AI has become Sauron’s Ring
Another of AI’s bitter lessons
The other big recent news, aside from Sam nonconsensually making a Scarlett Johansson-like character, even after #ScarlettSaidNo, was that Satya unveiled an Orwellian new Microsoft feature called Recall that will (not making this up) take and record locally screenshots of everything you do. (“F^ck that. I don’t want my computer to spy on everything I do”, I wrote on X, “I’ll stick with my Mac.”)
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AI didn’t *have* to go down such a shitty path of enabling and accelerating surveillance capitalism, misinformation, nonconsensual deepfake porn, IP theft, etc.
It could have focused its energies more on science, education and medicine (hats off to Demis Hassabis and others for still pursuing that dream).
But the science has been corrupted by money.
Incredibly depressing for those of us who love AI but have no chance but to speak out daily about what it is becoming. I cry for what it has become, and the increasing tone deafness of most of those in power.
I pray that we can return to AI that is genuinely in the public interest.
Gary Marcus wishes more of the AI news were about technical advices rather than abuses of power.
In 2010, the best engineers in the world focused on getting more likes and get kids addicted to social media.
Today, AI engineers are focused on replacing human creativity and setting the foundation for surveillance.
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I like the double entendre of "nonconsensually". :)
Yes, they want "more, more, more"... until they own it all. The old dynamic of the Buddhist "hungry ghost" figure, with the tiny mouth and big belly. It's never enough.