Hello ODI Supporter,
A speculative piece of research… sorry, a speculative Substack post from a US firm with the word ‘Research’ in their name… sent jitters around the US stock market this week, with foreboding predictions of how AI will change just about everything. The (insert synonym for speculative here) post, which the writers describe as a “scenario, not a prediction”, envisaged a future in which autonomous AI systems saw the downfall of software companies, upending private credit and mortgages, mass unemployment and protest movements focused on AI companies. All by 2028. What was even more surprising was that companies mentioned in the post, from Uber and American Express to Mastercard and DoorDash, took a hit on their share price. Which might also have had something to do with more US tariff news. As one expert put it, “We have watched this market absorb wars, sticky inflation, banking tremors and tariff theatrics with a shrug, yet a widely circulated Substack thought piece is enough to knock it sideways.” Quite. Meanwhile, that AI bubble keeps getting bigger and bigger…
The UK’s data watchdog handed out a £14.47 million fine this week to Reddit for unlawfully using children’s personal information. The fine was the largest yet by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for breaching children’s privacy, after the regulator said the platform failed to properly check the age of its users, putting children at risk of being exposed to harmful and inappropriate content on the site. Reddit introduced age checks in July last year, but the ICO said self-declaration was too easy to bypass, leading to large numbers of under-13s being on the platform, with the company having no lawful basis for processing their information.
There’s still time to apply for our Head of Research role, which closes on 13th March. This role will support the Director of Research and will be responsible for scoping, selling and delivering the ODI’s research to support the creation of an open, trustworthy data ecosystem. You’ll play a key role in ensuring that research priorities at the ODI are aligned with our strategy; and that they remain sustainable through fundraising and business development. Have a look at the job description and get in touch.
Following the publication of our Annual Review for 2025 last week, this week we published our State of the Data Nation, a paper reviewing our progress against our strategy, and setting out how we’re adapting our priorities and commitments for the remainder of the strategy period. We also examined a couple of interesting recent projects, the Smart Data Challenge Prize and our work on data in the volunteering sector. Check out those links and find out more.
Next week sees the launch of the latest film by artist and researcher Dr Alan Warburton. You may remember his wonderland The Wizard of AI from a couple of years ago. Now he returns with Image Empire, exploring the conflict between the real and the virtual, and how AI is changing the world we live in. Join us on Thursday 5th March at the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield for an exclusive screening of Image Empire, followed by a panel discussion with artist Dr Alan Warburton, curator Hannah Redler-Hawes, and John O’Shea, Creative Director & Co-CEO of the National Videogame Museum. Get your tickets now.
And finally… new research by Karen McBride, an accounting professor at the University of Portsmouth, has shown how Londoners used data during the Great Plague of 1665 to survive. Using Samuel Pepys’s journal, the research argues that some people looked at the Bills of Mortality, published weekly, and changed their behaviour as numbers of plague deaths rose or fell, such as taking routes to avoid certain parishes, cancelling plans to visit friends, or even leaving the city. So rather than helplessly face the outbreak, Londoners used data, publicly posted and also sold on street corners, to find a way to survive the pestilence. It’s a fascinating read.
Until next time.
David and Jo
PS: If you happen to be in New York, a play called Data is running at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in which the protagonist confronts the darker side of Silicon Valley. It’s on until March 29th.
