Geek Stuff category archive
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Indiana University law professor Michael Mattioli, reacting to the recent kerfuffle of OpenAI’s attempt to steal mimic Scarlett Johansson’s voice, raises an interesting question:
- Why are Silicon Valley Tech Bros expending so much energy trying to create AI bots that sound human, when other more efficient ways of interacting with computers have worked very nicely for decades?
Here’s a tiny bit of his answer (emphasis added):
There’s also an echo of the ancient quest to commune with eternity, to grasp immortality, woven into AI chatbots like Sky. The pyramids served as eternal vessels for a pharaoh’s spirit; what is lifelike AI if not an attempt to capture and channel a human being’s essential nature?
(Or could it be that they just want to make their fantasies of being Captain Kirk sitting the captain’s chair saying, “Computer . . . .” come to life?)
Aside:
Speaking of AI, security maven Bruce Schneier thinks that AI will make phishing attempts even less fishy and even harder to detect.
The Surveillance Society 0
Joanna Pozzulo, writing at Psychology Today Blogs, warns about the increasing use of automated surveilance technology, particularly facial recognition. She points out that, despite the faith that persons put in these machines, they are by no means infallible.
She makes three main points:
- Surveillance cameras are becoming ubiquitous with facial recognition software often present as well.
- The accuracy of facial recognition significantly decreases for women, young adults, and racialized people.
- Mistaken identification can lead to wrongful prosecution and conviction.
Given the proliferation of these technologies, I think her piece is well worth a read.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Methinks my old Philly DL friend Nox makes some pretty good points. Here’s his opening line:
Follow the link, where he expands on his discusses the disconnect.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Watching and recording your every move? Let’s see.
Bruce Schneier takes a look at Microsoft’s new effort to create an “AI” digital assistant. He–how shall I put this?–has some qualms. Here’s a tiny bit from his post:
It will act trustworthy, but it will not be trustworthy. We won’t know how they are trained. We won’t know their secret instructions. We won’t know their biases, either accidental or deliberate.
We do know that they are built at enormous expense, mostly in secret, by profit-maximizing corporations for their own benefit.
It’s Bubblelicious 0
In a much longer article about Harrison Butker’s misogynistic graduation address at Benedictine College, Joe Kort makes an important point about the dangers of “social” media algorithm.
He goes on to explain why it’s important to look beyond the bubble. Follow the link for the entire article.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
The Late Show lampoons ChatGPT’s (reputed) attempt to steal Scarlett Johansson’s voice.
It’s All about the Benjamins 0
PoliticalProf follows the money.
I’m Baaaaaack 0
The OS on my VPS reached EOL, so it was necessary to migrate to a new VPS with a currently-supported OS.
We hit some rocks along the way on the backend and the site was dark for a few days, but, thanks to my most excellent hosting provider, everything seems up and running. During the next few days, the stream of drivel should return to its previous level.
In the meantime, though, I must say, I’ve rather enjoyed the break . . . .
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
At the Kansas City Star, Dion Lefler recounts some Facebook Frolics with Meta’s AI chatbot.
The Cryto Con 0
The grifter gifter.
The Fix Is In . . . 0
. . . and it’s all about the algorithm.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
El Reg reports that, apparently, once ChatGPG makes a mistake (and it makes a lot of them), it will exist in perpetuity. Here’s the lede; follow the link for the details.
Stray Thought 0
My ISP has outsourced its email to Yahoo! (I gather that a number of ISPs are outsourcing their email services because they are lazy cheap sons of b–oh, never mind). Until I figure out how to import my emails into a mail client such as Thunderbird–my personal favorite–I am stuck with using Yahoo!’s webmail interface, which is not only clunky, but which also includes advertisements disguised as emails in my inbox.
Which leads me to remark that . . . .
Despite what Yahoo! would have me believe when I delete an email exchange from my inbox, an exchange of emails is not a “conversation.”
It is, at worst, an annoying but necessary task. At best, it is a correspondence.
But it’s not, by any stretch of the imagination, a “conversation,” for Pete’s sake.
Furrfu.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
Shorter Cameron Smith: Paul Simon was prescient.
Performance Art 0
Via Job’s Anger.
Aside:
As far as I can tell, the only argument against TikTok is that it is owned by a company based in China and that China may somehow be benefiting therefrom. There seems to be no evidence beyond that suspicion that it is any more–or less–vile than any other internet corporate surveillance “social” media outfit.
I wonder what America’s reaction would be if China were to move to ban Facebook and Twitte–er–X and other platforms because they are based in the U. S.?