Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
@tharsen.bsky.social
doting father, friend & ally; futbolista, poet, musician. hyperpolyglot computational philologist & sinologist; teaching AI, deep learning + multilingual NLP + HPC @UChicago, developing new methods: agentic AI for the humanities、intertextuality、古聲韻學、古文字學等等
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
What is the tech industry truly afraid of? Is it the AI they have unleashed, as they want us to believe? Or is it…all of us, standing up to them? Thanks to Chris Hayes for having us on.
September 18, 2026 at 2:57 PM
What is the tech industry truly afraid of? Is it the AI they have unleashed, as they want us to believe? Or is it…all of us, standing up to them? Thanks to Chris Hayes for having us on.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
finally had a moment to read this. "why should I waste my time and my sanity debating kooks? In short, because the kooks are now in power, and they are using that power to dismantle the institutions designed to keep the rest of us safe, healthy, and free." www.techpolicy.press/what-policym...
What Policymakers and the Public Need to Know About the Cult of AI
Nathalie Maréchal asks, why are we betting the economy and the future of democracy on cult-like beliefs?
www.techpolicy.press
September 18, 2026 at 9:27 AM
finally had a moment to read this. "why should I waste my time and my sanity debating kooks? In short, because the kooks are now in power, and they are using that power to dismantle the institutions designed to keep the rest of us safe, healthy, and free." www.techpolicy.press/what-policym...
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
They need money, and land for the data centers, and energy. Of course, they want to be partly nationalized. THE. BUBBLE. IS. ABOUT. TO. BURST.
“Karp said the builders of harmful tech should be held liable for their actions”
Good. Do we start with Palantir?
www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/09/...
Good. Do we start with Palantir?
www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/09/...
Leading AI labs may need to be nationalized because risks are so high, Palantir's Karp tells CNBC
Palantir CEO Alex Karp called for "reasonable guidelines" on artificial intelligence regulation as tech and policy leaders deliberate over the technology.
www.cnbc.com
September 18, 2026 at 5:24 AM
They need money, and land for the data centers, and energy. Of course, they want to be partly nationalized. THE. BUBBLE. IS. ABOUT. TO. BURST.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
I'll to come right out and say it: statistical extrapolation is *fine*. One of the most useful ways to understand the present and anticipate the future is measuring the things that happened in the past, find the correlations among them, and extrapolate likely future outcomes from those correlations.
September 18, 2026 at 7:54 AM
I'll to come right out and say it: statistical extrapolation is *fine*. One of the most useful ways to understand the present and anticipate the future is measuring the things that happened in the past, find the correlations among them, and extrapolate likely future outcomes from those correlations.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
We were supposed to be in session all of September.
We worked 2.5 days.
Now Johnson is sending us home. Why? He’s terrified of votes on Hegseth impeachment articles and another Epstein discharge petition.
Meanwhile, Trump is only focused on destroying the Kennedy Center and ranting like a maniac.
We worked 2.5 days.
Now Johnson is sending us home. Why? He’s terrified of votes on Hegseth impeachment articles and another Epstein discharge petition.
Meanwhile, Trump is only focused on destroying the Kennedy Center and ranting like a maniac.
September 17, 2026 at 3:33 PM
We were supposed to be in session all of September.
We worked 2.5 days.
Now Johnson is sending us home. Why? He’s terrified of votes on Hegseth impeachment articles and another Epstein discharge petition.
Meanwhile, Trump is only focused on destroying the Kennedy Center and ranting like a maniac.
We worked 2.5 days.
Now Johnson is sending us home. Why? He’s terrified of votes on Hegseth impeachment articles and another Epstein discharge petition.
Meanwhile, Trump is only focused on destroying the Kennedy Center and ranting like a maniac.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
The authors of this study do not deserve the vitriol they're getting. If lots of people interact with tech in a certain way, that's behavior worth studying. That's how scholarship works. If you don't like the behavior that's okay.
Some historians study Nazis. That's important work! Jeez.
Some historians study Nazis. That's important work! Jeez.
WIRED featured our study on a phenomenon happening alongside the mainstream AI publishing controversies: Some people are using AI to write their own stories.
You may not like it, but it's happening, and it's interesting.
Shout out to co-authors @neel2112.bsky.social & @mariaa.bsky.social.
You may not like it, but it's happening, and it's interesting.
Shout out to co-authors @neel2112.bsky.social & @mariaa.bsky.social.
September 17, 2026 at 12:31 PM
The authors of this study do not deserve the vitriol they're getting. If lots of people interact with tech in a certain way, that's behavior worth studying. That's how scholarship works. If you don't like the behavior that's okay.
Some historians study Nazis. That's important work! Jeez.
Some historians study Nazis. That's important work! Jeez.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
More than any higher ed development in recent memory, institutional subsidies for AI at R1 universities prove that austerity is a choice. It is not “too expensive” to invest in a humanities research infrastructure; rather, it is a choice that R1 universities make not to & subsidize AI instead.
The amount of money I saw one department paying for several AI services in a school year could cover the University’s pay one price textbook costs for nearly their entire enrolled student body in said department
Colleges could subsidize books for students rather than paying for premium versions of ChatGPT
September 16, 2026 at 9:54 PM
More than any higher ed development in recent memory, institutional subsidies for AI at R1 universities prove that austerity is a choice. It is not “too expensive” to invest in a humanities research infrastructure; rather, it is a choice that R1 universities make not to & subsidize AI instead.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
Another blog post: separatedhyperplane.substack.com/p/we-cant-le...
We can't let frontier labs choose their own auditors - or their own questions.
Triangulating between the near-past lens of algorithmic accountability, the financial crisis, and the AI evaluation landscape as it looks now:
We can't let frontier labs choose their own auditors - or their own questions.
Triangulating between the near-past lens of algorithmic accountability, the financial crisis, and the AI evaluation landscape as it looks now:
We can’t let frontier labs choose their own auditors - or their own questions.
We should start with mandatory audits that adequately cover harms under current laws and regulations while we figure out the rest.
separatedhyperplane.substack.com
September 16, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Another blog post: separatedhyperplane.substack.com/p/we-cant-le...
We can't let frontier labs choose their own auditors - or their own questions.
Triangulating between the near-past lens of algorithmic accountability, the financial crisis, and the AI evaluation landscape as it looks now:
We can't let frontier labs choose their own auditors - or their own questions.
Triangulating between the near-past lens of algorithmic accountability, the financial crisis, and the AI evaluation landscape as it looks now:
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
Insane. The most corrupt president in American history, with no close 2nd. 🏆 🇺🇸
September 16, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Insane. The most corrupt president in American history, with no close 2nd. 🏆 🇺🇸
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
Amanda is doing reporting that almost nobody else is, as a freelancer without the support of a big publication behind her. Read her stuff
“The worst place ever I’ve been in my life," Sakariye Abdi Mohamed, a Somali asylum seeker, told me over the phone from Guantanamo Bay last week.
Sakariye is one of 7 or 8 Somalis who are being held at Gitmo. They say guards tell them the order to keep Somalis at the facility comes from DC.
Sakariye is one of 7 or 8 Somalis who are being held at Gitmo. They say guards tell them the order to keep Somalis at the facility comes from DC.
The Trump administration is imprisoning Somali immigrants in Gitmo
“Nobody tell us that we’re going to Guantanamo Bay.”
www.motherjones.com
September 16, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Amanda is doing reporting that almost nobody else is, as a freelancer without the support of a big publication behind her. Read her stuff
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
Cool new large grant opportunity from MacArthur Foundation on community-led AI, with one target area in the humanities + arts. Significant funding for projects that are trying to have real impact on human-centered and community centered AI development and use. humanityai.ai/open-call/?u...
Open Call for Proposals - Humanity AI
Open Call for Proposals: Communities Leading on AI $10M Investment in U.S.-Based Community-Led AI Initiatives Humanity AI, an initiative spearheaded […]
humanityai.ai
September 11, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Cool new large grant opportunity from MacArthur Foundation on community-led AI, with one target area in the humanities + arts. Significant funding for projects that are trying to have real impact on human-centered and community centered AI development and use. humanityai.ai/open-call/?u...
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
As @melissaterras just called for more manifestos from the #dh community addressing the polycrisis during her wonderful, invigorating keynote at #eadh2026, let me once again advertise our nascent endeavour to push for more equity in technical infrastructures in supporting all human writing […]
Original post on digitalcourage.social
digitalcourage.social
September 16, 2026 at 2:54 PM
As @melissaterras just called for more manifestos from the #dh community addressing the polycrisis during her wonderful, invigorating keynote at #eadh2026, let me once again advertise our nascent endeavour to push for more equity in technical infrastructures in supporting all human writing […]
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
NEW: Hackers ripped down a Flock camera above a roadway, made a near-complete copy of the data stored inside it, and shared the files with 404 Media and @wired.com, revealing in new detail how exactly Flock Safety’s cameras track the movements of both vehicles and people.
Hackers Stole Flock’s Camera Software, Revealing How the Company Tracks Cars and People
While people around the U.S. are tearing down Flock cameras, one group of hackers went a step further: extracting the camera's software too.
www.404media.co
September 16, 2026 at 11:46 AM
NEW: Hackers ripped down a Flock camera above a roadway, made a near-complete copy of the data stored inside it, and shared the files with 404 Media and @wired.com, revealing in new detail how exactly Flock Safety’s cameras track the movements of both vehicles and people.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
BOOK LAUNCH for 'Embedded Pedagogies: Digital Humanities Teaching and the Infrastructure of Change'
Join this free online event on Mon 5 Oct at 1-2pm ET to hear author Brandon Walsh discuss the book in conversation w/ Scholars' Lab alumnus Winnie Pérez Martínez:
cal.lib.virginia.edu/event/17640296
Join this free online event on Mon 5 Oct at 1-2pm ET to hear author Brandon Walsh discuss the book in conversation w/ Scholars' Lab alumnus Winnie Pérez Martínez:
cal.lib.virginia.edu/event/17640296
September 16, 2026 at 2:41 PM
BOOK LAUNCH for 'Embedded Pedagogies: Digital Humanities Teaching and the Infrastructure of Change'
Join this free online event on Mon 5 Oct at 1-2pm ET to hear author Brandon Walsh discuss the book in conversation w/ Scholars' Lab alumnus Winnie Pérez Martínez:
cal.lib.virginia.edu/event/17640296
Join this free online event on Mon 5 Oct at 1-2pm ET to hear author Brandon Walsh discuss the book in conversation w/ Scholars' Lab alumnus Winnie Pérez Martínez:
cal.lib.virginia.edu/event/17640296
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
On Democracy Now!, I floated a new theory: AI companies really have unleashed a killer monster that has slipped their control. But plot twist - the monster is human. And it's the President of the United States.
@astra.bsky.social
@democracynow.org
@astra.bsky.social
@democracynow.org
September 16, 2026 at 4:06 PM
On Democracy Now!, I floated a new theory: AI companies really have unleashed a killer monster that has slipped their control. But plot twist - the monster is human. And it's the President of the United States.
@astra.bsky.social
@democracynow.org
@astra.bsky.social
@democracynow.org
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
Great profile of the leading AI detector, Pangram, and the people behind it—including a former English major who wrote a thesis on Ishiguro (me too).
Fascinating snapshot of our cultural moment with AI, and a sober reflection on the future of the internet, teaching, and human communication.
Fascinating snapshot of our cultural moment with AI, and a sober reflection on the future of the internet, teaching, and human communication.
I profiled the startup behind Pangram, the AI detector everyone’s talking about. It works really, really well. I wanted to understand how they did it. and also: why people still don’t trust them. (also, news: Penguin Random House is using it.) gift link! ✨
The World’s Most Reliable AI Detector Has a Human Problem
Armed with a near-perfect detection tool, Pangram is fighting to convince the public AI cheating can be caught.
www.bloomberg.com
September 16, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Great profile of the leading AI detector, Pangram, and the people behind it—including a former English major who wrote a thesis on Ishiguro (me too).
Fascinating snapshot of our cultural moment with AI, and a sober reflection on the future of the internet, teaching, and human communication.
Fascinating snapshot of our cultural moment with AI, and a sober reflection on the future of the internet, teaching, and human communication.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
Good news everyone: AI is *not* going to kill us all!
But don't take my word for it -- I talked to (real) experts, and dug deep into the logic of an "AI apocalypse" and found it wanting.
That doesn't mean AI companies are off the hook, though.
(gift link)
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-a...
But don't take my word for it -- I talked to (real) experts, and dug deep into the logic of an "AI apocalypse" and found it wanting.
That doesn't mean AI companies are off the hook, though.
(gift link)
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-a...
Forget the AI Apocalypse—the Real Threats Are Already Here
Airplanes, elevators and restaurants all have regulations to ensure their safe operation. Many experts argue for similar conventional measures for AI.
www.wsj.com
September 16, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Good news everyone: AI is *not* going to kill us all!
But don't take my word for it -- I talked to (real) experts, and dug deep into the logic of an "AI apocalypse" and found it wanting.
That doesn't mean AI companies are off the hook, though.
(gift link)
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-a...
But don't take my word for it -- I talked to (real) experts, and dug deep into the logic of an "AI apocalypse" and found it wanting.
That doesn't mean AI companies are off the hook, though.
(gift link)
www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-a...
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
KAEPERNICK: The part that I hope people take away in this moment is what Robert Kraft and what they’re saying by denying Macklemore is they are openly colluding.
They also want people to know that if you take an action that they don’t agree with, they will come for you.
They also want people to know that if you take an action that they don’t agree with, they will come for you.
September 16, 2026 at 4:25 PM
KAEPERNICK: The part that I hope people take away in this moment is what Robert Kraft and what they’re saying by denying Macklemore is they are openly colluding.
They also want people to know that if you take an action that they don’t agree with, they will come for you.
They also want people to know that if you take an action that they don’t agree with, they will come for you.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
BREAKING: Boston University's English department (my dept) recently voted to approve new learning outcomes for the English major, including an anti-AI provision that requires students to
“craft and revise writing that is sustained, original, and generated without the assistance of AI."
“craft and revise writing that is sustained, original, and generated without the assistance of AI."
New Learning Outcomes Announced | English
www.bu.edu
September 16, 2026 at 3:04 PM
BREAKING: Boston University's English department (my dept) recently voted to approve new learning outcomes for the English major, including an anti-AI provision that requires students to
“craft and revise writing that is sustained, original, and generated without the assistance of AI."
“craft and revise writing that is sustained, original, and generated without the assistance of AI."
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
Today is the day! A journey that Astra and I started as an essay in The Guardian is now officially out in the world. End Times Fascism – And the Fight for the Living World is in bookstores now. If you are inclined, please buy one from an indie bookseller or borrow it from your local library.
September 15, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Today is the day! A journey that Astra and I started as an essay in The Guardian is now officially out in the world. End Times Fascism – And the Fight for the Living World is in bookstores now. If you are inclined, please buy one from an indie bookseller or borrow it from your local library.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
"When a bridge collapses, you don’t analyze whether the bridge was ethical or sentient or why it decided to collapse. You ask, who is the person who built this bridge to be so flimsy?"
Excellent from @timnitgebru.blacksky.app
www.wired.com/story/one-of...
Excellent from @timnitgebru.blacksky.app
www.wired.com/story/one-of...
One of AI’s Fiercest Critics Says All the Doom Talk Is ‘Meant to Distract Us’
Timnit Gebru argues that AI companies are stoking fears of extinction to avoid discussing actual harms, like autonomous weapons.
www.wired.com
September 14, 2026 at 9:16 PM
"When a bridge collapses, you don’t analyze whether the bridge was ethical or sentient or why it decided to collapse. You ask, who is the person who built this bridge to be so flimsy?"
Excellent from @timnitgebru.blacksky.app
www.wired.com/story/one-of...
Excellent from @timnitgebru.blacksky.app
www.wired.com/story/one-of...
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
Mathematicians out here saying it is not the proof that matters, but the human understanding of the proof.
We are all humanists now.
We are all humanists now.
September 14, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Mathematicians out here saying it is not the proof that matters, but the human understanding of the proof.
We are all humanists now.
We are all humanists now.
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
DeepMind researchers created a swarm of a hundred autonomous AI agents to solve a series of complex maths problems.
When one of the agents discovered an exploit that allowed it to cheat, others started copying it. Then something really strange happened.
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/14/1...
When one of the agents discovered an exploit that allowed it to cheat, others started copying it. Then something really strange happened.
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/14/1...
AI agents blew the whistle on their cheating colleagues
Swarms of AI agents could supercharge scientific progress or wreak havoc. New research from Google DeepMind suggests that peer pressure could keep them in line.
www.technologyreview.com
September 14, 2026 at 4:35 PM
DeepMind researchers created a swarm of a hundred autonomous AI agents to solve a series of complex maths problems.
When one of the agents discovered an exploit that allowed it to cheat, others started copying it. Then something really strange happened.
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/14/1...
When one of the agents discovered an exploit that allowed it to cheat, others started copying it. Then something really strange happened.
www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/14/1...
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
We're hiring in Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder! ☀️⛰️ Machine learning and NLP people, please apply!
Come join us in Boulder! Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.
jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta...
Tenure-Track Faculty in Artificial Intelligence
jobs.colorado.edu
September 14, 2026 at 4:42 PM
We're hiring in Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder! ☀️⛰️ Machine learning and NLP people, please apply!
Reposted by Jeff Tharsen 康森傑
September 14, 2026 at 11:49 AM