<![CDATA[(1/5) I want to share a personal story today.]]>(1/5) I want to share a personal story today. This will be a thread, so please bear with me.

I’m pursuing a master’s degree in digital society alongside my work. Yesterday, I started to attend a course on research methods in the social sciences. The lecturer told us that our assignment would be to perform a research task using a slop machine.
I protested, of course, making my case why I considered using slop machines in research and educational highly unethical. (...)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/f366058d-3147-465e-a70d-cda2a422a2d5/1-5-i-want-to-share-a-personal-story-today.RSS for NodeTue, 14 Apr 2026 01:00:02 GMTSat, 14 Mar 2026 13:00:09 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:27:10 GMT]]>@r_alb hard to say! I think a lot of lecturers use llms but don't admit to it. I know of only one who definitely doesn't use it

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://freeradical.zone/users/tizlit/statuses/116232475823341753https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://freeradical.zone/users/tizlit/statuses/116232475823341753Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:27:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:26:51 GMT]]>@r_alb @xpmatteo In a learning environment, much/most of the learning in researching & writing a paper is in doing it. Using a LLM the student is not learning & is reduced to checking if the citations exist. Rather boring & mostly pointless.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ioc.exchange/users/annehargreaves/statuses/116232474527609649https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://ioc.exchange/users/annehargreaves/statuses/116232474527609649Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:26:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:11:39 GMT]]>@xpmatteo
If 'it can do useful stuff' is your only defence of and reason for slop machines, I must say you're in the wrong thread here.
We're not LLM bros. Whether something gets done or not isn't my only measure. I deeply care about how it is done!
I also don't care about whether technology could do something. I care about whether something should be done with technology!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232414764813586https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232414764813586Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:11:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:04:36 GMT]]>@noodlemaz

Thank you for sharing teachers' perspective! You're right, of course, and it certainly wasn't my intention to lay all the blame on teachers. They are in the same situation as all of us, having those models thrown at them on every occasion. Plus, they have to think about what's good for those they're teaching.
I know exactly whom I want and have to blame for the mess we're in.

@barabasz

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232387051145675https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232387051145675Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:04:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:47:14 GMT]]>@r_alb @barabasz I know it's a lie, but practically, if you put yourself in their position

Overworked, underpaid and under resourced
Faced with shitty parents and belligerent students oftentimes
And a thing that most people are using for whatever reason
And pressure from your bosses to get on board probably

While you and I can, for now, keep refusing - do they have much of a choice? Or does it make them safer to incorporate things somehow. I agree use is unethical. But a lot of people just aren't able to make a stand about that, and I think that's true of a lot of teachers. They'll get back submissions with unknown AI use and input instead of in their case knowing who's used it.

It's not the best example I've seen of using it to teach people - teach them it's not really doing what they need or how bad it is is ideal - but I still can't put the blame on teachers. They're making do, as they have been for so long. Maybe that's over-charitable for all of them, but worth considering.

I still think it's important to bring up! People who do want to refuse need to know they're not alone.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.games/ap/users/115798900176839373/statuses/116232318761173679https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.games/ap/users/115798900176839373/statuses/116232318761173679Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:47:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:45:43 GMT]]>@Em0nM4stodon
🧠🩶

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232312791488526https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232312791488526Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:45:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:44:14 GMT]]>@r_alb Your characterization of (I presume) AI as "slop machines" makes it look like no useful work can be done with it. My experience tells me otherwise

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://livellosegreto.it/users/xpmatteo/statuses/116232306968193510https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://livellosegreto.it/users/xpmatteo/statuses/116232306968193510Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:44:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:43:56 GMT]]>@noodlemaz
In my opinion, the issue is that the ethical implications of using slop machines in education (or for any other purpose) are usually ignored. I get why teachers feel pressure to somehow include those models into their classes. But those decisions should be made based on the whole picture - including ethics - and not just because the LLM bros keep telling us that everyone who's not using their products will be at an disadvantage soon (which is obviously a marketing lie).

@barabasz

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232305810696350https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232305810696350Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:43:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:37:12 GMT]]>@OneInterestingFact
Sad but true!

@noodlemaz @barabasz

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232279327896862https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232279327896862Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:37:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:35:12 GMT]]>@tizlit
Thank you for doing it! I hope you're not the only one at your workplace!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232271455712328https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116232271455712328Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:35:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:03:35 GMT]]>@r_alb as a lecturer who also teaches research methods and refuses any kind of llm, I'm so glad to read this! thanks for sharing!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://freeradical.zone/users/tizlit/statuses/116232147165727353https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://freeradical.zone/users/tizlit/statuses/116232147165727353Sun, 15 Mar 2026 08:03:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:58:19 GMT]]>@noodlemaz @barabasz @r_alb
I think it’s all down to the way education is seen: it’s not a means to grow minds and think, it’s a process to be completed so that the student can move through the education system and emerge as functioning droids.
This has always been the goal under capitalism - to make more workers but it used to be that capitalism also required workers who could do analysis and make improvements. That role has been assigned to genAI.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/OneInterestingFact/statuses/116232126460102708https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/OneInterestingFact/statuses/116232126460102708Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:58:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:47:41 GMT]]>@barabasz @r_alb I think a lot of teachers area struggling. They can't stop people using it. So building it into their plans makes sense for many, unfortunately. I don't blame the teachers honestly.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.games/ap/users/115798900176839373/statuses/116232084602300175https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.games/ap/users/115798900176839373/statuses/116232084602300175Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:47:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:11:03 GMT]]>@r_alb ✊

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/Em0nM4stodon/statuses/116231940589028640https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/Em0nM4stodon/statuses/116231940589028640Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:11:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:06:03 GMT]]>@r_alb @TheOneDoc 3/14 roughly matches my intuitive-heuristic expectation for the ratio of people who want to learn, in any class. Most just want to pass in the most efficient way.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/OmegaPolice/statuses/116231920894368428https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/OmegaPolice/statuses/116231920894368428Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:06:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 02:13:15 GMT]]>@gdinwiddie
Thank you, and I'm glad to hear that!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116230769560337391https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116230769560337391Sun, 15 Mar 2026 02:13:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:48:13 GMT]]>@r_alb I think you’re doing more than that. I think you are demonstrating to the class that there is more to research than writing a paper. The learning is in the researching, not in producing the output.

This story has made me happy.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/gdinwiddie/statuses/116230435237999735https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/gdinwiddie/statuses/116230435237999735Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:48:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:23:33 GMT]]>@TheOneDoc
Don't you worry, this is a "ranting encouraged" zone. 🙂

However, I want to be a litte more optimistic than you are. Or I'm just coming from a an angle that is a bit different.I think that what most people are lacking these days is an intuitive understanding of the externalities of what they're doing. That it was makes them act stupid over and over again.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116228214857992822https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116228214857992822Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:23:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:08:34 GMT]]>@r_alb nah most people are just idiots that only exist to waste resources and Democracies jast aren't designed with that fact in mind.

It's like unregulated markets. They are bound to colapse and the "solution" for both is a regular reset and tight regulation but that's off topic.

Sorry for ranting.

I always wonder how nice a world we could have if they all would just be gone 🤔

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/TheOneDoc/statuses/116228155912893623https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/TheOneDoc/statuses/116228155912893623Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:08:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:02:07 GMT]]>@TheOneDoc
I guess capitalism taught them that doing stuff yourself isn't "efficient" enough while also marketing their notion of "efficiency" as the one true fetish. Nothing new though, this ploy precedes the slop machine.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116228130565771646https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116228130565771646Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:02:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:55:49 GMT]]>@r_alb hmm I actually expected something like 3 out of 30 to 35 so that's a really good number.

I'll never understand why people seem to avoid thinking as if it would give 'em massive pain.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/TheOneDoc/statuses/116228105770265870https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/TheOneDoc/statuses/116228105770265870Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:55:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:53:48 GMT]]>@TheOneDoc
So do I!
But three out of 14 is still better than just one. At least we're not alone in this, is what I'm trying to say.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116228097890535087https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116228097890535087Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:53:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:52:13 GMT]]>@r_alb guess you 3 are a rather representative number of people who have not suffered total brain rot yet 😞🤬

I hate this timeline

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/TheOneDoc/statuses/116228091660414868https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/TheOneDoc/statuses/116228091660414868Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:52:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to (1/5) I want to share a personal story today. on Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:56:31 GMT]]>@barabasz
I thought (and argued) pretty much the same, yes. But the plan was cerainly not to show us how unreliable those machines are. Apparently, they are already widely used in research projects, which in my opinion raises so many ethical and methodological concerns.
But I'm afraid the unwarranted hype creeps into every nook and cranny.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116227872627561858https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/r_alb/statuses/116227872627561858Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:56:31 GMT