Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 07/10/2026ready for the first day of conferencing at 4S Toronto @4sweb.bsky.social 020
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunSociety for Social Studies of Science @4sweb.bsky.social · 02/10/2026 The 4S Toronto 2026 final program is now available in multiple formats. (a) PDF final program is online here: tinyurl.com/sdes6emw 1107
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 08/09/2026where's the janky copy shop to do semi-illegal copying for ya and then sell "course packets" to your students? 110
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunPeter Plener @peterplener.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Soeben erschienen (Print & Open Access): Prozesssteuerung. Kanzleiordnung und Verwaltungsmaschine/n, hg. v. P. Plener & B. Wagner, Heidelberg/Berlin: Metzler, Springer Nature 2026, XXIII u. 273 S. link.springer.com/book/10.1007...link.springer.comProzesssteuerungDer Open-Access- Sammelband zeichnet die Geschichte, Zusammenhänge sowie Folgen von Kanzlei- und Büroordnungen nach. 3194
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 07/09/2026yes, same, why was Labov taken out for a ritual flogging? 100
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 03/09/2026*not the billions of social interactions they had with other human beings through the course of their life 010
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 03/09/2026As @mcastelle.bsky.social writes "This raises the question: why do some computer scientists now appear to privilege an understanding of language-as-sociocultural-action grounded in an arcane semiotics they were not previously exposed to?" sociologica.unibo.it/article/view...sociologica.unibo.it Is Language Social Action? A Commentary on Language Agents | Sociologica 111
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 03/09/2026funny or sad? it took machines capable of simulating uncannily human language* to get engineers to realize that the things they think are the product of unique individual brains are, in fact, social 112
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 26/08/2026why it’s always productive to investigate language in use while reflecting on our expectations of what language is *supposed* to be doing 020
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 25/08/2026while I have your eyeballs: we look forward to discussing the cutting edge of sociological research into AI agents with Austin Kozlowski on Sep 21, 2026 at our next session of the Language Machines Network austinkozlowski.comaustinkozlowski.comAustin C. KozlowskiKnowledge Lab / University of Chicago 041
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 25/08/2026@mcastelle.bsky.social offers a brief intellectual history of how a widespread disinterest for language as social action in STS and sociological theory has been challenged by the rise of LLMs. sociologica.unibo.it/article/view...sociologica.unibo.it Is Language Social Action? A Commentary on Language Agents | Sociologica 153
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Courtney Handman responds to Lauren Goodlad in the recent special cluster on AI in "Representations" to argue that an action theory of language should focus on interaction as locus of meaning-making, without dismissing non-human interactants. doi.org/10.1525/rep....doi.orgResponding from the Vector SpaceIt’s becoming clear that one of the professional hazards of trying to comment on AI, and on Large Language Models (LLMs) in particular, is that one’s comments threaten to be out of date almost as soon... 111
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 25/08/2026two recent pieces that extend the debate on AI with crucial perspectives on language as social action 111
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 13/07/2026it feels strange to say after working on it for so many years but my book manuscript "Nuclear Bureaucracy: The Epistemic Politics of Verification at the IAEA" is going into production with @cornellupress.bsky.social and will appear in 2027. also in 2027, the IAEA celebrates its 70th anniversary. 172
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunIsabella M. Weber @isabellamweber.bsky.social · 11/05/2026Wir sind in mitten einer historischen Energiekrise in der Energiekonzerne Rekordgewinne einfahren. Aber anstatt Profitmargen zu begrenzen & Preise zu bremsen subventioniert die Regierung mit jedem Cent Steuersenkung der nicht weiter gegeben wird die Profite noch. 210528
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunAnna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 14/04/2026This Friday, come celebrate the online launch of our special issue on Language Machines in @journaloflinganth.bsky.social with @soclinganth.bsky.social We are looking forward to a lively conversation with @bethmsemel.bsky.social, prosecco in hand :) 164
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 14/04/2026another very fresh article that helps to explain the authority of AI via the anthro of religion is here by Webb Keane: doi.org/10.1111%2F14...doi.orgFrom talking tools to metahumans: social interaction, semiotic skill, and the authority of AI chatbotsWhat does it take to turn a tool into a talking tool and that into an ultimate authority? Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in its diverse forms, such as large language models (LLMs), is cel... 110
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 14/04/2026This Friday, come celebrate the online launch of our special issue on Language Machines in @journaloflinganth.bsky.social with @soclinganth.bsky.social We are looking forward to a lively conversation with @bethmsemel.bsky.social, prosecco in hand :) 164
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunIsabella M. Weber @isabellamweber.bsky.social · 12/04/2026„Die schlimmsten Krisen sollten nicht die besten Zeiten für Unternehmen in überlebenswichtigen Sektoren sein." Mein Spiegel Interview über den kommenden Preisschock trotz wackligem Frieden und was jetzt zu tun ist. 🧵 37123
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunSociety for Linguistic Anthropology @soclinganth.bsky.social · 03/04/2026Language machines: Toward a linguistic anthropology of large language models by Siri Lamoureaux, Michael Castelle, Anna Weichselbraun doi.org/10.1111/jola... 195
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunIsabella M. Weber @isabellamweber.bsky.social · 03/03/2026Fossil fuel stocks are exploding in response to the war on Iran. Who stands to benefit? The richest of the rich. Who stands to lose? All of us who have to pay higher prices for energy and a new round of sellers' inflation. 7359206
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 24/02/2026the special issue will continue to accept submissions on a rolling basis. additional articles are in the pipeline and we welcome new contributions. best to reach out to me or Siri Lamoureaux first :) 011
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 24/02/2026the link to our special issue on Language Machines is online! find our introduction (why we need linguistic anthropology to understand LLMs) & the first batch of articles here: anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1... if you have something to contribute, please contact us!anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.comJournal of Linguistic Anthropology | AAA Journal | Wiley Online LibraryClick on the title to browse this issue 1124
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 05/02/2026thank you for reading and commenting! yes, the competence=intelligence conflation is really hard to dispel 010
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunAlex Hanna @alexhanna.bsky.social · 16/12/2025Google not only supplies the fake citations via Gemini, their awful products in the form of knowledge infrastructure are so shoddily kept that they can't be fucked to remove fake venues. 15610
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 13/12/2025and can't wait to read what you're writing...maybe you want to share something in the Language Machines reading group?? 100
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 13/12/2025thank you for reading and sharing, Beth! come join the Language Machines workshop sometime 🫶 110
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 28/11/2025Here's the introduction to the special issue: doi.org/10.1111/jola... in which we argue: We need linguistic anthropology to understand Large Language Models! Clickclickclick if you like reading feisty-programmatic-staking-of-intellectual-ground types of words...doi.orgJournal of Linguistic Anthropology | AAA Journal | Wiley Online LibraryLarge language models (LLMs) challenge long-standing assumptions in linguistics and linguistic anthropology by generating human-like language without relying on rule-based structures. This introducti... 192
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 24/11/2025Part of a Special Issue in JLA on "Language Machines: Toward a Linguistic Anthropology of LLMs" I co-edited together with Siri Lamoureaux and @mcastelle.bsky.social 040
Anna Weichselbraun @annaw.bsky.social · 24/11/2025new paper so fresh it doesn't have an issue # yet! Noya Kohavi and I looked at a crowdsourced AI testing suite and analyzed how contributors’ ideas about language, intelligence & cognition play a surprisingly big role in shaping how LLMs are tested, and what we think AI is. doi.org/10.1111/jola...doi.orgJournal of Linguistic Anthropology | AAA Journal | Wiley Online LibraryBenchmarking large language models (LLMs) is a key practice for evaluating their capabilities and risks. This paper considers the development of “BIG Bench,” a crowdsourced benchmark designed to test... 2155
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunPeter Plener @peterplener.bsky.social · 01/10/2025There’s no such thing as Social Media. 07112
Reposted by Anna Weichselbraunholden m. accountable @noahs.bsky.social · 29/09/2025THE MEME IS REAL 5591222748
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunKlaus Schönberger @kschoenberger.bsky.social · 29/07/2025Kolleg*innen in der AAU Klagenfurt/Celovec erklären sich ebenfalls mit dem Antifa-Camp und dem #Peršmanhof Ko-Museum solidarisch (inklusive früherem Rektor und jetziger Rektorin der Universität: www.aau.at/blog/stellun...aau.atStellungnahme zum Polizeieinsatz am Peršmanhof am 27. Juli 2025 – Universität KlagenfurtStellungnahme zum Polizeieinsatz am Peršmanhof am 27. Juli 2025 Angehörige der Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt Vom 24. bis zum 29. Juli 2025 fand das zweite Antifaschistische Jugendcamp am Peršman... 051
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunNatascha Strobl @nataschastrobl.bsky.social · 29/07/2025In Österreich ist eine Gedenkstätte von der Polizei regelrecht überfallen worden. Die Geschichte der Endphasenverbrechen ist leider sehr reich an Ereignissen. Eines davon ist der Peršmanhof, wo eine SS-Polizeieinheit im April 1945 ein Massaker anrichtet, auch an Kindern. Heute ist der Peršmanhof… 9977300
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunGreg Pak @gregpak.net · 15/07/2025If this is accurate, WeTransfer is unusable for professional creative work. Would violate most work-for-hire contracts to share copyrighted material with a third party like this. 2325601261
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunKevin J. Kircher @kevinjkircher.com · 29/06/2025The wild thing here is that the bill text that aims to prevent AI regulation defines "AI" incredibly broadly: Essentially, any system that uses computing to provide information or aid decision-making. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...theguardian.comTrump’s tax bill seeks to prevent AI regulations. Experts fear a heavy toll on the planetUnrestricted AI use could add 1bn tons of planet-heating emissions in the US over the next decade, researchers say 34521
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunMark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 27/06/2025Today's Supreme Court decision does not opine on the constitutionality of Trump's assault on birthright citizenship. It is limited to the question of universal injunctions. But its ruling on that front is MASSIVE—a huge blow to plaintiffs and judges trying to block Trump's most lawless policies. 291784451
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunShannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 17/06/2025Our digital repositories team spends a great deal of their time now simply protecting our commoned public digital resources from bots. This insatiable, aimless, destructive desire to excrete novel slop is impeding our access to — and even damaging — our cultural heritage + vetted public knowledge. 6691377
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunShannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 21/05/2025"There are a growing # of AI bots crawling repositories[; they're] sufficiently aggressive [to] cause service disruptions + outages... As a result, some repositories have started to block machine access to their collections, which is also inadvertently blocking other desired network services..."coar-repositories.orgOpen repositories are being profoundly impacted by AI bots and other crawlers: Results of a COAR SurveyApril 30, 2025 There are a growing number of AI bots crawling repositories. These bots are sufficiently aggressive that they can cause service disruptions and outages in repositories. As a result, … 06433
Reposted by Anna WeichselbraunJoseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 26/06/2025New from 404 Media: ICE is using a new facial recognition app to identify people, leaked emails show. Point camera at person, reveal their identity. It uses the CBP system that records peoples' faces as they enter or exit the U.S. Now, turned inwards to be used by ICE www.404media.co/ice-is-using...404media.coICE Is Using a New Facial Recognition App to Identify People, Leaked Emails ShowThe new tool, called Mobile Fortify, uses the CBP system which ordinarily takes photos of people when they enter or exit the U.S., according to internal ICE emails viewed by 404 Media. Now ICE is usin... 42457763489
