I aksed if I could make an appointment so that I would not have to take 1,5 – 2 hours to get this pretty sticker in my passport… No can do. I MUST turn up personally. Without this valid sticker I will not be able to re-enter the Schengen area. I can leave but cannot return. There must be other ways to control that we are in the country. How about the stamp that we get in our passports on entry / exit to Norway? What about the tax returns filed each and every year that shows that we are working in the country. What about bank transactions? Despite having lived in Norway for several decades and having 3 children (all of whom hopefully taxpayers in the medium to long term), every two years, I am slapped with a reminder that I am a foreigner.
Well, the lady at the counter was very nice, courteous and efficient – if only the queue wasn’t so long.