Geek Stuff category archive
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Truthful? Pigs. Wings.
At Psychology Today Blogs, Timothy Cook (no relation to Tim Apple) offers a four-step process for tricking AI into revealing its biases and fabrications.
Given the hype and hyperbole about these robotic search engines and given how many browsers and websites are trying to hornswoggle us into letting AI bots do our thinking for us, it is a worthwhile read.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
A learning aid? Impediment, actually.
Timothy Cook (no relation to Tim Apple) argues that, rather than helping students learn, AI, with its built-in bias towards certainty (often based on stuff AI makes up out of thin air, I will add), will stunt their education. Specifically, it will inhibit their development of critical thinking skills.
He identifies four specific dangers.
Students lose the ability to sit with “I don’t know.” . . .
They learn intellectual dishonesty as a strategy. . . .
They develop intolerance for complexity. . . .
Most dangerously, they lose their authentic voice. . . .
Follow the link for a detailed discussion of this issue.
Republican Thought Police 0
El Reg reports that the Republican thought police are now trying to ban “woke” AI*. Here are a couple of snippets (emphasis added); follow the link to put them in context.
(snip)
“In the LLM world, attempts to ‘un-wokeify’ LLMs have literally produced an AI that named itself MechaHitler,” he said. “This isn’t just a problem in how LLMs are constructed – it’s actually a problem in how humans have constructed ‘truth’ and ideology, and it’s not one that AI is going to fix.”
_________________________
*That is, AI that doesn’t reflect and perpetuate their racism, bigotry, and prejudices.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Citing precedent? Nah. Just making stuff up.
So egregiously that it provoked a judge into kicking some lawyers off a case. Here’s a bit from the story at Above the Law:
The Roll-Back 0
Methinks Bruce Schneier makes a valid point.
However much he wants to, Trump is not going to be able to roll back the clock, but he’s going to do a heck of a lot damage along the way.
The Outers of the Outed 0
At El Reg, Brandon Vigliarolo, using the recent incident at a Coldplay concert as a springboard, argues that we are living a a surveillance state of our own creation. A snippet:
One more time, “social” media isn’t.
It’s All about the Algorithm 0
In a longer article looking at how hate metastasizes, Steven Stosny includes this fascinating and not at all surprising tidbit:
The common thread in most of the cultural and political posts sent to me by algorithms has been, you guessed it, hate.
Follow the link for context.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, John Nosta wonders whether we should stick with “not so much,” or should we (these are my words, not his) continue to invite the singularity over for dinner.
Where is Neo when you need him?
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? 0
A false idol? Sacrifices welcome.
Joe Pierre points out that “(f)or some, deifying AI chatbots as a god-like form of super-intelligence can lead to psychosis.” A snippet:
While of the topic of dubious digital deities, check out the discussion about AI on this week’s episode of Le Show. It starts at about the 36-minunte mark.
Geeking Out 0
Mageia v. 9 with the Plasma desktop. The desktop menu is active. The wallpaper is from my collection.
Twits on Twitter X Offenders
0
See foot. Shoot foot.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
A reliable witness? That bridge in Brooklyn is still on the market.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Susceptible to suggestion? We’ll find out.
Security expert Bruce Schneier reports that “(a)cademic papers were found to contain hidden instructions to LLMs.”
One example he provides is an implanted instruction for “no negative reviews.” Follow the link for more examples and a link to the original study.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
A good listener? Could you repeat that once more all over again, please?
Facebook Frolics in the Surveillance Economy 0
The EFF explores the Zuckerborg’s latest scheme for assimilating you and suggests some steps you can take to protect yourself from assimulation. (Audio only. Pretend you are listening to a radio show. Remember radio shows? If you don’t, see the OTR category on the sidebar, over there ——>.)
You can read the synopsis here.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
Courting disaster? Why, on bended knee.
Above the Law reports on a “hallucinated” A. I. precedent that, had it not been caught by an appeals court, would have led to a wrong outcome. Here’s a bit:
And, in more news of our wandering blithely and stupidly into a singularity of our own making . . . .
Where is Neo now that we need him?