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"
Billy SmithAnother way is asking what the impact will be on the company's liability insurance, as insurance companies are refusing to cover anything with AI in it. :D
Push the legal team to get a definite opinion, and refuse to go forward, until someone sign's off on that, accepting the responsibility.
Make sure that the people making these decisions are held fully accountable for their decisions. :D