Apr 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen
You really had me going in the first half there 😂😂 When I read the line "Humanity can and should be eliminated" I started saying "oh no, oh no" out loud. Glad I carried on reading!
Apr 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen
P.S. I actually am really worried about AI risk. I don't think any of us quite understand the ramifications of creating something smarter than ourselves. I find Erik Hoel a great writer on this issue: https://erikhoel.substack.com
Count me in the "very worried" group too. The way I see it, humanity (barely) survived nuclear weapons (so far), and we *completely* failed the "social media" test (depression in kids and Donald Trump is the least of it, it's only getting worse). So in terms of massive, sweeping technological changes over the last 80 years, I think we're 1 for 2. Not a good record! And I think AI is actually a bigger deal than social media and (maybe) nuclear weapons.
We can kind of think of the social media algorithms as a great example of an AI system causing massive societal problems. They were only ever intended to maximise engagement and this seemingly benign goal led them to prioritise outrage, social polarisation, and filter bubbles that have led to the issues we see today.
If we can't even design a system with as simple a remit as to decide which videos to prioritise on YouTube without massive social upheaval, what chance do we have as we integrate AI into more and more important parts of our economy, society, world.
And that's all before we create something that is smarter than ourselves. The only analogy that I think works is the idea that we're trying to create a god. How do we know if we're going to get Loki or ...I'm struggling to think of a god that would be good! In Greek/Roman/Norse/Mesopotamian mythology they all seem sort of bad! Even benevolent Yahweh sent the flood!
Apr 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen
There’s a great book by roboticist Ayanna Howard called “Sex, Race, and Robots” that really gets specific about the kinds of things we should be worried about with AI and algorithms, like the criminal justice system, policing, etc. From someone who’s very pro-tech but who really understands what’s at stake. It’s on Audible only I think but well worth it.
Apr 1, 2023Liked by Brent Hartinger, Michael Jensen
😂
You had me at Taylor Swift! (Just went to a concert and hearing 60,000 people sing that song and three hours of other songs at top volume was something else.)
I will write a bit about it, but just in general it was more fun of that kind than I’ve had in a very long time. My sister got 6 tickets, so it was her family and me and my daughter. My nieces are 6 and 9 and were ALL IN. Got outfits pulled together weeks ago and the youngest persuaded me to paint my nails. TS put on an amazing show, seemed to authentically be enjoying herself (Vegas, so it was only the 2nd tour stop), and tens of thousands of people pouring in with positive vibes and enthusiasm felt great to be around. Honestly, five stars, no notes, though my daughter (who’s 12) had a lot of commentary about Vegas casinos and I don’t think we’ll be going back there. 😂
Well done! In all seriousness, new technologies create new opportunities and usually more work, not less. In the fifties they said new kitchen appliances would create a life of leisure for women. I dare anyone to ask a woman they know how that worked out.
Hmmm, you're more optimistic than I about this particular technology. I think the more relevant comparison is social media, not kitchen appliances, and I think humanity is (badly) failing the social media test. But hey, I can use more optimism, so perhaps I will choose to believe you're right!
Maybe it’s the women/appliances/work, but I didn’t read this as optimistic! More that more work will be created but it will be soul-sucking work that serves only to increase profits for a few. I cannot remember where I read this research because it was many years ago, but something about how things like dishwashers and washing machines actually tied more middle class women to the home because they (we) were expected to do all that stuff so easily, rather than things like sending washing out. (This was very much a class thing, if I remember rightly. It was only a particular class that suddenly had more labor and less leisure than before.)
Me? Optimistic? You flatter me. I guess I'm viewing it through this type of lens: AI will write corporate press releases so the executives have more time to do important things like lobbying and money laundering.
Social media is I think, at the moment, a net negative. But it did create new types of work, even if that work (e.g., influencer, content moderator) isn't that societally useful. This is the kind of stuff that's impossible to predict in advance, but which labor economists analyze in hindsight. It's always fascinating, that's for sure.
Yes and, of course, as you imply, there are two sides to this question, the economic costs (which I agree are usually positive with techno innovation, over the last 500 years,
excepting nuclear weapons, which we still don't know the costs of), but also the social costs (which are *sometimes* positive, at least ultimately, but there's a ton of painful disruption along the way; in most cases, I think the "short-term" pain of disruption has been worth it). But! I'm very very worried about smartphones and social media, which seems to have gone to something beyond mere disruption, mere "short-term pain." I think it's *very* negatively affecting a whole generation of young people, and I also think social media elected Trump and is (maybe) destroying democracy, making stuff like "a shared reality" and "civil debate" almost impossible. But, obviously, we won't know if this is true for another 25 years...
Anyway, I think AI is another massive disruptor, like social media, a big deal on its own, and a bigger deal coming on the tail of the social media revolution.
Yikes, we need to discuss this over dinner sometime. LOL
P.S. Haha, funny line about lobbying and money laundering. So you are a cynic like me!
Ha! Nicely done. Glad you'll continue to write your own posts.
My 125 word response, as written by ChatGPT in the style of Mark Twain:
Well, well, well, if it isn't the first of April and the pranksters are out in full force. I must say, the idea of travel writing being taken over by ChatGPT is certainly an amusing one. But I fear it's only a joke, and a poor one at that.
You see, my dear friend, there's simply no replacement for the human touch when it comes to travel writing. Sure, ChatGPT may be able to spout off a few facts and figures, but can it truly capture the essence of a place? Can it describe the way the sun feels on your face, or the taste of the local cuisine?
I think not. So while ChatGPT may be a fine tool for some things, I'm afraid it simply can't replace the art of travel writing. But nice try, pranksters. You almost had me going there for a moment.
At some point, we can just sit back and let the machines talk to one another online for us! They can write blogs, create videos, comment on one another's posts...and we can go live it up IRL without them. Suckas!
BTW, my wife has had Taylor Swift on repeat since she released Midnights and has become quite the swiftie. Such a great album! Fun fact: the guy in the Lavender Haze video is transgender. Taylor, leading from the front. She's rad.
April Fool's aside, my husband was playing around with Google Bard the other day and asking for recommendations for three days in Barcelona, among other destinations we have planned this month. The results were actually quite incredible. So while we won't follow the plans provided to a T, they're a great springboard to further research if the attractions and restaurants recommended are what we're looking for.
(Fwiw, he also tried a similar search for a future vacation, this one to Canada, with somewhat less successful results.)
I suppose you might say that "travel destinations" is one of those topics that lends itself to these things (despite the fact that they're GETTING this info from travel journalists, but ain't paying for it). I suppose you might also say 80% of travel journalism is just listicles and keyword crap designed to do SEO and rank on Google, so maybe that being destroyed is no big loss. (Famous last words...)
You really had me going in the first half there 😂😂 When I read the line "Humanity can and should be eliminated" I started saying "oh no, oh no" out loud. Glad I carried on reading!
Thank you.. hehehe
I thought "Humanity can and should be eliminated" was a typo at first ! 🤣
hehehe
P.S. I actually am really worried about AI risk. I don't think any of us quite understand the ramifications of creating something smarter than ourselves. I find Erik Hoel a great writer on this issue: https://erikhoel.substack.com
Count me in the "very worried" group too. The way I see it, humanity (barely) survived nuclear weapons (so far), and we *completely* failed the "social media" test (depression in kids and Donald Trump is the least of it, it's only getting worse). So in terms of massive, sweeping technological changes over the last 80 years, I think we're 1 for 2. Not a good record! And I think AI is actually a bigger deal than social media and (maybe) nuclear weapons.
It may just be the combination of AI and nukes that does us in. Terminator as documentary...
100% agree with you.
We can kind of think of the social media algorithms as a great example of an AI system causing massive societal problems. They were only ever intended to maximise engagement and this seemingly benign goal led them to prioritise outrage, social polarisation, and filter bubbles that have led to the issues we see today.
If we can't even design a system with as simple a remit as to decide which videos to prioritise on YouTube without massive social upheaval, what chance do we have as we integrate AI into more and more important parts of our economy, society, world.
And that's all before we create something that is smarter than ourselves. The only analogy that I think works is the idea that we're trying to create a god. How do we know if we're going to get Loki or ...I'm struggling to think of a god that would be good! In Greek/Roman/Norse/Mesopotamian mythology they all seem sort of bad! Even benevolent Yahweh sent the flood!
There’s a great book by roboticist Ayanna Howard called “Sex, Race, and Robots” that really gets specific about the kinds of things we should be worried about with AI and algorithms, like the criminal justice system, policing, etc. From someone who’s very pro-tech but who really understands what’s at stake. It’s on Audible only I think but well worth it.
Erik is great. Just subscribed.
😂
You had me at Taylor Swift! (Just went to a concert and hearing 60,000 people sing that song and three hours of other songs at top volume was something else.)
Genuinely jealous.
I will write a bit about it, but just in general it was more fun of that kind than I’ve had in a very long time. My sister got 6 tickets, so it was her family and me and my daughter. My nieces are 6 and 9 and were ALL IN. Got outfits pulled together weeks ago and the youngest persuaded me to paint my nails. TS put on an amazing show, seemed to authentically be enjoying herself (Vegas, so it was only the 2nd tour stop), and tens of thousands of people pouring in with positive vibes and enthusiasm felt great to be around. Honestly, five stars, no notes, though my daughter (who’s 12) had a lot of commentary about Vegas casinos and I don’t think we’ll be going back there. 😂
Ohhhhh. Jealous!
It was pretty epic!
🤣
😉😉😉
Well done! In all seriousness, new technologies create new opportunities and usually more work, not less. In the fifties they said new kitchen appliances would create a life of leisure for women. I dare anyone to ask a woman they know how that worked out.
Hmmm, you're more optimistic than I about this particular technology. I think the more relevant comparison is social media, not kitchen appliances, and I think humanity is (badly) failing the social media test. But hey, I can use more optimism, so perhaps I will choose to believe you're right!
Maybe it’s the women/appliances/work, but I didn’t read this as optimistic! More that more work will be created but it will be soul-sucking work that serves only to increase profits for a few. I cannot remember where I read this research because it was many years ago, but something about how things like dishwashers and washing machines actually tied more middle class women to the home because they (we) were expected to do all that stuff so easily, rather than things like sending washing out. (This was very much a class thing, if I remember rightly. It was only a particular class that suddenly had more labor and less leisure than before.)
💯
Me? Optimistic? You flatter me. I guess I'm viewing it through this type of lens: AI will write corporate press releases so the executives have more time to do important things like lobbying and money laundering.
Social media is I think, at the moment, a net negative. But it did create new types of work, even if that work (e.g., influencer, content moderator) isn't that societally useful. This is the kind of stuff that's impossible to predict in advance, but which labor economists analyze in hindsight. It's always fascinating, that's for sure.
Yes and, of course, as you imply, there are two sides to this question, the economic costs (which I agree are usually positive with techno innovation, over the last 500 years,
excepting nuclear weapons, which we still don't know the costs of), but also the social costs (which are *sometimes* positive, at least ultimately, but there's a ton of painful disruption along the way; in most cases, I think the "short-term" pain of disruption has been worth it). But! I'm very very worried about smartphones and social media, which seems to have gone to something beyond mere disruption, mere "short-term pain." I think it's *very* negatively affecting a whole generation of young people, and I also think social media elected Trump and is (maybe) destroying democracy, making stuff like "a shared reality" and "civil debate" almost impossible. But, obviously, we won't know if this is true for another 25 years...
Anyway, I think AI is another massive disruptor, like social media, a big deal on its own, and a bigger deal coming on the tail of the social media revolution.
Yikes, we need to discuss this over dinner sometime. LOL
P.S. Haha, funny line about lobbying and money laundering. So you are a cynic like me!
Yes to that dinner! I agree with everything you mentioned above. Crazy times. Get some fresh mangoes.
Deal!
💯
Ha! Nicely done. Glad you'll continue to write your own posts.
My 125 word response, as written by ChatGPT in the style of Mark Twain:
Well, well, well, if it isn't the first of April and the pranksters are out in full force. I must say, the idea of travel writing being taken over by ChatGPT is certainly an amusing one. But I fear it's only a joke, and a poor one at that.
You see, my dear friend, there's simply no replacement for the human touch when it comes to travel writing. Sure, ChatGPT may be able to spout off a few facts and figures, but can it truly capture the essence of a place? Can it describe the way the sun feels on your face, or the taste of the local cuisine?
I think not. So while ChatGPT may be a fine tool for some things, I'm afraid it simply can't replace the art of travel writing. But nice try, pranksters. You almost had me going there for a moment.
OMG, that's quite hilarious.
At some point, we can just sit back and let the machines talk to one another online for us! They can write blogs, create videos, comment on one another's posts...and we can go live it up IRL without them. Suckas!
BTW, my wife has had Taylor Swift on repeat since she released Midnights and has become quite the swiftie. Such a great album! Fun fact: the guy in the Lavender Haze video is transgender. Taylor, leading from the front. She's rad.
Haha nice.
Yeah, Michael and I have been listening to Midnights too. LOL
I've always respected her grit and persistence, but it's now undeniable: Swift has real talent!
Thanks for the smile today. I truly enjoy your writings.
Thank you, appreciate that!
Nicely done!!!
Thank you.
April Fool's aside, my husband was playing around with Google Bard the other day and asking for recommendations for three days in Barcelona, among other destinations we have planned this month. The results were actually quite incredible. So while we won't follow the plans provided to a T, they're a great springboard to further research if the attractions and restaurants recommended are what we're looking for.
(Fwiw, he also tried a similar search for a future vacation, this one to Canada, with somewhat less successful results.)
I suppose you might say that "travel destinations" is one of those topics that lends itself to these things (despite the fact that they're GETTING this info from travel journalists, but ain't paying for it). I suppose you might also say 80% of travel journalism is just listicles and keyword crap designed to do SEO and rank on Google, so maybe that being destroyed is no big loss. (Famous last words...)
April Fools I think not!! AI is coming to a blog near you.....and all of us! Time to embrace ;)
Embrace...or flee in terror. Lol