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Tom Roberts

@tomroberts.bsky.social

Philosopher at the University of Exeter (Perception, Emotion, Cognition; Aesthetics; AI).

33 Posts229 Follower91 Folgt
Social & Political Science, Philosophy, Anthropology@exeterspspa.bsky.social · 2d ago

New research explores why AI chatbots feel so engaging. Dr @tomroberts.bsky.social argues that people interact with chatbots much like fictional characters, helping explain their popularity while raising important questions about trust, influence and misinformation. @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social

“Fictional” chatbots help explain popularity of artificial intelligence

The huge popularity of AI chatbots can be explained by their accepted role as fictional characters in people’s lives – in the same way as those found in films, TV and books, a new study

news.exeter.ac.uk

Alex Prichard@profalexp.bsky.social · last mo.

@exeter.ac.uk is not in deficit, has £200m+ cash reserves, hasn’t invested in white elephants, doesn’t have a recruitment problem, never had 1000s of international students, and deliveres outstanding outcomes in teaching and research. If UEB’s data projects a deficit won’t they share it with UCU?

Science X / Phys.org@sciencex.bsky.social · 8mo ago

AI chatbots are increasingly generating and spreading gossip, which can lead to reputational harm, anxiety, and social unrest as these outputs circulate widely and unchecked. doi.org/hbgmbz

Feral AI gossip with the potential to spread damage and shame will become more frequent, researchers warn

"Feral" gossip spread via AI bots is likely to become more frequent and pervasive, causing reputational damage and shame, humiliation, anxiety, and distress, researchers have warned.

techxplore.com

Lucy Osler@lucyosler.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Thanks to Cardiff for funding our Sad Philosophy Workshop next week with me, @lopezcantero.bsky.social and @bexmillar.bsky.social We’ll be in the melancholy domains of grief and negative relationships, heartbreak and chatbots, and ai psychosis 🖤 🖤🖤

Cardiff Philosophy@cardiffphilosophy.bsky.social · 11mo ago

#philsky A Sad Philosophy Workshop GRIEF, HEARTBREAK, & HALLUCINATIONS Pilar Lopez-Cantero (Antwerp) Becky Millar (Cardiff) Lucy Osler (Exeter) 13:30-17:30, Friday 26 September 1.57 John Percival Building Cardiff University Free! All welcome! Register here: bit.ly/CdfGHH#philsky

Poster has image of a tearful cyborg woman and the same text as in this post.
Lucy Osler@lucyosler.bsky.social · 11mo ago

🎉 What a lovely way to celebrate my first day at Exeter! This fun conversation with Jim Baxter @ethicsuntangled.bsky.social about a paper my now-colleague @joelkrueger.com and I wrote on AI Gossip is now up! In the podcast we discuss how AI systems might engage in gossip-like behaviour 🙊

Ethics Untangled podcast@ethicsuntangled.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Happy September everyone. We're back with a conversation about one of the weirder, more unexpectred and potentially more problematic things that large language models can apparently do - gossip. www.buzzsprout.com/2113237/epis...

Celso Neto@celsoneto.bsky.social · last yr.

🚨Project 🚨My project “Human Genomics without Racism” kicks off during #ISHPSSB25. Join us for the Symposium “Values, Bias, and Controversies” on Monday 21, 14:30. #philsky #popgen #evosky #STS #biological #HPbio hugera.org

Home - HUGERA

The Human Genomics without Racism (HUGERA) project brings together geneticists, philosophers, and social scientists to create tools for an ethically sound science of human variation. Latest News

hugera.org

Lucy Osler@lucyosler.bsky.social · last yr.

Many of these examples came together in our new chapter on Lonely Objects and Obsolete Affordances (@tomroberts.bsky.social and @joelkrueger.com)! Thanks so much for the inspiration ❤️ www.researchgate.net/publication/...

(PDF) Lonely Objects and Obsolete Affordances

PDF | While loneliness is typically conceived of as a psychological state experienced by agents, people often describe objects and places as lonely.... | Find, read and cite all the research you need ...

researchgate.net

Lucy Osler@lucyosler.bsky.social · 2y ago

Thinking about lonely objects with Dylan Trigg’s excellent work on the aesthetics of decay. Anonymous hotel lobbies and abandoned places lending a delightful melancholy to my morning. Looking for more examples of lonely objects and places (some examples in the 🧵) #philosophy #philsky

Ruth Pearce@notrightruth.bsky.social · last yr.

Brilliant statement from the Society for Women in Philosophy - a model response to recent events. "SWIP UK membership, in line with our recognitions and aims, has for many years been open to trans women and to other trans and/or non-binary people [...] this will not change under any circumstances"

Statement of solidarity and support in response to the recent UK Supreme Court ruling and EHRC guidance: The Society for Women In Philosophy UK (SWIP UK) condemns the recent Supreme Court ruling on 16 April 2025 determining that the term ‘woman’ in the Equality Act 2010 refers to a binary and biological notion of ‘sex’, and the subsequent interim guidance published by the EHRC on 25 April 2025. This ruling and the guidance undermine the human rights and safety of trans, non-binary, and intersex people and are also detrimental to cis women. Trans women are women, and belong in feminist organisations. There is no fight against sexism and misogyny separate from the fight against cissexism and transmisogyny. SWIP UK membership, in line with our recognitions and aims, has for many years been open to trans women and to other trans and/or non-binary people who feel the category of ‘woman’ is relevant to their experiences, and this will not change under any circumstances. The legal landscape is currently very unclear and rapidly changing. We are in the process of finding out what concrete steps, if any, we need to take to ensure the continuation of our current approach to membership. We will involve members in this in accordance with our bylaws. We plan to respond to the EHRC consultation which closes at the end of May, and anyone who would like to support our efforts on this is invited to get in touch with us via our websites contact form.
Otto English@ottoenglish.bsky.social · last yr.

Labour has a whopping great majority and four years left to turn this country around. They should be setting the agenda, not chasing about trying to placate voters of a party with five MPs who will never vote for them anyway. It's not only disappointing... it's embarrassing

Adam Toon@adamtoonphilos.bsky.social · last yr.

We're hiring! Lecturer in Philosophy (Artificial Intelligence and Data). Deadline for applications: 17th April 2025 www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DML775/l... #philsky #philmind #cogsci #philsci

Lecturer in Philosophy (Artificial Intelligence and Data) (Education and Research) at University of Exeter

Searching for an academic job? Explore this Lecturer in Philosophy (Artificial Intelligence and Data) (Education and Research) opening on jobs.ac.uk! Click to view more details and browse other academ...

jobs.ac.uk

Tom Roberts@tomroberts.bsky.social · last yr.

This is just to say I have read the Yemen strike plans that were in the group chat and which you were probably saving for those with appropriate security clearance Forgive me they were delicious so strategic and so secret