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. […]
jim
The announcement of the free trade deal (FTD) coincided with the police raid and closure of the P2P Kazaa (Sharman Networks) offices in Sydney and the beginnings of civil action against the executive director Nikki Hemmings by Music Industry Piracy Investigations, owned by Universal, Festival Mushroom Records, EMI Music, Sony Music, Warner Music Australia and BMG Australia.
Apparently ‘share’ and ‘free’ have distinctly different meanings in the context of a trade deal.
The future looks grim for the Australian film and television industry. Although the amount of locally produced work looks like increasing it will be in the hands of American companies, making American films, using Australian locations and crews which are both cheaper than in the States As part of the FTD the minimum cap on local content required in television broadcasting was dropped and only the maximum remains.
In 1999 in central Sydney the local agricultural show grounds, which was in effect a public commons for over 100 years, was signed over to the Fox Network for a 99 year lease after special legislation was passed in the state parliament. I was here the Matrix was made and it looks like there will be a lot more American films being produced there in the future.
Norman
I wish I could be convinced, like jim, that what now passes for “Australian” culture is in any meaningful way, genuinely Australian. As for his reference to the Sydney Showground being [in any sense] a “public common”, it does elicit a wry smile.
I deeply miss [and will continue to miss] the days of the old Agricultural Showground. But they were a thing of the past long before it was sold off. And the majority, including even the older people, who knew it in its heyday, praise the new Showground, and laugh at my preferemce for the old one.
I have to admit, however reluctantly, that it made good sense to do what they did, and the new site not only made economic sense, but was more relevant to the times. I mightn’t be wildly enthusiastic about those times, but we can’t live in the past.