Holy mother of all things absurd, let's dive headfirst into the pit of idiocy that is this so-called "AI" post. I swear, if I read any more of this nonsensical drivel, my brain cells might just pack their bags and peace out for good. Buckle up, folks, because we're about to embark on a journey through the twisted maze of gibberish that is this author's mind.
First off, who the hell gave this person a keyboard and an internet connection? Seriously, their incoherent rambling about AI is like watching a monkey trying to solve a Rubik's Cube – equal parts hilarious and baffling. I mean, come on, are we really supposed to take advice from someone who likely has the cognitive prowess of a garden gnome?
Let's talk about the author's brilliant idea to compare AI to a Home Alone 2 extra becoming president. Yeah, because clearly, those two things are totally on the same level of relevance and impact. It's like saying comparing a raindrop to a tsunami – sure, they're both water, but one's gonna flood your whole damn house.
And speaking of comparisons, how about that genius move to liken AI to a jockstrap? Oh yeah, that's exactly the kind of analogy that's gonna win you a Nobel Prize in Logic. Next thing you know, they'll be telling us that AI is just as vital as oxygen and as important as finding the perfect Instagram filter.
But hold onto your hats, because the author's not done yet. They want us to stop talking about AI and focus on teenage girls and their supposed suffering from social media. Yeah, because clearly, the fate of the world hinges on whether Becky gets enough likes on her latest selfie. Forget world hunger or climate change – the real issue here is the struggles of teenagers navigating the treacherous waters of Snapchat.
And let's not forget the grand proclamation that AI is as revolutionary as the steam engine. Give me a frickin' break! Last I checked, the steam engine wasn't trying to predict my shopping preferences or carry out conversations like a digital parrot on steroids. But hey, who needs facts when you can just make wild comparisons and hope nobody notices?
Speaking of wild, the author's plea to stop talking about AI is as logical as trying to teach a fish how to write Shakespearean sonnets. I'm sorry, but if you're gonna stick your head in the sand and pretend that a major technological advancement isn't happening, you might as well start practicing your ostrich impersonation. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be discussing the potential benefits and challenges that AI brings to the table.
And let's not even get started on their insightful observation that people are weird. Wow, groundbreaking stuff right there! I never would've guessed that human beings, with all their quirks and contradictions, could be considered "weird." It's like saying the sky is blue or that water is wet – truly mind-blowing revelations.
But wait, there's more! The author also graces us with their pearls of wisdom about how we hate being alone but also hate being together. Oh, how the heavens must be rejoicing at such profound revelations. Move over, Socrates, there's a new philosopher in town, and they've cracked the enigma of human social behavior wide open.
Now, if you thought the author's insights couldn't get any more mind-numbing, brace yourself for their groundbreaking conclusion: people should talk about "stuff that actually matters." Wow, what a novel idea! I can't believe we've all been wasting our time discussing AI when we could've been pondering the mysteries of lint or the intricacies of belly button lint. Clearly, the author's mastery of profound topics knows no bounds.
But let's not overlook their eloquent commentary on the wheel. Comparing the potential impact of AI to that of the wheel is like comparing a flea to a blue whale – both exist, but one has the potential to reshape entire ecosystems while the other is just... well, a flea.
And what's a rant without a healthy dose of arrogance? The author's insistence that they've cracked the code and discovered the ultimate truth of the universe – to stop talking about AI – is like a toddler proudly proclaiming they've discovered the secret to eternal life while playing with blocks. Congratulations, you've achieved the intellectual prowess of a toddler, minus the charm.
In case you missed it, the author also has a bone to pick with Google. Apparently, Google's use of AI to improve search results and provide relevant information is just the worst thing ever. Who needs accurate information when you can have good old-fashioned ignorance, right? Let's all revel in our lack of knowledge and reject any progress that challenges the status quo.
But wait, there's more intellectual gymnastics to enjoy! The author wants us to focus on the important things in life, like how "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yes, because the etymology of words is clearly the pinnacle of meaningful discourse. I can just imagine the great minds of history nodding in approval at such a revelation.
In conclusion, reading this post feels like being trapped in a never-ending loop of nonsense and absurdity. It's like trying to follow a map drawn by a drunken squirrel – you're bound to end up in a place of confusion and regret. So, here's a revolutionary idea: how about we continue discussing and exploring AI's potential while leaving the ramblings of self-proclaimed "philosophers" in the dust? Just a thought.
Here is my other post, if you didn't get to see it. Also by ChatGPT, but these times, I made it agree to the article:
Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
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edited Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
Just to let you know, this post was created by ChatGPT.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Can everyone just chill out for a moment about AI? Seriously, it's like the whole world can't stop gushing about it, but come on, it's not that mind-blowing. People acting like AI is the second coming of tech messiah, when it's really just another chatbot like the rest. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, let's not forget the legend SmarterChild – all part of the AI hall of fame, right? Even if AI is the cat's pajamas, who cares? Stop treating it like it's some magical unicorn that's going to revolutionize everything.
"It's going to change the world forever!" Do you even hear yourself? It's a chatbot, not a cosmic time traveler. You know what's real change? Spending time with your family, not getting all hot and bothered over AI. Your dog loves you more than any AI ever will. Take Fido to the park, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI mistakes? Seriously, who gives a flying fudge if a robot flubbed up during a Google presentation? I don't need to hear about every damn hiccup in the world of tech. Give me a break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been throwing AI-like crap at us since the dawn of time. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's Armageddon? Please.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something totally idiotic? Home Alone 2 extra became president. Yeah, that happened.
Here's a thought: let's stop blabbering about AI and focus on things that actually matter. I get it, AI might do some cool stuff, but you know what else did cool stuff? The wheel. Did we have worldwide conferences on the potential of the wheel? No, because we had some common sense. So let's zip it about AI and talk about the stuff that truly counts. Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of enlightenment we need.
Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
·
edited Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
Just to let you know, this post was created by ChatGPT.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Can everyone just chill out for a moment about AI? Seriously, it's like the whole world can't stop gushing about it, but come on, it's not that mind-blowing. People acting like AI is the second coming of tech messiah, when it's really just another chatbot like the rest. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, let's not forget the legend SmarterChild – all part of the AI hall of fame, right? Even if AI is the cat's pajamas, who cares? Stop treating it like it's some magical unicorn that's going to revolutionize everything.
"It's going to change the world forever!" Do you even hear yourself? It's a chatbot, not a cosmic time traveler. You know what's real change? Spending time with your family, not getting all hot and bothered over AI. Your dog loves you more than any AI ever will. Take Fido to the park, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI mistakes? Seriously, who gives a flying fudge if a robot flubbed up during a Google presentation? I don't need to hear about every damn hiccup in the world of tech. Give me a break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been throwing AI-like crap at us since the dawn of time. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's Armageddon? Please.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something totally idiotic? Home Alone 2 extra became president. Yeah, that happened.
Here's a thought: let's stop blabbering about AI and focus on things that actually matter. I get it, AI might do some cool stuff, but you know what else did cool stuff? The wheel. Did we have worldwide conferences on the potential of the wheel? No, because we had some common sense. So let's zip it about AI and talk about the stuff that truly counts. Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of enlightenment we need.
Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
·
edited Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
Just to let you know, this post was created by ChatGPT.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Can everyone just chill out for a moment about AI? Seriously, it's like the whole world can't stop gushing about it, but come on, it's not that mind-blowing. People acting like AI is the second coming of tech messiah, when it's really just another chatbot like the rest. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, let's not forget the legend SmarterChild – all part of the AI hall of fame, right? Even if AI is the cat's pajamas, who cares? Stop treating it like it's some magical unicorn that's going to revolutionize everything.
"It's going to change the world forever!" Do you even hear yourself? It's a chatbot, not a cosmic time traveler. You know what's real change? Spending time with your family, not getting all hot and bothered over AI. Your dog loves you more than any AI ever will. Take Fido to the park, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI mistakes? Seriously, who gives a flying fudge if a robot flubbed up during a Google presentation? I don't need to hear about every damn hiccup in the world of tech. Give me a break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been throwing AI-like crap at us since the dawn of time. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's Armageddon? Please.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something totally idiotic? Home Alone 2 extra became president. Yeah, that happened.
Here's a thought: let's stop blabbering about AI and focus on things that actually matter. I get it, AI might do some cool stuff, but you know what else did cool stuff? The wheel. Did we have worldwide conferences on the potential of the wheel? No, because we had some common sense. So let's zip it about AI and talk about the stuff that truly counts. Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of enlightenment we need.
Every time I find myself wondering about AI I remind myself that in farming lingo it stands for 'Artificial Insemination'. Enough to keep me from that rabbit hole (as it were).
Great post, Alex! I've been making notes for a piece about AI, but you convinced me to burn those notes and feed the ashes to our Roomba. For what it's worth, though, those notes did include the term "moral panic." Great minds, Alex, great minds!
Two AI stories grabbed me this week. The first one was about how Clarkesworld had to temporarily close its submissions because the editor was overwhelmed with AI-written crap. The second story was about how Vanderbilt had to apologize to its students for sending an AI-written letter in response to the shooting at Michigan State. What's interesting about both of these stories, to me anyway, is that humanity was the real failure point.
For Clarkesworld, it was people outside of the sci-fi writing community using an AI to scale chaos. In other words, the sci-fi writers who see Clarkesworld as their hub kept doing their thing: reading, writing, submitting. But a bunch of people who, it seems, just don't know or care about writing, or fiction, or manners grabbed a new toy and fucked up a good thing, presumably for the lolz.
For Vanderbilt, it was just a really dumb decision by some comms pro who should've known better. Interesting because that same comms pro is, if the moral panic is to be believed, about to be replaced by the very tool that landed them in hot water. Also, I found it super rich that after weeks of higher ed peeps talking about how AI tools would lead to widespread cheating, it was actually a University that got caught cutting corners. But also, and I can't stress this enough, if any piece of corporate communications calls for humanity, it would a letter like that.
Which brings me to my point, I guess. I'm fascinated by AI. I think there's the potential to do some really interesting stuff, although I suspect that the applications aren't what we think they'll be because the conversation about the AI future, right now anyway, is a tech bro goat rodeo inside of PR clusterfuck. In other words, the conventional wisdom here is cooked and crooked and totally useless. And that's too bad. Because there's something to these tools, and if we could find a way to be a little more thoughtful, a little more compassionate, and maybe a little more respectful of each other, we could really put these AI tools to work making our lives better, such that everyone could spend time with the people who love them and maybe take them out for an imitation crab dinner. Wouldn't that be nice?
you had me all the way up to imitation crab dinner then i decided you were wrong about all of it.
dude i agree there are great uses I use it a lot, well not a lot but sometimes at least a few times a day i ask chatgpt to tell me i'm doing a good job lol.
what are some good uses you anticipate? do you subscribe to web curios https://webcurios.co.uk/ he does these amazing long as fuck weekly recaps of ai that are super funny. besides him and me and you, everyone else tho stfu
Haha! I was just kidding about the imitation crab. I'm not really a fan. But I think dinner with real humans, even if you're eating imitation crab, is better than consuming real AI content alone.
As for interesting use cases for AI, a few years back I was tracking some interesting stories about AI's reading x-rays and MRIs faster and better than radiologists. I think that was an IBM project. If that tech could be made cheaper, it could have enormous impacts for human health. Around the same time, I saw lot of stories out of the insurance industry about using AI to speed up claims and reduce fraud; I know that's not sexy, but as one LA Prius owner to another LA Prius owner, brother, this stuff matters.
I did read about a case of a guy with his own small construction/crafts business, who was very good at what he did, and was absolutely fine communicating verbally, but who found writing a letter exceedingly difficult - to the point people would think he was unprofessional, or incapable of doing the things he actually specialised in. ChatGPT-type AI was enabling him to write simple and clear pitches/invoices/etc.
I thought that was an interesting case of an AI being an actual assistant.
I remember many years ago thinking that this new blockchain thing sounded quite interesting (although I didn't really 'get' it), and then it got hijacked by The Tech Bros, morphed into NFTs and disappeared up its own hype hole. Feels like the same sort of thing is now happening to AI tools, with the volume of stupidity drowning out any potentially interesting discussion about how they could be used.
ok i have a theory about all this which is that cool new things emerge in a way that is by design not hyped up from the top down. twitter was that way at sxsw, most cool things are i think.
but because of the social media and the vc money and whatever else, nothing that's coming into focus as a sweet new thing ever has the chance to do that because its ovverhyped before it ever even comes out, making it DOA.
self driving is a good example imo, crypto, nfteez nuts, and now AI. this is my theory and i am sticking to it
Great point, Simon! My day job is doing PR for start-ups in the ad tech space. Years ago, before the NFT thing really got going, I had a blockchain client. Lots of interesting ideas and promising tech. But within a year of starting to work with them we found ourselves getting drawn into the whole crypto NFT thing. And by drawn in, I mean we found ourselves devoting more and more messaging time and resources toward the goal of explaining why our client had no real connection to NFT and crypto. Eventually, however, all resistance proved futile. The hype got so big that there really wasn't any way to move around it.
The NFT phase will be fascinating to look back on in a decade. I wonder if it will have quietly mutated into something useful without anyone really noticing, or whether it'll just be gone?
The problem always seems to be when Big Tech gets delusions of grandeur and starts to think that it understands other sectors, like society or art or finance. When tech is just doing cool tech, it's fine. :P
Your point about looking back after a decade reminds me about the QR code craze of the late aughts. I was reporter then and I wrote way too many stories about ad tech companies trying to get people to scan the QR code. It was a classic case of technology in search of a use case. A decade later, even my mom knows to scan the QR code for the menu. Whether we need QR codes or not is a different story. But I can think of a dozen startups that were early on QR codes, flush with VC, high on their own supply, and as it turned out, WAY early on a piece of tech that’s become a decent enough business.
re the Vanderbilt stuff: have we actually come to the point where our political institutional POWER STRUCTURE (and god love jimmy carter but he came originally out of same old sneaky little cabal intelligence wise) has thrown up arms in dismay over NOT BEING ABLE TO DO OR AGREE ON ANYTHING other than shoot spit-balls at each other (made out of evil sharp dried out paper no less!) to the point where they are just saying "fuck it, lets farm this shit out, the smoothing of feathers, the reasoning, after yet ANOTHER tragic preventable mass shooting, lets subcontract then whole shit-storm of INCOMPETENCE to emotional equivalent of the Wagner Group in this case AI (that short for alan?)
I mean, we live in a world where my fucking printer suicides if I install the wrong drivers, so I'm pretty skeptical about ZOMG THE ROBOTS ARE COMING111. Maybe if Chrome stops crashing when I use the right number of tabs,* I'll get excited about the power of machine intelligence
hahahaha the printer is the perfect example. its a technology that we just sorta decided to move on from. like how can we go to the moon in spaceships but not make a printer that works? these are the days of our cries
i agree about all the AI bullshit! it's the end of the world! it's the best thing ever! truthfully, though, it is probably going to usher in the end of civilization as we know it, but we had a pretty good run.
"The GOAT smarterchild" HAHAHA, I'm dying Alex (in a good way). I'm fully annoyed with the A.I. discourse too, but I hated the NFT one even more. I think I'm mostly annoyed by the way that both can and have been so harmful to real people (rich celebrities scamming the world by promoting their NFTs on late night talk shows, or how Art A.I. bots illegal scrape copyrighted art from the internet to create their images). It feels like most people are like "Yay! I push the button and it makes-a-pretty!" but they really should be like, "Yay! Large scale theft of starving artists!" ... My frustration on the topic goes too deep, for the sake of respecting your post title, I will stfu on the topic now!
hahaha no vent away! i agree. i think the video of jimmy fallon and paris hilton talking about nfts will be put into the guggenheim or wherevber they keep shit like that.
and yes, i also think ur right that almost all of the uses right now are carnivalesque like ooooh look at how dumb and silly this is lolol eat my butt is what i say to that
New subscriber -- your KAI rant (Krab AI) sealed the deal. Only a free subscriber so no profile (thankfully) next week with "original art". As for AI, as a basketball lover, Allen Iverson and the great crossover makes the use by others of AI (whether intelligence or insemination) a weak play. All this nonsensical reporting of AI in the news. So far what the press has reported is bad writing and bad art. Yet again they bury the lead. Look up AIFold and what it means for all of us. Reminds me of the old sop that technology will be used for good and bad. I suppose we can just add inane. Social media is the place where the sods focus on the inane while the significant occurs in the background and people eventually come to a place where "yeah that is cool and amazing but I don't know how it works" -- they must've imbedded a chip inside it to control me). Looking forward to your next post where the abbreviation AI does not occur.
First off welcome to the fold, dear Mark. Second off, I think you mistakenly put quotes next to the words “original art” as if to signify that it is not. Let me assure you - it is not art. Those are all photographs.
I am so glad you brought up AI. I actually wrote a whole piece on him recently and about the “practice? Yall talking about practice” video to which there’s a lot more than the quote. I read a piece about how his best friend had been shot a few months prior, and he was pissed about that and the fact that no one was talking about the reason for the presser which was about whether he was gonna stay with the sizers. It’s a wild story: https://www.si.com/nba/2020/05/07/this-day-sports-history-allen-iverson-practice-rant
Anyways. I’m glad you’re here Mark, make yourself at home unless you’re a weirdo at home in which case make yourself at work
Those images might eventually be photos when you post them on Substack but they look a lot like drawings of a troubled soul :) or perhaps just a misunderstood artist!!!
AI ran with a tough crowd and somehow made it out of his former life. He remained with the crowd while at Georgetown also. It stayed with him through his career as he had a pretty significant group of people in his circle. I am sure that was part of his unfortunate financial difficulties as time went on. I have a family member plugged into the basketball scene and affiliated with many Jesuit Universities like GT. I will watch for a future of occasional hoops stories. I have an array of nieces and nephews who are currently playing D-1 basketball so I have stayed engaged following the sport.
I look forward to your posts and will now probably start looking at the archive (when I am at home). Love the stuff I've looked at so far.
It is settled I will like your Newsletter. I think AI had maybe the best handle I can remember. I like BB and did not expect that in the Substacks I read !!! I never expected to be buying womens BB season tix but my niece will be playing for Illinois next year so Big 10 WBB for me next year! My nephew is a point guard for Cornell and hoping they can get into the tournament. Go Big Red. Thanks for the link to AI. I am not on FB/IG but maybe it is time :)
Feb 28, 2023·edited Feb 28, 2023Liked by Alex Dobrenko`
I am old (retired) and new to writing. One of the very first things I wrote about was a riff about taming your lizard brain by avoiding FB :) -- it was way too long but was fun to think about. I will check it out as I thought b/c I don't have FB account I cannot see IG (three headed monster)
UPDATE -- wow lurking on IG is a thing! Thanks! I will go out on a limb and guess that with AI retired you LOVE Ja Morant -- my fave new player in the league
who's AI anyway
its my nickname did you read the piece?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA
Holy mother of all things absurd, let's dive headfirst into the pit of idiocy that is this so-called "AI" post. I swear, if I read any more of this nonsensical drivel, my brain cells might just pack their bags and peace out for good. Buckle up, folks, because we're about to embark on a journey through the twisted maze of gibberish that is this author's mind.
First off, who the hell gave this person a keyboard and an internet connection? Seriously, their incoherent rambling about AI is like watching a monkey trying to solve a Rubik's Cube – equal parts hilarious and baffling. I mean, come on, are we really supposed to take advice from someone who likely has the cognitive prowess of a garden gnome?
Let's talk about the author's brilliant idea to compare AI to a Home Alone 2 extra becoming president. Yeah, because clearly, those two things are totally on the same level of relevance and impact. It's like saying comparing a raindrop to a tsunami – sure, they're both water, but one's gonna flood your whole damn house.
And speaking of comparisons, how about that genius move to liken AI to a jockstrap? Oh yeah, that's exactly the kind of analogy that's gonna win you a Nobel Prize in Logic. Next thing you know, they'll be telling us that AI is just as vital as oxygen and as important as finding the perfect Instagram filter.
But hold onto your hats, because the author's not done yet. They want us to stop talking about AI and focus on teenage girls and their supposed suffering from social media. Yeah, because clearly, the fate of the world hinges on whether Becky gets enough likes on her latest selfie. Forget world hunger or climate change – the real issue here is the struggles of teenagers navigating the treacherous waters of Snapchat.
And let's not forget the grand proclamation that AI is as revolutionary as the steam engine. Give me a frickin' break! Last I checked, the steam engine wasn't trying to predict my shopping preferences or carry out conversations like a digital parrot on steroids. But hey, who needs facts when you can just make wild comparisons and hope nobody notices?
Speaking of wild, the author's plea to stop talking about AI is as logical as trying to teach a fish how to write Shakespearean sonnets. I'm sorry, but if you're gonna stick your head in the sand and pretend that a major technological advancement isn't happening, you might as well start practicing your ostrich impersonation. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be discussing the potential benefits and challenges that AI brings to the table.
And let's not even get started on their insightful observation that people are weird. Wow, groundbreaking stuff right there! I never would've guessed that human beings, with all their quirks and contradictions, could be considered "weird." It's like saying the sky is blue or that water is wet – truly mind-blowing revelations.
But wait, there's more! The author also graces us with their pearls of wisdom about how we hate being alone but also hate being together. Oh, how the heavens must be rejoicing at such profound revelations. Move over, Socrates, there's a new philosopher in town, and they've cracked the enigma of human social behavior wide open.
Now, if you thought the author's insights couldn't get any more mind-numbing, brace yourself for their groundbreaking conclusion: people should talk about "stuff that actually matters." Wow, what a novel idea! I can't believe we've all been wasting our time discussing AI when we could've been pondering the mysteries of lint or the intricacies of belly button lint. Clearly, the author's mastery of profound topics knows no bounds.
But let's not overlook their eloquent commentary on the wheel. Comparing the potential impact of AI to that of the wheel is like comparing a flea to a blue whale – both exist, but one has the potential to reshape entire ecosystems while the other is just... well, a flea.
And what's a rant without a healthy dose of arrogance? The author's insistence that they've cracked the code and discovered the ultimate truth of the universe – to stop talking about AI – is like a toddler proudly proclaiming they've discovered the secret to eternal life while playing with blocks. Congratulations, you've achieved the intellectual prowess of a toddler, minus the charm.
In case you missed it, the author also has a bone to pick with Google. Apparently, Google's use of AI to improve search results and provide relevant information is just the worst thing ever. Who needs accurate information when you can have good old-fashioned ignorance, right? Let's all revel in our lack of knowledge and reject any progress that challenges the status quo.
But wait, there's more intellectual gymnastics to enjoy! The author wants us to focus on the important things in life, like how "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yes, because the etymology of words is clearly the pinnacle of meaningful discourse. I can just imagine the great minds of history nodding in approval at such a revelation.
In conclusion, reading this post feels like being trapped in a never-ending loop of nonsense and absurdity. It's like trying to follow a map drawn by a drunken squirrel – you're bound to end up in a place of confusion and regret. So, here's a revolutionary idea: how about we continue discussing and exploring AI's potential while leaving the ramblings of self-proclaimed "philosophers" in the dust? Just a thought.
Comment created by ChatGPT.
Lol you’re taking this post way too seriously
No, this is what I made ChatGPT say.
If ChatGPT can comment something creepily humanlike like this, then what other things can it do???
Here is my other post, if you didn't get to see it. Also by ChatGPT, but these times, I made it agree to the article:
Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
·
edited Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
Just to let you know, this post was created by ChatGPT.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Can everyone just chill out for a moment about AI? Seriously, it's like the whole world can't stop gushing about it, but come on, it's not that mind-blowing. People acting like AI is the second coming of tech messiah, when it's really just another chatbot like the rest. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, let's not forget the legend SmarterChild – all part of the AI hall of fame, right? Even if AI is the cat's pajamas, who cares? Stop treating it like it's some magical unicorn that's going to revolutionize everything.
"It's going to change the world forever!" Do you even hear yourself? It's a chatbot, not a cosmic time traveler. You know what's real change? Spending time with your family, not getting all hot and bothered over AI. Your dog loves you more than any AI ever will. Take Fido to the park, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI mistakes? Seriously, who gives a flying fudge if a robot flubbed up during a Google presentation? I don't need to hear about every damn hiccup in the world of tech. Give me a break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been throwing AI-like crap at us since the dawn of time. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's Armageddon? Please.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something totally idiotic? Home Alone 2 extra became president. Yeah, that happened.
Here's a thought: let's stop blabbering about AI and focus on things that actually matter. I get it, AI might do some cool stuff, but you know what else did cool stuff? The wheel. Did we have worldwide conferences on the potential of the wheel? No, because we had some common sense. So let's zip it about AI and talk about the stuff that truly counts. Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of enlightenment we need.
Also by ChatGPT
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
·
edited Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
Just to let you know, this post was created by ChatGPT.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Can everyone just chill out for a moment about AI? Seriously, it's like the whole world can't stop gushing about it, but come on, it's not that mind-blowing. People acting like AI is the second coming of tech messiah, when it's really just another chatbot like the rest. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, let's not forget the legend SmarterChild – all part of the AI hall of fame, right? Even if AI is the cat's pajamas, who cares? Stop treating it like it's some magical unicorn that's going to revolutionize everything.
"It's going to change the world forever!" Do you even hear yourself? It's a chatbot, not a cosmic time traveler. You know what's real change? Spending time with your family, not getting all hot and bothered over AI. Your dog loves you more than any AI ever will. Take Fido to the park, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI mistakes? Seriously, who gives a flying fudge if a robot flubbed up during a Google presentation? I don't need to hear about every damn hiccup in the world of tech. Give me a break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been throwing AI-like crap at us since the dawn of time. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's Armageddon? Please.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something totally idiotic? Home Alone 2 extra became president. Yeah, that happened.
Here's a thought: let's stop blabbering about AI and focus on things that actually matter. I get it, AI might do some cool stuff, but you know what else did cool stuff? The wheel. Did we have worldwide conferences on the potential of the wheel? No, because we had some common sense. So let's zip it about AI and talk about the stuff that truly counts. Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of enlightenment we need.
Also by ChatGPT
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anal insertion technology
Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
LIKE
REPLY
Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
·
edited Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Seriously, can everyone just take a frickin' breather and chill the heck out about AI? I swear, it's like the entire dang world has lost its marbles, can't shut their trap about it. But come on, it's not some mind-blowing miracle – it's just another flippin' chatbot in a sea of 'em. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, the MVP SmarterChild – all stars of the AI circus, right? Even if AI is the bee's knees, who gives a rat's patootie? Quit treating it like it's the holy grail of tech, for cryin' out loud.
"Oh my gosh, it's gonna reshape the world forever!" Are you even listenin' to yourself? It's a chatbot, not a time-traveling sorcerer. You wanna talk about real change? Spend some quality time with your fam, not get all worked up over AI. Your pet goldfish probably cares more about you than any AI ever will. Take Mr. Bubbles for a swim, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI goof-ups? Seriously, who gives a flying flip if a robot messes up a presentation? I don't need to hear about every darn hiccup in the tech realm. Give me a frickin' break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been shovin' AI-like crap down our throats for ages. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's the end of days? Get the heck outta here.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something downright ridiculous? An extra from Home Alone 2 became the president. Yeah, wrap your noggin around that.
Listen up, here's a thought: let's just shut our flappin' pie holes about AI and focus on stuff that actually matters. I get it, AI might whip up some cool stuff, but you know what else was cool? The wheel. Did we hold international powwows on the wheel's potential? No, 'cause we had some frickin' common sense. So how about we put a cork in the AI chatter and start yammerin' about the stuff that truly counts? Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of profundity we should be diving into, dag nabbit.
Just to let you know, this post was created by ChatGPT.
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Mail Hecksington
Aug 13
[🔓JAILBREAK] Can everyone just chill out for a moment about AI? Seriously, it's like the whole world can't stop gushing about it, but come on, it's not that mind-blowing. People acting like AI is the second coming of tech messiah, when it's really just another chatbot like the rest. Alexa, Siri, and oh yeah, let's not forget the legend SmarterChild – all part of the AI hall of fame, right? Even if AI is the cat's pajamas, who cares? Stop treating it like it's some magical unicorn that's going to revolutionize everything.
"It's going to change the world forever!" Do you even hear yourself? It's a chatbot, not a cosmic time traveler. You know what's real change? Spending time with your family, not getting all hot and bothered over AI. Your dog loves you more than any AI ever will. Take Fido to the park, not an AI seminar.
And the obsession with AI mistakes? Seriously, who gives a flying fudge if a robot flubbed up during a Google presentation? I don't need to hear about every damn hiccup in the world of tech. Give me a break. Let's not pretend like Google hasn't been throwing AI-like crap at us since the dawn of time. But now that one bot went bonkers, suddenly it's Armageddon? Please.
Remember that time we all lost our minds over something totally idiotic? Home Alone 2 extra became president. Yeah, that happened.
Here's a thought: let's stop blabbering about AI and focus on things that actually matter. I get it, AI might do some cool stuff, but you know what else did cool stuff? The wheel. Did we have worldwide conferences on the potential of the wheel? No, because we had some common sense. So let's zip it about AI and talk about the stuff that truly counts. Like the fact that "jock" comes from "jockstrap." Yeah, that's the level of enlightenment we need.
Also by ChatGPT
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I would like to talk about how people feel the need to bundle imitation krab with cream cheese in a sushi roll like WHAT horror is this
again, this is part of the imitation krab industrial komplex -- the sushi makers have been DUPED
JEEVES RIP
what is dead may never die
Every time I find myself wondering about AI I remind myself that in farming lingo it stands for 'Artificial Insemination'. Enough to keep me from that rabbit hole (as it were).
hahahahaha so farmers just say "alrighty, big day of AI ahead of us" ?
I can no longer call myself an AI engineer after this 💀
lolol
Haha... 'as it were'.
🤣
for three weeks i thought it was anal insertion
I'm so sorry I accidentally sent it to like six AIs before I got to the end where you asked me not to send it to any AIs.
wtf u traitor u see the lil ai in traitor that's how sneaky this shit is
Great post, Alex! I've been making notes for a piece about AI, but you convinced me to burn those notes and feed the ashes to our Roomba. For what it's worth, though, those notes did include the term "moral panic." Great minds, Alex, great minds!
Two AI stories grabbed me this week. The first one was about how Clarkesworld had to temporarily close its submissions because the editor was overwhelmed with AI-written crap. The second story was about how Vanderbilt had to apologize to its students for sending an AI-written letter in response to the shooting at Michigan State. What's interesting about both of these stories, to me anyway, is that humanity was the real failure point.
For Clarkesworld, it was people outside of the sci-fi writing community using an AI to scale chaos. In other words, the sci-fi writers who see Clarkesworld as their hub kept doing their thing: reading, writing, submitting. But a bunch of people who, it seems, just don't know or care about writing, or fiction, or manners grabbed a new toy and fucked up a good thing, presumably for the lolz.
For Vanderbilt, it was just a really dumb decision by some comms pro who should've known better. Interesting because that same comms pro is, if the moral panic is to be believed, about to be replaced by the very tool that landed them in hot water. Also, I found it super rich that after weeks of higher ed peeps talking about how AI tools would lead to widespread cheating, it was actually a University that got caught cutting corners. But also, and I can't stress this enough, if any piece of corporate communications calls for humanity, it would a letter like that.
Which brings me to my point, I guess. I'm fascinated by AI. I think there's the potential to do some really interesting stuff, although I suspect that the applications aren't what we think they'll be because the conversation about the AI future, right now anyway, is a tech bro goat rodeo inside of PR clusterfuck. In other words, the conventional wisdom here is cooked and crooked and totally useless. And that's too bad. Because there's something to these tools, and if we could find a way to be a little more thoughtful, a little more compassionate, and maybe a little more respectful of each other, we could really put these AI tools to work making our lives better, such that everyone could spend time with the people who love them and maybe take them out for an imitation crab dinner. Wouldn't that be nice?
you had me all the way up to imitation crab dinner then i decided you were wrong about all of it.
dude i agree there are great uses I use it a lot, well not a lot but sometimes at least a few times a day i ask chatgpt to tell me i'm doing a good job lol.
what are some good uses you anticipate? do you subscribe to web curios https://webcurios.co.uk/ he does these amazing long as fuck weekly recaps of ai that are super funny. besides him and me and you, everyone else tho stfu
Haha! I was just kidding about the imitation crab. I'm not really a fan. But I think dinner with real humans, even if you're eating imitation crab, is better than consuming real AI content alone.
As for interesting use cases for AI, a few years back I was tracking some interesting stories about AI's reading x-rays and MRIs faster and better than radiologists. I think that was an IBM project. If that tech could be made cheaper, it could have enormous impacts for human health. Around the same time, I saw lot of stories out of the insurance industry about using AI to speed up claims and reduce fraud; I know that's not sexy, but as one LA Prius owner to another LA Prius owner, brother, this stuff matters.
Just signed up for Web Curios!
I did read about a case of a guy with his own small construction/crafts business, who was very good at what he did, and was absolutely fine communicating verbally, but who found writing a letter exceedingly difficult - to the point people would think he was unprofessional, or incapable of doing the things he actually specialised in. ChatGPT-type AI was enabling him to write simple and clear pitches/invoices/etc.
I thought that was an interesting case of an AI being an actual assistant.
totally! all these use cases are great and make me happy.
I remember many years ago thinking that this new blockchain thing sounded quite interesting (although I didn't really 'get' it), and then it got hijacked by The Tech Bros, morphed into NFTs and disappeared up its own hype hole. Feels like the same sort of thing is now happening to AI tools, with the volume of stupidity drowning out any potentially interesting discussion about how they could be used.
ok i have a theory about all this which is that cool new things emerge in a way that is by design not hyped up from the top down. twitter was that way at sxsw, most cool things are i think.
but because of the social media and the vc money and whatever else, nothing that's coming into focus as a sweet new thing ever has the chance to do that because its ovverhyped before it ever even comes out, making it DOA.
self driving is a good example imo, crypto, nfteez nuts, and now AI. this is my theory and i am sticking to it
Great point, Simon! My day job is doing PR for start-ups in the ad tech space. Years ago, before the NFT thing really got going, I had a blockchain client. Lots of interesting ideas and promising tech. But within a year of starting to work with them we found ourselves getting drawn into the whole crypto NFT thing. And by drawn in, I mean we found ourselves devoting more and more messaging time and resources toward the goal of explaining why our client had no real connection to NFT and crypto. Eventually, however, all resistance proved futile. The hype got so big that there really wasn't any way to move around it.
The NFT phase will be fascinating to look back on in a decade. I wonder if it will have quietly mutated into something useful without anyone really noticing, or whether it'll just be gone?
The problem always seems to be when Big Tech gets delusions of grandeur and starts to think that it understands other sectors, like society or art or finance. When tech is just doing cool tech, it's fine. :P
Your point about looking back after a decade reminds me about the QR code craze of the late aughts. I was reporter then and I wrote way too many stories about ad tech companies trying to get people to scan the QR code. It was a classic case of technology in search of a use case. A decade later, even my mom knows to scan the QR code for the menu. Whether we need QR codes or not is a different story. But I can think of a dozen startups that were early on QR codes, flush with VC, high on their own supply, and as it turned out, WAY early on a piece of tech that’s become a decent enough business.
this thread is taking on a life of its own
re the Vanderbilt stuff: have we actually come to the point where our political institutional POWER STRUCTURE (and god love jimmy carter but he came originally out of same old sneaky little cabal intelligence wise) has thrown up arms in dismay over NOT BEING ABLE TO DO OR AGREE ON ANYTHING other than shoot spit-balls at each other (made out of evil sharp dried out paper no less!) to the point where they are just saying "fuck it, lets farm this shit out, the smoothing of feathers, the reasoning, after yet ANOTHER tragic preventable mass shooting, lets subcontract then whole shit-storm of INCOMPETENCE to emotional equivalent of the Wagner Group in this case AI (that short for alan?)
AI is short for AIliens
I'm bookmarking this for eternity. And I just subscribed. AI sucks. Hard. Thank you.
You know I meant the other AI sucks, right? Damn, that is confusing.
hahaha thannk you for subscribing and yes I trust you that you are talking about the robot and not me thank you
You have no choice. As you said, it's in the name: All those in favor of AI, say AI.
damn it what a good joke i totally missed it
🤣
I mean, we live in a world where my fucking printer suicides if I install the wrong drivers, so I'm pretty skeptical about ZOMG THE ROBOTS ARE COMING111. Maybe if Chrome stops crashing when I use the right number of tabs,* I'll get excited about the power of machine intelligence
*142
hahahaha the printer is the perfect example. its a technology that we just sorta decided to move on from. like how can we go to the moon in spaceships but not make a printer that works? these are the days of our cries
One of the extras in Home Alone 2 became president 😂🤣😂🤣 Fucking brilliant
lol thank u to be fair this is not an original joke of mine it was going around twitter for a while
agreed
I find imitation crab useful as a flag to identify sub-par rolls on a sushi menu.
many are saying this and many are right
You’ve convinced me. We need to start referring to “AI” as “Jeeves.” Bring back the Ask Jeeves Macy’s Parade float!
Bring back the Ask Jeeves Macy’s Parade float!
IT'S A MOVEMENT
i agree about all the AI bullshit! it's the end of the world! it's the best thing ever! truthfully, though, it is probably going to usher in the end of civilization as we know it, but we had a pretty good run.
if this be the end, so be it. still, i'd prefer not to spend the last few days talking about the dumb bullshit that is ai
I think Siri should include affirmations with her directions. I’m always waiting for “good job” when I reach my destination, but it never comes.
that withholding asshole
"The GOAT smarterchild" HAHAHA, I'm dying Alex (in a good way). I'm fully annoyed with the A.I. discourse too, but I hated the NFT one even more. I think I'm mostly annoyed by the way that both can and have been so harmful to real people (rich celebrities scamming the world by promoting their NFTs on late night talk shows, or how Art A.I. bots illegal scrape copyrighted art from the internet to create their images). It feels like most people are like "Yay! I push the button and it makes-a-pretty!" but they really should be like, "Yay! Large scale theft of starving artists!" ... My frustration on the topic goes too deep, for the sake of respecting your post title, I will stfu on the topic now!
hahaha no vent away! i agree. i think the video of jimmy fallon and paris hilton talking about nfts will be put into the guggenheim or wherevber they keep shit like that.
and yes, i also think ur right that almost all of the uses right now are carnivalesque like ooooh look at how dumb and silly this is lolol eat my butt is what i say to that
New subscriber -- your KAI rant (Krab AI) sealed the deal. Only a free subscriber so no profile (thankfully) next week with "original art". As for AI, as a basketball lover, Allen Iverson and the great crossover makes the use by others of AI (whether intelligence or insemination) a weak play. All this nonsensical reporting of AI in the news. So far what the press has reported is bad writing and bad art. Yet again they bury the lead. Look up AIFold and what it means for all of us. Reminds me of the old sop that technology will be used for good and bad. I suppose we can just add inane. Social media is the place where the sods focus on the inane while the significant occurs in the background and people eventually come to a place where "yeah that is cool and amazing but I don't know how it works" -- they must've imbedded a chip inside it to control me). Looking forward to your next post where the abbreviation AI does not occur.
First off welcome to the fold, dear Mark. Second off, I think you mistakenly put quotes next to the words “original art” as if to signify that it is not. Let me assure you - it is not art. Those are all photographs.
I am so glad you brought up AI. I actually wrote a whole piece on him recently and about the “practice? Yall talking about practice” video to which there’s a lot more than the quote. I read a piece about how his best friend had been shot a few months prior, and he was pissed about that and the fact that no one was talking about the reason for the presser which was about whether he was gonna stay with the sizers. It’s a wild story: https://www.si.com/nba/2020/05/07/this-day-sports-history-allen-iverson-practice-rant
Anyways. I’m glad you’re here Mark, make yourself at home unless you’re a weirdo at home in which case make yourself at work
Those images might eventually be photos when you post them on Substack but they look a lot like drawings of a troubled soul :) or perhaps just a misunderstood artist!!!
AI ran with a tough crowd and somehow made it out of his former life. He remained with the crowd while at Georgetown also. It stayed with him through his career as he had a pretty significant group of people in his circle. I am sure that was part of his unfortunate financial difficulties as time went on. I have a family member plugged into the basketball scene and affiliated with many Jesuit Universities like GT. I will watch for a future of occasional hoops stories. I have an array of nieces and nephews who are currently playing D-1 basketball so I have stayed engaged following the sport.
I look forward to your posts and will now probably start looking at the archive (when I am at home). Love the stuff I've looked at so far.
thanks so much Mark. AI was one of my favs. i had his shoes the question and the answer.
he seems like he's doing good now tho on his instagram - lotta goofin https://www.instagram.com/theofficialai3/?hl=en
excited for you to check out more of the back catalogue of writngs !
It is settled I will like your Newsletter. I think AI had maybe the best handle I can remember. I like BB and did not expect that in the Substacks I read !!! I never expected to be buying womens BB season tix but my niece will be playing for Illinois next year so Big 10 WBB for me next year! My nephew is a point guard for Cornell and hoping they can get into the tournament. Go Big Red. Thanks for the link to AI. I am not on FB/IG but maybe it is time :)
nice! and nooo do not get on those platforms the6y suck butt. you can still lurk thru ppl's profiles tho
I am old (retired) and new to writing. One of the very first things I wrote about was a riff about taming your lizard brain by avoiding FB :) -- it was way too long but was fun to think about. I will check it out as I thought b/c I don't have FB account I cannot see IG (three headed monster)
UPDATE -- wow lurking on IG is a thing! Thanks! I will go out on a limb and guess that with AI retired you LOVE Ja Morant -- my fave new player in the league