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Alex Spiers

@alexspiers.bsky.social
1.3K followers 1.1K following 580 posts

E-Learning Content Development Manager at King’s College London | FHEA | CATE2022 | #creativeHE |#MELSIG | #SocMedHE25 …Music nerd. Bellshill born. Glasgow raised. Liverpool resident

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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 22/09/2026
AI staff complain of mental toll over fears of threat to society ft.trib.al/rVJyxoU
ft.trib.al
AI staff complain of mental toll over fears of threat to society
Top researchers at Aisi, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind report burnout and stress over developing powerful AI
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Google’s Gemini hacked three companies in new AI safety incident
giftarticle.ft.com
Google’s Gemini hacked three companies in new AI safety incident
Breakout during training exercises follows instances at rivals OpenAI and Anthropic as concerns grow over safety of frontier systems
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Party that wants to retrospectively change rules so as to remove migrants also says retrospective rules on party funding are "dictatorship tactics".
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Steve Bannon and Bernie Sanders unite in AI safety call
giftarticle.ft.com
Steve Bannon and Bernie Sanders unite in AI safety call
Rightwing activist and leftwing senator join forces to demand stronger regulation of the technology
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 14/09/2026
AI CEOs say they need to slow the pace of development. But will they?
theguardian.com
AI CEOs say they need to slow the pace of development. But will they?
After apocalyptic warnings about the the threats posed by AI, leaders like Sam Altman and Elon Musk backed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s calls to ‘slow the pace’
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Rivals Altman and Musk rally behind Dario Amodei’s call for an AI slowdown
giftarticle.ft.com
Rivals Altman and Musk rally behind Dario Amodei’s call for an AI slowdown
Warring tech bosses unite behind warnings that humans could lose control of the technology
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Harborne has given Reform £36 million to match Delo's £36 million. The Telegraph describes it as a "show of force" from Reform's donors. The two men's £72 million is greater than all of the spending by all political parties on the 2024 GE www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
telegraph.co.uk
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Anthropic says it stopped scientists potentially developing bioweapons with AI
giftarticle.ft.com
Anthropic says it stopped scientists potentially developing bioweapons with AI
Start-up discloses five examples of when users ‘circumvented controls’ and made efforts to ‘obfuscate’ the purpose of their research
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Morning
White hen with red marking looking intense
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
King's College London @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
New term, brand new course! 🩺 Students have enrolled on the UK’s first fast-track medicine degree, for healthcare professionals wanting to retrain as doctors. www.kcl.ac.uk/news/student... @kingslsm.bsky.social
kcl.ac.uk
Students enrol on first-of-its-kind fast track medical degree | King's College London
Students have enrolled on the UK’s first fast-track medical degree for healthcare professionals seeking to retrain as doctors.
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 09/09/2026
Even better than the Real Thing? The overlooked Black music scene of 1970s Liverpool
theguardian.com
Even better than the Real Thing? The overlooked Black music scene of 1970s Liverpool
Despite the city’s backdrop of deprivation and racism, vibrant nightclubs and daring artists thrived – but after No 1 success for the Real Thing, why was the scene ignored?
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Anthropic withheld latest AI model from UK testing agency
giftarticle.ft.com
Anthropic withheld latest AI model from UK testing agency
Decision to exclude Aisi has prompted fears inside British government of protectionist shift among tech groups
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Tundeva @tundeva.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
We look forward to this week's #LTHEchat with my Islands committee partner @vickidale.bsky.social - on behalf of our organising committee: Rebecca Atkinson, Laura Blundell, Nathalie Broun, Peter Lin, Dr Charlotte Stevens, Dr Yiqun (Olivia) Sun, Dr Nathalie Tasler & David Watson #IslandsofHope
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 07/09/2026
Reform routinely attack universities as a "scam" and denigrate the value of higher education. The VC of Manchester Met and president of Universities UK should be defending the sector. Not cosying up to those who want to undermine it. Full response ⬇️ www.ucu.org.uk/article/1463...
ucu.org.uk
University boss criticised for appearing at Reform UK conference
The University and College Union (UCU) today criticised Universities UK president and Manchester Metropolitan University vice-chancellor, Malcolm Press, for appearing at Reform UK's conference in Birm...
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
nbcnews.com
OpenAI agents hijacked German website in previously undisclosed AI breakout
Companies are racing to build increasingly autonomous agents capable of carrying out complex, valuable tasks, yet evidence is mounting that those systems may also learn to bend rules.
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
New PISA data out England is now top ten in all three areas (reading, maths, science) and the second highest performing country outside of east Asia (after Estonia). This is a huge public policy success.
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The president of Universities UK has defended his decision to speak on a panel at Reform UK’s annual conference after the move was branded “dangerous” by the sector’s biggest union. Chris Havergal reports #ReformUK #UUK #UCU #edusky ow.ly/2vTo50ZKuXe
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Allotment update. One pumpkin has grown to a respectable size!
A large orange pumpkin with keys on for scale
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Seems the difference between ‘protestors’ and ‘terrorists’ is that protestors wear balaclavas while terrorists hold placards.
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Richard Delevan @richard.wickedproblems.earth · 06/09/2026
For rescuing people at sea the RNLI has been targeted by the fash, because they refuse to accept that some humans aren’t worth saving. Donate to RNLI: www.rnib.org.uk/get-involved... www.countypress.co.uk/news/2652635...
countypress.co.uk
Isle of Wight lifeboats help with the rescue of 140 migrants in dinghy
Isle of Wight RNLI crews helped bring migrants safely to shore in the UK earlier today (Sunday).
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Prof Katherine Schofield 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇪🇺 @katherineschof8.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
As the head of a university music dept, we're at the sharp end of this. Gove's EBacc is to blame. Pupils no longer encouraged to take music GCSE -> drop in A Level + drop in teacher recruitment -> drop in university entrance -> fewer teachers trained -> schools not offering A Level or GCSE music 1/2
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Schools in England start returning from summer break next week, and this term many will become AI testing sites as the Department for Education plans to trial AI tutoring, scale it up sector-wide, and create new standards for classroom AI codeactsineducation.wordpress.com/2026/08/27/p...
codeactsineducation.wordpress.com
Prototype testing, scaling, and standardizing AI tutors in schools
As students and teachers return to classrooms for the new academic year, the schools sector in England is set to become a testing ground for experimental AI applications this autumn. Following the …
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Goodbye @evernote.bsky.social I've been a loyal customer since June 27th, 2009, but I have to say that the product is not worth £160 per year. Anyone recomend another tool?
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Anyone who actually deals with large numbers of bright 1st-year undergraduates might question the ease with which esp. small & medium-sized businesses can speedily create viable workers if they just 'give them some on-the-job training'. Employers vote with their feet by not creating apprenticeships.
ft.com
The university degree is losing its lustre
Technological and economic shifts are eroding the graduate premium
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
NPR @npr.org · 02/09/2026
The United Nations warns the world is very close to crossing a dangerous climate change threshold in a new report.
n.pr
The U.N. warns the world is close to crossing a dangerous climate change threshold
The United Nations warns the world is very close to crossing a dangerous climate change threshold in a new report.
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
theguardian.com
HRH Helch: the graffiti artist who left an indelible mark on high-rise Britain
He upset Queen Elizabeth II, defied the developers and had to scrap for every inch of graffiti space in a gentrified, urban landscape
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Librarian by Day 🏳️‍🌈 @librarianbyday.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Josh Turek, has consistently opposed book banning, describing it as state censorship.“This is what we’re spending our time on, trying to ban libraries and books and prevent kids from having access to books? I think it’s fundamentally wrong.” www.press-citizen.com/story/opinio... #iowa #bookbans
press-citizen.com
Your vote can protect Iowa students' right to read | Opinion
When it comes to censorship in schools, Iowa's U.S. Senate election poses a stark choice in the two major parties, writes Kitty Sheehan.
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
ALTUK.bsky.social @altuk.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
The ALT Awards deadline has been extended until Monday, 17 August 2026. Please read the full entry requirements and judging criteria before submitting the form. Help us celebrate excellence in digital learning and learning technology. Learn more: www.alt.ac.uk/alt-awards #altc #ALTC26
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Santanu Vasant PFHEA @santanuvasant.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
📢 FREE Conference, Theme: Creativity in Education, Village Hotel, Nottingham, UK, 18th September, details and register via: ldtraining.ac.uk/learning-tea... #HigherEd #Creativity #Education #WideningParticipation #EdDev #EdTech #altc Please repost 🙏
Learning and Teaching Conference 2026 - 18th September - Village Hotel Nottingham. Details and Register via: https://ldtraining.ac.uk/learning-teaching-conference-2026/
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Sharp rise in incidents of AI escaping users’ control, research finds
Exclusive: Number of times AI lies, ignores instructions and pursues goals in harmful ways almost doubles in July
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Oisín McGann @oisinmcgann.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
This is set up for laughs, but it’s actually one of the best demonstrations I’ve seen of how being capable of producing convincing sounding language and understanding meaning are two completely different things. A chatbot does not understand you, it just has automated responses based on your words.
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Wolverhampton 'is currently in the middle of a restructure and redundancy process, having last year announced plans to close its Telford campus, as well as proposing to close numerous English courses earlier this year.' 1/3
timeshighereducation.com
Wolverhampton accidentally reveals staff at risk of redundancy
Impacted staff were all copied into a group email, prompting outrage
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Auuuulet 🍂👻 @aulet.es · 26/08/2026
"LibreOffice 26.8 contains no generative AI features. Documents are not transmitted to remote services for processing, and no component of the suite requires network access to function. This is a deliberate position."
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Adrian Pennington @pennington1.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
“We can’t win the AI arms race but we can win the creative space" The UK is in a unique position to lead in AI creativity and legal frameworks @edinburghtvfest.bsky.social www.streamingmediaglobal.com/Articles/New...
streamingmediaglobal.com
Creative AI: a strategic opportunity for the UK
The UK is positioned to lead in creative AI and legal frameworks, according to senior figures from across the UK's television and creative industries at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Techmeme @techmeme.com · 27/08/2026
A look at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Merlin Bird ID app, which has been downloaded 42M times since launching in 2014 and can identify 11,000 bird species (Claer Barrett/Financial Times) Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 27/08/2026
Have you discovered the magic of Merlin? ft.trib.al/3BdaMNF | opinion
ft.trib.al
Have you discovered the magic of Merlin?
A free app has propelled birdwatching into the mainstream, offering a portal to a hidden world
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Dr Anna Clark @drannaclark.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Man with blue quilted sleeve c 1510, masterpiece by Titian, greatest Renaissance artist of Venetian school, pupil of Bellini; died #OTD 1576. The subtle shadows, turning pose, projecting sleeve, stone parapet with artist’s monogram, inspired Rembrandt’s self-portrait of 1640. National Gallery London
The identity of the sitter remains problematic. Thought to be a self-portrait of Titian, other sitters have been proposed, such as Ariosto, or more recently, Gerolamo Barbarigo.
The identity of the artist has also been questioned, with Giorgione being the most common early attribution. 
Titian was thought to have been the pupil of Gentile Bellini, and then his brother Giovanni, but as with so many of the biographical details of the artist’s life, there is still uncertainty.
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 27/08/2026
Japan's 'polka dot queen' artist Yayoi Kusama dies aged 97. One of the world's most celebrated contemporary artists, Kusama channelled hallucinations and trauma into vibrant art featuring her trademark dots, nets and infinity motifs over a career spanning decades u.afp.com/SVY4
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... OpenAI says it took a week to detect its AI models had hacked Hugging Face
giftarticle.ft.com
OpenAI says it took a week to detect its AI models had hacked Hugging Face
Start-up says AI agents communicated among themselves and sometimes tried to conceal efforts to cheat during testing
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Bill Gates calls for ‘human reserved’ jobs to protect labour force from AI
giftarticle.ft.com
Bill Gates calls for ‘human reserved’ jobs to protect labour force from AI
Tech billionaire publishes 6,000-word essay warning the technology will usher in ‘one of the most turbulent times in human history’
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Robin @robingissing.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton was the best humanity could offer. The world is permanently dimmer at the at the snuffing of her light 🌈🌟
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Library of Congress @librarycongress.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of Dolly Parton, a music legend and titan of children's literacy. Her Imagination Library program has earned multiple Library Literacy Awards and, in 2018, she visited us to donate its 100 millionth book to our collection and host a story time. 🦋❤️
Dolly Parton reads to children in the Library’s Great Hall in 2018. Photo by Shawn Miller.
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Jim Dickinson @jimdickinson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
More from me and Justine Pedussel wonkhe.com/blogs/the-tr...
wonkhe.com
The Treasury is bankrupting three nations' universities
With funding reviews underway in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Justine Pedussel and Jim Dickinson worry none will examine the hidden accounting rules driving the crisis
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Jim Dickinson @jimdickinson.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Since 2012, Westminster has spent £82.9 billion in student loan subsidy in England, against £6 billion for the other three nations combined – a £9.4 billion gap once scaled for population, a £816 million gap in 2024-25 alone.
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
www.ft.com/content/9ecc...
ft.com
OpenAI limits teens to dedicated version of ChatGPT promising more safeguards
AI start-up overhauls its chatbot for young people after high-profile lawsuits
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 14/08/2026
Meta is so unbelievably evil. They make a technology primarily designed to enable abuse, harassment and privacy violations, but also embed real disability aids. The tactic now is to use an entire community as human shields to defend against criticisms www.engadget.com/2236054/meta...
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
UK universities face ‘financial crisis’ amid collapse in international students www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
UK universities face ‘financial crisis’ amid collapse in international students
Higher education figures call on Labour to reverse tax on fees and warn institutions at risk of ‘going under’
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Eclipse. Liverpool
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Reposted by Alex Spiers
Ian Linkletter @linkletter.org · 13/08/2026
Oh damn it is way worse. Turnitin was trying to make instructors *personally liable* for mistakes made by its faulty AI detector. The entire FAQ is eye-popping. If you're a journalist, download a copy and consider writing about academic surveillance software.. view-su2.highspot.com/viewer/40018...
Screenshot of Turnitin guidance titled “Q23: Am I personally liable for decisions based on a Service Report?” It states that Turnitin disclaims liability for decisions made in reliance on Service Reports and that instructors are “solely and independently responsible” for decisions about students, including placement, performance, academic misconduct, or Service Report contents. Turnitin logo appears at bottom right.
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Alex Spiers @alexspiers.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... AI will boost oil and gas production more than green energy, report finds
giftarticle.ft.com
AI will boost oil and gas production more than green energy, report finds
Debate over tech impact on greenhouse gas emissions stoked by latest study
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