Geek Stuff category archive
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much,
Dis Coarse Discourse Dept.
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At her blog at Psychology Today, Marlynn Wei explores the who benefits from AI lies and deep fakes. A snippet:
In a world of AI-generated videos and audio, the liar’s dividend benefits people who use this technology to dispute and raise skepticism about objective evidence; in other words, a strategy to deny reality.
I commend the entire article to your attention.
Facebook Frolics, No News Is No News Dept. 0
Bloomberg tech columnist Dave Lee explains why the Zuckerborg is turning its algorithms away from promoting news content. A snippet:
(snip)
So now Meta has decided it’s had enough. It’s not that news isn’t allowed — Canada excluded — but that Meta doesn’t feel it’s in its interests to support news organizations the way it once did.
Read the whole thing. It reinforces the obvious: “social” media isn’t.
Afterthought:
Indeed, I think an argument can be made that “social” media in the hands of companies motivated primarily, if not exclusively, by their bottom lines is anti-social media, as it is inclined to give persons what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
The Learning and Implicit Processes Lab at Ghent University takes a look at the current state of ChatGPT (and Large Language Models in general) and concludes (emphasis added):
It was not designed to be generally intelligent (i.e., capable of flexibly adapting to novel situations or problems), and it isn’t. Still, it gives us the illusion of intelligence because it mimics intelligent human language.
Follow the link for their reasoning.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
Those friends served to you by the algorithm, well, remember, there may not be much there there.
One more time, “social” media isn’t.
You don’t use it.
It uses you.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Atrios makes a pretty good case that, if history is not precisely repeating itself, it is certainly echoing loudly.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Computer security expert Bruce Schneier has written another long and detailed exploration of the current kerfuffle over AI.
In the light of all the real stupid billed as “artificial intelligence (for example), it is a timely and worthwhile read.
The Disinformation Superhighway 0
Don’t believe that “digital assistant.”
Aside:
Personally, I wouldn’t invite a spybot (or a vehicle for spybots) into my house on a bet.
But that’s just me.
Robot’s Rules of Order 0
At the Psychology Today website, John Nasta muses on how Isaac Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics” might be applied to today’s AI Chatbots and Large Language Models.
Aside:
When I was a young ‘un, back in the olden days, Asimov was easily my favorite sci-fi author.
Geeking Out 0
Debian Sid with the Fluxbox window manager on a ThinkPenguin laptop. Firefox and KeePassxc are shaded*. The wallpaper is from my collection.
Aside:
Debian Sid (aka “Debian Unstable”) is more stable than many Linux distributions’ (aka distros’) stable.
I now have two ThinkPenguin laptops, one of which I’m using as a media center. I’m quite satisfied with both of them.
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*No, you can’t shade or “roll up” windows on Windows. I also don’t think you can do it on iJunk, but I have relatively little experience with crapple that product.
Geeking Out (Updated) 0
Mageia v. 8 with the Plasma desktop environment. The wallpaper is from my collection.
I expect to upgrade to Mageia v. 9 tomorrow.
Addendum:
The upgrade was successful, but not without some speed bumps.
Facebook Frolics 0
The EFF weighs in on Facebook’s flagrant failure to forestall repulsive rhetoric. Here’s a bit:
Follow the link for the full post and a link to their full submission to Meta’s Overlook Oversight Board.
And remember, “social” media isn’t.
“Influencer” Idiocy 0
At Psychology Today, Tamara Sobel looks at mounting evidence that “social” media isn’t. Here’s a tiny excerpt; follow the link for the article:
Doomed To Scroll 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Phil Reed looks at the depressing effects of drowning oneself in an unending torrent of news, both from traditional and “social” media. A snippet (emphasis added):
Follow the link for the full article, including some suggestions for escaping the maelstrom of maliciousness and maintain a sense of perspective.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much 0
The editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch asks an AI bot to incriminate itself, and it willingly complies.
Selling Snake Oil on the Disinformation Superhighway 0
Rebecca Watson parses the piffle.
or you can read the transcript.
And, while touring the Disinformation Superhighway . . . .
Battle of the Tech Bros 0
Psychologist Mike Travers suggests that the pending (potential? possible? preposterous?) cage match between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg “is a snapshot of our culture.”
Afterthought:
If he’s correct, we’re in far worst shape than I feared.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Peter Kvam posits that “(d)ogs excel at many tasks where AI fails . . . .”
Follow the link for his reasoning.
The Disinformation Superhighway 0
To the surprise of all concerned, someone on “social” media gets held accountable.
Who woulda thunk?