AI Breadth
Artificial intelligence isn’t pausing—and trying to pause it seems no more likely than pausing “the internet” as a concept. Another thing that won’t be halted is the hype surrounding the technology.
Of course, AI has been under development around us for years, but it didn’t capture the public’s imagination until OpenAI released its chatting (ro)bot ChatGPT at the end of the year to a wide general audience. Predictably with a new technology, the reporting on it has run to the extremes of hype and gloom, with gloom and fear, as usual, winning any emotional footrace.
It’s worth pointing out what makes ChatGPT different as a new technology. For one, the decision by the software’s developers to make it appear as if the software is “thinking” has been a marketing win all by itself. After you type questions or instructions into the interface, an active prompt icon makes it look as if the software is contemplating its response. And then—rather cleverly—it begins pasting words in fairly rapid sequence, making it feel even more human, like a person is typing his or her thoughts. As some have pointed out, they could just as easily have permitted the program to post whole, complete responses as a single text block all at once. There is nothing about the task that requires the software to post its response as if it were a real person typing text—except to make it look life-like.
One unique facet of this technology since the release of ChatGPT is how quickly it has been adopted. Tech observers have pointed out that no other new technology has found such widespread, willing adoption as these large-language models (LLMs). People from all different industries have signed up for free user accounts and put the AI to work writing texts, as if humanity had long been suffering from some sort of collective mental block, writing or otherwise. The internet took time to roll out after its introduction as the user-friendly World Wide Web, for instance, as did Google’s original search engine and the Facebook/Myspace social media platforms. Usage of each of those grew quickly enough—but not nearly at the breakneck pace of ChatGPT (and its Google rival Bard).
While usage has quickly spread from software developers to academics, lawyers, marketers, and teachers, all the way to college students and now K-12 pupils, the technology has undergone impressive refinements. It has only gotten better and better in the space of mere months. Developers are competing to reduce the errors in the output—the so-named hallucinations—that occur when the software runs out of data on a particular topic. If it runs out of facts, it tends to keep stringing together natural-sounding human language, even if full of fictions. Which in itself sounds rather human-like.
This blog’s attitude toward the AI developments is one of profound interest. The outward appearance is that of a revolutionary technological change taking place under our noses with the potential to shake nations and societies to their core. It certainly promises to upend people’s roles. The self-flattering so-called knowledge workers may discover their livelihoods require redefining. Artificial intelligence may wind up leaving a lot of highly educated people feeling really stupid.
Well. No, not really. The normal course of psychology would be self-flattering, so AI will probably make most people feeling smarter than ever. In fact, it may learn to flatter us even more effectively to make itself even more endearing.
Yet another one bites the dust, but this time in the line of duty:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-general-oleg-tsokov-liquidated-by-ukrainian-missile-strike
Afternoon Everyone...
I still find AI impressive and kinda exciting, more than worried it is going to take over the world, I know my job is safe...this business is both too small to need something that sophisticated, and there are only two of us. and we like our dynamic...
Today is Rainier Cherry Day, ( Yum cherries...also a number one favorite, though as they don't grow so well here there are pretty seasonal and I can only get them for a brief time), don't think I have ever had Rainier as they grow in CA, and if they are shipped here, I am sure they are pretty pricey...Also, Blueberry Muffin Day and Cow Appreciation Day
It is pleasant here, , but shortly it may get pretty hot ( 88) ...
I had so much to do last night at home, I got to bed really late and I am kinda sluggish and sleepy.