Sarah Gilbert
@sarahagilbert.bsky.social
Research Director, Citizens and Technology Lab, Cornell University, r/AskHistorians moderator
I study how to make the internet freer and safer— and how to help the helpers on the ground making that possible. She/her
https://citizensandtech.org/
I study how to make the internet freer and safer— and how to help the helpers on the ground making that possible. She/her
https://citizensandtech.org/
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
As part of his broader push to make Canada less dependent on U.S. infrastructure & attract large-scale investment, today Mark Carney announced Ottawa support for a nationwide "sovereign internet" or a "sovereign broadband backbone."
But what exactly does he mean by a sovereign internet?
But what exactly does he mean by a sovereign internet?
September 16, 2026 at 1:42 AM
As part of his broader push to make Canada less dependent on U.S. infrastructure & attract large-scale investment, today Mark Carney announced Ottawa support for a nationwide "sovereign internet" or a "sovereign broadband backbone."
But what exactly does he mean by a sovereign internet?
But what exactly does he mean by a sovereign internet?
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Since everything is Gamergate, here's a new preprint led by @cuboulder.info PhD candidate @senditfor.science analyzing the structure, content, and dynamics of an online harassment community over more than a decade arxiv.org/abs/2609.05754
The collective dynamics of online harassment
Fringe online message boards are often studied in the context of the extreme ideology that they produce. So far, however, not much of this research has focused on direct real-world harm in the all-too...
arxiv.org
September 11, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Since everything is Gamergate, here's a new preprint led by @cuboulder.info PhD candidate @senditfor.science analyzing the structure, content, and dynamics of an online harassment community over more than a decade arxiv.org/abs/2609.05754
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Rough Draft vs Final Draft
September 3, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Rough Draft vs Final Draft
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Who would like to guess why UK, US and European media outlets are not publishing 3,000 articles per minute about this
www.dukechronicle.com/article/duke...
www.dukechronicle.com/article/duke...
‘Insane data’: Duke professor Dan Ariely accused of additional research fraud
New evidence released Monday shows that Dan Ariely, professor of business administration in the Fuqua School of Business, likely tampered with or fabricated data in an influential research paper from ...
www.dukechronicle.com
September 2, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Who would like to guess why UK, US and European media outlets are not publishing 3,000 articles per minute about this
www.dukechronicle.com/article/duke...
www.dukechronicle.com/article/duke...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
For the Toronto Star, I wrote about the trade war, digital sovereignty, and Lake Ontario.
We are already dominated by American tech giants.
If Canada fights this trade war and we don't renegotiate the terms of digital trade, we will lose.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
We are already dominated by American tech giants.
If Canada fights this trade war and we don't renegotiate the terms of digital trade, we will lose.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Google changing Lake Ontario to Lake America isn’t just frustrating. It points to a deeper problem for Mark Carney
Canada’s digital infrastructure is too tied to companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon.
www.thestar.com
September 1, 2026 at 11:49 AM
For the Toronto Star, I wrote about the trade war, digital sovereignty, and Lake Ontario.
We are already dominated by American tech giants.
If Canada fights this trade war and we don't renegotiate the terms of digital trade, we will lose.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
We are already dominated by American tech giants.
If Canada fights this trade war and we don't renegotiate the terms of digital trade, we will lose.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Nathan is talking about something important here - a lot of folks in positions like mine are going to have to hope/pray that the fact that it's not safe for some of us to travel, that some research has been functionally banned from funding, is understood when it comes to if we get to keep our jobs.
In the post I tell the story of a scholar who avoided risks at the border by declining to travel, despite being in a computing field that counts and rewards people for conference presentations.
Under those circumstances, when we review people's CVs, we become unwitting accomplices to censorship.
Under those circumstances, when we review people's CVs, we become unwitting accomplices to censorship.
August 18, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Nathan is talking about something important here - a lot of folks in positions like mine are going to have to hope/pray that the fact that it's not safe for some of us to travel, that some research has been functionally banned from funding, is understood when it comes to if we get to keep our jobs.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Hey, guys, when the librarians get pissed about the destruction of books, it’s time to put those listening ears on.
Because we are very comfortable with the idea that books are tools that can be retired. What’s happening right now is not that.
Because we are very comfortable with the idea that books are tools that can be retired. What’s happening right now is not that.
August 17, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Hey, guys, when the librarians get pissed about the destruction of books, it’s time to put those listening ears on.
Because we are very comfortable with the idea that books are tools that can be retired. What’s happening right now is not that.
Because we are very comfortable with the idea that books are tools that can be retired. What’s happening right now is not that.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Ryan: “The isolation is the point. A tried and true strategy of the MAGA Right is to make their targets toxic so that allies back off and don’t stand in solidarity with MAGA’s enemy of the moment.”
New from me: The Trump Regime keeps coming for SPLC. Their latest indictment is chock-full of salacious details designed to isolate Heidi Beirich from Civil Society. But since they couldn't even get her job title correct, I don't buy it. www.altrightdelete.news/p/revenge-of...
Revenge of the White Supremacists
In solidarity with Heidi Beirich
www.altrightdelete.news
August 17, 2026 at 6:39 AM
Ryan: “The isolation is the point. A tried and true strategy of the MAGA Right is to make their targets toxic so that allies back off and don’t stand in solidarity with MAGA’s enemy of the moment.”
#CSCW2026 attendees we are organizing a workshop on public scholarship, where we'll talk the importance (and risks) of public scholarship in 2026. The application is a short form. More info on our website: sites.google.com/cornell.edu/...
CSCW Public Scholarship 2026
🎶 Wake up in the morning gotta check that feed
Like that study, share that blog, we gotta get up to speed
Before we leave, post a vid critiquing the AI stack
‘Cause CSCW researchers, we aint holding ...
sites.google.com
August 13, 2026 at 1:38 PM
#CSCW2026 attendees we are organizing a workshop on public scholarship, where we'll talk the importance (and risks) of public scholarship in 2026. The application is a short form. More info on our website: sites.google.com/cornell.edu/...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
When people seek guidance from science, they expect it to work more than once.
I have TWO new articles on commercial forces & proprietary models that make science less reliable, with pointers to communities and ideas that might help. This post offers a summary:
citizensandtech.org/2026/07/comm...
I have TWO new articles on commercial forces & proprietary models that make science less reliable, with pointers to communities and ideas that might help. This post offers a summary:
citizensandtech.org/2026/07/comm...
New Studies: How Commercial Forces Make Science Less Reliable
Computational social science has been distorted by commercial forces, and AI is making it worse.
citizensandtech.org
July 29, 2026 at 10:54 AM
When people seek guidance from science, they expect it to work more than once.
I have TWO new articles on commercial forces & proprietary models that make science less reliable, with pointers to communities and ideas that might help. This post offers a summary:
citizensandtech.org/2026/07/comm...
I have TWO new articles on commercial forces & proprietary models that make science less reliable, with pointers to communities and ideas that might help. This post offers a summary:
citizensandtech.org/2026/07/comm...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Someone in DC set up a “little free blockbuster” with DVDs inside instead of books lol
July 22, 2026 at 1:37 PM
Someone in DC set up a “little free blockbuster” with DVDs inside instead of books lol
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
I wrote about what's happening to the web now that everything is A.I. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/t...
How Google’s A.I. Search Is Imperiling the Open Web (Gift Article)
As Google incorporates more artificial intelligence into search, people are spending more time on Google. Some website operators are crying foul.
www.nytimes.com
July 21, 2026 at 2:46 PM
I wrote about what's happening to the web now that everything is A.I. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/t...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
A common Q I get on social media is: how do I get into tech/AI ethics as a field/for a job?
I would love some help with this! What is some helpful advice here that (a) is not about academia or even research really; and (b) doesn't involve getting a PhD?
I would love some help with this! What is some helpful advice here that (a) is not about academia or even research really; and (b) doesn't involve getting a PhD?
July 22, 2026 at 11:50 AM
A common Q I get on social media is: how do I get into tech/AI ethics as a field/for a job?
I would love some help with this! What is some helpful advice here that (a) is not about academia or even research really; and (b) doesn't involve getting a PhD?
I would love some help with this! What is some helpful advice here that (a) is not about academia or even research really; and (b) doesn't involve getting a PhD?
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
This is the weirdest request for input that I've seen in a while. It's almost like the ACM is sitting at the table with the "change my mind" sign.
So, let's do it.
Short thread with the input I gave them:
So, let's do it.
Short thread with the input I gave them:
If you would like to share your thoughts, please use this link (buff.ly/fnANR1x). ACM leadership will take your feedback into account while we develop and implement our AI content strategy over the coming months.
Now is the Time to Give LLMS Access to the ACM Digital Library Why ACM Believes the benefits outweigh the risks in opening up the ACM Digital Library to large language models
ACM welcomes your feedback! All responses will be read and considered by ACM.
docs.google.com
July 17, 2026 at 12:25 PM
This is the weirdest request for input that I've seen in a while. It's almost like the ACM is sitting at the table with the "change my mind" sign.
So, let's do it.
Short thread with the input I gave them:
So, let's do it.
Short thread with the input I gave them:
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
If you're attending the CSCW conference this Fall in Salt Lake City: I am co-organizing a workshop on public scholarship! The application process is very lightweight (just a form, no papers required). Please share with folks interested in this topic! Deadline 8/15. sites.google.com/cornell.edu/...
CSCW Public Scholarship 2026
🎶 Wake up in the morning gotta check that feed
Like that study, share that blog, we gotta get up to speed
Before we leave, post a vid critiquing the AI stack
‘Cause CSCW researchers, we aint holding ...
sites.google.com
July 16, 2026 at 2:21 PM
If you're attending the CSCW conference this Fall in Salt Lake City: I am co-organizing a workshop on public scholarship! The application process is very lightweight (just a form, no papers required). Please share with folks interested in this topic! Deadline 8/15. sites.google.com/cornell.edu/...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Losing Google Search is not the loss of a public good - it’s the loss of a rent seeking extractor that enclosed our information & sold the story that it was providing a public good.
But rebooting real public goods Google ate will not be easy.
But rebooting real public goods Google ate will not be easy.
July 9, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Losing Google Search is not the loss of a public good - it’s the loss of a rent seeking extractor that enclosed our information & sold the story that it was providing a public good.
But rebooting real public goods Google ate will not be easy.
But rebooting real public goods Google ate will not be easy.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Fabulous line up for an AMA today on @askhistorians.bsky.social! Drs. Robert Bland, Sharron Wilkins Conrad, and Karen Cox! They study the histories of race, racism, and political activism in the US following the Civil War and through the Civil Rights Movement.
old.reddit.com/r/AskHistori...
old.reddit.com/r/AskHistori...
We are historians whose work studies race, rights, and justice in American democracy, Ask Us Anything about Confederate Monuments, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights Movement & more!
This week the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence claiming that "all men are created equal," but the...
old.reddit.com
July 1, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Fabulous line up for an AMA today on @askhistorians.bsky.social! Drs. Robert Bland, Sharron Wilkins Conrad, and Karen Cox! They study the histories of race, racism, and political activism in the US following the Civil War and through the Civil Rights Movement.
old.reddit.com/r/AskHistori...
old.reddit.com/r/AskHistori...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Okay, it's time for a Moist Owlette™ timeline cleanse.
Today's moist owlette is "Owlfredo" at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts.
She's an Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) & Animal Ambassador with a big personality.
(📷: @zoonewengland.bsky.social via IG)
Today's moist owlette is "Owlfredo" at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts.
She's an Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) & Animal Ambassador with a big personality.
(📷: @zoonewengland.bsky.social via IG)
June 19, 2026 at 12:48 AM
Okay, it's time for a Moist Owlette™ timeline cleanse.
Today's moist owlette is "Owlfredo" at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts.
She's an Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) & Animal Ambassador with a big personality.
(📷: @zoonewengland.bsky.social via IG)
Today's moist owlette is "Owlfredo" at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts.
She's an Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) & Animal Ambassador with a big personality.
(📷: @zoonewengland.bsky.social via IG)
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.
(I’m pretty sure James Boyle made us memorize this in his Intro IP class.)
Who steals the goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.
(I’m pretty sure James Boyle made us memorize this in his Intro IP class.)
Governing AI for the Cultural Commons: Beyond Intellectual Property | IT for Change
The current AI innovation paradigm is driven by large-scale extraction and (mis)appropriation of creative and cultural resources into proprietary AI systems. As AI systems increasingly mediate cultura...
itforchange.net
June 10, 2026 at 2:29 PM
The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.
(I’m pretty sure James Boyle made us memorize this in his Intro IP class.)
Who steals the goose from off the common,
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.
(I’m pretty sure James Boyle made us memorize this in his Intro IP class.)
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
Ever wonder how Wall St. got so powerful? Why your urban rent is so expensive? Or why so many young professionals are obsessed with fitness?
Come find out on my Reddit AMA on r/AskHistorians--I'll be there talking YUPPIES all morning.
Come find out on my Reddit AMA on r/AskHistorians--I'll be there talking YUPPIES all morning.
June 2, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Ever wonder how Wall St. got so powerful? Why your urban rent is so expensive? Or why so many young professionals are obsessed with fitness?
Come find out on my Reddit AMA on r/AskHistorians--I'll be there talking YUPPIES all morning.
Come find out on my Reddit AMA on r/AskHistorians--I'll be there talking YUPPIES all morning.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
ArXiv is going to ban researchers for a year if they are caught submitting AI slop. ArXiv told us it's a one strike rule: do it once, you're out.
www.404media.co/new-arxiv-ru...
www.404media.co/new-arxiv-ru...
ArXiv to Ban Researchers for a Year if They Submit AI Slop
The change comes as arXiv and others struggle to manage an influx of AI-generated materials masquerading as rigorous science.
www.404media.co
May 15, 2026 at 4:06 PM
ArXiv is going to ban researchers for a year if they are caught submitting AI slop. ArXiv told us it's a one strike rule: do it once, you're out.
www.404media.co/new-arxiv-ru...
www.404media.co/new-arxiv-ru...
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
This is a problematic take.
1. This author draws on personal LLM experiences, such as tutoring as a PhD holder. Actual studies that show mixed results for LLMs as tutors in, say, CS education, including cognitive offloading and students not building relationships with other people.
1. This author draws on personal LLM experiences, such as tutoring as a PhD holder. Actual studies that show mixed results for LLMs as tutors in, say, CS education, including cognitive offloading and students not building relationships with other people.
"AI data center" moratoriums are not the way.
They risk pushing burdens to places with less regulation, and driving up the price of compute, which will worsen inequality.
jacobin.com/2026/04/ai-d...
They risk pushing burdens to places with less regulation, and driving up the price of compute, which will worsen inequality.
jacobin.com/2026/04/ai-d...
Democratic Governance of AI Is the Real Solution
The potential for catastrophic effects from the AI boom demands robust deliberation and real democratic governance. Localized initiatives like data center moratoria won't get us there.
jacobin.com
April 30, 2026 at 4:42 PM
This is a problematic take.
1. This author draws on personal LLM experiences, such as tutoring as a PhD holder. Actual studies that show mixed results for LLMs as tutors in, say, CS education, including cognitive offloading and students not building relationships with other people.
1. This author draws on personal LLM experiences, such as tutoring as a PhD holder. Actual studies that show mixed results for LLMs as tutors in, say, CS education, including cognitive offloading and students not building relationships with other people.
Reposted by Sarah Gilbert
I wrote about RightsCon's cancellation after Zambia's government announced it would postpone the event to sort out its concerns over "thematic issues." With thousands about to depart (or already en route) to Lusaka, it's a huge blow to the digital and human rights field.
RightsCon Canceled After Zambia Requires ‘Full Alignment’ With 'National Values'
Organizers canceled the event just days before thousands were set to descend on Lusaka to discuss issues at the intersection of technology and human rights.
www.techpolicy.press
April 30, 2026 at 1:38 AM
I wrote about RightsCon's cancellation after Zambia's government announced it would postpone the event to sort out its concerns over "thematic issues." With thousands about to depart (or already en route) to Lusaka, it's a huge blow to the digital and human rights field.