Reposted by Michael WinikoffCarl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 26/09/2026Does my Speak-n-Spell feel pain when I type O-U-C-H? The jury is out. Philosophers and neuroscientists say that's fucking stupid, but I called a guy from the Center for Pretending that Household Electronics Are Sentient and he said there's no way to know for sure. 5843181182
Reposted by Michael WinikoffStephanie Chan @scychan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026What does the *empirical evidence* tell us about work and wellbeing? And what does that imply for AI futures? arxiv.org/abs/2609.11019 We reviewed studies of populations across the world, including the unemployed, retirees, lottery winners, and financially dependent spouses. Major takeaways: 1216
Reposted by Michael WinikoffGautam Kamath @gautamkamath.com · 16/09/2026Nihar Shah did a heroic experiment for TMLR: he spent 20-25 hours over two weeks interviewing authors of seemingly low-quality submissions about their own papers. He confirmed what we all suspected: people submitting these papers have *no idea* what is going on in them. 5276110
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAnne Goulding @annegoulding.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Lecturer in Information Systems position open at Te Herenga Waka - ejye.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...ejye.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.comPūkenga - Lecturer in Information SystemsApply your teaching and research expertise in a permanent, full-time role. 057
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 17/08/2026📣 AAMAS 2027 CfP is live: warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/dcs/... The 26th conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, Hanoi,Vietnam, 3–7 May 2027. Work welcome across the full breadth of the field, including generative and agentic AI. #AAMAS2027warwick.ac.ukAAMAS 2027 - Call for Papers 165
Reposted by Michael WinikoffVincent Conitzer @conitzer.bsky.social · 15/08/2026I don’t have the heart to tell it... aifails.substack.com/p/what-ai-wi... 021
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 21/07/2026✈️ Save the date! AAMAS 2027 heads to Hanoi, Vietnam 🇻🇳 | May 3–7 The 26th edition of the field's largest conference on autonomous agents & multiagent systems, in one of Asia's most vibrant cities. Follow for CfP, deadlines & program updates. #AAMAS2027 #MultiAgentSystems 064
Reposted by Michael WinikoffJay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 05/07/2026We should pay peer reviewers Paying reviewers led to faster decisions—an average of 5.5 working days vs 38 days for unpaid reviews And review quality improved (judged by handling editors) Reviewers who delivered a good peer review in 4 days were paid $290 www.nature.com/articles/d41... 115340
Reposted by Michael WinikoffSimon J. Greenhill @simongreenhill.bsky.social · 26/06/2026Now this is wild for so many reasons: - SpringerNature retracts 2x70 year-old articles by Max Planck for "copyright violation". - Dead people can't violate copyright. - Editor was not notified. - "Springer Nature is nevertheless still selling the empty PDF for $39.95". 293
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAbbey @abbeyarletto.bsky.social · 23/06/2026When reality surpasses fiction! Top: fictional forecast for August 2050, broadcast by French TV in 2014 to warn about the consequences of global warming. Bottom: Real French forecast for yesterday, June 22, 2026. 236168357553
Michael Winikoff @profwinikoff.bsky.social · 15/06/2026Five years ago I gave an invited talk on AI myths. How well has it held up? Here is a (brief) 2026 update, including some things that I think everyone should know about LLMs. youtu.be/5bwTOY6aa3syoutu.beAI myths and misperceptions - 2026 updateYouTube video by Michael Winikoff 011
Reposted by Michael WinikoffMarc Lanctot @sharky6000.bsky.social · 08/06/2026Omg, best easter egg ever ! C= 🦇🧍♂️ 👌 271
Reposted by Michael WinikoffDr Dean Knight @drdeanknight.bsky.social · 12/06/2026#rantsandreckons by me on new policy initiatives etc being dropped in at last minute after select committee has reported #shoddylawmaking 🤓 newsroom.co.nz/2026/06/12/g... 13316
Reposted by Michael WinikoffDmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 12/06/2026This is outrageous. When I hire KPMG to validate my priors I expect to receive the wildly overconfident lies of a 23 year old MBA, not those of some stinking robot. 171054293
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 10/06/2026The proceedings of AAMAS 2026 on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems are now available! Explore cutting-edge research, insights, and case studies shared by participants during the conference. 📖 Access the full proceedings here: www.ifaamas.org/Proceedings/... 063
Reposted by Michael WinikoffVincent Conitzer @conitzer.bsky.social · 04/06/2026QED aifails.substack.com/p/lion-vs-ch... 021
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 03/06/2026Michael Wooldridge delivered an amazing keynote speech at AAMAS 2026! His perspective on Rethinking Multi-agent Systems in the Era of LLMs was both informative and challenging. #AAMAS2026 #Cyprus #AutonomousAgents #MultiAgent 051
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 28/05/2026 Days 2 & 3 of #AAMAS2026 are packed with insightful sessions! Share your memories by tagging us. 062
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 27/05/2026An unforgettable Awards Ceremony at #AAMAS2026! Celebrating exceptional research, dedication, and innovation in Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems. Congratulations to all the award winners for their inspiring contributions! 041
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 27/05/2026The best ideas often begin with a single question. Our participants keep the discussions at AAMAS 2026 thoughtful and engaging. #AAMAS2026 #Cyprus #AutonomousAgents 011
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 27/05/2026A full house for the speech of Sabine Hauert OBE! Her take on Designing Trustworthy Robot Swarms for Real-World Applications brought fresh perspectives and bold ideas to the table. What resonated with you the most? Let us know and tag us! #AAMAS2026 #Cyprus #AutonomousAgents 021
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 27/05/2026Prof. Sabine Hauert shares key messages from her keynote on Designing Trustworthy Robot Swarms for Real-World Applications. 031
Reposted by Michael WinikoffEddie Yang @eddieyang.bsky.social · 13/05/2026New paper in Nature. The more a government controls its domestic media, the more it dominates AI training data, the more pro-regime outputs we get from AI. By scraping the open web, LLMs are unwittingly laundering state-coordinated narratives into seemingly objective answers. 25879450
Reposted by Michael WinikoffBoring Manager Rob 🅅 @bourboninexile.bsky.social · 25/05/2026The paper in question: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...science.orgSycophantic AI decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependenceDespite 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... 7870475
Michael Winikoff @profwinikoff.bsky.social · 25/05/2026Thrilled to be attending the 25th(!) AAMAS this week (although online, rather than in-person). I have attended most AAMAS since the first in 2002. @aamasconf.bsky.social (1/n)cyprusconferences.orgAAMAS | 2026 100
Reposted by Michael WinikoffJuliet E McKenna @julietemckenna.bsky.social · 21/05/2026"ChatGPT, the most heavily used AI service, gave wrong information in 46% of its answers, including making up an expenses scandal, giving inaccurate replies on voter eligibility rules and getting the date of the election wrong by two months." www.theguardian.com/technology/2...theguardian.comChatGPT and other AI bots made huge errors before Scottish election, study findsExclusive: Electoral Commission calls for new controls as Demos finds tools made up fake scandals, invented candidates or gave wrong date 18672385
Reposted by Michael WinikoffGrady Booch @booch.com · 19/05/2026cacm.acm.org/news/in-memo...cacm.acm.orgIn Memoriam: Peter G. Neumann (1932-2026) – Communications of the ACM 14211
Reposted by Michael WinikoffDr. Casey Fiesler @cfiesler.bsky.social · 17/05/2026Particularly in the context of (appropriate) crackdowns on LLM-generated papers (e.g., on arXiv) and more and more tales of fabricated citations, two reminders: (1) LLMs do not "cite their sources" (2) Using an LLM to generate, complete, or fix LaTeX code can result in fabricated citations 6419125
Michael Winikoff @profwinikoff.bsky.social · 16/05/2026Weird … the Xitter account that I haven’t touched since late 2022 was just suspended for “inauthentic behaviour”. Anyone else experiencing similar? I suspect someone reported it for something, but of course I’ve got no idea what. 100
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 15/05/2026The full AAMAS 2026 program has just been released—check out what’s in store for this exciting event. 🗓️ 📍 cyprusconferences.org/aamas2026/de... #AAMAS2026 #Cyprus #AutonomousAgents #MultiAgentcyprusconferences.orgDetailed Program | AAMASScientific Program: Sessions, Workshops, and Presentations 052
Reposted by Michael WinikoffDr Dean Knight @drdeanknight.bsky.social · 14/05/2026Wise comments from my colleagues — a wafer thin purported justification makes the slated bar on tort claims a worrying breach of the rule of law and democratic traditions etc. theconversation.com/changing-cli... 0177
Reposted by Michael WinikoffStephen Clarke @stephenclarkenz.bsky.social · 13/05/2026Mighty congratulations Charlotte + @bwbnz.bsky.social 👏 arts.unimelb.edu.au/news/charlot... and a reminder that this was a @royalsocietynz.bsky.social Marsden funded project in Humanities! #HumanitiesMatter #history @vicuniwgtn.bsky.socialarts.unimelb.edu.auCharlotte Macdonald awarded the 2026 Ernest Scott PrizeCharlotte Macdonald awarded the 2026 Ernest Scott Prize 0147
Reposted by Michael WinikoffThomas Dietterich @tdietterich.bsky.social · 13/05/2026a requirement that subsequent arXiv submissions must first be accepted at a reputable peer-reviewed venue. 3805
Reposted by Michael WinikoffThomas Dietterich @tdietterich.bsky.social · 13/05/2026We are implementing a similar policy at @arxiv.bsky.social. If there is incontrovertible evidence of LLM slop in a paper, this means the authors did not take the time to read the LLM output and we can't trust anything else in the paper. Penalty is 1 year ban from arXiv followed by... 15412139
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAbigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 08/05/2026Really important tidbit here as well: even asking AI to *format* citations can result in hallucination. (I know this but my students absolutely do not believe it) 3269
Reposted by Michael WinikoffVincent Conitzer @conitzer.bsky.social · 08/05/2026a small twist on a classic puzzle aifails.substack.com/p/backpack-w... 171
Reposted by Michael WinikoffDr Keith Wilson 💭 @keithwilson.eu · 06/05/2026Not only does telling a chatbot ‘do not hallucinate’ misunderstand how LLMs works, the idea that they are capable of following instructions is an illusion. At best, this just adds text to the context that may cause them to go down one path rather than another. But they don’t literally obey commands. 12359118
Reposted by Michael WinikoffJoanna Bryson @j2bryson.bsky.social · 05/05/2026This is huge. I can't believe it took this long before accountability was established in a domain so evident and hazardous as traffic. But proves its doable. Now let's see it enforced, rapidly and at appropriate scale to effect change. #AIEthics #driverless 02110
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 05/05/2026The countdown has begun! In just 20 days, we’ll gather for the 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems. 🔗 Registration System: easyconferences.org 🔗 Registration Guidelines: cyprusconferences.org/online-regis... 063
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAaron Martin @sixfouronea.net · 04/05/2026Under California's new rules, police can cite AV companies when their vehicles commit moving violations. The rules will also require the companies to respond to calls from police and other emergency officials within 30 seconds. www.bbc.com/news/article...bbc.comCalifornia to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic lawsUnder the new rules, police will be able to issue tickets directly to the car's manufacturer when an autonomous vehicle breaks a traffic law. 073
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAssociation for Computing Machinery @acm.org · 28/04/2026Thank you to all of you who attended ACM's Technology Policy Council's special session, "From Technical Safety to Societal Impact: Rethinking AI Governance," at the recent India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi! If you missed it, here's a recap: buff.ly/MDl8s6T 002
Reposted by Michael WinikoffJay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 26/04/2026What is the one thing that most worries you about AI? In a survey of 3,700 AI researchers, only 3% replied existential risk—despite the prominence given to these risks in media. Far more experts are worried aout malicious use, misinformation, job losses, bias, etc. www.nature.com/articles/d41... 712638
Reposted by Michael WinikoffVincent Conitzer @conitzer.bsky.social · 21/04/2026Little known fact: it's only our data that keeps data centers from flying into space. aifails.substack.com/p/data-cente... 001
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 09/04/2026We would like to welcome Professor Sabine Hauert from the University of Bristol to the AAMAS 2026 keynote stage! Discover more about her speech on "Designing Trustworthy Robot Swarms for Real-World Applications". ➡️ cyprusconferences.org/aamas2026/ke... #AAMAS2026 #Cyprus #AutonomousAgents 041
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Prepare for an inspiring keynote speech in Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems! Joanna Bryson from the Hertie School will deliver a keynote address on "the Limits of Artificial Agency" at AAMAS 2026🎤 More information ➡️ cyprusconferences.org/aamas2026/ke... #AAMAS2026 #Cyprus 032
Reposted by Michael WinikoffAAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 02/04/2026Michael Wooldridge from the University of Oxford will share expert insights at the 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems!🎤 More info ➡️ cyprusconferences.org/aamas2026/ke... 031