Rūta Kazlauskaitė
@rutakazlauskaite.bsky.social
Researcher, PhD, University of Helsinki. Memory politics, VR/XR, emotions, propaganda, populism.
My new chapter, “Virtual Heartlands: Populism, Emotion, and the Spirit of Place in Virtual Reality,” is out in "Media and the Spirit of Populism," edited by Katja Valaskivi, Johanna Sumiala, Kaisa Tiusanen, Helmi Halonen.
www.routledge.com/Media-and-th...
www.routledge.com/Media-and-th...
Media and the Spirit of Populism
Media and the Spirit of Populism explores the role of contemporary media in the formation, dissemination, and circulation of the spirit of populism. These cutting- edge contributions to the field, wri...
www.routledge.com
April 12, 2026 at 2:33 PM
My new chapter, “Virtual Heartlands: Populism, Emotion, and the Spirit of Place in Virtual Reality,” is out in "Media and the Spirit of Populism," edited by Katja Valaskivi, Johanna Sumiala, Kaisa Tiusanen, Helmi Halonen.
www.routledge.com/Media-and-th...
www.routledge.com/Media-and-th...
In this blog post, I discuss how virtual reality is becoming a medium for immersive grievance politics. The promise of immersive proximity to real or imagined places, experiences, and events has made VR attractive to a wide range of storytellers, including propagandists.
Immersion is not neutral.
#PLEDGE Blogpost #12 shows how VR becomes a medium for grievance politics, turning victimhood, heroism & ressentiment into lived experience.
Storyliving → affective bonding → political meaning
🔗 bitly.cx/LkY81
#VirtualReality #GrievancePolitics #PoliticalEmotions #EU
#PLEDGE Blogpost #12 shows how VR becomes a medium for grievance politics, turning victimhood, heroism & ressentiment into lived experience.
Storyliving → affective bonding → political meaning
🔗 bitly.cx/LkY81
#VirtualReality #GrievancePolitics #PoliticalEmotions #EU
March 11, 2026 at 9:58 AM
In this blog post, I discuss how virtual reality is becoming a medium for immersive grievance politics. The promise of immersive proximity to real or imagined places, experiences, and events has made VR attractive to a wide range of storytellers, including propagandists.
What is "virtual history"? I had the opportunity to contribute a comment on Lucian Hölscher’s Koselleck Lecture in Bielefeld University (2023). It has now been published, alongside other comments by Chris Lorenz & Britta Hochkirchen, in a new open-access book. ⬇️
🛎️ The second volume of the BiUP Bielefeld Theory Talks series is now out.
It features Lucian Hölscher’s reflections on virtual history, followed by commentaries by Britta Hochkirchen, Chris Lorenz, and @rutakazlauskaite.bsky.social 👇
bielefelduniversitypress.de/publikatione...
It features Lucian Hölscher’s reflections on virtual history, followed by commentaries by Britta Hochkirchen, Chris Lorenz, and @rutakazlauskaite.bsky.social 👇
bielefelduniversitypress.de/publikatione...
January 20, 2026 at 4:56 PM
What is "virtual history"? I had the opportunity to contribute a comment on Lucian Hölscher’s Koselleck Lecture in Bielefeld University (2023). It has now been published, alongside other comments by Chris Lorenz & Britta Hochkirchen, in a new open-access book. ⬇️
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service has stopped sharing certain information with the United States: “Sometimes we no longer share things,” officials say, because the information has been finding its way into Kremlin hands. www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/n...
Nederlandse diensten delen minder informatie met de VS: ‘Soms vertellen we dingen niet meer’
Het aantal dreigingen dat op Nederland afkomt is groot, zien de hoofden van de AIVD en de MIVD elke dag: niet alleen Russische agressie, maar ook de opmars van China als digitale macht en binnenlands ...
www.volkskrant.nl
October 19, 2025 at 10:08 PM
The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service has stopped sharing certain information with the United States: “Sometimes we no longer share things,” officials say, because the information has been finding its way into Kremlin hands. www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/n...
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
"In reality, AI erodes academic freedom, weakens critical reading, and subordinates the pursuit of knowledge to corporate interests." www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a... (archive: archive.ph/Y6855)
AI Is Hollowing Out Higher Education
Olivia Guest & Iris van Rooij urge teachers and scholars to reject tools that commodify learning, deskill students, and promote illiteracy.
www.project-syndicate.org
October 18, 2025 at 6:30 PM
"In reality, AI erodes academic freedom, weakens critical reading, and subordinates the pursuit of knowledge to corporate interests." www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a... (archive: archive.ph/Y6855)
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
Europe's DSA: "Under that law, platforms must submit regular transparency reports, partake in risk audits and act quickly to remove illegal content." Trump/Big Tech companies want to get rid of it so they can filter the world through their extremist algorithms.
The Trump administration appears to be engaged in a dramatic project to replace the United States’ traditional European alliances, with tech policy and culture wars over social media a key to the effort, Tech Policy Press contributing editor @dwj88.bsky.social writes.
Trump’s State Department Wants to Use Tech Policy to Remake Europe In Its Image | TechPolicy.Press
Tech policy is a key part of the Trump administration's dramatic project to replace the US's traditional European alliances, Dean Jackson writes.
www.techpolicy.press
October 7, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Europe's DSA: "Under that law, platforms must submit regular transparency reports, partake in risk audits and act quickly to remove illegal content." Trump/Big Tech companies want to get rid of it so they can filter the world through their extremist algorithms.
Whistleblower testimonies by former Meta's employees describe how VR safety research was manipulated and findings erased that showed young children being exposed to grooming, sexual harassment and violence in its 3D worlds. Can't say I am surprised.
Meta whistleblower: I worked in some of Meta’s most sensitive spaces. I’m here because it’s evident that Meta consistently chooses profit over safety.
September 26, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Whistleblower testimonies by former Meta's employees describe how VR safety research was manipulated and findings erased that showed young children being exposed to grooming, sexual harassment and violence in its 3D worlds. Can't say I am surprised.
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
Murdoch is getting TikTok. Now the Fox News social platform.
Trump says Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch likely part of US TikTok investor group
US president tells Fox News ‘a man named Lachlan is involved … that’s a very unusual name, Lachlan Murdoch’
www.theguardian.com
September 21, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Murdoch is getting TikTok. Now the Fox News social platform.
Before you buy the brand new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses with the EMG wristband, you should be aware that measurement of the muscle response to electrical activity with EMG can capture and help infer highly sensitive information.
September 19, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Before you buy the brand new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses with the EMG wristband, you should be aware that measurement of the muscle response to electrical activity with EMG can capture and help infer highly sensitive information.
🧵👇
I am surprised by how many people are missing the fact that the kinetic component and reaction to it (and seeking to prevent it the future) when it comes to the Russian drone attack on Poland is likely not “the main event” - that’s the cognitive warfare that unfolded thereafter.
September 13, 2025 at 6:24 AM
🧵👇
My new project "Halbwachs in the Metaverse: Storyliving and democracy in the age of immersive spatial computing" begins today. Warm thanks to @koneensaatio.fi for supporting my work! Over the next 3 years, I'll explore how XR is reshaping political communication and digital politics. Stay tuned!
September 1, 2025 at 3:51 PM
My new project "Halbwachs in the Metaverse: Storyliving and democracy in the age of immersive spatial computing" begins today. Warm thanks to @koneensaatio.fi for supporting my work! Over the next 3 years, I'll explore how XR is reshaping political communication and digital politics. Stay tuned!
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
we obtained footage of an agent in the middle of a raid at a Home Depot wearing Meta's smart glasses, and talked to experts about what that means: www.404media.co/a-cbp-agent-...
A CBP Agent Wore Meta Smart Glasses to an Immigration Raid in Los Angeles
Video obtained and verified by 404 Media shows a CBP official wearing Meta's AI glasses, which are capable of recording and connecting with AI. “I think it should be seen in the context of an agency t...
www.404media.co
August 7, 2025 at 8:21 PM
we obtained footage of an agent in the middle of a raid at a Home Depot wearing Meta's smart glasses, and talked to experts about what that means: www.404media.co/a-cbp-agent-...
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
OpenAI: "'We can begin to close the gap between those with access to learning resources and high-quality education and those who have been historically left behind,' says OpenAI’s head of education, Leah Belsky."
Me: Read Roderic Crooks' Access Is Capture: How EdTech Reproduces Racial Inequality.
Me: Read Roderic Crooks' Access Is Capture: How EdTech Reproduces Racial Inequality.
OpenAI is launching a version of ChatGPT for college students
Study Mode helps students walk through topics rather than just giving them answers. But there’s a glaring problem.
www.technologyreview.com
July 29, 2025 at 8:53 PM
OpenAI: "'We can begin to close the gap between those with access to learning resources and high-quality education and those who have been historically left behind,' says OpenAI’s head of education, Leah Belsky."
Me: Read Roderic Crooks' Access Is Capture: How EdTech Reproduces Racial Inequality.
Me: Read Roderic Crooks' Access Is Capture: How EdTech Reproduces Racial Inequality.
What a truly horrible idea.
July 10, 2025 at 8:07 PM
What a truly horrible idea.
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
A strong statement of resistance to the relentless marketing of "AI" in education spaces. I encourage all educators to have a look and consider signing on:
openletter.earth/an-open-lett...
openletter.earth/an-open-lett...
An open letter from educators who refuse the call to adopt GenAI in education
openletter.earth
July 10, 2025 at 10:00 AM
A strong statement of resistance to the relentless marketing of "AI" in education spaces. I encourage all educators to have a look and consider signing on:
openletter.earth/an-open-lett...
openletter.earth/an-open-lett...
Over the past two days, I attended the UN Virtual Worlds Day 2025, focused on "the future with AI-powered virtual worlds". Some of the recurrently used words when speaking about the future during the event were: equitable, inclusive, human-centric, resilient, inclusive, civic engagement, safe.
June 12, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Over the past two days, I attended the UN Virtual Worlds Day 2025, focused on "the future with AI-powered virtual worlds". Some of the recurrently used words when speaking about the future during the event were: equitable, inclusive, human-centric, resilient, inclusive, civic engagement, safe.
A while ago @greeneujournal.bsky.social invited me to contribute a short piece to their new edition on the theme of freedom. I wrote about extended reality, emotional manipulation, and emerging forms of disinformation (& what this means for our freedom).
www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/snapshots-gr...
www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/snapshots-gr...
Snapshots: Grief, Extended Reality, Hope
As our emotions are triggered and compromised in a changing world, what are the indications for our freedom?
www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu
June 12, 2025 at 1:22 PM
A while ago @greeneujournal.bsky.social invited me to contribute a short piece to their new edition on the theme of freedom. I wrote about extended reality, emotional manipulation, and emerging forms of disinformation (& what this means for our freedom).
www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/snapshots-gr...
www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/snapshots-gr...
My new article is out in International Journal of Qualitative Methods! I introduce a methodological framework for the qualitative analysis of virtual reality content.
June 12, 2025 at 10:12 AM
My new article is out in International Journal of Qualitative Methods! I introduce a methodological framework for the qualitative analysis of virtual reality content.
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
I'd argue the same is true about teaching: you cannot responsibly teach about AI without teaching about politics and the political projects being pursued by and through AI.
You cannot responsibly write about AI without writing about politics. "AI" is an intensely political project, especially in its current formation, where development is led by tech giants that increasingly depend on the state—for contracts, land rights, and, of course, for deregulation.
May 22, 2025 at 7:21 PM
I'd argue the same is true about teaching: you cannot responsibly teach about AI without teaching about politics and the political projects being pursued by and through AI.
"What if AI had eyes?". XR wearables are becoming the delivery system for AI. This means richer data, more tracking, more granular inference-making about your patterns of attention, interaction, movement. Which means more opportunities for manipulation and control.
Xreal teases Project Aura smart glasses for Android XR
Xreal teases Project Aura smart glasses for Android XR
The smart glasses era is getting a full-on reboot.
buff.ly
May 22, 2025 at 9:33 AM
"What if AI had eyes?". XR wearables are becoming the delivery system for AI. This means richer data, more tracking, more granular inference-making about your patterns of attention, interaction, movement. Which means more opportunities for manipulation and control.
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
Nearly half of British youth would rather be young in a world with no internet. It’s a damning indictment of what social media has become.
As its harms continue to grow, governments need to act — but they must take the right measures instead of reaching for easy fixes.
As its harms continue to grow, governments need to act — but they must take the right measures instead of reaching for easy fixes.
Social media must be reined in
Countries are adopting higher age limits, but they need to tackle addictive design practices that target everyone
www.disconnect.blog
May 21, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Nearly half of British youth would rather be young in a world with no internet. It’s a damning indictment of what social media has become.
As its harms continue to grow, governments need to act — but they must take the right measures instead of reaching for easy fixes.
As its harms continue to grow, governments need to act — but they must take the right measures instead of reaching for easy fixes.
Reposted by Rūta Kazlauskaitė
"Mark Zuckerberg Says Social Media Is Over. During testimony at Meta’s antitrust trial, the Facebook founder’s argument was, in so many words, that platforms like his are not what they used to be." www.newyorker.com/culture/infi...
Mark Zuckerberg Says Social Media Is Over
During testimony at Meta’s antitrust trial, the Facebook founder’s argument was, in so many words, that platforms like his are not what they used to be.
www.newyorker.com
May 14, 2025 at 7:41 PM
"Mark Zuckerberg Says Social Media Is Over. During testimony at Meta’s antitrust trial, the Facebook founder’s argument was, in so many words, that platforms like his are not what they used to be." www.newyorker.com/culture/infi...
Marketed as "memory tools", these AI wearables record all your conversations (also those of people around you), provide transcripts and summaries of your life, lists of notable moments and to-do lists, learn assumptions about you, and analyze your emotions through voice tone and inflection.
The AI wearables are always listening
The AI wearables are always listening
Also on The Vergecast: how to make a keyboard that costs $3,600 and might be worth every penny.
buff.ly
May 8, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Marketed as "memory tools", these AI wearables record all your conversations (also those of people around you), provide transcripts and summaries of your life, lists of notable moments and to-do lists, learn assumptions about you, and analyze your emotions through voice tone and inflection.
Just out! My interview with @tvn24.pl on VR and history education, and the darker potential of this technology: "VR in the Service of Patriotism? The Perfect Technology for Propagandists." VR isn't just about storytelling, it's about storyliving and emotional scripting.
tvn24.pl/.../indoktry....
tvn24.pl/.../indoktry....
tvn24.pl
April 30, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Just out! My interview with @tvn24.pl on VR and history education, and the darker potential of this technology: "VR in the Service of Patriotism? The Perfect Technology for Propagandists." VR isn't just about storytelling, it's about storyliving and emotional scripting.
tvn24.pl/.../indoktry....
tvn24.pl/.../indoktry....