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Michael Winikoff

@profwinikoff.bsky.social
65 followers 70 following 42 posts

husband, father, professor at @vicuniwgtn.bsky.social, musician (piano, choir, composer), keen reader & board gamer. michaelwinikoff.com

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Reposted by Michael Winikoff
Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 26/09/2026
Does 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.
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Stephanie Chan @scychan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
What 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:
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Gautam Kamath @gautamkamath.com · 16/09/2026
Nihar 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.
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Anne Goulding @annegoulding.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Lecturer in Information Systems position open at Te Herenga Waka - ejye.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
ejye.fa.ap1.oraclecloud.com
Pūkenga - Lecturer in Information Systems
Apply your teaching and research expertise in a permanent, full-time role.
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AAMAS.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. #AAMAS2027
warwick.ac.uk
AAMAS 2027 - Call for Papers
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Vincent Conitzer @conitzer.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
I don’t have the heart to tell it... aifails.substack.com/p/what-ai-wi...
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AAMAS.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
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
We 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...
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Simon J. Greenhill @simongreenhill.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Now 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".
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Abbey @abbeyarletto.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
When 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.
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Marc Lanctot @sharky6000.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
🤣
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Michael Winikoff @profwinikoff.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Five 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/5bwTOY6aa3s
youtu.be
AI myths and misperceptions - 2026 update
YouTube video by Michael Winikoff
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Marc Lanctot @sharky6000.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Omg, best easter egg ever ! C= 🦇🧍‍♂️ 👌
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Dr 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...
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Dmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 12/06/2026
This 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.
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
The 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/...
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Vincent Conitzer @conitzer.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
QED aifails.substack.com/p/lion-vs-ch...
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Michael 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
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Days 2 & 3 of #AAMAS2026 are packed with insightful sessions! Share your memories by tagging us.
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
An 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!
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
The best ideas often begin with a single question. Our participants keep the discussions at AAMAS 2026 thoughtful and engaging. #AAMAS2026 #Cyprus #AutonomousAgents
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
A 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
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Prof. Sabine Hauert shares key messages from her keynote on Designing Trustworthy Robot Swarms for Real-World Applications.
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Eddie Yang @eddieyang.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
New 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.
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Boring Manager Rob 🅅 @bourboninexile.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
The paper in question: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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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Michael Winikoff @profwinikoff.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Thrilled 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.org
AAMAS | 2026
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Juliet 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.com
ChatGPT and other AI bots made huge errors before Scottish election, study finds
Exclusive: Electoral Commission calls for new controls as Demos finds tools made up fake scandals, invented candidates or gave wrong date
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Grady Booch @booch.com · 19/05/2026
cacm.acm.org/news/in-memo...
cacm.acm.org
In Memoriam: Peter G. Neumann (1932-2026) – Communications of the ACM
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Dr. Casey Fiesler @cfiesler.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Particularly 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
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Michael Winikoff @profwinikoff.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Weird … 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.
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
The 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 #MultiAgent
cyprusconferences.org
Detailed Program | AAMAS
Scientific Program: Sessions, Workshops, and Presentations
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Dr Dean Knight @drdeanknight.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Wise 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...
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Stephen Clarke @stephenclarkenz.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Mighty 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.social
arts.unimelb.edu.au
Charlotte Macdonald awarded the 2026 Ernest Scott Prize
Charlotte Macdonald awarded the 2026 Ernest Scott Prize
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Thomas Dietterich @tdietterich.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
a requirement that subsequent arXiv submissions must first be accepted at a reputable peer-reviewed venue.
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Thomas Dietterich @tdietterich.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
We 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...
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Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Really 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)
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Vincent Conitzer @conitzer.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
a small twist on a classic puzzle aifails.substack.com/p/backpack-w...
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Dr Keith Wilson 💭 @keithwilson.eu · 06/05/2026
Not 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.
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Michael Winikoff @profwinikoff.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
🤦‍♂️
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Joanna Bryson @j2bryson.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
This 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
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
The 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...
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Aaron Martin @sixfouronea.net · 04/05/2026
Under 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.com
California to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic laws
Under the new rules, police will be able to issue tickets directly to the car's manufacturer when an autonomous vehicle breaks a traffic law.
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Michael Winikoff @profwinikoff.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
I’m attending, but online, not in person.
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Association for Computing Machinery @acm.org · 28/04/2026
Thank 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
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Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
What 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...
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Vincent Conitzer @conitzer.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Little known fact: it's only our data that keeps data centers from flying into space. aifails.substack.com/p/data-cente...
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
We 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
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Prepare 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
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AAMAS.2027 @aamasconf.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Michael 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...
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