Dave in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Mar 14
Elena Rossini ⁂

Dear Fedi friends,

I'd like to put together a list of people who are publicly resisting / calling out LLMs and AI slop.

Why? I enjoy reading my Fediverse feed in topical lists and I need something to counteract the unrelenting AI hype I see in the media.

Do you have any recommendations?

So far, at the top of my list I have:

@timnitGebru @emilymbender and @alexhanna of @DAIR

plus @cwebber @jaredwhite and @tante

Anyone else to recommend who advocates for #NoAI?

Mar 11 at 10:33amWeb
Show threadTrezzer (aka Helvedeshunden)Mar 11
@_elena I wish we'd have CW for both sides, because I really don't want to hear more from either. Enough has been said to make up minds, and now it just seems like an infinite echo that is slowly driving me mad.
Show threadDétours AnachroniquesMar 11
@trezzer @_elena Isn't that what the Internet has become? 😭
Show threadAndy Carolan Mar 11
@_elena While I don't feel that I belong on such a list, I resist as much and as often as I can.
Show threadshellsharksMar 11

@andycarolan @_elena Same. I’m not as prolific with my anti-AI position as some that you’ve mentioned but my thoughts and feelings have definitely been made known. Here’s my canonical stance on AI here —> https://shellsharks.com/ai. TL;DR: I don’t like AI 🤭

Some other suggestions off the top of my head…
- @WeirdWriter (I mean have you read THIS yet? https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/the-colonization-of-confidence/)
- @mttaggart
- @32x33
- @bagder (well he’s had his AI run-ins 😅)
- @robb
- @joxean
- @brennan
- @neurovagrant
- @Viss

/ai

This site's relationship with AI.

shellsharks
Show threadAndy Carolan Mar 11
@shellsharks Thanks for the list of people! That's awesome. I think your position on AI is similar to mine. I did once have an /ai slashpage, but I removed it as I have a single line in my FAQ page, but I might rewrite that to better explain my thoughts. @_elena @WeirdWriter @mttaggart @32x33 @bagder @robb @joxean @brennan @neurovagrant @Viss
Show threadshellsharksMar 13

@andycarolan @_elena Since responding here I've published this though 🤣😭

https://shellsharks.com/ai-wall-of-sad

Beep, Boop, Sad 🤖 😞

shellsharks
Show threadAndy Carolan Mar 13
@shellsharks Those link titles terrify me enough without the need to read them lol. @_elena
Show threadBrennan Kenneth BrownMar 11
@_elena @shellsharks Thank you for the shout-out :) I do yap about AI a lot! https://brennan.day/ai
AI

Brennan Kenneth Brown is a Queer Métis writer and web developer exploring Indigenous identity, digital culture, and creativity. Personal essays on technology, craft, and human experience from Calgary, Alberta (Treaty 7).

brennan.day
Show threadWesley MooreMar 11
@_elena see @db @davidgerard @soph
Show threadWesley MooreMar 11
@_elena oh and @baldur
Show thread707KatMar 11
@_elena @PavelASamsonov and @Wolven is great too. :)
Show threadIvo LimmenMar 11
@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @cwebber @jaredwhite @tante 🙋‍♂️
Show threadRomualdMar 11
@_elena Pas immédiatement l’IA, mais sur la matérialité du numérique et des centres de données il y a @lenuageetaitsousnospieds et @tunubesecamirio . @Aepasek a publié une très bonne brochure sur comment résister aux datacenters, et sur la géopolitique du numérique je ne peux que conseiller le livre de @opheliecoelho ! @dataforgood fait du bon boulot également 👍
Show threadAnne PasekMar 11

@romuald @_elena @lenuageetaitsousnospieds @tunubesecamirio @opheliecoelho @dataforgood

merci!

Si un veux le lire: https://emmlab.info/Resources_page/Lutter%20contre%20les%20data%20centers.pdf

Show threadTu nube seca mi río 🐌Mar 11

@romuald @_elena @lenuageetaitsousnospieds @Aepasek @opheliecoelho @dataforgood

Merci Romuald!

Show threadmangokingMar 11
@_elena
@pluralistic is absolutely essential. @eff (while not inherently against LLMs) and @openrightsgroup also do great work.
Show thread707KatMar 11

@onepunchmango EFF is not against LLMs.

Removed the pluralistic part.

Show threadmangokingMar 11
@707Kat they argue and explain heavily against their usage and limitations in most things, and eloquently so. It's a good way both to keep up with* recent developments, learn, and get the vocabluary to talk about it with other people.
Show thread707KatMar 11

@onepunchmango I'm aware of what the EFF do. I'm not saying they don't do a lot of good. However, they are not against LLMs and up until recently they were positive about its usage. Even though the technology inherently relies on voiding people's privacy. For the longest time they cheered on it as a way to beat Copyright and boost free information, ignoring people who tried to explain why it would be damaging.

Try taking a look at how this page has changed this month:
https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/02/effs-policy-llm-assisted-contributions-our-open-source-projects

Wayback Machine

Show threadmangokingMar 11
@707Kat thank you for educating me. I still think they are important to the discussion (hence I wrote they do a lot of good work in the original post). But I will specify further to reflect this thread.
Show thread707KatMar 11
@onepunchmango Definitely they do. I follow them myself on other platforms than this one. (haven't gotten around to it here)
Show threadÖlbaumMar 14
@onepunchmango I’m sorry what? Didn’t he just announce he uses LLMs because he can’t write fast enough without them, and called those who resist it “purity culture” or something?
Show threadmirek kratochvilMar 11
@_elena protip: promote use of #slop instead of #NoAI
Show threadoffgptMar 11

@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @cwebber @jaredwhite @tante

I collect evidence that LLMs need to be run in a Fediverse Like Structure, how its destructive in the hands of few, since months, everyday :) Thanks for the list btw :)

Show threadJan Dytrych🇨🇿🇺🇦Mar 11
@_elena regarding LLMs, it's crazy from developers' perspective. BIG tech is pushing LLMs hard to developers, saying you'll lose job or will be paid less if not using LLMs. That's what they are pushing, my colleague did even said "If you're not going to use it, you'll lose job or will be paid less." My boss doesn't like to use LLM for development, so far so good, but there is huge push and pressure towards it.
Show threadRobotistry has movedMar 11
@jan @_elena Waiting for the rise of artisanal coding, when people who code without LLMs are paid extra money to provide customized, reliable code.
Show threadبالعربىMar 11
@_elena how to create topical feed?
Show threadKonform BrowserMar 11
@_elena https://shrimp.starlightnet.work/@the/posts/ajkajgdut0e60njf
Show threadTrezzer (aka Helvedeshunden)Mar 11
@_elena Here's an article you'll probably, enjoy, though, even if it's in Danish (but I know you know your way around that ;) ) https://videnskab.dk/kultur-samfund/ai-i-valgkampen-hjaelper-det-kandidater-eller-skraemmer-det-vaelgerne-vaek/
AI i valgkampen: Hjælper det kandidater, eller skræmmer det vælgerne væk?

Når politikere bruger kunstig intelligens, kan det svække deres troværdighed og skabe større afstand til vælgerne.

Videnskab.dk
Show threadDavid GerardMar 11
@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @cwebber @jaredwhite @tante also @kimcrawley of https://stopgenai.com
Stop Gen AI – Mutual Aid and Political Activism

Show threadPeter SommerladMar 11

@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @cwebber @jaredwhite @tante

me?

Show threadkawunnggMar 11

@_elena

I feel like artists like @davidrevoy should be on the list too :)

Show threadEsther Payne Mar 11

@_elena @WeirdWriter wrote two great Anti LLM posts, from the point of view as a writer and what it's doing to his community, if you want something that's outside commentary on this. Have tissues, you will cry from the beauty and care after getting angry.

https://sightlessscribbles.com/the-colonization-of-confidence/
https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/the-bookstore-hope/

The Colonization of Confidence., Sightless Scribbles

A fabulously gay blind author.

Show threadLoohoosaherMar 11
@onepict @_elena @WeirdWriter well I'm fucking crying. Really damn good story, the first one. (Would read the second but I have to dry my cheeks and go to work, whew!)
Show threadRosarevenMar 11

@onepict @_elena @WeirdWriter
omg i cri

thank you for sharing this, best read in ages

Show threadRobert KingettMar 11
More to come! Here is an introduction by me, of sorts, but I'd also recommend reading, the Bookstore Hope. https://sightlessscribbles.com/about/ @rosareven @onepict @_elena
About Sightless Scribbles and about Robert Kingett, Sightless Scribbles

A fabulously gay blind author.

Show threadMichel PatriceMar 11

@_elena

I came across a cool humoristic method of resistance, see the For Ai Only section :
https://www.davidrevoy.com/article1124/new-rss-feeds-landing

(Si tu ne connais pas David Revoy, son travail est intéressant.)

New RSS Feeds Landing

David Revoy
Show threadPhil Burg (he/him)Mar 11
@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @cwebber @jaredwhite @tante Anil Dash @anildash belongs on your list, I think.
Show threadAnil DashMar 11
@Standard_Phil @_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @cwebber @jaredwhite @tante I think they’re all real researchers, I’m just a commentator here.
Show threadAlyx Woodward (she/her)Mar 13

@Standard_Phil @_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @cwebber @jaredwhite @tante No I'm pretty sure @anildash is an apologist for LLM garbage, not an opponent. He's being clever about it, trying to craft a careful "both sides" narrative about things so he can be perceived as somehow "moderate" about one of the worst things that's ever happened to technology, but he is definitely not an opponent.

I would guess he's shrewdly got quite a bit invested in the success of LLMs, though he's not going to admit it. Would you like to talk about your stock portfolio, Mr. AnilDash dot Com?

Show threadEsiMar 11
@_elena You might want to check out @rysiek and his blog at https://rys.io/en/index.html
Songs on the Security of Networks

a blog by Michał "rysiek" Woźniak

Show threadMichał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦Mar 11

@esi @_elena henlo 👋

I also write critically about tech, including "AI", for Polish media, specifically OKO.press:
https://oko.press/autor/michal-rysiek-wozniak

Some relevant examples:
https://oko.press/sztuczna-inteligencja-prace-nam-zabiera-czy-to-tylko-bajera
https://oko.press/chinski-deepseek-upuscil-powietrza-z-amerykanskiej-banki-ai-co-teraz
https://oko.press/ai-nie-rozwiaze-kryzysu-klimatycznego

Michał rysiek Woźniak

Specjalista ds. bezpieczeństwa informacji, administrator sieci i aktywista w zakresie praw cyfrowych. Studiował filozofię, był członkiem Rady ds. Cyfryzacji, jest współzałożycielem warszawskiego Hackerspace’a. Pracował jako Dyrektor ds. Bezpieczeństwa Informacji w OCCRP – The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, konsorcjum ośrodków śledczych, mediów i dziennikarzy działających w Europie Wschodniej, na Kaukazie, w Azji Środkowej i Ameryce Środkowej. Współpracuje z szeregiem organizacji pozarządowych zajmujących się prawami cyfrowymi w kraju i za granicą. Współautor „Net Neutrality Compendium” oraz “Katalogu Kompetencji Medialnych”.

Show threadEivindMar 11
@_elena I certainly don't expect to be on such a list, but I sympahtise, and I am of course strongly opposed to LLMs. I think you got good suggestions already, so I'll just chime in to say I agree.
Show threadEsther Payne Mar 11

@_elena We also have projects that are explicitly not accepting AI like @gentoo .

We also have folk like @xgranade who is working on a fork of calibre. Which I am very grateful for.

Show threadStephen FarrugiaMar 11
@_elena I recommend @zzt @davidgerard @froztbyte @kimcrawley / @crowgirl
Show threadglamcodeMar 11

@_elena I have a “Critical AI reading list” on Mastodon that contains among others and among the ones you listed:

- @baldur
- @RainerMuehlhoff
- @Weizenbaum_Institut
- @olivia
- @quinta
- @lapcatsoftware
- @dylan

Show threadBrib continues to distrohopMar 11
@_elena I'm noisy enough about it to release a slopfree index and blog about it a bit, although I try (only semi-successfully) to balance out my feed with stuff that isn't AI
Show threadFranz GrafMar 11
@_elena
That's difficult.
Aislop and hype are one side, there are good uses for it as well. So, just blaming LLMs feels like blaming a knife for murder.
Show threadDrew 🇵🇭 ♾️Mar 11
@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @cwebber @jaredwhite @tante I'm a cloud app developer and I post from a fairly rabid anti-AI viewpoint sometimes - though whether that makes me recommendable I have no idea.
Show threadDźwiedziuMar 11

@_elena (I've allowed myself to cut the CC)
I'd add Ed Zitron (no known mastodon, IDK if his BS is bridged), yet his style is very… “raw”, yet to the point.

@aftermath.site and @404mediaco, but you probably already know (about) the individual creators.

IDK about Cory Doctorow with his late LLM usage confession with a preemptive rhetorical strike.

Show threadCsepp 🌢Mar 11

@_elena There is of course @algernon of Iocaine fame.  

(re: CW, Mastodon has editing now, you could easily edit your post to add a CW if you forgot to)

Show threadjan Ki | 奇  Mar 11

@_elena

good idea, added a respective hashtag to my bio

Show threadPaulaToThePeople 😷Mar 11

@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @cwebber @jaredwhite @tante

Shameless self-plug: You can add @PaulaToThePeople to the list. She hates AI with a passion, posts a lot under the hashtag #LLMMeAlone and moderates the only Fediverse instance I know of, where posting AI stuff is forbidden.

Show threadcuan_knaggsMar 11
@_elena looks like @parismarx is missing
Show threadChristine Lemmer-WebberMar 11

@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @jaredwhite @tante I would clarify also that I am not quite #NoAI in terms of AI tech, but I am definitely opposed to the *AI industry* and this hype wave. There may be various useful things from this tech, but the net version of things with it being forced upon society right now in this hype wave is that everything is getting much worse, and sickeningly so.

Several more pieces need to be added to the puzzle to make "AI" tech more useful, and I'm also simply opposed to a direction in society that dismisses and devalues creative endeavors, which a lot of this hype is putting at the center of itself. Creativity is what makes life largely worthwhile. I'm not willing to give that up.

I have no problem with OpenImageDenoiser in Blender, which speeds up renders through machine learning, and in no way devalues creativity. But something which made it so I just typed a few words into Blender and it did all my artwork for me, I would oppose.

Show threadChristine Lemmer-WebberMar 11
@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @jaredwhite @tante I also just add a little assertion that one other thing I hate about this moment of "AI" is that the field of "AI" has had many interesting branches in it, and now we only talk about one (machine learning models) and I am deeply bitter about that.
Show threadcuan_knaggsMar 11
@cwebber @_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @jaredwhite @tante i've found myself moving back to using data science, ml, and algorithmic because ai functionally means llm-as-a-service at this point
Show threadqurlyjoeMar 11

@cwebber
There are many scientific and technological realms where AI is able to massage large volumes of data quickly to find solutions to all kinds of problems. This is good. Using AI to make deepfake porn, not so much. If only there were a way to promote one without the other latching on.

@_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @jaredwhite @tante

Show threadDave MuthMar 11

@cwebber @_elena @timnitGebru @emilymbender @alexhanna @DAIR @jaredwhite @tante Yes. There's TONS of very valuable, and tons of essential AI in many sciences, including medicine, high-tech design, and applied maths.

Stealing and reselling copywrited writings and visual art is bullshit. Using hyped up hallucination to overheat the earth and enrich over-rich overlords is bullshit, too.

Show threadAlex HyettMar 11
@cwebber I definitely have this like/hate relationship with AI. I feel like there are so many genuinely useful things that could be done with AI and machine learning. Things like early cancer diagnosis and accessibility tools. I must admit AI has helped me with coding when I have got stuck too. It is just a shame all the focus is on replacing human creativity. I am sure 90% of the useful use cases could also be done with small on device models that don’t wreck the environment.