Geek Stuff category archive

Thanks to the most excellent detective work of my hosting provider’s tech support staff, it has been deemed necessary to remove the NOAA Weather plugin that was on the sidebar over there —–> for years, as the plugin has not been updated for several years and is no longer compatible with the most recent versions of php, the scripting language that powers WordPress, which in turn powers this geyser of genius. (Or is it a drenching of drivel? Inquiring minds want to know.)

As one who wore a headset for over half a decade, I must say that my hosting provider’s tech support staff is superb.

I know, because I’ve been there.

At Psychology Today Blogs, Dr. Marlynn Wei tales a look at the psychological implications of the spread of deepfakes and “AI” clones and lists half a dozen dangers. Here’s one (emphasis in the original):

4. Creation of false memories

Research in deepfakes shows that people’s opinions can be swayed by interactions with a digital replica, even when they know it is not the real person. This can create “false” memories of someone. Negative false memories could harm the reputation of the portrayed person. Positive false memories can have complicated and unexpected interpersonal effects as well. Interacting with one’s own AI clone could also result in false memories.

Her article is a worthwhile read, and prends garde a toi.

Via Bruce Schneir, here’s a study that demonstrates that AI can be made more human-like.

That is, it can be “trained” to deceive.

As the song* says

The things that you’re liable
To see in your large language model,
They ain’t necessarily so.

_________________

*With apologies to George Gershwin.

At Psychology Today Blogs, Bill Sullivan offers yet more evidence that “social” media isn’t, particular for the young. Here’s a bit of his article:

Studies have shown that social media use, especially among younger people, increases materialism—a drive to accumulate and flaunt money and possessions. Such a mindset implies that external goods like Italian sports cars, Cartier watches, or gourmet dining are signs of a person’s status. Materialists gauge their own worth—and the worth of other people—by how much money and bling they’ve acquired, rather than judging internal goods like character. The materialistic mindset fosters attitudes of competition, envy, and greed.

Madonna’s claim that we are living in a material world is backed by convincing data.

Follow the link, then be sure to post it to your Zuckerborg or Muskrat page.

Under-valuation frolics.

Just because you see–er–hear it on a computer–er–device, it ain’t necessarily so.

The Second Circuit has referred attorney Jae S. Lee to a grievance panel for citing a fake case made up by ChatGPT in a complaint and never checking to see if the case spit out by the AI was real.

Details at the link.

A Consumer Reports study details the extent to which you have been assimilated by the Zuckerborg and its enablers. Indeed, perhaps the most astounding bit in the report is the number of Zuckerborg enablers who “share” your data with Facebook.

Follow the link for the article.

Using a panel of 709 volunteers who shared archives of their Facebook data, Consumer Reports found that a total of 186,892 companies sent data about them to the social network. On average, each participant in the study had their data sent to Facebook by 2,230 companies. That number varied significantly, with some panelists’ data listing over 7,000 companies providing their data.

One more time, “social” media isn’t.

You don’t use “social” media. It uses you.

H/T Bruce Schneier for the head up.

It turns out that Teslas don’t seem to like really cold weather. Here’s a bit of the report from The Register:

In the Oak Brook suburb of Chicago, Illinois, where temperatures have routinely dipped way below freezing, local media reported public charging stations turning into “car graveyards” because motorists were unable to power their vehicles.

“Nothing. No juice. Still on zero percent, and this is like three hours being out here after being out here three hours yesterday,” Tesla owner Tyler Beard told Fox 32.

He wasn’t alone. Dozens of cars were reportedly lined up and abandoned at the Tesla supercharging station in Oak Brook along with multiple charging stations around Chicago.

It turns out, when persons as “AI” questions about case law, “AI” tends to just make stuff up “hallucinate,” to use the term from the article at Above the Law.