After quite a hectic end to last year, I’ve being enjoying a slower start to 2025, taking some time to be with family, reading, pottering around and catching up on “stuff”. The world is still batshit crazy, and today’s inauguration is going to dial up the crazy another couple of notches past 11.
I still don’t quite understand how one man who lies so blatantly can be re-elected to arguably the most powerful office in the world, but even just dipping in and our of news coverage here, I can see and hear how much more organised those around him are this time. This morning I heard one of his legal team talk about how the new administration are going to “bring back science, real science”. I didn’t realise that it had gone away. Guess I am just too woke to notice . . .
So whilst trying to avoid news from across the pond, I have been catching up on tv, podcasts, readings etc. Last week on a long train journey I managed to get a decent enough wifi signal to watch tv without it dropping out every 2 minutes. Dear reader, I have to confess I succumbed to “The Traitors“, and I am now “all in”.
Binge watching the first 3 episodes though did really highlight the power of group think (this is quite a good article in the Guardian about that very subject), and how lying is a key factor for the programmes success. Oh the treachery, the deceit! We love it from our comfy, edited viewpoint. I can’t help but have a niggle about that. Despite the fact the “Linda, the vicar” had a word with him upstairs before she went on the show, and got the ok, I feel the resonance of Trump and his ilk, devaluing truth, offering alternative facts, or now in 2025 “real science”. Lying is good, there are no consequences for lying, it’s a means to an end, the strong can influence the week, smart people are “a threat or a danger. I was quite shocked how everyone turned on the doctor in the group – he was too nice, too clever . . .
The power of group think as the Guardian article highlights is nothing new – and hey The Traitors is only tv and I am aware I am being hypocritical by watching it. Still there is something that resonates with wider trends about how we can, and are all be manipulated by powerful business and the men (sadly yes it does seem to be mainly (white) heading up all the big tech companies). Hello the AI “turbocharge” to, well everything.
It seems there really is a pot of gold for anything labelled AI, but nothing but cuts to services to us little ol’ people. Tho’ I have to say that using AI to help with our pothole problems is something I do have sympathy for (you may have heard a mini rant from me about this dear reader). If we have to use AI then let it be for something like that, not for writing or god forbid art. On that subject Katharina Grosse has a great explanation why AI can’t replace painting on this recent episode of The Great Women Artists.
There just seems to be acceptance that we have to get on with AI, let it into everything, because . . . well actually I don’t really know why. Again, probably just being a bit woke, but if the UK government could get even quarter of the investment they are talking about into the NHS, well people might get well, might get healthier, we might be able to do something about the obesity crisis. And where is the debate about the cost to our climate that these new data centres will bring? Washed away in floods, or hidden in fires and droughts. . . .
I was so grateful to listen to the discussion between Helen Beetham and Dan MacQuillan last week. If are curious as to why we don’t need AI, just have a listen. I’ve also been grateful to the weekly newsletters from Audrey Waters, who is back on the edtech/AI case. This month she has written so eloquently about reading, writing, the amnesia around tech failures, and today about AI literacy.
Group think (well highly funded tech group think) seems to be winning out again. I hope that voices like Helen’s, Audrey’s, Dan’s and so many more will help all of us resist, engage, have empathy. And for those of us in education ensure that our students can develop agency, criticality and humility. All the things that Elif Shafak so eloquently describes here.
Who knows what will happen today, but I am grateful for the time all these writers take to share and provide a counter narrative to the hype. Later this week maybe the faithful will find the traitors, but until then if you have some time please, follow some of the links I have shared.