"AI is not objective at all because it has the programmers’ prejudices baked in. In some cases, it has learnt to be prejudiced from the sort of material it’s been trained on." Yes, Terry. And as you say, computers don't argue.
Pretty sure I’ve read that story. Dad had a lot of sci-fi books around. Frustrating, ridiculous and totally understandable (the person’s responses, not the computer’s). (Though it might only be something similar. But the cover is very familiar.)
Anyway… I bought a new car last week. The car world has come a LONG way since I last bought one. I had to buy a hybrid vehicle. SO MUCH technology!! Physical batteries and heaps of AI trying to control everything you do in the name of safety and security. I could list a heap of daft things I’ve had to circumvent (how do kids learn to drive with so much complicated stuff going on?) but the worst was when we got out of the car at a mall and tried to lock the car.
‘No, you can’t lock me, you don’t have the key.’ Yes I do! It’s in my hand. I’m pressing the button. ‘No, key not found.’ I remembered the salesman telling me a nifty trick for when the battery dies and took the key apart and locked the car manually with the physical key. It refused to lock!
I put the key back together, got back in the car, started it, stopped it, got back out and then finally it acknowledged that ok I DID have the key. And locked itself. OMG!!! AI is such a frustrating experience.
OMG THanks for sharing that, Beth. It bears out my view that AI is stupid. I think that situation is potentially quite dangerous: what if it doesn’t let you in in the first place because it thinks you don’t have a key? All of these systems are predicated on the assumption that nothing ever goes wrong. On a more mundane level, years ago the cars I owned had windows that you had to wind up or down using a handle. My last car, a new one, had electric windows, which was all very well until it started going wrong, and worked only intermittently. Consequently I had the choice between driving in a force ten gale and leaving the car in a car park with a window wide open, or driving along in an airtight container. The handle never went wrong!!
If your dad had lots of sf anthologies, that story would probably have been amongst them, so perhaps you did read it.
We’re so lucky to have lived through the times we have. Window winders in the car, being able to leave the house without locking it, knowing life before microwaves and therefore having our minds blown by technology that allows you to heat items so quickly… We get to appreciate the good changes and regret the loss of other things. Such is life.
Was the story considered sci-fi? Many sci-fi inventions from an author’s mind have come to fruition. Including AI. Hubby Jeffrey loves sci fi and would show me robot videos before bed. I told him not to show me them anymore because I had nightmares.
I think it was, but to quote Fats Waller, one never knows, do one? All the robot videos I’ve seen, apart from modern ones showing them doing useful stuff, ARE pretty frightening!
Dickson had a long career. He authored the long-running Dorsai series, a fantasy series involving a dragon, and the weird proto-Ewok Hoka series with Poul Anderson.
The entire subject of AI makes me uncomfortable. Your post tried to clarify a few things. Glad you got to use the word epistolary. I myself have a whole lot of really cool words left over from my academic career that I cant seem to find a use for anymore. Damn! They are smart ones, too!
PS you've just reminded me: Perec wrote a novel without any 'e's: La Disparition. He then wrote a novel ( Les Revenentes) in which the only vowel used was the letter 'e'. The joke was that he wrote the latter book using all the 'e's he got rid of from the first book!
Thanks, Drew. Haven't read any sci fi for years???? And I thought you were a man of class and erudtion. Well, I suppose you must be because you subscribe to my newsletter, and you write a mean one yourself, but even so.
Being serious, thanks. I wish I were wrong though. I agree with you about this: " the general tendency of people nowadays to not really want to put any effort into doing something. You only have to work in any bureaucracy of any size to realise this. " and "as a panacea for monetary saving and the increase of 'leisure' (read doing sweet FA) it's bloody dangerous." Such a shame.
Reminds me of the misprint in "Brazil"...
Very much so!
Fascinating and chilling at the same time. Great post!
'Computer says no' is rather comforting... until I remind myself that they're rather keen on thinking for themselves.
I shall henceforth refer to 'algorithm' as 'arguerithm'. There. MUCH better.
LOL. You and your neologisms!
🤣 LOL! Just wait for my Art & Treasures post next week, Terry - you’re going to have absolute kittens on that score! 🤣
😵💫
"AI is not objective at all because it has the programmers’ prejudices baked in. In some cases, it has learnt to be prejudiced from the sort of material it’s been trained on." Yes, Terry. And as you say, computers don't argue.
Thanks, JIm. Yes, how did we come to invent such intelligent stupidy, or stupid intelligence? I guess we made it in our own image!
Pretty sure I’ve read that story. Dad had a lot of sci-fi books around. Frustrating, ridiculous and totally understandable (the person’s responses, not the computer’s). (Though it might only be something similar. But the cover is very familiar.)
Anyway… I bought a new car last week. The car world has come a LONG way since I last bought one. I had to buy a hybrid vehicle. SO MUCH technology!! Physical batteries and heaps of AI trying to control everything you do in the name of safety and security. I could list a heap of daft things I’ve had to circumvent (how do kids learn to drive with so much complicated stuff going on?) but the worst was when we got out of the car at a mall and tried to lock the car.
‘No, you can’t lock me, you don’t have the key.’ Yes I do! It’s in my hand. I’m pressing the button. ‘No, key not found.’ I remembered the salesman telling me a nifty trick for when the battery dies and took the key apart and locked the car manually with the physical key. It refused to lock!
I put the key back together, got back in the car, started it, stopped it, got back out and then finally it acknowledged that ok I DID have the key. And locked itself. OMG!!! AI is such a frustrating experience.
OMG THanks for sharing that, Beth. It bears out my view that AI is stupid. I think that situation is potentially quite dangerous: what if it doesn’t let you in in the first place because it thinks you don’t have a key? All of these systems are predicated on the assumption that nothing ever goes wrong. On a more mundane level, years ago the cars I owned had windows that you had to wind up or down using a handle. My last car, a new one, had electric windows, which was all very well until it started going wrong, and worked only intermittently. Consequently I had the choice between driving in a force ten gale and leaving the car in a car park with a window wide open, or driving along in an airtight container. The handle never went wrong!!
If your dad had lots of sf anthologies, that story would probably have been amongst them, so perhaps you did read it.
We’re so lucky to have lived through the times we have. Window winders in the car, being able to leave the house without locking it, knowing life before microwaves and therefore having our minds blown by technology that allows you to heat items so quickly… We get to appreciate the good changes and regret the loss of other things. Such is life.
I agree, Beth.
Was the story considered sci-fi? Many sci-fi inventions from an author’s mind have come to fruition. Including AI. Hubby Jeffrey loves sci fi and would show me robot videos before bed. I told him not to show me them anymore because I had nightmares.
I think it was, but to quote Fats Waller, one never knows, do one? All the robot videos I’ve seen, apart from modern ones showing them doing useful stuff, ARE pretty frightening!
Dickson had a long career. He authored the long-running Dorsai series, a fantasy series involving a dragon, and the weird proto-Ewok Hoka series with Poul Anderson.
Really? I didn't know that. Another writer i like is Poul Anderson, his time travel stories
Science fiction history is kind of a hobby of mine....
Really? You'd have loved a course I did last year on science fiction. It covered a wide range of writers, with history.
The entire subject of AI makes me uncomfortable. Your post tried to clarify a few things. Glad you got to use the word epistolary. I myself have a whole lot of really cool words left over from my academic career that I cant seem to find a use for anymore. Damn! They are smart ones, too!
PS you've just reminded me: Perec wrote a novel without any 'e's: La Disparition. He then wrote a novel ( Les Revenentes) in which the only vowel used was the letter 'e'. The joke was that he wrote the latter book using all the 'e's he got rid of from the first book!
Hah! Recycle, reuse, waste not. Smart man.
Quite! Chortle.
Sharron, you've just reminded me of a post by Nathan Slake which I read this morning - I think you'll find it of interest! https://slake.substack.com/p/a-cabinet-of-special-words
Yes! I read that. I have a cabinet of specimens, too. With wonderful words like miasma, anserine, quibble and myriad (as adj.)
show-off
Good point, Rebecca. I read that post too.
Well, write a story about someone who writes a story in which all of those leftover words are included. Simples.
Hang on: what do you mean by "TRIED to clarify"?? I thought I did a pretty good job myself. Oh well.
YOU did a sterling job. It is my brain, Terry, my tired old brain...
Nonsense!
Thanks, Drew. Haven't read any sci fi for years???? And I thought you were a man of class and erudtion. Well, I suppose you must be because you subscribe to my newsletter, and you write a mean one yourself, but even so.
Being serious, thanks. I wish I were wrong though. I agree with you about this: " the general tendency of people nowadays to not really want to put any effort into doing something. You only have to work in any bureaucracy of any size to realise this. " and "as a panacea for monetary saving and the increase of 'leisure' (read doing sweet FA) it's bloody dangerous." Such a shame.