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Ben Green

@benzevgreen

Assistant professor in the University of Michigan School of Information. https://www.benzevgreen.com

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26.10.2024
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Latest posts by Ben Green @benzevgreen

Interrogating the Quiet Escalation of Tech Billionaire Influence on Detroit’s Future | safecomputing.umich.edu An eleven-foot Robocop statue stands prominently in Eastern Market. A defense contractor headquarters is moving to the riverfront. A drone conference is scheduled to take place on land, in the air and...

Tomorrow for any interested Ann Arbor folks.

23.02.2026 17:12 πŸ‘ 23 πŸ” 15 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2
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Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/t...

13.02.2026 16:51 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
β€œWe will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns,” according to the document from Meta’s Reality Labs, which works on hardware including smart glasses.

β€œWe will launch during a dynamic political environment where many civil society groups that we would expect to attack us would have their resources focused on other concerns,” according to the document from Meta’s Reality Labs, which works on hardware including smart glasses.

This is one of the most sick statements I've seen from a tech company about how to get away with eroding privacy and civil liberties. Here's how Meta is strategizing about the release of new facial recognition glasses:

13.02.2026 16:51 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Her daughter was unraveling, and she didn’t know why. Then she found the AI chat logs. A majority of teens are interacting with AI companions, and many of their parents have no idea.

There really is no justification for this company’s existence.

23.12.2025 18:48 πŸ‘ 342 πŸ” 101 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 25

speaking of, I asked ChatGPT last week for some paper citations. It gave me 8 recommendations, none of which were real

15.12.2025 15:09 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

omg, this is so wild!! Especially how stubbornly Gemini doubled down on my "book" existing. I wish I'd been able to get a second book out by 2022 lol

15.12.2025 15:09 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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Following DOGE, US States Pursue 'Efficiency' Initiatives | TechPolicy.Press A conversation with Center for Democracy and Technology policy analyst Maddy Dwyer and University of Michigan scholar Ben Green.

Last week, I joined @justinhendrix.bsky.social and Maddy Dwyer @cdt.org to discuss DOGE, AI, and government "efficiency" initiatives for the @techpolicypress.bsky.social podcast. It's a rather grim topic, but I enjoyed making sense of it with Justin and Maddy.

www.techpolicy.press/following-do...

29.09.2025 14:03 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Congrats, Andrew!!

26.07.2025 20:18 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I know!! Read your own story

26.07.2025 15:56 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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DOGE builds AI tool to cut 50 percent of federal regulations The U.S. DOGE Service is using a new AI tool to eliminate federal regulations, aiming to cut 50 percent of rules by the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

26.07.2025 15:06 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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This is such shoddy reporting by @washingtonpost.com that provides cover for AI hype and the Trump administration. It's incredibly clear that AI will make countless mistakes – and that the administration doesn't care.

26.07.2025 15:06 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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What Happens When Data Centers Come to Town?

There are many bad parts of Trump's new AI Action Plan, but the focus on accelerating data center development is going to be particularly damaging. Data centers aren't just bad for the environment in general -- they're also harmful to the communities they're located in.

23.07.2025 22:29 πŸ‘ 25 πŸ” 10 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Just because AI seems cool, that doesn't mean it's a reliable tool for making critical policy decisions. And with so many hallucinations, AI is probably slowing people down because they need to double check everything.
www.techpolicy.press/using-ai-to-...

23.07.2025 20:14 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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How big tech is force-feeding us AI Plus, OpenAI's absurd listening tour, top AI scientists say AI is evolving beyond our control, Facebook is putting data centers in tents, and the AI bubble question β€” answered?

Big tech promotes the story that since ChatGPT burst onto the scene, AI has been so popular it's rushed to meet the demand. The reality is different. A study by design scholars shows tech co's have had to push AI on its users with a variety of intrusive tactics.

How big tech is force-feeding us AI:

23.07.2025 16:01 πŸ‘ 2163 πŸ” 944 πŸ’¬ 40 πŸ“Œ 102
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Data Centers Aren’t the Future of American Prosperity Tamara Kneese and Maia Woluchem cut through lobbying points and speculative myths to focus on what the evidence reveals about the tech industry’s claims.

In our new policy brief for @datasociety.bsky.social, @mwoluchem.bsky.social and I break down the myths and industry talking points attached to data centers. Who benefits from unbridled data center growth and who is most at risk when such speculative ventures fail?

22.07.2025 20:11 πŸ‘ 59 πŸ” 31 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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What Happens When Data Centers Come to Town?

Excellent explainer on data centers @stpp-um.bsky.social to help communities understand them, their challenges, and policy options to manage their risks. Written by Terry Nguyen BA '25 @umfordschool.bsky.social and @benzevgreen.bsky.social, in partnership w/ Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition.

16.07.2025 15:45 πŸ‘ 66 πŸ” 27 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 4

this is awful, I'm so sorry you had to go through that

16.07.2025 18:46 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Even as a longstanding critic of "tech for good" initiatives, this is the most appalling example I've ever come across. If "AI for good" can't include challenging the use of AI to facilitate genocide, then it's truly a bankrupt movement.

16.07.2025 18:34 πŸ‘ 36 πŸ” 9 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ™Œ

16.07.2025 16:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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What Happens When Data Centers Come to Town?

States and AI companies tout data centers as a boon for local economies, but what's the reality? This policy brief reviews the evidence: data centers are harmful for the environment and tax breaks are a bad deal for communities. @stpp-um.bsky.social
stpp.fordschool.umich.edu/research/pol...

16.07.2025 16:13 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

This is a fascinating study and a valuable reminder not to rely on user surveys when evaluating the impacts of AI. My guesses to explain the results: users might 1) be susceptible to AI hype in framing their guesses of time saved and 2) systematically discount the time spent interacting with AI.

11.07.2025 20:42 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Meta’s AI climate tool raised false hope of COβ‚‚ removal, scientists say Big Tech group accused of using inaccurate data in effort to identify materials that can attract carbon dioxide from the air

Great job AI! Thanks for solving climate change!

www.ft.com/content/6922...

05.07.2025 16:01 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Data centers create few jobs. Michigan wants to give them big tax breaks | Bridge Michigan Michigan is in a race with other states to lure companies that host cloud storage. Foes say a 2015 deal that promised to bring 1,000 jobs but created a fraction of that should be a cautionary tale.

www.bridgemi.com/michigan-env...

05.07.2025 15:58 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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In exchange for tax breaks, a Michigan data center promised to bring 500 high-paying jobs. It delivered only 26 low-paying ones.

What did the state do? It lowered the standard of job creation so that the data center was in compliance. And then passed more tax breaks.

Absolutely infuriating.

05.07.2025 15:58 πŸ‘ 37 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
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Computer-vision research powers surveillance technology - Nature An analysis of research papers and citing patents indicates the extensive ties between computer-vision research and surveillance.

New paper hot off the press www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We analysed over 40,000 computer vision papers from CVPR (the longest standing CV conf) & associated patents tracing pathways from research to application. We found that 90% of papers & 86% of downstream patents power surveillance

1/

25.06.2025 17:29 πŸ‘ 937 πŸ” 533 πŸ’¬ 31 πŸ“Œ 77
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Austerity Intelligence | TechPolicy.Press Kevin De Liban says AI, pushed by Big Tech and the Trump administration, threatens democracy by deepening inequality and undermining public participation.

"In my 12 years as a legal aid lawyer ... my clients wrongfully lost Medicaid, Unemployment Insurance, or Social Security benefits due to AI. People got terminated when AI sent out incoherent paperwork" –@kevindeliban.bsky.social in @techpolicypress.bsky.social
www.techpolicy.press/austerity-in...

04.06.2025 15:13 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Austerity Intelligence | TechPolicy.Press Kevin De Liban says AI, pushed by Big Tech and the Trump administration, threatens democracy by deepening inequality and undermining public participation.

AI is reshaping power and democracy in harmful ways, writes Kevin De Liban. β€œIt is clearing Trump’s path to authoritarian rule” through decisions β€œthat deprive the public of the resources needed to participate meaningfully in democracy.”

04.06.2025 13:23 πŸ‘ 28 πŸ” 21 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2

Thanks Natalia - can't wait for yours!

04.06.2025 01:46 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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🚨 New series alert! 🚨In collaboration with @techpolicypress.bsky.social, we’re kicking off β€œIdeologies of Control,” two weeks of essays by researchers exploring how today’s tech systems are deepening democratic divides. www.techpolicy.press/tech-power-a...

03.06.2025 14:27 πŸ‘ 50 πŸ” 25 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2

🚨NEW SERIES ALERT🚨 My incredible @datasociety.bsky.social team with @techpolicypress.bsky.social just launched a series on "Tech Power and Democratic Crisis" (aka technofascism). The 1st piece by Jake Metcalf & Meg Young is out now: www.techpolicy.press/tech-power-a...

03.06.2025 13:56 πŸ‘ 60 πŸ” 25 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1