AI is a simple tool. Its best use is to offer assistance in writing. Simple tasks. If humans give up some of their control to machines, all hell will break loose. AI has no future for humans unless you want the world that “Wall-e” portrays. Its only purpose is to make trillions for the Musks & Bezos of the world.
The wealthy will not live where the AI data centers will exist.
Computers are meant to help humans, not take over for them. I know, I had a career for about 40 years in the computer world. They are tools. Nothing more.
To me, the bigger problem than the lack of critical thinking is the acceptance that the lack of critical thinking is a perfectly acceptable way to deal with reality, AND the positive joy with which THEY* greet the lack of critical thinking because it makes them feel big. Because I see this embiggening to be one of the crucial social psychological problems facing the 21st-century. There are billions of people around me, forces that are beyond my ability to understand, let alone control, and I need to feel like I am something more than I am. And I’m too fucking lazy and entitled to accomplish it on my own, so I need to be embiggened by artificial means.
Senator Mike Lee of Utah is someone that makes Massey look like a flaming liberal. Today, he breathlessly announced that James Talerico would happily take your children and literally sacrifice them to Moloch. There is absolutely zero ambiguity and what he had to say. In a sane world, he would be censured by the Senate. His church would castigate him for reviling and slandering people. the people of Utah would demand his resignation. And he would be ashamed if he had the slightest bit of decency, but with a comment like that, decency long ago left the building.
Instead, we get crickets.
He’s not saying this because he’s hoping to convince anybody but his rabid base. He would be even stupider than he appears to be if he actually thought that he could. The intention is to inflame the terminally stupid, the exorbitantly fearful, the spiritually bankrupt. But that is the whole methodology of the demagogue— to make himself as stupid as the people that listen to him so that they will think that they are as smart and successful as he is.
That is Lee. That is Trump. That is every single religious huckster out there.
These are all EMOTIONALLY ILL adults acting like juveniles with a New Toy! FFS!! I mean REALLY. ALL of these screwballs need to GROW UP! I can't even believe these jerks are in gov't.
"Especially older voters who already struggle with basic internet misinformation."
I know this is not met as an insult; but, I've been hearing this since I was in my forties. Being an older person now, is it possible that those older people who struggled with basic internet misinformation have passed on. I think the current elderly have been internet literate for some time now.
I do recall reading a poll before his election that showed Massie winning amongst younger voters, but losing with the older voters, so I guess it still holds true; maybe more so in states that don't rank well in education.
I think it’s not a young or old thing it is a critical thinking issue. There are loads of young people that are not internet misinformation savvy at all. Many are swayed by influencers and lack the skills to discern good quality information from bad information.
Negative political ads are almost as old as the US. Political demagogues like Trump aren't something new either. But the new AI technology threatens to strike a deadly blow to the body politic. Now, any sole, message-focused propagandist freelancer with a keyboard can replace entire teams of cronies and backroom political operators.
The electricity demanded by AI data centers is driving up electricity prices for regular Americans.
So scary! That's why I trust you, Mike, and Rick Wilson to steer me toward the truth!
AI is a simple tool. Its best use is to offer assistance in writing. Simple tasks. If humans give up some of their control to machines, all hell will break loose. AI has no future for humans unless you want the world that “Wall-e” portrays. Its only purpose is to make trillions for the Musks & Bezos of the world.
The wealthy will not live where the AI data centers will exist.
Computers are meant to help humans, not take over for them. I know, I had a career for about 40 years in the computer world. They are tools. Nothing more.
I agree.
The biggest problem you more or less hint at.
To me, the bigger problem than the lack of critical thinking is the acceptance that the lack of critical thinking is a perfectly acceptable way to deal with reality, AND the positive joy with which THEY* greet the lack of critical thinking because it makes them feel big. Because I see this embiggening to be one of the crucial social psychological problems facing the 21st-century. There are billions of people around me, forces that are beyond my ability to understand, let alone control, and I need to feel like I am something more than I am. And I’m too fucking lazy and entitled to accomplish it on my own, so I need to be embiggened by artificial means.
Senator Mike Lee of Utah is someone that makes Massey look like a flaming liberal. Today, he breathlessly announced that James Talerico would happily take your children and literally sacrifice them to Moloch. There is absolutely zero ambiguity and what he had to say. In a sane world, he would be censured by the Senate. His church would castigate him for reviling and slandering people. the people of Utah would demand his resignation. And he would be ashamed if he had the slightest bit of decency, but with a comment like that, decency long ago left the building.
Instead, we get crickets.
He’s not saying this because he’s hoping to convince anybody but his rabid base. He would be even stupider than he appears to be if he actually thought that he could. The intention is to inflame the terminally stupid, the exorbitantly fearful, the spiritually bankrupt. But that is the whole methodology of the demagogue— to make himself as stupid as the people that listen to him so that they will think that they are as smart and successful as he is.
That is Lee. That is Trump. That is every single religious huckster out there.
*THEY- a global conspiracy company
Such a great newsletter / op ed. AI is playing with fire.
💯
These are all EMOTIONALLY ILL adults acting like juveniles with a New Toy! FFS!! I mean REALLY. ALL of these screwballs need to GROW UP! I can't even believe these jerks are in gov't.
"Especially older voters who already struggle with basic internet misinformation."
I know this is not met as an insult; but, I've been hearing this since I was in my forties. Being an older person now, is it possible that those older people who struggled with basic internet misinformation have passed on. I think the current elderly have been internet literate for some time now.
I do recall reading a poll before his election that showed Massie winning amongst younger voters, but losing with the older voters, so I guess it still holds true; maybe more so in states that don't rank well in education.
Anyway, I'm not offended.
I think it’s not a young or old thing it is a critical thinking issue. There are loads of young people that are not internet misinformation savvy at all. Many are swayed by influencers and lack the skills to discern good quality information from bad information.
Or even likely information.
Negative political ads are almost as old as the US. Political demagogues like Trump aren't something new either. But the new AI technology threatens to strike a deadly blow to the body politic. Now, any sole, message-focused propagandist freelancer with a keyboard can replace entire teams of cronies and backroom political operators.
The electricity demanded by AI data centers is driving up electricity prices for regular Americans.
Let’s create a new verb, “Massied”, the use of AI falsehoods to defeat a candidate.