Tag: artificial-intelligence

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Why Swinney is correct to reject call for AI data centre pause in Scotland

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I knows this one is divisive. More than a few Talking-up Scotland readers disagree with us on it but here is the case, again, that Scotland is one of the few places with the resources – water and energy – to make a lot of money out of data centres, once independent of course. From the Sunday Mail 28 December 2025, the above back-to-front headline and: Massive new data centres planned in Scotland to power the AI revolution would use up to three quarters of the country’s total electricity demand [sic], a new study has claimed. Research firm Foxglove, which campaigns for fair tech, … Continue reading Why Swinney is correct to reject call for AI data centre pause in Scotland

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Top History Professor says ‘All of my students must use AI’ – Me too!

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Regulars will have noted that TuS has been making increased use of AI in the last year or so and getting some criticism of that. I understand why many are concerned but my view is that this is another technology, like those before, we must master, a ‘tiger we must ride.’ Famous last words perhaps but we humans didn’t get where we are, on top because we are the meanest SOBs on the planet, just to let our own technology replace us. If we, crucially, educate or young to use it carefully, it can massively enhance their lives but when … Continue reading Top History Professor says ‘All of my students must use AI’ – Me too!

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‘Nowhere else in the world runs their ferry networks like this?’ Well, only the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands, British Columbia, New Zealand, Washington State USA…..

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OK, I’m not going on about all the Scottish Government subsidies the ‘islanders’ get because, according to Lesley Riddoch, it upsets them to be told about them but I cannot, just cannot, ignore the above claims. Are there reports of government’s excluding the communities most affected from decisions which are crucial for their wellbeing in, for example, the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands, British Columbia, New Zealand or Washington State USA? It seems there are. I’m shocked. Surely the Stornoway Gazette guy checked first. Yes, there are reports and public criticisms in several of these regions of governments or … Continue reading ‘Nowhere else in the world runs their ferry networks like this?’ Well, only the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands, British Columbia, New Zealand, Washington State USA…..

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Confused Sunday Mail misses how Scotland’s massive energy over-production could make billions after independence easily feeding and watering the ‘gobbling’ AI data centres

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Sunday Mail yesterday the above back-to-front headline and: Massive new data centres planned in Scotland to power the AI revolution would use up to three quarters of the country’s total electricity demand [sic], a new study has claimed. Research firm Foxglove, which campaigns for fair tech, found the “staggering” amount of power as well as water required by data centres “carries serious environmental risk” for Scotland. Its study this month found 11 “hyperscale” data centres currently in the planning system could use up an astonishing 3000 megawatts of electricity supply once all operational. “And they produce a huge amount … Continue reading Confused Sunday Mail misses how Scotland’s massive energy over-production could make billions after independence easily feeding and watering the ‘gobbling’ AI data centres

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Will Dame Jackie Baillie call for probe into her UK Labour government’s plans to spy on millions of the poor and hungry and Labour MSP putting cameras in toilets?

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Professor John Robertson OBA Leaping gleefully onto the allegations that 3 MSPs and ministers were spied on by SNP parliamentary staff, Dame Jackie Baillie has called for a probe. She shows little sign of wanting to probe Labour MSPs with paedophile pals or Labour councillors who are paedophiles. So that we don’t think she is being a bit of a hypocrite will she also call for a probe into her own party’s plans to spy on millions of poor folk to make sure they really are poor, ie little in their bank accounts, with this: The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) … Continue reading Will Dame Jackie Baillie call for probe into her UK Labour government’s plans to spy on millions of the poor and hungry and Labour MSP putting cameras in toilets?

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The Scotsman’s ‘top academic’ wheeled in to savage Scottish schools again is mere ‘bean counter’ with no experience of teaching in schools, teacher ‘training’, leadership or research into anything other than assessment data

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Professor John Robertson OBA, retired Research Professor, Faculty Research Ethics Chair, Associate Dean for Quality Assurance in Education, Head of Department of Curriculum Studies (30 staff), Senior Lecturer in Educational Technology, Lecturer in Education, School Teacher (Primary), PhD, Master of Education Professor Lindsay Paterson is in the Scotsman again, as he often is, to cast doubt on the competence of Scottish teachers to assess their own pupils continuously as opposed to his preferred snapshot exam method. Once more he returns to the Pisa scores he loves to use to mark us down. He is, to my knowledge, the only serious … Continue reading The Scotsman’s ‘top academic’ wheeled in to savage Scottish schools again is mere ‘bean counter’ with no experience of teaching in schools, teacher ‘training’, leadership or research into anything other than assessment data

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Youth suicides in Scotland fall after Scottish Government’s ‘stand-out’ initiatives and have nothing to do with Daily Record’s campaign

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Daily Record is getting right into making money from youth suicides but, of course, not telling you the whole story. They don’t even define ‘youth’ so I have the stats for the 15-24 and 5-24 groups and both are falling. For the 15-24 group, overall suicides are down 12% from 2023 and the average age at suicide – 47.5 years suggests a shift toward older adults with youth data likely stable/low). We won’t get an age breakdown until 2026, so I have to doubt the Record’s story. For the 5-14 group, overall suicides are down … Continue reading Youth suicides in Scotland fall after Scottish Government’s ‘stand-out’ initiatives and have nothing to do with Daily Record’s campaign

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Why John Swinney is even more right to oppose Digital ID than is being discussed so far

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With only 3 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA There’s something missing from all the media coverage of Labour’s Digital ID proposal and it’s darker than any worries we might have about Scots ‘declaring ourselves British.‘ From the Canary factchecker two days ago: As Keir Starmer moves to impose ‘digital ID’ on the UK, anti-surveillance and anti-freeport activist and Canary writer David Powell has submitted a major Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request to the government demanding … Continue reading Why John Swinney is even more right to oppose Digital ID than is being discussed so far

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As NHS England under Labour and with increasing referrals, freezes radiologist hiring, NHS Scotland cuts diagnostic waiting times for third quarter in a row

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland on 24 November 2024, the above graph showing a reducing number waiting for diagnostic tests for the last three quarters, a steady fall since the peak in early 2022, and this for the quarter ending 30 September 2024 [most recent data]: When compared to the previous quarter-end, six of the eight key diagnostic tests saw a decrease in the number of ongoing waits reported. Waits for a CT scan showed a reduction of 11% (-3,104), colonoscopy waits reduced by 11% (-1,433), non-obstetric ultrasound reduced by 9% (-5,122), and MRI waits reduced by … Continue reading As NHS England under Labour and with increasing referrals, freezes radiologist hiring, NHS Scotland cuts diagnostic waiting times for third quarter in a row

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As US spy technology firm risks patient safety how the SNP Government protected you

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By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today: There are “serious safety risks” for patients in the rollout of electronic health records in hospitals across England, a charity has warned. Patient Safety Learning said incidents involving new systems were likely to be under-reported and must be flagged. It has urged the government to ensure adverse-incident reports are monitored more effectively. One trust reported more than 900 incidents, including potential patient harms after it rolled out new software. Might this be the reason for the above and the lack of a similar crisis in NHS Scotland? From the Guardian in November 2023: The NHS is to hand a key … Continue reading As US spy technology firm risks patient safety how the SNP Government protected you