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. […]
royby
I hope that your defence is going well for you.
Cheers – Roy
Anders Fagerjord
Manic Monday! It’s the perfect tune for you today!
Lykke til.
helgaw
Good luck on your defense. And congrads with an excellent ex. You should really pick out boyfriends with an eye on how good/terrible they will be as live-elsewhere co-parents 🙂
Oh, on the topic of old music – stay away from the Boomtown rats. They don’t do good mondays.
Werner
Jill, good luck today! When I did mine it felt like going to my own execution. When it was over it really felt like I had been afraid for this big ‘unknown thing’, that something was going to happen that I haddened prepared for.
But there is no such thing, you are the master of your thesis and your topic. If you have made it this far, you are the expert. Much more so than any member of the panel (if there is such a thing in Norway).
Best of luck and KEEP BREATHING!
Kevin
Good luck… as if you need it! You’ll do remarkably well, for certain!!! The proper comment would be..
Congratulations on your PhD!
Bill
Go, Jill! Ich drueck’ Dir die Daumen.
G¯ran
I guess it’s all over now. I couldn’t make it today neither did I get to wish you good luck, but even though you didn’t actually hear it I want you to know that I have actually been wishing you luck for quite some time now.
So let me finish by not being the last to actually offer you my most sincere congratulations!
G¯ran
HEY!!! When I sometimes actually take time to read stuff, I find that the world has changed.
Jill, I guess my last comment must have sounded somewhat evil, but now when my world have spun into place again: GOOD LUCK!!!
Maybe I’ll even make your lecture. I’ll try.
KF
Of course, by the time it’s today here, today’s already over there. I think. Trying… to… do… math…
I give. Choose the appropriate option, or take them sequentially, for best effect:
1) You’ll be great! Knock ’em dead!
2) I’m sure you were smashing. Revel in your success!
fivecats
Keep your head held high, a smile on your face and just keep saying to yourself that none of this will matter years from now.
Okay, so maybe not, but it’ll sound good when you’re up there Defending.
Good luck!
…
Jason
Good luck 🙂 (and, after the fact, Congratulations!)
i1277
Good luck…I’m sure you’ll do great.