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Alex

@alexo.bsky.social
130 followers 335 following 64 posts

AI-skeptic AI researcher. Director of the Centre for Analytics & AI Engineering at the University of Toronto

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Reposted by Alex
Matt Elliott @graphicmatt.com · 06/10/2026
Alexander dropping out will have people asking whether this benefits Bradford. Luckily, @alexo.bsky.social covered this very question in this week’s edition City Hall Watcher. The short version: it probably doesn’t mean that much. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/where-toro...
Stacked bar chart from Mainstreet Research (September 28-29, 2026) showing polling results for a two-candidate choice between Chow and Bradford, with Chow leading at 47.1% versus Bradford's 40.9% in the head-to-head matchup.
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Matt Elliott @graphicmatt.com · 05/10/2026
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #404! Three weeks out, where does the mayoral election stand — and how might it change? @alexo.bsky.social looks at the state of the race. Plus: LOBBYIST WATCH looks at garbage trains and farming plans. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/where-toro...
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Technologists for Democracy @techfordemocracy.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Technologists for Democracy is calling on the Minister of Transportation in Ontario (MTO) to reject Waymo's planned entry into our province. Read our open letter to the MTO for more details. Sign the petition to Say No to Waymo techfordemocracy.ca/2026/04/29/s...
techfordemocracy.ca
Tell the MTO: Say NO to Waymo
Waymo is coming to Canada, and we believe they will cause issues around digital sovereignty, job loss, and accountability.
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Alex @alexo.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
I have to admit I'm not a regular at Islington station, and I know it's under construction, but following all the posted signs for Islington Avenue (west side) led me to an impassable bank of bins and a metal fence. What are we doing here?
Signs direct those looking for Islington Avenue West down a temporary construction path……but that path leads to a dead end obstructed by bins.
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Rachel Gilmore @rachelgilmore.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Got upset and made this so hopefully people will actually listen. What the fuck are we doing here folks?
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Matt Elliott @graphicmatt.com · 25/06/2026
Quick video of Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin's driving-while-talking-about-road-safety moment at Council.
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The Biking Lawyer LLP @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Same day, different white pickup, near rush hour, blocking the bike lane and sidewalk. Perhaps there was a real emergency here that required this move and I hope he's ok, but there did not appear to be a crash and dude was calmly on his phone. Do we live in a society?
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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
New research finds that car touchscreens are so distracting that they induce "significant performance degradation" among drivers. Meanwhile, in-vehicle touchscreens remain completely unregulated in the US. doi.org/10.1145/3746...
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Alex @alexo.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
Now we just have to hope it never gets hot in May!
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Alex @alexo.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
I asked @juliedzerowicz.bsky.social before the election whether the feds approve U.S. military participation in the Toronto Airshow. Her office just replied saying they can’t answer because Cabinet hasn’t been named, and to ask again “in a few months” (after the airshow?)
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Mike Ginn @shutupmikeginn.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
its amazing how chatgpt knows everything about subjects I know nothing about, but is wrong like 40% of the time in things im an expert on. not going to think about this any further
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Next Tuesday, see @philipmai.com talk about PoliDashboard! Discover how political advertisers in Canada are chasing your clicks on Facebook and Instagram, and how political ads can be weaponized to manipulate, or interfere in an election. 8 April 7pm, in person/online guild.host/events/civic...
Philip Mai PoliDashboard
Making the Invisible Visible
Civic Tech
TORONTO
Hacknight #488
IN PERSON AND ONLINE
Tues April 8
→ 7pm
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
From News to Action: How The Green Line's Documenters Are Changing Civic Engagement. Anita Li and Sebastian Tansil discuss how local news can empower communities to take action. Plus our usual breakouts for projects and discussions! March 18th 7pm: in person and online guild.host/events/civic...
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My IRL friends call me Chris @christyceeck.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Documents unearthed as part of a legal challenge show the Doug Ford government received expert evidence that planned bike lane removals could worsen traffic congestion in Toronto and lead to injuries. #BikeTO #ToPoli #OnPoli
torontotoday.ca
Removing bike lanes will likely worsen gridlock, lead to more collisions: government documents
Engineering report prepared for province estimates Queen's Park's plan to remove Toronto bike lanes could increase collisions by 54 per cent
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Great to be mentioned in the Toronto Star this morning - thanks @graphicmatt.com! www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
There is also an incredible amount of talent specifically focused on civic tech — technology that seeks to make the city work better — with a Civic Tech Toronto group meeting weekly to show off cool independent projects, often built using city hall’s generally unheralded but very useful Open Data department.
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mankrik's wife guy @byelacey.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
hey if you aren't american i'd strongly reconsider traveling to the US for any sort of convention
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Shawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Hogarth was an explicit anti bike lane candidate, there at the Bloor west announcements to kill them, quite visible. And she lost. Bike lanes are a settled issue in Toronto. In the last mayoral election the anti bike lane candidates lost. www.thestar.com/politics/ele...
thestar.com
Etobicoke-Lakeshore live Ontario election results
Etobicoke-Lakeshore live Ontario election results
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The Biking Lawyer LLP @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Got my votin' shirt on, thanks @jameskingsley! Leave work early, do whatever you have to to get to the polling station and send as many of these goons packing as we can.
person with black hat and shirt photographed from behind with raised fist.
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Michael Druker 🇨🇦 @mdruker.app · 02/02/2025
What are you doing on your Sunday evening? I'm emailing my local elected officials to get our local governments off the Musk/Trump platform
Email screenshot

Why is the Region of Waterloo still posting to X?

Dear Regional Councillors,

I don't need to tell you that Canada is facing unprecedented and unprovoked economic aggression from our southern neighbours. So it is so jarring to see my Regional government still sharing its updates on X (formerly Twitter). That platform is not just owned by Elon Musk — one of Trump's most active lieutenants — but as a platform it is being used to advance Trump's political interests. Even before the election, the algorithms on X were tuned to boost some of the vilest and most hateful content (racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.), and the site now feeds on fighting. It has long ceased to be a relatively neutral platform to share information.

It's also not a platform that has much reach for an organization like yours. Governments want to share information usually via links to their own sites — but the algorithms on X (and Facebook for that matter) are designed to keep users in a walled garden. Many readers have left, but the ones that are still there largely see the content from the algorithm, which generally skips over posts with links. And for X, Facebook, and Instagram, people need to have an account and be logged in to see your updates.

Please consider asking staff to wind down their presence on X for the various accounts of the Region of Waterloo. Fortunately, there is a good and growing alternative in Bluesky, which is a quite neutral platform, is open in the way it's built, is publicly accessible without an account, does not penalize links, and has useful curation features. E.g. the Region of Waterloo could have a starter pack of all official accounts, or it could have topical feeds (to which people can subscribe) sharing content from multiple accounts or from an event.

But even if you're not setting up a presence elsewhere, I implore you to do what you can to reduce or end the Region's presence on X.


With appreciation,
Michael Druker
Kitchener
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The Rundown @therundowntvo.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
"That’s $612 million in additional costs to accelerate the roll-out of corner store beer and wine by 483 days, or $1.2 million per day." — @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social #onpoli
amp.tvo.org
ANALYSIS: The government just got a pile of bad booze news. Will voters care? | TVO Today
The Financial Accountability Office reported the cost of expanded alcohol sales could reach nearly $2 billion.
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
For those who missed this great presentation by @mbonsma.bsky.social - it's now on our Youtube channel. Enjoy! And if you were there - enjoy it again! youtu.be/peqhxVXKfps?...
youtu.be
Hacknight #476 with Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher: From Bacteria to Bikes – Quantitative Cycling Research…
YouTube video by Civic Tech Toronto
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West End Phoenix @westendphoenix.bsky.social · 18/01/2025
Think about what a $200 cheque from Doug Ford could do. www.200cheque.ca
200cheque.ca
Redistribute the $200
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
Yumi Numata and Kelsi-Leigh Balaban present The Yellowhead Treaty Map - an accessible introduction to Indigenous perspectives on treaties. 🚀 Tues Jan 21st at 7pm, online and in person: Civic Hacknight #477 guild.host/events/civic... #civictech
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
Come see the fabulous @mbonsma.bsky.social talk about advocacy, citizen science, and the latest research on cycling in Toronto. Online and in person. 🚀 Jan 14th at 7PM: Civic Hacknight #476: From Bacteria to Bikes – Quantitative Cycling Research in Toronto Check it out 👉 guild.host/events/civic...
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
🚀 New year, new Youtube uploads of Canadian parliamentary proceedings! Jan 7th 7pm, in person and online – Matt Malone introduces HansardTube, to automatically upload Canadian parliamentary videos to YouTube, so people can use its language and accessibility features. 👉 guild.host/events/civic...
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Reposted by Alex
Marit Stiles @maritstilesndp.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
A family in Sudbury is paying $400 to build a luxury spa in downtown Toronto. That's the Cost of Doug, and it’s been the same pattern all year long. Things have got to change in this province, and fast.
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Alex @alexo.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
Ontario has made public comments on Bill 212 (the bike lane bill) publicly available. I wrote some code to automatically classify the ~15,000 comments by whether they are in support, or against. I found that 97.1% of comments were against, and only 2.9% in favour github.com/alexwolson/c...
github.com
GitHub - alexwolson/classify_212_comments
Contribute to alexwolson/classify_212_comments development by creating an account on GitHub.
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
🚀 Jan 7th at 7PM: Civic Hacknight #475: Introducing HansardTube Check it out 👉 guild.host/e/isml0l
guild.host
Civic Hacknight #475: Introducing HansardTube
Topic: Introducing HansardTube Matt Malone will introduce the HansardTube project, aiming to automatically upload Canadian parliamentary videos to YouTube, so people can make use of its built-in language and accessibility features. Speaker: Matt Malone is Assistant Professor and Director of the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, uOttawa Faculty of Law. Agenda: 7:00-7:20 Welcome and Introductions 7:20-7:50 Presentation and Q\&A/discussion 7:50-9:00 Breakout groups Code of Conduct: https://civictech.ca/about-us Check in with us on the Civic Tech Toronto Slack: https://link.civictech.ca/chat About Us: Our weekly civic tech hacknights bring together Torontonians (designers, coders, urban planners, government staff, mappers, policy-makers, students, communications strategists, community organizers, and more) who share an interest in making Toronto more responsive, prosperous, sustainable, and equitable through design, tech, and data. Come and be part of it! For more info: https://civictech.ca
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Megan Carpentier @megancarpentier.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
This is one of the most well-written explanations of certain kinds of AI errors I’ve seen to date. (The whole article is great too.) www.theverge.com/c/24300623/a...
When you pose the question to a language model, what you are really asking is, “Given the statistical distribution of words in the vast public corpus of text, what are the words most likely to follow the sequence ‘what country is to the south of Rwanda?’” Even if the system responds with the word “Burundi,” this is a different sort of assertion with a different relationship to reality than the human’s answer, and to say the AI “knows” or “believes” Burundi to be south of Rwanda is a category mistake that will lead to errors and confusion.
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
Dec 3rd, in-person and online: Civic Hacknight #472: Empowering Climate Action in Every Language, with Helena Yu, Luis Ticas and Maryam Tavakoli. #civictech
guild.host
Civic Hacknight #472: Empowering Climate Action in Every Language | Guild
Dec 3rd 7:00PM: Topic: Empowering Climate Action in Every Language This presentation introduces a powerful Multilingual Climate Chatbot, de
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Jack Hauen @jackhauen.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
NEW: The Ford government is working to amend its bike lane bill to block lawsuits that could otherwise arise from the removal of bike lanes. #onpoli #topoli www.thetrillium.ca/news/municip...
thetrillium.ca
Ford government moves to block bike-lane removal lawsuits
A proposed amendment to the bike lane bill aims to block lawsuits that could arise if cyclists are struck: biking lawyer
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Nov 26th, in-person and online. Civic Hacknight #471: Crowdsourcing care: Solving healthcare service gaps with open data and civic tech, with Sidra Mahmood. #civictech guild.host/events/civic...
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Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
I spent a lot of time calculating the floor area ratio (FAR) of buildings crudely using Google Earth a while ago and wondered if someone had worked on an automated tool to calculate/estimate it. Turns out the answer is yes!
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Shoshanna Saxe @shoshannasaxe.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
New paper! We predict the age and internal floor area of buildings using one shot street view images. doi.org/10.1111/jiec... As far as we know we are the first to predict internal floor area from a building image and have the highest accuracy (or close to - it can be hard to compare) for age.
doi.org
Image‐based prediction of residential building attributes with deep learning
This study estimates building attributes—floor area and age—using image-based machine learning. Building age and floor area are key inputs to the studies of urban metabolism, material stocks and flow...
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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
If the Bloor, Yonge, & University cycle tracks are removed: - Businesses along Yonge and Bloor will lose half of the people who can get there safely by bike within 30 min - Over 600,000 people will have fewer destinations accessible by bike. Check out our report 👇 drive.google.com/file/d/1L1Yz...
If the Bloor West, Yonge, and University cycle tracks are removed, more than a quarter of Toronto’s
census dissemination areas (1,019 of 3,702) will lose potential customers who can arrive safely by bike. The fractional decrease in the number of people who can access each Census Dissemination Area is shown on a scale
from purple (dark) to yellow (light).
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Matt Elliott @graphicmatt.com · 14/11/2024
"I want to expand bike lanes across this city, especially in my ward," says Councillor Chris Moise. "One of the things I'm looking at is Jarvis Street." He promises before he leaves council, Jarvis will have bike lanes again. (Let's hold him to it.)
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Civic Tech Toronto @civictechto.bsky.social · 18/10/2024
Oct 22nd, in-person and online! Civic hacknight #466: Building VoteInformer: Empowering Civic Engagement & Shaping an Informed Electorate, with Blair Ellis and Michael Traynor from Baye Labs. #civictech buff.ly/3Y9j4iy
buff.ly
Civic Hacknight #466: Building VoteInformer | Guild
Oct 22nd 7:00PM: Topic: Building VoteInformer: Empowering Civic Engagement & Shaping an Informed Electorate We will talk a little bit about
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dell cameron @dell.bsky.social · 04/10/2023
NEW: Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup conducted years of tests at UC Davis, a public university. A WIRED investigation reveals how Neuralink and the university keep the grisly images of its botched — and sometimes unlawful — surgeries hidden. (TW: graphic descriptions) www.wired.com/story/neural...
wired.com
How Neuralink Keeps Dead Monkey Photos Secret
Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup conducted years of tests at UC Davis, a public university. A WIRED investigation reveals how Neuralink and the university keep the grisly images of test subjects hidde...
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