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EmilyTav

@emilytav.bsky.social
6.1K followers 926 following 670 posts

Policy + design + tech. Angry optimist. Executive Director, Home Screen. www.thehomescreen.org Co-Curator of an oral history of the origins of the U.S. Digital Service. usdigitalserviceorigins.org

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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The entire language of an “AI race” is flawed. A race has a finish line. Software doesn’t have a finish line… it’s never done.
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Charles Logan @charleswlogan.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Yes, this:
A screenshot of Audrey Watters’ weekly post that reads, “This growing rejection and refusal of technology – inside and outside of schools – is about much much more than the technology itself. It is, in part, about the loss of control; the loss of agency, autonomy, and privacy. It is a response to the oligarchs’ efforts to undermine democracy. It is about these billionaires’ dismal, dystopian vision for the future – a wanton destruction of the planet writ large and local communities writ small; their apparent hatred for home and humanity alike.”
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Arrianna Marie Planey, PhD MA @arrianna-planey.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"Magnuson’s doctors asked for approval again after providing more documentation, and then a third time. On each occasion, it was denied. It was on the third denial that Magnuson discovered it wasn’t a person who had made this decision about his treatment. It was AI." #Medicare
sciencefocus.com
AI is now deciding who gets healthcare in 6 US states – and it's already harming patients | BBC Science Focus Magazine
An AI pilot programme is attempting to cut down on ‘wasteful’ medical procedures, and patients are paying the price
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I recently testified at our local school board meeting, highlighting that companies are making policy decisions. I was delighted when I found out @winterjessica.bsky.social quoted me in her recent piece about edtech & @natashanyt.bsky.social’s book! www.thehomescreen.org/p/companies-...
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
As you can imagine (as a USDS alum) I have some thoughts about this. I'm processing, and trying to get some different perspectives. In the meantime (as someone who spent years improving service-delivery in gov) here are the operational ?s currently on my mind… qz.com/trump-americ...
qz.com
Trump launches America.gov AI portal for federal services
The site uses Google's Gemini and Elon Musk's Grok to field questions across roughly 29,000 government websites
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
These guys are the Susan Collins of the tech industry. apnews.com/article/ai-a...
apnews.com
Tech leaders to UN: For the sake of humanity, please control the AI technology we created
The heads of major artificial intelligence firms pleaded with the United Nations to set controls over the burgeoning technology they are designing in order to save the world — or at least its people.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The companies crying for a slow down are the same ones that have been jamming their half-baked tech into critical systems (including schools, hospitals & our military) Apparently the only risk they care about is the literal extinction of our species — everything else is acceptable collateral damage.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
If you are considering Muse, ask yourself: “Would I allow someone with a history of airheaded, inaccurate, deceptive, and reckless behavior manage my _______?” Because that’s what it will be like.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Last week I testified at our local school board. I focused on the fact that companies are essentially making policy decisions. You can find my testimony here. They cut my mic with 4 seconds left, but you can see my ask in the written statement. www.thehomescreen.org/p/companies-...
thehomescreen.org
Companies are making education policy.
I testified at our local school board to draw attention to who is making decisions.
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Judd Legum @juddlegum.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
1. Mitch McConnell suffered a fall on June 14 and has not been in the Senate for two months. But he's continued to get paid his salary of 174K/year. Since he entered the Senate in 1985, McConnell has voted against creating or expanding medical leave — paid and unpaid — at least 23 times.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
A+
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
This is WILD. The fact that someone sending a *personal* package is not aware of what the recipient will need to do or pay is CRAZY. My problem with these companies is that they are charging customers huge sums of money for a service that they *cannot* provide.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Correct. This also happens in the arena of “kids safety” online… Everyone is super focused on the names of platforms and products… instead of on the features and functions of the algorithms/systems that power them. Products can change names, companies can collapse… but features can be recreated.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
I know this is quite different, but the exploitation of complexity to obscure accountability (and make a profit) sure feels a lot like what I am experiencing with trying to ship a personal package from the U.S. to the EU… Support companies, screw the public. bsky.app/profile/emil...
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Reminder: people complain about government institutions putting the burden on the public to navigate complex bureaucracies on their own.  This exact same thing happens with companies across industries. My experience with DHL has been a painful example of this, with a huge time & financial burden.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
This is why service design is important. Companies talk a big game about caring about customers and providing a service. But when you go to a company to handle a package, and then they tell you that they have no idea what forms or money would be required for the recipient… That is a massive failure.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
1/ If you love a good dysfunctional system / service design story, pour yourself a beverage & pull up a chair. Storytime 📚 ☕ 7/25 my husband shipped a package to Greece. Inside: my son's new glasses, his medication. DHL said 3-4 days. Arrived on day 3. It is now day 10. We still don't have it…🧵
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Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
"Anthropic has agreed to brief leading finance ministries and central banks on vulnerabilities in the global financial system’s cyber defences identified by the US technology company’s latest AI model."
ft.com
Anthropic to brief global financial watchdog on cyber flaws exposed by Mythos
US tech group will discuss capabilities of its new AI model with members of the Financial Stability Board
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Erica Joy Astrella @ericajoy.astrel.la · 17/05/2026
she’s in oakland, someone tell interpol
a picture of a woman dressed like carmen sandiego
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Neil Turkewitz @neilturkewitz.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
“The truth is that no matter what the POTENTIAL of a technology is, potential breaks down in implementation.” A universal truth! 🙏🏽 It doesn’t mean that technology is bad, or that we should avoid/reject it. But it does mean we shouldn’t allow “potential” to affect our demands for proper governance.
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Katie Phang @katiephang.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
“It’s just frustrating to see them come into our community and run all over us like the citizens don’t matter, and then they’re above the law when they do break it,” resident, James Clifton said. www.politico.com/news/2026/05...
politico.com
A data center drained 30M gallons of water unnoticed — until residents complained about low water pressure
Residents in Fayetteville, Georgia, noticed low water pressure last year. The utility discovered two unaccounted-for water connections at one of the nation’s largest data center campuses.
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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 17/05/2026
“…reinforcing previous studies, the researchers found that a patchwork of state, federal and local policies allow data center operators to avoid publicly disclosing their actual water use.”
calmatters.org
Data centers are guzzling California’s water. We have no idea how much.
A new report warns that data center buildout is encroaching on California’s most vulnerable, water-stressed communities. The problem is, no one’s saying how much water they use
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Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Anthropic is running a continuous research project inside real classrooms at scale and Google DeepMind is doing an RCT of an AI chatbot with 1500 UK schoolkids. Big tech is now all about evidencing AI effects through classroom experiments. The big question is... newsletters.qs.com/6a04954386e7...
newsletters.qs.com
🔬 Evidence, education, and EdTech: a new era of outcomes accountability.
Inside the studies, labs, and partnerships shifting how leading institutions compete. Read the EdTech Ecosystem Hubs Report. Innovation events to note in 2026.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
+ education
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Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Welcome to the club. This is every job in tech now besides CEO.
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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 14/05/2026
Why did a reputable journal publish such a shoddy meta-analysis? Why did it rack up so many citations? Why did it get reported so widely? I'd guess that the answers to these questions all stem from the US's neoliberal allergy to public goods. 1/🧵 arstechnica.com/ai/2026/05/i...
arstechnica.com
Influential study touting ChatGPT in education retracted over red flags
The retracted study on ChatGPT in education was already cited hundreds of times.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Because… why?
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 13/05/2026
And the tech companies wonder why people hate them so much.
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 13/05/2026
Today in luxury surveillance.
fastcompany.com
Your fitness app is becoming an AI wellness overlord
From Strava to Peloton to WHOOP, fitness companies are racing to turn biometric data into personalized workout plans, health advice, and round-the-clock wellness guidance.
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Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Zohran Mamdani inherited a $12 billion budget deficit and brought it down to zero in 6 months without cutting essential services by taxing billionaires. This is why they were in a panic about his candidacy.
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Erika Hall @erikahall.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
cool. coolcoolcool. Please yes, then publish the results of synthetic polling as news stories that shape public opinion.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Amen. This is such a lazy take. My kids ❤️ older movies & even older TV shows… The degree to which they can follow & be absorbed into the plot lines & characters at a young age is incredible. This kind of take imposes a lazy world view on kids & restricts their ability to explore & discover.
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Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Overheard someone wondering aloud why anyone would want to make it appear that the reflecting pool is filled with the blood of a thousand Smurfs.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Amen. It is also a reminder of the degree to which educational institutions are now (functionally) entirely dependent on private entities for basic operations. This dependency is invisible until it’s not & exists everywhere, including hospitals & government. www.thehomescreen.org/p/technology...
thehomescreen.org
Technology is the spinal cord of everything... including your kid's school.
Schools globally have outsourced their operational backbone. The Canvas hack just made what has long been an invisible dependency visible.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Aside from the obvious insanity, this is also why I think usage numbers are inflated. These companies desperately need to create the illusion of demand, and this is one way they are doing it.
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Celeste Ng @pronounced-ing.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Had convos w/ multiple people in the past 4 days who DID NOT KNOW that 1. AI doesn't "think" or know anything; it's a probability machine 2. It was created using massive amounts of work stolen from actual people including me 3. The environmental costs are astronomical Spread the word, every time!
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Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
"The list of platforms that now mediate the basic functions of education ... is almost comically long ... most schools are running 10–15 different EdTech products that all promise efficiency, but in reality create confusion, frustration, and complicate what was once much simpler." 🎯
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SeaTea @tierno158.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
This dog was a three term mayor of Whoville.
A scruffy looking brown dog with hair coming out of his ears
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Thomas Benner @thomasbenner.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
AI and CEOs
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
The Canvas hack that brought campuses globally to a standstill got me thinking about a piece that I wrote in @techpolicypress.bsky.social, about how “technology is the spinal cord of government.” I wrote a few thoughts on what this looks like in schools. www.thehomescreen.org/p/technology...
thehomescreen.org
Technology is the spinal cord of everything... including your kid's school.
Schools globally have outsourced their operational backbone. The Canvas hack just made what has long been an invisible dependency visible.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
As surprising as everything right now might feel… I think it’s important to remember that many people have been pretty clearly articulating what was coming. … and the reaction was largely either a shrug, eye roll, or “calm down.”
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
This is what I mean by “tech is the spinal cord” of our institutions. I wrote about it in government … but the same thing applies everywhere. techpolicy.press/doge-underst...
techpolicy.press
DOGE Understands Something the US Policy Establishment Does Not: Technology is the Spinal Cord of Government
For the US Digital Service, tech was a means to an end, writes Emily Tavoulareas. What is technology a means to now?
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
LOLLLL
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 06/05/2026
COLBERT: How dumb do you think it is for people to say that I should run for president? OBAMA: Well, you know, the bar has changed. I think you would perform significantly better than some folks we've seen. COLBERT: Is that an endorsement? OBAMA: It was not
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Ding ding ding.
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Erika Hall @erikahall.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Quick sketch before dinner. Bok bok.
A watercolor sketch of a Spanish chicken
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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 29/04/2026
“It leads people to believe that all they can do is sit back and wait to find out whether these technologies turn out to be civilisation-ending demons, or utopia-gifting messiahs."
bbc.com
Why AI companies want you to be afraid of them
They built it. They're scared of it. They're selling it anyway.
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EmilyTav @emilytav.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
💯 Teachers also hate it bc they see that it’s not working. We should ask: who decided to do this? Why? & what exactly were their indicators for success or failure? Also: we must separate learning how to use tech VS using tech to learn. My thoughts here👇🏼 www.thehomescreen.org/p/we-need-to...
thehomescreen.org
We need to separate learning how to use technology, from using technology to learn.
They are not at all the same thing.
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Erika Hall @erikahall.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
To repeat the obvious, it really does feel like the internet/being online took a big turn from making us all more connected to creating huge barriers, while all the traditional publications and channels have been replaced by online. Everything is so fragmented, and not into comprehensible grouping.
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