Prof. Emily M. Bender(she/her)My Feb 2026 Katz Lecture for UW's Simpson Center for the Humanities is now available on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Lc6QNxolQ
Unfortunately, the recording doesn't include the Q&A. Two things I remember from that:
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YouTube
The first is a student who asked how to resist pressure to use "AI" without being a stick in the mud. I said: Be a stick in the mud! Help create the solid ground that others might stand on too.
I shared this story with Sam Cole on the @404mediaco podcast, too:
The Marketing Tricks of "Artificial Intelligence"
Alex, the Hearth Fire@emilymbender @404mediaco I just lost a job for refusing to use generative AI. That feels like an achievement.
Billy Smith@WizardOfDocs @emilymbender @404mediaco
More like a bullet dodged. :)
If the management are going to that susceptible to sales pitches and technology trends, then you 'd be wasting most of your time doing project that lead nowhere, and will be changed on a whim.
That's a miserable way to earn a living... :D
Speaking from personal experience. :)
@BillySmith yeah, it's definitely a relief, but I'm still mad about the specifics