xiaochang's Avatar

xiaochang

@xiaochang

Assistant Professor of Communication @ Stanford. Histories of AI/ML, NLP, speech recognition, and related data practices; general tomfoolery.

880
Followers
210
Following
28
Posts
22.10.2023
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by xiaochang @xiaochang

Preview
Cybernetics Image Library A living visual archive on cybernetics in the expanded field.

"A living visual archive on cybernetics in the expanded field. Browse and contribute images of all kinds: diagrams, schematics, photos, graphic elements, and other visual fragments."

14.08.2025 18:41 ๐Ÿ‘ 70 ๐Ÿ” 26 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It's already well-known in CS, but for those unfamiliar in humanities/social sciences doing historical/social critique of speech processing, NLP, and AI/ML, Dan and Jim's textbook + site is an incredible (and accessible) resource for gaining a foundational understanding of key techniques.

25.08.2025 06:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Hey, so it turns out I'll be in NYC next week. Who's around?

25.07.2025 00:07 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I am increasingly convinced that the problem is not so much that people don't seem to understand how computers work than it is that they seem to have forgotten what *language* does.

21.07.2025 03:16 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Some really interesting [massive media conglomerate] vs. [data-churning tech juggernaut] lawsuits might start hitting court dockets in 3-5 years.

20.07.2025 22:41 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

See downthread re: v. cool forthcoming special issue on algorithms+occult, but as a tangent: is there a name for visual genre of merging vaguely late-antiquity/early-modern imagery w/digital/electronic iconography? Like sacred geometry+circuit schematic vibes. If not, can I propose glitch esoterica?

20.07.2025 22:25 ๐Ÿ‘ 12 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Illicitglory Lady GIF ALT: Illicitglory Lady GIF
20.07.2025 22:15 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I am so. excited. for this.

20.07.2025 22:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

So . . . what do we think is going to happen when they eventually incorporate all that text that people have been scraping from *fanfiction archives* into these datasets?

19.07.2025 02:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 8 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

the curse of enjoying the early internet is having to watch all its silly little aspects get churned up and spat out in its final form as a civilization-eating demogorgon

18.07.2025 18:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 1580 ๐Ÿ” 199 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 33 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

I would say that only 95% of my writing problems are, in fact, thinking problems. The remaining 5% are the result of my doomed attempts to turn my point into a pun.

14.07.2025 23:35 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Damn, they can't even bother putting some effort into their soulless commercialism. I guess no one knows what it means to work anymore.

14.07.2025 22:25 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

"to solve DoD use cases"--I've read decades-worth of documentation from NLP-related DoD projects since 1940s & seen proposed use cases from run-of-the-mill mass surveillance to "idk, we try telepathy yet?" I can't think of one for this that isn't just to watch the world burn.

14.07.2025 22:18 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Me, an absolute monster, with curiosity borne from deepest void of late capitalist despair: "what kind of ads were they?"

14.07.2025 21:37 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
The History of the Seattle Mariners: Supercut Edition
The History of the Seattle Mariners: Supercut Edition YouTube video by Secret Base

No idea why Mariners are trending since I don't follow baseball and never have, but this 3.5+ hour documentary that @secretbase.bsky.social put out some years ago might be one of my favorite pieces of media of all time. Fully serious. It's this and vol. 3 of Proust. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIgK...

14.07.2025 05:01 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
"Copy of series of graphs showing the 'guitar' spike alone and with various Dolby SR adjustments."

"Copy of series of graphs showing the 'guitar' spike alone and with various Dolby SR adjustments."

Okay, while I'm here, something sound studies and media tech history folks may find of interest: the Ray Dolby papers were recently processed and are now available for research at Stanford's Silicon Valley Archives. A bunch of stuff has been digitized too: exhibits.stanford.edu/dolby

14.07.2025 04:36 ๐Ÿ‘ 16 ๐Ÿ” 4 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ah, so it's like a list, but "list" didn't project enough multi-level marketing scam energy.

14.07.2025 04:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

That was written specifically for the target audience of me, the person who is very relieved not to have to haul myself to Luxembourg this year.

14.07.2025 04:18 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

What the hell is a starter pack.

14.07.2025 04:10 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I also can't take any credit for that CFP--all that goes to my brilliant co-organizers. I think the only thing my book-frazzled brain managed to contribute when we were putting it together this year was positive vibes. ๐Ÿ˜…

14.07.2025 04:01 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I've been a complete hermit while finishing up the book. I'm torn between "wow, has it been that long?" and "how has it only been two years, it feels like 86."

14.07.2025 03:54 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Wow, I couldn't even remember to put a link to the actual @sigcisconf.bsky.social account in my repost. It's social media amateur hour over here. (Don't worry, I'm not going to be the one actually running the SIGCIS bsky account.)

14.07.2025 03:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Reminder that the extended deadline for SIGCIS proposals is tomorrow 7/14!

We're on our all-virtual rotation this year, which means registration will be Pay-What-You-Can and you don't have to travel to Luxembourg.

14.07.2025 03:48 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Hello! Nice to see a familiar face on my twice-yearly peak onto social media!

14.07.2025 03:47 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I should probably be making my own "go follow the new SIGCIS account" post, but instead I'm just going to repost Laine's:

14.07.2025 03:39 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2

Anyway, it's our fundraising season, pls donate to ROMchip if you like our rizz donate.romchip.org

18.01.2025 22:02 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 5 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
OpenAl says it needs 'more capital than we'd
imagined' as it lays out for-profit plan

OpenAl says it needs 'more capital than we'd imagined' as it lays out for-profit plan

Yeah I need way more money than anyone ever got before. I need it because my shit is difficult right now. But it's important in ways even I haven't been able to work out. OpenAI is a serious business. Help me. Please help me please my serious company is so good. Help me
www.cnbc.com/2024/12/27/o...

28.12.2024 05:57 ๐Ÿ‘ 7902 ๐Ÿ” 1192 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 238 ๐Ÿ“Œ 379

File under: tech company execs eventually "innovate" themselves into an slightly worse version of the very thing they sought to disrupt. This is just how a lot of long-running procedural shows on network tv worked.

28.12.2024 06:46 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Hi, thank you! I'm occasionally active, meaning I basically check in every few months, attempt to clear out the backlog of notifications, and then disappear again. ๐Ÿ˜…

15.12.2024 07:45 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

2024 is absolutely nailing it: "Air Canada essentially argued that 'the chatbot is a separate legal entity that is responsible for its own actions,' a court order said." Impeccable, no notes. ๐Ÿ™ƒ arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

19.02.2024 09:40 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0