AI Magic
It’s been a while since we caught up with the world of artificial intelligence. The latest innovation arrives in the form of used-to-be-Twitter posts from tech types trying out a new AI software translation gizmo. Did I say “translation”? This particular gizmo takes video footage of a person speaking English into the camera, then converts the audio of that person’s speech into a foreign language in that person’s natural voice, and then alters the person’s image in a way to make the person’s lip and mouth movements match the foreign language’s requirements.
The result is quite the remarkable feat. Here, X-Twitter user John Finger says he never had the slightest knowledge of the target languages we get to see him speaking. Meanwhile, people fluent in the target languages say in the comments and tweeted replies that they find the resulting video and audio completely persuasive. This one particular tweet has been viewed millions of times now:
(The X/Twitter version wouldn’t embed properly, so above is the YouTube of the same content.)
The AI/tech company behind it is named HeyGen, and the video poster is John Finger. Short on time, I did not track down any more details about either.
Just thinking about all the scary things being done by "natural" intelligence. Fighting evil genius has, at least, the benefit of fighting logic. Defeating small-mindedness takes more time than logic.
I had an hour long phone call with my oldest, Sunday. He was tired, he ran his first marathon (WPAFB marathon) on Saturday. Pam’s folks have their 60th celebration next weekend, I wanted to give my son a head’s up on a conversation that will occur soon.
I had a panicked telephone call from Katie at the quilt retreat. Janet (Pam’s Mom) was talking to her about the will. Long story short, originally I was to inherit Pam’s share of the estate. I told Bob and Janet to bequeath it directly to my oldest (this was before the younger two arrived). I had married Katie by then, I wanted to reassure family Chris would get his inheritance. After the younger two were born, I asked them to split it between all three kids. They asked our oldest, he supported it, so they were fine with it. One of the sisters recently found that out, and is angry about it. She thinks it’ll upset her kids if my other two kids specifically inherit, and not her two kids.
My concern is simple. If my oldest inherits solo, it’ll seem as if Bob and Janet don’t really consider the younger two their real grandchildren. I don’t want the estate to create a conflict in my family.
There is some conflict between the two living sisters, and it deals with finances. Bob and Janet have helped both them at times, which is their right, and which I don’t really care one way or the other. If the sisters insist that my three cannot be in the will, to keep the peace in the family, I may have to tell them to reinstate me in the will. Katie feels it is really my oldest’s estate, but I explained to her I had asked them to give it to the grandkids directly, before she and I married.
I’m frustrated because this is unnecessary. If the sisters each get their third, why does it matter how one of the thirds is divvied up? It doesn’t change what they get.
Gonna go walk, then take a nap, been battlin' a cold.