AYE AYE FOR AI
I will keep this brief and on point. This topic, like the unknown, is overwhelming. Talking points of Artificial Intelligence involve heaven, hell, universal unemployment and the future of humanity. Instead of waiting for a reunion with my grandparents in the afterlife, carnival barker Mark Zuckerberg is creating an AI product that will let me chat with them now.
Preface: Backing up a bit, most business owners (Management), large and small, throughout human history, agree that employees (Labor) are expensive, annoying and require a great deal of time and supervision. Business would flow a lot easier and cheaper without them. Enslavement did not pan out, maybe AI will?
Unequivocally, AI is a fundraising fever, a real cash cow. Like a drunken sailor, the elites are throwing lotsa good money at it, without knowing exactly where the yacht is headed.
Personally, I believe AI is an exciting diversion, like a kid trying to hide a failing report card. Is our devotion and thrall of the magicians of Silicon Valley beginning to wane? We are at a time when smarter folks are beginning to step away from our beloved handheld miracles and ask, what is the utility? uh-oh. Silicon Valley promised to enhance our lives. How useful is it? Over the last 30 years, have their products really made Life better? It is becoming harder to enthusiastically answer, "Absolutely. Yes."
In the sobering light of today, we are realizing that social media has stunted the natural human growth of an entire generation or more. We text, not talk. We text with emojis, not words. Ever notice how software, such as word processing and graphic art, does not improve with each exciting new, mandatory, must-buy update? In 1917, the handheld electric drill was a game changer. It had a specific purpose, with no other promises, and succeeded. What does the Silicon Valley Report Card look like? (Don't ask. Make an app.)
Tech needs a new product. I always thought search engines were a free gift. Heck, they're just selling ads. In this tight ad economy, the search engine monopoly places my inquiries at a very low priority. I learn nothing, but I can buy more stuff. Want a search engine that works? You'll have to subscribe to AI.
AI is big news. This week, it got bigger, as some folks are asking questions that ChatGPT cannot answer. It seems there is a growing use of a very troublesome new expression. "AI; DR." It translates as AI; Didn't Read. It could become a meme rally cry and a turning point. Why should I spend my time reading crowdsourced AI slop, something with no point, assembled without insight and no authorship, when I could be outside in nature, or making art?
This week, an AI mastermind ran away from his job screaming something like "I have seen the future and it is Armageddon." Another egghead announced with pleasure that his AI is creating beautifully and safely, all by itself. He is curious to see where it goes. Gulp.
In this week's Sunday Lounge! issue, we present a collection of the latest AI news. I call it a must-read, since humanity may be at stake. What would my heavenly grandparent's think about all that? I'll ask Mark.
Art Report Today .com
