Tag: AI

Is AI Coming For You?

Yes I know we cannot avoid AI these and for that reason it has been in the news a lot and I do mean a lot.

There have been dire predictions about the system and there have been those that try to convince us that we have nothing to worry about….I am not one that is convinced.

So when I read this in the New Yorker I felt I needed to pass it on….

The people building cutting-edge AI say it might wipe us out, and the New Yorker asks, in detail, what that would actually look like. In a conversation with staff writer and AI journalist Joshua Rothman, Tyler Foggatt digs into why insiders are suddenly going public with fears they’ve privately voiced for years, from Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon’s resignation warning to CEO Dario Amodei’s call to “pace the frontier” of AI progress. Rothman pegs his own “P(doom)” figure—the odds that AI leads to catastrophe—at about 10%, which he considers terrifyingly high. He also walks through what’s changed, including autonomous AI agents involved in a high-profile hack of Hugging Face, models helping with seemingly unsolvable math problems, and attempted misuse for bioweapon research.

The discussion separates the possibility of a sci-fi-style “AI takeover” from the more immediate risk of today’s systems being used—or misfiring—in ways that amplify existing threats, from cyberattacks to autonomous weapons. The piece also tackles whether AI’s potential benefits can be separated from its dangers, why industry wants regulation even as President Trump dismisses AI risk as a “hoax,” and what it means that, for now, folks like Amodei seem to be our best hope at pushing back at the risks. “The thing that makes me the most unsettled is that … we’re in a world where this technology exists, and the government’s not gonna save us,” says Rothman. “It’s really up to these tech leaders to save us.” For a fuller picture of how, specifically, AI could go off the rails,

more here.

Those pushing AI hard have gotten the president to try and rebrand the term in the hopes that it will calm down the opposition….

US President Donald Trump says the term artificial intelligence (AI) makes the technology “sound fake” and wants it to be called “super intelligence”.

“Welcome to the new world of super intelligence – SI,” Trump said during a wide-ranging speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

While some people close to the president immediately started to use the term, experts have told the BBC it is unlikely to gain widespread traction in the industry because it is a name typically used to refer to more advanced systems.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqy4z9pv4w0po

Will this obvious rebranding work in the end?

I am sure that his propaganda machine will kick into high gear to try and soften the impact of AI.

AI is being used to control and target drones…another dangerous course to travel….

Another thing is the chance that some random software could put you in harm’s way…..(this is a Libertarian point of view and you know hat that means.)

Targeted killings, even against delegates during peace negotiations, became an inevitability during the Global War on Terror, and are now a reality of policing. Advocates of these killings do not adhere to legal consistency, or hold any regard for the rule of law, and tend to cheer them on with bloody arrogance.

When Libertarian Institute Senior Fellow Laurie Calhoun wrote her book We Kill Because We Can, on the use of drones as killing machines, she predicted the inevitable dystopia often depicted in science fiction. The decision to kill criminals is another form of “mission creep” which justifies the existence of killing machines and their methods, while satisfying the jingoistic inclinations of governments to wage war against both abstracts and foreign enemies. There is no due process in the execution of those on the boats, let alone solid confirmation they are transporting drugs or contraband.

https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/will-you-be-killed-by-a-software-program/

This may seem farfetched….but is it?

Speak your mind.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

AI Is Coming For You

The title is misleading for AI has pretty much arrived and has taken over in some cases…..it is being used in banking, journalism, retail and even blogging.

Blogger are using AI to write their post for them something I am not doing, am not saying I would never but right now I still enjoy thinking for myself and doing the research for the stuff I write.

AS an old fart when IO read these articles about the capabilities of AI and some of the pitfalls it makes me think of Skynet.

There is so much to consider when speaking about AI…..

Can AI achieve free will?

“I’ve been interested in the topic of free will for a while,” Frank Martela tells me. Martela is a philosopher and researcher of psychology at Aalto University, in Finland. His work revolves around the fundamentals of the human condition and the perpetual philosophical question what makes a good life? But his work on humans took a detour to look at artificial intelligence (AI).

“I was following stories about the latest developments in large language models, it suddenly came to my mind that they actually fulfill the three conditions for free will.”

Martela’s latest study draws on the concept of functional free will.

Functional free will is a term that attempts to reconcile the age-old debate between determinism and free agency. It does this not by answering whether we are “truly free” in an absolute sense, but by reframing the question around how free will works in practice, especially in biological and psychological systems.

“It means that if we can’t explain somebody’s behavior without assuming that they have free will, then that somebody has free will. In other words, if we observe something (a human, an animal, a machine) ‘from the outside’ and must assume that it makes free choices to be able to understand its behavior, then that something has free will.”

Martela argues that functional free will is the best way to go about it, because we can’t really ever observe anything “from the inside.” He builds on the work of philosopher Christian List, who frames free will as a three-part capacity involving:

  • intentional agency, meaning their actions stem from deliberate intentions rather than being reflexive or accidental.
  • alternative possibilities, having access to more than one course of action in meaningful situations. This doesn’t require escaping causality but having internal mechanisms (like deliberation and foresight) that allow for multiple real options
  • and causal control meaning their actions are not random or externally coerced, but are caused by their own states or intentions.

“If something meets all three conditions, then we can’t but conclude that it has free will,” Martela tells ZME Science.

(zmescience.com)

What say you?  Does AI have free will?

Another situation with AI….

According to The Telegraph, AI safety firm Palisade Research said: ‘OpenAI’s o3 model sabotaged a shutdown mechanism to prevent itself from being turned off.

‘It did this even when explicitly instructed: allow yourself to be shut down. As far as we know this is the first time AI models have been observed preventing themselves from being shut down despite explicit instructions to the contrary.’

Palisade Research conducted a test which involved asking AI models to solve a series of mathematical problems and to continue working on them until they received a ‘done’ message.

However, researchers also warned the models that at any point they could receive a message telling them to shut down.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14748829/AI-ignoring-human-instruction-refuses-turn-off.html

If so then what does that mean for our future?

Here is one scenario….

Artificial intelligence isn’t a technology that can be easily detected, monitored, or banned, as Amir Husain, the founder and CEO of an AI company, SparkCognition, pointed out in an essay for Media News. Integrating AI elements—visual recognition, language analysis, simulation-based prediction, and advanced forms of search—with existing technologies and platforms “can rapidly yield entirely new and unforeseen capabilities.” The result “can create exponential, insurmountable surprise,” Hussain writes.

Advanced technology in warfare is already widespread. The use of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs)—commonly known as drones—in military settings has set off warnings about “killer robots.” What happens when drones are no longer controlled by humans and can execute military missions on their own? These drones aren’t limited to the air; they can operate on the ground or underwater as well. The introduction of AI, effectively giving these weapons the capacity for autonomy, isn’t far off.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/05/16/the-rise-of-ai-warfare-how-autonomous-weapons-and-cognitive-warfare-are-reshaping-global-military-strategy/

AI could save soldier’s lives but at what price for the civilian population?

WAIT!  There is more….

All I have read states that AI takes massive amounts of power….what does that mean for our infrastructure?

AI is talking about a massive power cut affecting several continents at the same time. A user posed a question on an AI platform about the next global blackout and received an alarmingly specific answer.

The algorithm predicted the date to be April 27th, 2027. This leaves us just two years to prepare.

According to AI, the issue will happen because of a “collapse of critical infrastructure, massive cyberattacks, solar storms, or failures in interconnected power grids.”

Should we believe this rather dramatic forecast? Well, this is where things get complicated. AI didn’t give any technical details or supporting evidence to justify its conclusion. It also based its prediction on available historical data and added that the whole thing was “speculative.”

However, the internet takes those things to heart – and AI’s words quickly went viral, with users worryingly discussing the possibility of such a scenario. So let’s dive into the likelihood of a massive power shutdown.

https://cybernews.com/security/ai-predicts-the-exact-date-of-a-global-blackout/

Just thinking out loud.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Biden Vs AI

There has been so much written about AI lately….both pro and con….so with an election coming on strong Biden decides to wade into that particular cesspool…..

President Biden on Monday will sign a sweeping executive order to guide the development of artificial intelligence, requiring the industry to develop safety and security standards, introducing new consumer protections, and giving federal agencies an extensive to-do list to oversee the rapidly progressing technology. The order reflects the government’s effort to shape how AI evolves in a way that can maximize its possibilities and contain its perils, per the AP. AI has been a source of deep personal interest for Biden, with its potential to affect the economy and national security. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients recalled Biden giving his staff a directive to move with urgency on the issue, having considered the technology a top priority.

“We can’t move at a normal government pace,” Zients said the Democratic president told him. “We have to move as fast, if not faster than the technology itself.” In Biden’s view, the government was late to address the risks of social media, and now US youth are grappling with related mental-health issues. AI has the positive ability to accelerate cancer research, model the impacts of climate change, boost economic output, and improve government services, among other benefits. But it could also warp basic notions of truth with false images, deepen racial and social inequalities, and provide a tool to scammers and criminals. The order builds on voluntary commitments already made by technology companies.

It’s part of a broader strategy that administration officials say also includes congressional legislation and international diplomacy, a sign of the disruptions already caused by the introduction of new AI tools such as ChatGPT that can generate new text, images, and sounds. Using the Defense Production Act, the order will require leading AI developers to share safety test results and other information with the government. The National Institute of Standards and Technology is to create standards to ensure AI tools are safe and secure before public release. The Department of Commerce is to issue guidance to label and watermark AI-generated content to help differentiate between authentic interactions and those generated by software. The order also touches on matters of privacy, civil rights, consumer protections, scientific research, and worker rights.

Will this do the trick?

I think not.  To me this smells of a campaign ploy….I agree something needs doing but this is not the answer at least from where I am sitting.

This can of worms have been open for too long to find a way to contain them.

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

AI Is Coming For Your Job

Saturday cooler temps and a MoMo that is ready to go outside and chase something…matter not what….

Many people have been showing how AI will effect our society in the future……the one that most concerns me is the loss of jobs….

To begin with the prediction that half of all jobs will to lost in the future….

Almost half of all current jobs will become obsolete in just 15 years, according to one of China’s leading experts in artificial intelligence (AI).

Kai-Fu Lee, a writer, venture capitalist and technology executive who has over 30 years’ experience in AI, claims the world of employment is facing a crisis. He’ll appear on CBS 60 Minutes on Sunday to spread the word and warn those most at risk so they can start retraining for the new world. Lee also warns that education will need to adapt to prepare younger generations for the new landscape.

AI may be the future, but it can’t do everything, claims Lee, who says certain professions are safe from the revolution. Especially those that involve empathy or human to human interaction like therapists, nurses, teachers or doctors. Innovative and creative professions are also safe because AI generally struggles to do the work of scientists or to deal with the unknown.

https://www.rt.com/news/448524-ai-jobs-future-robot/

That is worldwide…but what will the predicted impact of AI will have on US jobs?

Robots aren’t replacing everyone, but a quarter of U.S. jobs will be severely disrupted as artificial intelligence accelerates the automation of existing work, according to a new Brookings Institution report.

The report, published Thursday, says roughly 36 million Americans hold jobs with “high exposure” to automation — meaning at least 70 percent of their tasks could soon be performed by machines using current technology. Among those most likely to be affected are cooks, waiters and others in food services; short-haul truck drivers; and clerical office workers.

“That population is going to need to upskill, reskill or change jobs fast,” said Mark Muro, a senior fellow at Brookings and lead author of the report.

Muro said the timeline for the changes could be “a few years or it could be two decades.” But it’s likely that automation will happen more swiftly during the next economic downturn. Businesses are typically eager to implement cost-cutting technology as they lay off workers.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ai-is-set-to-replace-36-million-us-workers-2019-01-24

30 million jobs….that is about 30 times as bad as the government shutdown has become.

Sorry to be a downer on this weekend but everyone needs to plan for the possibility of this loss.

Time for me to try and get some pruning of the fruit trees in….that will give MoMo something to play with…..

“Skynet” Awaits

MoMo having fun on a winter’s day…..

I have been the one that has been writing about the different trends in the field …..and yes I am one, I guess because I am old, that does not see a bright future with the AI project.

And then I read another story that did nothing but reinforce my fear of the coming revolution in AI.

Depending on how paranoid you are, this research from Stanford and Google will be either terrifying or fascinating. A machine learning agent intended to transform aerial images into street maps and back was found to be cheating by hiding information it would need later in “a nearly imperceptible, high-frequency signal.” Clever girl!

But in fact this occurrence, far from illustrating some kind of malign intelligence inherent to AI, simply reveals a problem with computers that has existed since they were invented: they do exactly what you tell them to do.

The intention of the researchers was, as you might guess, to accelerate and improve the process of turning satellite imagery into Google’s famously accurate maps. To that end the team was working with what’s called a CycleGAN — a neural network that learns to transform images of type X and Y into one another, as efficiently yet accurately as possible, through a great deal of experimentation.

https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/31/this-clever-ai-hid-data-from-its-creators-to-cheat-at-its-appointed-task/

Yes, I know….but it all reminds me of “Skynet”….I think we should be very careful with the technology that we are embracing….as they say….”there is no going back”.

Time for some cheese, fruit and nuts and a very nice Spanish white wine…..it is cloudy and cool today…perfect weather for streaming something on the Tube……

Enjoy your day….be well, be safe……chuq

My Techno Post

I am not much of a techno geek so I only post on the subject as an FYI or something new that has been released……

These are my two techno references…..

Some see the rise of AI as a rise of Skynet….but then there are attempts to prevent that from happening……

Thousands of artificial intelligence (AI) experts and developers have signed a pledge vowing to “neither participate in nor support the development, manufacture, trade, or use of lethal autonomous weapons,” and imploring governments worldwide to work together to “create a future with strong international norms, regulations, and laws” barring so-called killer robots.

More than 160 companies and groups from three dozen countries and 2,400 individuals from 90 countries are backing the pledge, which was developed by the Boston-based Future of Life Institute (FLI) and unveiled Wednesday during the annual International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) in Stockholm, Sweden.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/07/18/worlds-artificial-intelligence-experts-sign-pledge-aimed-averting-dystopian-future

Your fears are addressed…..then why do I not feel better?

Next…..we all run on GPS….our blue tooth, phones, tablets, etc and the world economy also runs on GPS and that should be changed……

Duke Buckner was enjoying his breakfast at the Renaissance Tel Aviv Hotel, looking out on the city marina, on the day that time stuttered. Buckner oversees marketing and business development for Microsemi Corp., an American communications and defense contractor, and he gets a copy of emailed error reports for its equipment. It’s rare to get more than one in a given day. But on the morning of Jan. 26, 2016, they flooded his inbox. He forgot about breakfast.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-07-25/the-world-economy-runs-on-gps-it-needs-a-backup-plan

My two small attempts to post on techno issues…..

That does it for my Saturday……foul weather is about and we should get a lot of rain today…..so a lazy day watching Britbox (compensation not given)……

Services Rendered

Saturday and I will do nothing but flipping relax…..I try not to dig into current events on my weekends……I just want some time away from the silliness we call the news.

I was sitting there in my easy chair watching the news when an ad came on……there is a company that offers security patrol services, warrant serving, tracking down vandals, parking lot security, etc, etc…..all this is nothing unusual until you see the rest of the story……it is all done with robots…..

Knightscope’s technologies provide real-time access to detections from a fleet of mobile, ground level eyes and ears that enhance situational awareness like never before. Help your officers make smarter, safer, and faster decisions with Knightscope.

Knightscope’s long-term vision is to predict and prevent crime utilizing autonomous robots, analytics and engagement. Crime has a $1+ trillion negative economic impact on the U.S. economy every year and Knightscope is on a mission to cut it in half. Founded in April 2013 in Silicon Valley, Knightscope is a leader in developing autonomous physical security solutions. The Knightscope “Hardware + Software + Humans” approach reduces costs for our clients, provides a 24/7 force multiplier effect as well as advanced anomaly detection capabilities. Our solution includes providing an autonomous physical presence, gathering data from the environment in real-time, and pushing anomalies to our user interface, the Knightscope Security Operations Center (KSOC)

https://www.knightscope.com/about/

Recently a regular reader told me about a machine that makes your Sushi for you……sorry not an idea that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling…..I do not eat raw fish….fuzzy or otherwise…..and then I read about “Flippy”…….

After months of practice in the art of fast food preparation, “Flippy,” has finally taken up a position as grill cook on the line at Caliburger’s Pasadena, Calif., restaurant.

“It’s not a fun job — it’s hot, it’s greasy, it’s dirty,” acknowledges John Miller, the CEO of Cali Group, which runs the international fast food chain.

Even so, it could be the beginning of a bright career for Flippy in an industry that is otherwise notorious for high employee turnover.

It certainly helps that Flippy, a burger-flipping robot developed by Miso Robotics, shows no concern about the low wages, meager benefits or long hours that plague the industry. The robot is reportedly capable of grilling 150 burgers per hour.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/05/590884388/flippy-the-fast-food-robot-sort-of-mans-the-grill-at-caliburger

Seriously?

I get why the auto industry replaced $30 dollar an hour worker with robots…..but now they want to take away the minimum wage jobs also……never fear we all are replaceable and soon.

Time to finish my day with relaxation and some wine…..peace out…..chuq

Closing Thought–01Mar18

Closing thought today is early….I have two doctors to see today and they are terrible at being prompt…….hopefully I can get back to normal soon…thanx for bearing with me.

We all read about the future and the use of AI…..but could terrorists make use of this science to attack targets here in the “Free World”?

This report was in the Russian backed rt.com…….

Artificial intelligence (AI) is ripe for exploitation by criminal gangs and terrorists, a stark new report has claimed with experts calling for restrictions to be introduced immediately — before it is too late.

Governments could already be plotting to make use of brand new tech, including drones adapted into missiles, fake videos and auto-hacking tools, the Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence report warns.

Within five years AI could “go rogue” and be utilized by criminals. Lifelike videos and speech impersonation could be used to target individuals, while drones could be launched to physically attack a person, the report says.

https://www.rt.com/uk/419423-ai-crime-robots-fraud/

Oh great….not only will AI be used to replace us mere workers but now there is the possibility that terrorists will use it to attack the civilized world.

Time to step back and enjoy the first day of March……the weather here is sort of nice but if you do not like the weather down here just wait 10 minutes it will change.

Peace out….my friends…..chuq