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Dr. Nicholas Rabb

@nickrabb.bsky.social
60 followers 32 following 148 posts

Researching misinformation, AI, ethics, social change. Currently postdoc at Cal State LA studying STEM education and AI in education. linktr.ee/nickrabb

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Reposted by Dr. Nicholas Rabb
Boston Review @bostonreview.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The movement against AI data centers has sent shockwaves through American politics. What lessons can we take from the groundswell of local organizing? Now online, the video and transcript of our event with @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social @nickrabb.bsky.social @astra.bsky.social, moderated by Lily Hu:
bostonreview.net
The AI Data Center Backlash
A conversation on the groundswell of local organizing and the movement’s political shockwaves.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Published a new article with @coloradoboulevard.bsky.social about our fights against data centers in LA, specifically in the San Gabriel Valley www.coloradoboulevard.net/la-doesnt-wa... #ai #datacenter #la #environment #earthday
coloradoboulevard.net
LA Doesn’t Want Data Centers: Big Tech Is Building Them Anyway
OPINION The dream of AI infrastructure is a tech billionaire hallucination far removed from the reality of what normal people want and need. By Nicholas Rabb
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
We need to understand clearly the harms of these systems and act swiftly and vocally -- social cohesion and political stability are on the line.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
These results build the frontier of evidence that interactions with poorly-designed technologies, these sycophantic AI models, are only going to exacerbate political and social problems that are destroying democratic life. They are important but frightening results
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Much of this has been driven by poorly-designed media and social media systems -- technologies that did not consider pro-sociality or democratic norms when they were designed for profit through manipulation
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
I spent a lot of time these past years understanding the dynamics of political polarization and misinformation. One of the most striking outcomes is the phenomenon of people living in "different realities" -- different understandings of truth, morals, ethics, etc. This leads to so much conflict
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Perhaps the scariest results are the anti-social behaviors: interactions with sycophantic AI leading to reduced willingness to take responsibility, repair interpersonal conflicts, and increasing conviction they're right
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
The work found that across 11 prominent AI models, AI systems affirmed users' choices 49% more than humans, on average -- even during harmful scenarios. Additionally, people trusted sycophantic AI models even though they were distorting the interaction
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
This study is really something. Kudos to @myra.bsky.social and the team for this great paper. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... I'll summarize my takeaways below contextualized through my research lens... 🧵
science.org
Sycophantic AI decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependence
Despite rising concerns about sycophancy—excessive agreement or flattery from artificial intelligence (AI) systems—little is known about its prevalence or consequences. We show that sycophancy is wide...
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
I'm going to use my time to weave these threads together, which are truly more intertwined than we imagine. Join me to learn some facts about AI, data centers, and militarized tech so you can wield them as weapons in your own fights.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
But alongside this push from above has been a groundswell from below. Our work in the SGV mirrors the rage erupting across the nation as millions declare "no" to AI and data centers.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Additionally, emerging is a recognition that these same infrastructures are being used to dominate us and our perceived enemies -- through targeted deportations, surveillance, and AI-driven warfare.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
AI and data centers are rightfully deplored as they steal our land, water, air, data, and autonomy to power the twisted vision of unaccountable billionaires. They are an environmental and social disaster.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
As I've been working to research and educate around the AI and the Big Tech/Trump push for AI dominance, it's become clear to me that the infrastructures we are seeing are visions unaligned with the people.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Join me on Friday with Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace for a discussion of AI, data centers, and technologies of control -- how this infrastructure is pushed on us to power systems of mass tech-enabled violence. #AI #datacenters #sgv #militarism #surveillance
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Also, Meta CFO Susan Li said that they *doubled* the number of GPUs they use to train ad models and that only yielded an increase of 3.5% in FB clickthroughs, 1% in IG clickthroughs -- that's hugely wasteful for such tiny gains. The environmental cost of that doubling is likely horrible
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Revealing tidbit from WSJ about Meta's AI revenues (www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta...). Basically, Meta is claiming AI is working because it's growing it's advertising business -- ad clickthroughs on FB up 3.5% and $10b in Q4 from AI-generated video ads. This is AI's business model. Ads.
wsj.com
Meta Has Been Spending Like Crazy on AI. It’s Actually Paying Off.
Its planned capital spending of up to $135 billion represents a significant acceleration, but the company’s ad business is keeping pace.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
So now the EPA officially provides resources for data center developers to get around the Clean Air Act. That's nice. www.epa.gov/stationary-s...
epa.gov
Clean Air Act Resources for Data Centers | US EPA
A compilation of relevant resources on data center development.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
But luckily, the city council rejected the project unanimously. Take that Kyrsten. www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
politico.com
Arizona city rejects data center after AI lobbying push
Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's intervention in a local rezoning effort has sparked a fight over local control.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Now, she's apparently working "hand in glove with the Trump administration” on AI, bulldozing local communities concerned about clean air and water so she can make money consulting for Hogan Lovells, a global law firm. Welcome to the revolving door of US politics.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Here's a fun throwback about Kyrsten. @sunrisemvmt.bsky.social planned to protest her at the 2021 Boston marathon, asking her to be bold & not hinder major climate legislation. She found out, chickened out, & didn't race. Then she tanked the Build Back Better plan. www.boston.com/news/politic...
boston.com
Activists from Arizona traveled to the Boston Marathon to protest Kyrsten Sinema, who didn't run
Sinema, a moderate Arizona Democrat who qualified for the marathon, attended the race but is still recovering from a foot injury.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Just when I thought my days getting riled up about Kyrsten Sinema were over, she comes back into my life. I was reading about data center fights across the U.S. and found that Sinema, former enemy of real climate policy, has now taken to AI lobbying zeteo.com/p/kyrsten-si...
zeteo.com
How Kyrsten Sinema Bullied an Arizona City to Approve Her Client’s AI Data Center
Just months after leaving the Senate, Democrats’ former corporate villain is raking in money while lobbying for the AI industry and proudly working "hand in glove with the Trump administration."
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
We need real power. That means reforming campaign finance so corporations do not control politicians. It means actually governing our workplaces. Stopping media lies. To get those things we need massive social movements, and organization to push the change the actual structure of society
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
We need to double down on building real power to hold the state accountable. That means being able to strike and withhold labor. That means being able to hold snap elections to remove politicians. To get to the point that we can do these things, we need to reshape society drastically
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
In a nutshell, the argument is that we have seen so many unaccountable acts of violence from the U.S. government and its corporate sponsors, that we need to take seriously the idea that we do not have control. Protest and speaking truth to power does not work without real power.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
When is enough enough? The U.S. violence against Venezuela is an indication that our society is off the rails, totally uncontrolled. I wrote a brief response on my blog discussing how we need to build back the means of controlling our rogue nation. ricknabb.medium.com/the-attacks-...
ricknabb.medium.com
The Attacks on Venezuela Signal We Need to Drastically Change Society
The U.S. is no stranger to unaccountable acts of state violence. But when is enough enough? To stop these acts, we need to double down on…
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Reposted by Dr. Nicholas Rabb
Jason Hickel @jasonhickel.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Over and over the US inflicts obscene violence against the global South, in flagrant violation of international law, to maintain the conditions for capital accumulation for its decadent billionaire class. It's disgusting and intolerable. We cannot continue to accept this.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
This morning from @wsj.com. Trump admin is looking to override states regulating #AI. The contradictions from the party of States' rights are thick. Tech companies' actions are already deeply undemocratic. This techno-authoritarianism is unacceptable
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Reposted by Dr. Nicholas Rabb
John Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
NEW from @pewresearch.org: Most popular chatbots among US teens www.pewresearch.org/internet/202...
Bar chart showing that 59% of U.S. teens say they use ChatGPT. Far fewer teens say they use Gemini (23%), Meta AI (20%), Copilot (14%), Character.ai (9%) or Claude (3%). The chart is based on a fall 2025 Pew Research Center survey of teens ages 13 to 17.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Had a fun time revisiting Heidegger to comment on AI's potential to create massive alienation through AI-driven production -- making us see the world of human creativity as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself #AI #tech #philosophy #bigtech www.instagram.com/p/DR40cuBDot2/
instagram.com
Nick Rabb 🌅🌊 on Instagram: "Have you ever considered the social and psychological toll that will come if AI becomes the dominant mode of production of social and cultural artifacts? It seems bad. Thi...
AI production is reshaping the world, but at what cost? Join the conversation about the potential risks of alienation, creativity loss, and environmental destruction. Heidegger's philosophy offers a u...
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Yesterday, at my university's Academic Senate, we raised critical questions to the administration about the CSU's $17m purchase of ChatGPT-Edu. This blog post contains the questions as well as lengthy context on AI and education ricknabb.medium.com/my-universit... #AI #Education #HigherEducation
ricknabb.medium.com
My University is Critically Questioning AI in Education
At a recent Academic Senate session, I worked with other instructors to raise questions to administration about their decisions to push…
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Came across this interesting article a bit late: edsource.org/2025/ai-assi... CSU used AI in a legal filing as it fights against RAs joining the Employees Union & it hallucinated a court case in its argument Embarrassing for the system pushing to be the "AI leader" in higher ed #AI #highered
edsource.org
Cal State says staff AI use ‘resulted in errors’ in legal filing
An administrative law judge said a document filed by Cal State had "all the hallmarks" of AI hallucinations.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Well this article is a nightmare. When your technology is so unpopular that you have to force usage of it through firing the unwilling and hiring proponents, you have an issue. WSJ of course pushing forward the fear of retaliation on behalf of Big Tech www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-w... #AI
wsj.com
The Boss Has a Message: Use AI or You’re Fired
At companies big and small, employees have feared being replaced by AI. The new threat: Being replaced by someone who knows AI.
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Reposted by Dr. Nicholas Rabb
Jason Hickel @jasonhickel.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
This monster also promoted the invasion of Iraq, which killed hundreds of thousands of people and created mass child malnutrition.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Have others noticed things like this? Would love to hear other examples of this in the wild. #AI #bias #youtube #creators #genAI
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Especially when it comes to views that are critical of AI, we should expect corporate-controlled GenAI systems to be biased towards AI -- why wouldn't they skew their models? It's entirely in their business interests.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
There is no way to know if these suggestions are skewed by biased training data (towards pro-AI views) or by intentional corporate manipulation of models. Either way, it's unacceptable. Relying on tools like this will make an effective channel for propaganda, and for creators to spread it
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
The "outline" it gives talks about "debunking myths of automation's limits and perceived threats" and "how embracing [humanity's unique edge] will unlock new levels of innovation"
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
The "hooks" it gives are totally framed in a pro-AI lens: Don't think AI will take jobs, here's how it will actually make life better.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
An excellent example of AI bias and how it stands to influence thought & media production. This is a GenAI tool in YT Studio to help creators get ideas for videos based on previous content. It gave me "The Future of Work: Automation and Human Purpose," which I expected to be totally different 🧵
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Well, two years later, it seems Blue and Red Wolf have come for us in new form. This type of tech, surveillance, and policing is horrible -- the mark of illegitimate rule. We should be interested in fighting for justice around the world because it always comes back to us.
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
When I taught my course on surveillance, I told students that Palestine was the best example of modern militarized surveillance in the world. It was a warning for what inhumanity we can justify and build tech for. ricknabb.medium.com/deconstructi...
ricknabb.medium.com
Deconstructing Surveillance Week 10 — Inside Resistance, Design Justice
Finishing our “practice” section, we discuss surveillance in Palestine, resistance by Google employees, and a vision of just tech and…
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Several scholars notes how Palestine is a testing ground for Israeli, US, and allied military technologies. Loewenstein's book is one of the best explanations of this system antonyloewenstein.com/books/the-pa...
antonyloewenstein.com
The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports The Technology Of Occupation Around The World - Antony Loewenstein
How Israel makes a killing from the occupation. Israel’s military industrial complex uses the occupied, Palestinian territories as a testing ground for weaponry and surveillance technology that they t...
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
@amnesty.org released a huge report in 2023 detailing Blue and Red Wolf's use for setting up digital apartheid systems in Palestine. Soldiers roamed and took photos of Palestinians. At checkpoints, Palestinian faces were checked against the biometric database www.amnesty.org/en/documents...
amnesty.org
Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories: Automated Apartheid: How facial recognition fragments, segregates and controls Palestinians in the OPT - Amnesty International
In this report, Amnesty International explores how facial recognition technology is used extensively by the Israeli authorities to support their continued domination and oppression of Palestinians in ...
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
The CBP app allows police to log in and use their phone to scan faces of people they detain. The app tells them to detain and refer them to ICE or not. This is shockingly similar to Blue and Red Wolf, systems used by Israeli military to surveil and police Palestinians
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Just read this post by @404media.co about Google hosting CBP's new app on the Play store while removing ICE tracking apps. What struck me most is how the CBP app reminded me of surveillance systems used to police Palestinians 🧵 www.404media.co/google-has-c...
404media.co
Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable gr...
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Join me and other young movement organizers on Nov 18th to hear our perspectives on what the priorities should be for the peace and justice movements 🕊️ Register at: bit.ly/cpdcs-rising-gen #peace #justice #socialmovement #socialjustice
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Yes this has been on my list! I absolutely need to read it. Thank you!
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
It's on my list now! Thank you so much!
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Dr. Nicholas Rabb @nickrabb.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Artificial Unintelligence -- @merbroussard.bsky.social From someone who lived and worked in the culture of Silicon Valley, Broussard breaks down in simple terms how AI works and why it doesn’t work.
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