Say Yes - Do No

A site for AI resistance tactics, reclaiming agency and organising for better technology.

“They all say ‘yes’, but they do ‘no’. That has to be it. There’s no other way to explain these figures. If they would do ‘yes’, the figures would have improved by now. [sigh] It would be easier if they would just say ‘no’. Then you could have a conversation about it [staring blankly].” 

(Ybema & Horvers, 2017)

(Almost) Monday Resistance Update #4

A short update today as I put out the last one on Thursday. Again, I'm running late, but things have certainly gotten busy recently. Normal schedule is slowly resuming, Tuesday is almost Monday after all... -- Article - Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s...
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(Not Quite) Monday Resistance Update #3

Having been off for the last week or so on my holiday's I've missed a couple of these so figured a Thursday catch-up would be good. Will be back on schedule next week. -- Event - Low-Tech, Luddism and Liberation: reclaiming technology for the collective good (Latvia) First off an excellent looking, week long summer...
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Quick Thought: Faux-LLMs and the Austerity Gap

A recurring theme in looking at people's negative experiences with LLMs (self-defined 'addiction', self-loathing, heightened social isolation etc.) is the predominance of vulnerable people. Mental health issues, uncertainties about gender and sexuality, victimisation, past traumas... It's only anecdotal (quick, someone...
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Anti-AI Anthology Submission Guidelines

Anti-AI Anthology This upcoming collection of prose, poetry and visual art is intended to present new narratives and experiences which challenge both the inevitability and the value of Artificial Intelligence as we’re currently (and potentially) seeing it mobilised. Unrepentantly anti-AI - we’re looking to represent...
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Monday Resistance Update #2

A roundup of some resistance relevant things I've noticed through the week, a long way from comprehensive. Articles, papers, podcasts, news etc. If anything comes up that you think should be added just get in touch. -- Article - UK Government Backs Down on Opt-Out Nonsense A victory that should never have had to be won,...
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Anti-AI Anthology Mailing List

Previous post has been superseded by this... Anti-AI Anthology This upcoming collection of prose, poetry and visual art is intended to present new narratives and experiences which challenge both the inevitability and the value of Artificial Intelligence as we’re currently (and potentially) seeing it mobilised....
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Monday Resistance Update

Going to try to make this a habit, just sharing things I've discovered through the week. Articles, papers, podcasts, news etc. If anything comes up that you think should be added just get in touch. -- Article - ‘I wish I could push ChatGPT off a cliff’: professors scramble to save critical thinking in an age of AI A...
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Power Tools of AI Zine - Issue 2

Just a quick heads up about the new edition of the Power Tools of AI Zine that's just been released. Edited by the excellent Bart Fish you can find it over here. Digital copy is free but if you've got a couple of quid spare I definitely recommend the hard copy - it comes with stickers and who doesn't like those? As an...
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Pull the Plug/Pause AI Protest in London Thoughts

Originally just a LinkedIn post but copied here for the curious... I attended the 'Pull the Plug' march earlier. aligned with Pause AI it was a mini march to chant and hear speeches outside of London's tech offices.It was an interesting one. A few hundred people out for it, wide range of positions I suspect, but the...
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Bits of Resistance

Just a couple of bits that I've caught recently around tech resistance... Nearby Glasses A new app that uses Bluetooth identifiers to detect Meta glasses and the like in your immediate vicinity. How effective it is I can't say but the intent is definitely positive. How you react if you do detect Meta glasses being used...
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Summer School - Critical AI Literacies for Resisting and Reclaiming

Not necessarily one everyone will be able to access given the cost and location but definitely an interesting project and one I'd love to see replicated elsewhere. This summer school is organised by some great people, Iris van Rooij is someone I cite in my own work and I've had some contact with Olivia Guest through the...
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Shame, Shame, Shame... AI & Shame as Resistance Tactic

"Well it's easy to mock... fun too..." Click on pretty much any social media post about AI and the two things you're almost guaranteed to find are a: someone making as completely unsubstantiated claim about productivity, creativity or AGI and b: someone making fun of them for it. Where there's AI hype, there's AI...
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Reconsidering Our Tech

I think there are some interesting debates to be had around tech withdrawal. Recently, at a conference, I heard some people speak about their semi-movement to abandon smart phones completely as a reclamation of some idea of agency or intent. It wasn't an idea I thought much of to be honest, making the phones themselves...
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Sound of Silence (AI Relationships)

First published over at DylanOrchard.com -- LLM as therapist, LLM as friend, LLM as lover, LLM as ghostly re-animations of friends and family - we’ve seen a growing trend of the artificial imitating the organic - superseding it even in the eyes of some. It is there. That’s what it offers. It is always on, always...
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Reading List

Just came across this extensive reading list curated by Dagmar Monett - arch AI critic amongst other things. I haven't read all of them but looking at those I have it definitely looks like something worth exploring. Also makes me wonder what AI critical book would stand out as the thing to recommend to someone just...
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