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andyperfors.bsky.social
Prof at UniMelb. I'm a computational cognitive scientist studying human inference, learning, information systems, culture, and (mis/dis)info. Nerd & opinionated loudmouth in Oz, originally from America, citizen of both. Parent of two. 🏳️‍⚧️ perfors.net
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Posts 23 Comments 27

Of all the things that surprise me about the rush of institutions to embrace AI, this one surprises me most. AI is not currently profitable and the only route from here is either for these companies to fold or to ratchet up prices a lot. When I've pointed this out, the reaction is usually shock.

submitted 4 hours ago • 5 comments

This has to be one of the most obliviously disastrous policy proposals since the Iraq War. It’s almost guaranteeing that crypto causes a financial crisis and then taxpayers bail out crypto companies. Crypto is just an elaborate scam—and this is its ultimate heist.

submitted 13 hours ago • 28 comments

Enough with the fucking “this is a distraction” bullshit. That’s your cowardice speaking. It is incredibly easy to say “These people are exactly the same as the messiest disasters you personally know, and would you want those people in charge of your daily budget? Your house? Your healthcare?”

submitted 14 hours ago • 72 comments

And it's @drewmagary.bsky.social from the top rope: www.sfgate.com/politics/art...

submitted 12 hours ago • 171 comments

🚨 Big milestone for Rdatasets 🚨 The web archive now hosts 3400+ free and documented CSV datasets. Fantastic for teaching and testing! And {Rdatasets} is a new #RStats 📦 for easy download and search Web archive: vincentarelbundock.github.io/Rdatasets R 📦: vincentarelbundock.github.io/Rdatasetspkg

submitted 10 hours ago • 2 comments

The same way a lot of people didn't realize how big the QAnon problem was until those fuckers literally stormed the capital, I fear we're a year or two away from a shocking discovery of just how many "seemingly normal" people have lost their minds "talking" with ChatGPT.

submitted 9 hours ago • 33 comments

How do humans understand novel sentence meanings? A new dataset (STS3k) from UniMelb & Hitotsubashi researchers tests compositionality in language models. Findings: hybrids of syntax + vectors better match human judgments than top transformers.🧠📚 Read: direct.mit.edu/coli/article...

submitted 18 hours ago • 0 comments

It is wild how well research @thejuicemedia.bsky.social videos are. Honestly the best climate comedy always is. Go watch the latest update with a monologue from the lovely guy who's behind it, Giordano (also feat some fun bloopers etc) www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzGj...

submitted 15 hours ago • 2 comments

The NYT's continued war on trans kids and families is particularly heinous right now because they're targeting a group who can not speak up without endangering themselves. It's watching a minority group hide and flee for their lives while running a 6-part series about how the other side has a point.

submitted 18 hours ago • 6 comments

Taking off my shitposter: the reason we are being SO jokey is we clearly see these terrifying people shouldn't be in charge of everything, are destroying and stealing the entire country, we are powerless to stop it because even the Democrats hate us, and one day people will say no one saw it coming

submitted 22 hours ago • 22 comments

i'm starting to see some scoldy posts pointing out that we are laughing about a fire on the deck of our sinking ship and i have to be honest once the ship started sinking i decided i would take the laughs where i found them

submitted 1 day ago • 216 comments

Apropos of nothing I feel like one of the most important things to help your kids develop is an ability to self-regulate.

submitted 1 day ago • 337 comments

I'm back after being off Bluesky (and paying no attention to news) for a few days because of COVID. Did I miss anything?

submitted 1 day ago • 7 comments

I’m not putting anyone on a pedestal but at every opportunity to be a shithead who throws marginalized people under a bus this man chooses the opposite and he’s wildly popular because of it and I don’t understand what about that isn’t clicking for other dems

submitted 2 days ago • 12 comments

I think a lot of people don't understand that in a world where everyone uses "AI" to vomit out statistically average text, the ability to use words uniquely becomes a premium skill and a critical differentiator.

submitted 2 days ago • 65 comments

What pundits think a broken information environment means: dumb yokels in Ohio spend all day on TikTok and believe in Jewish space lasers What a broken information environment actually means: dumb pundits in NYC and DC spend all day on X and believe Harris ran on trans sports & late term abortions

submitted 2 days ago • 10 comments

This past semester was the most stressful of my academic career. I had 180 students and about half cheated at some point in the semester They submit weekly reflections where the questions are opinion-based, graded only on effort, don't care about grammar SO MANY students submitted ChatGPT essays

submitted 4 days ago • 78 comments

Extremely irritated that I was finally feeling like I was catching up on stuff... and now I have COVID 😢 I've been vaccinated multiple times so it's not that bad, but it's bad enough. And I'm just so fucking annoyed at losing the small bit of grace period I had before things get busy again

submitted 2 days ago • 1 comment

Hey Melbourne! I'll be there in a few weeks to do a book talk!! www.readings.com.au/events/emily... July 1, 6pm, at RMIT, with Dr. Kobi Leins as interlocutor.

submitted 3 days ago • 5 comments

Amazing account of ChatGPT's sycophancy and confabulation on steroids. amandaguinzburg.substack.com/p/diabolus-e...

submitted 3 days ago • 17 comments

When a conservative talking point suddenly becomes a widespread topic of conversation in public life, you can bet it's because loads of money has been poured into promoting it. Another crucial exposure by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social : democracyforsale.substack.com/p/us-antiabo...

submitted 3 days ago • 38 comments

I don't get why people say "ooh, *you're* easily pleased" with such derision. Being easily pleased is brilliant. Something pleasing always just round the corner. Something I quite like is on the telly? Incredible stuff. Chippy for tea? I may as well have bought a chalet in heaven.

submitted 4 days ago • 5 comments

We get the print edition of The Onion and my 9yo came across the ad below, thus leading to one of the most hilariously awkward conversations I have ever had with him thanks @bencollins.bsky.social

submitted 4 days ago • 16 comments