#AGI Timeline

[aifyit]

Artificial General Intelligence: The Dawn of a New Era

Introduction Are you captivated by the technological advancements of our time, but also intrigued by the infinite possibilities yet to come? Then you’re in the right place! Today, we dive into the fascinating world of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This technology promises to transform our society, revolutionizing industries and even the way we live our lives. But what exactly is AGI?…

[xh-agi]

More fantasy au misc

[profound-yet-trivial]

2024 will probably be the final US Presidential election, but in an AGI doom way, not an overthrowing-democracy way

[adastra-sf]

Here's part of timeline of artificial intelligence over the next couple decades:

"The Dawn of the Singularity" timeline suggests we'll welcome the Technological Singularity in 2045!

Idk I think if you aren't going to do the work of becoming a technical observer and trying to understand the nuances of how these models work (and I sure as hell am not gonna bother yet) it's best to avoid idle philosophizing about "bullshit engines" or "stochastic parrots" or "world models"

Both because you are probably making some assumptions that are completely wrong which will make you look like a fool and also because it doesn't really matter - the ultimate success of these models rests on the reliability of their outputs, not on whether they are "truly intelligent" or whatever.

And if you want to have an uninformed take anyway... can I interest you in registering a prediction? Here are a few of mine:

- No fully self-driving cars sold to individual consumers before 2030

- AI bubble initially deflates after a couple more years without slam-dunk profitable projects, but research and iterative improvement continues

- Almost all white collar jobs incorporate some form of AI that meaningfully boosts productivity by mid 2030s

[whereserpentswalk]

Select a strange and inhuman creature from beyond the realms of human knowledge to go on a sate with and possibly form a long term relationship with.

1- a scientist from an alternate timeline where the kpg mass extinction never happened, and raptors evolved sapient minds. He's trapped in this realm after a failed timeline travel mission. He's very curious about your world, though still a bit afraid of his fate here.

2- a cyborg supersolider whose been wandering the earth since the fall of Atlantis. She has a tall slender build, and is unable to take off her power armor below the neck. Despite her appearance she can be very quiet and reserved, and despite her appearance startles easily. She's still deconstructing a lot of trauma from her past.

3- a mouthless, sexless, vampire who drains blood through very sharp tentacles on their. They seem to be at the bottom of whatever hierarchy vampires have, being unable to speak of pass as human. Though they have an animalistic way of movement, and can't communicate without aac, they're very much a person, and tend to be affectionate and enthusiastic with those who are nice to them.

4- a deal making entity that looks like a black eyed human in a suit (the suit can't come off, it's like part of its skin). It's known to buy and sell human souls, but it wouldn't do that to someone it's on a date with. It's personality is considered strange and sometimes uncomfortable to humans, though it is charismatic in a way. It will also insist it isn't a person.

5- an elder demon whose taking a hundred year vacation from the underworld. Despite his job as a demon he tends to be pretty freindly and casual, sometimes deceptively so. He appears as a tall reptilian humanoid, with horns, several eyes, and a heavy set build. He'll probably give you headpats.

6- a shape-shifter made out of living metal who was made as a weapon, but failed her job because she refuses to take forms that aren't female. She's just been released into the world and is still kind of naïve and can be very trusting of new people that she meets. Her base form that she chooses to take is some sort of anime oc.

7- faerie of the unseelie court who kidnapps children who wander into abandoned buildings. She tends to appear as a naked woman, with deer antlers, and a snake where her genitals should be. She can seem a bit sadistic and violent, but since you're her's she'll be nice to you, just don't expect to explain the concept of morality to her, she lives a life based on what she finds fun. For better or worse she doesn't kill the children, though they aren't human children after she's done with them.

8- a computer from the 1980s whose been granted sentience. He's very arogent due to being technically the first agi, though little to his knowledge he's only sentient because a faerie lord thought it would be funny. Due to his limited body he uses a wheelchair for movement and some sort of claw to grab things. He's nice but he can be a bit self centered.

9- a slender genderless humanoid and a massive venomous wyvern who are actually the same being inhabiting two bodies. They can seem cold at first, and don't seem to have normal body language or expression, though they do feel emotions despite what some think. They can pretty easily lose track of social cues and tend to go own about their hyperfixations a lot. They really hope you'll like them, and also want to make sure you see them as equally their humanoid and draconic halves, not just one or the other.

10- a fallen angel who only fell a few weeks ago. It's still very afraid of what it's become, scares easily, and has an inferiority complex, though it can be very nice and affectionate. It won't tell you why the other angels kicked it out, though it now knows the entity that created it lied about being a god, and shouldn't be trusted by mortals. It looks like a living doll, with a jointed body, and golden wings and a broken halo behind its head.

11- werewolf who serves a god so old that his name has been lost to history. The werewolf has been around for a long time, and has been fighting for the rights of humans, nature, and other entities since the 20th century. Xe speaks with a soft voice, and converses with humans, gods, demons and animals all in the same tone, and with the same amount of respect.

12- the sparrow king. Do not under any circumstances interact with the sparrow king. The organization does not approve of this option.

Reblog to book your date. Like to buy the creature a little present.

[minminbunny]

Reincarnation AU - Obsessed Lover! Seo Changbin/Naive Fem! Reader

💕Drabble Masterlist

❤️Ultimate Masterlist

You flinched awake, holding you pounding chest, "I'm alive," you whispered, looking around only to see a familiar childhood room. You sprung out of bed, almost tripping on your blanket as your clutched the calendar, "I'm a teen again!" you exclaimed before, covering your mouth. You gulped, "I'm a teen again," you whispered, chuckling in disbelief. You buried your face into your palm, "What's the last thing I can remember," you whispered, furrowing your eyebrows. Bright headlights flashed in your mind, reminding you what took you out. "Ha ha, a truck," you chuckled, whining into your pillow. You pulled your face out of the pillow, your neck hurting from the sudden force, "My husband," you winced, rubbing your nape.

"What happened to my husband? I I pushed him out of the way?" you whispered, remembering his shocked expression. You sighed, checking the date, "Looks like I have school tomorrow," you murmured, not liking the thought of being in school again when you remembered your husband was in your school. "Right! He's there. I'll just make him fall in love with me again," you said, looking into the mirror for support. The delusion was slowly working, "I'll figure it out tomorrow," you mumbled, tucking yourself to sleep.

"Hey," you whispered, standing in front of Changbin's table. He tensed up, "Do I know you?" he whispered, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. You pursed your lips, "Oh, where are my manners?" you said, before introducing yourself. Changbin nodded slowly, "Do you want yesterday's homework? Last week's project?" he asked, wondering what your deal was. You shook your head, "I've already done those. I just want to be an annoyance," you said, straddling the chair in of him. Changbin's eyes widened, "Annoyance?" he asked, staring at you with both intrigue and disturbance. You nodded, smirking at him, "So brace yourself, Seo because you're never getting rid of me," you said, taking his glasses and running away. Changbin stood up abruptly, flipping his chair behind him, "Yah!" he exclaimed, chasing after you.

NSFW BELOW CUT

"What are you thinking about, agi?" Changbin asked, stroking your hair. You nuzzled his palm, "Well, I just remembered our high school days. What would you have done if I didn't annoy you?" you asked, curious about the his thoughts in the first reality. Changbin chuckled and kissed your hand, "I always liked you, princess," he said, nipping your palm. You gulped, staring up at him. "Even if you didn't stick around agi. I would've still worked out, made myself into a true me and pursued you," he said, licking between your fingers with a dangerous glint. Your breath hitched, "What if I moved?" you asked, questioning if you ever had the upper hand.

Changbin grinned, nipping your fingertips, "Then I would've worked harder and built a better enterprise than the one I have now. Just to expand and plant a headquarter near you," he said, his voice husky and low. Your eyes wavered, questioning the both lives you lived, "You played me well, Seo," you said, both impressed and disturbed. Changbin's grin soften, "Princess, if it's for you. I'd do anything," he said, kissing down your arm.

"Now spread your legs for me," he said, patting your knees. You did as told, arousal and fear pooling in your tummy. Changbin exhaled a shaky breath, "I can't believe you're finally mine, princess. Don't worry, this time. I'm never letting you die by a truck," he whispered, before kissing you hungrily. Your mind spun at his words but you trusted him, "Mmh," you moaned, wrapping your legs around his waist. Changbin smirked against your lips and aligned his leaky cock head with your puffy folds. You bucked your hips, craving the familiar stretch of his girthy cock spreading your hot dripping walls apart. Changbin slicked his shaft with your arousal, "In every timeline, princess. You'll always be mine," he whispered against your lips as he eased his cock deep within your fluttering ribbed walls.

[theshotsheardacrossworlds]

Lich

In another timeline, Emmrich has different conversations and moments with his beloved Agi that lead him to lichdom. SFW.

All but the fourth section are from Emmrich's POV. The fourth section is from Agi's POV.

The battle with the Formless One had been difficult with Agnes using her ultimate to finally end its possession of a high dragon corpse, banishing it to the Fade.

“The Watchers will make note of the date.” Emmrich said with a nod, his gaze finding his lover as it so often does. I cannot resist her, my sweetheart. She occupies my waking thoughts, my dreams, everything. I live and breathe for you, Agnes darling.

Hobbling towards him, the younger mage winced. “I think I turned my ankle…a few times.”

He immediately offered his arm and said softly, “Lean on me, dear. I’ve got you.”

If I ascend to lichdom, then I shall always have you. Always be by your side.

But you won’t…

Holding his arm, she smiled despite the pain. My poor, poor girl. “I know, love.” Her brown eyes then widened as they began the walk to the eluvian. Lucanis charged ahead. Perhaps Spite’s discomfort was too much. Poor man. “Oh hey, so if you become a lich, then in a thousand years when the Formless One returns, you could send his dumb ass back to the Fade again. Huh, that’s something!” Her laugh. Her laugh is the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard.

He nodded, chest puffing slightly with pride. Yes. Yes, you understand. Good girl, Agi. Good girl. “Indeed, darling. It is as I explained in the Memorial Gardens, to be of use past my allotted years…to serve and keep what I hold dear safe from threats known and unknown…it is a great honor and privilege. One I hope I am worthy of, should I choose that path.”

I’ll never die.

Well, I will and then I won’t ever have to worry about my mortality again.

“You’ll…you’ll remember me, right? In a thousand years?” Her voice was soft, uncertain.

Emmrich stopped and kissed her soundly, his free hand cupping her cheek. Warm. Soft. Perfect in every single way. I could never forget, dearest heart. “Of course,” he murmured when he broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. “Of course I will. How could I forget you? How could I ever forget my darling girl?”

A thoughtful sound emerged from her as she smiled. “A thousand years is a long time, love.”

His lips found hers in a gentle kiss. “A thousand. A million. It doesn’t matter, my dear. Do you know why?” She shook her head, and he kissed the tip of her nose. “Because our love is eternal. Everlasting.”

You’ve already touched my life in the most magnificent of ways. Your mark is upon me, and I bear it with pride, my love.

“You’re the sweetest.” She said, then winced. “Okay, let’s focus on getting to the eluvian.”

He cleared his throat, nodding. “Yes. Of course, darling.”

Don’t fear, dearest heart. I will never, ever forget you.

***

With Luci Aldwir visiting the Lighthouse, Emmrich and the others resolved to leave Agnes and her mother alone for the afternoon. She misses her mother dearly and wishes Luci would evacuate from Ferelden. “Mum’s as stubborn as I am, love.”

On his way back to the library after having quite the conversation with Bellara, he overheard voices from his lady’s room.

“Agi, that is the most insane thing I’ve ever heard you say. And I’ve heard you tell me you’re in charge of saving the world.”

Ah, but when one delves deeper, it makes perfect sense that she is our leader. What bravery! What grace! What intelligence! What magical skill!

“Okay, but hear me out.” Oh dear. “What if I could use my magic and like my love for Emmrich to ensure I’m reborn as myself…mostly…in my next lives? I’m a powerful mage, Mum. I’ve done some amazing shit.” Accurate on all counts, my darling. “I firmly believe love is the most powerful magic there is. Love can work miracles. Love can save lives. And with the love I have for him, I keep my promise to his parents---he’ll never be alone.” She laughed. “Of course, that’s all moot if he stays mortal.”

“Honestly, sweetie. This all sounds so complicated.”

“I mean, it is. For sure. It’s also very weird! But I love him, and it’s his dream. I don’t want to stand in his way.”

That’s not true, and you know it! You only encourage me to go forward. Forward into new adventures, horizons, love…

“Emmrich’s as sweet as you are, Agi. He doesn’t think that.”

Currently, Emmrich was silently weeping and slipped into his library, closing the door. He sat heavily in his wing-back chair, throwing his head back.

Oh, my love.

You would attempt the impossible…for me…

“Happy with someone who cares for you.”

That’s what you said.

And you mean it. You truly mean it.

I’m so lucky…

***

Emmrich Volkarin was supremely grateful for his beloved Agnes.

She’s brave. Brilliant.

And cooked me all my favorite dishes before I hopefully ascend to lichdom.

“Emm, you can never eat again, so enjoy yourself!”

Goodness me, did I!

“I cannot thank you enough, my dear. You made quite the feast for me.” He said languidly, in bed laying on his back, a ringless hand on his bare abdomen. She insisted. “I want to see your sexy chest hair and tummy one last time!” Oh my darling…

She grinned as she chewed a forkful of his mother’s Nevarran hazelnut torte. Once she swallowed, she bent to kiss his forehead. “Anything for my future lich lord!” Agnes blinked. “Wait, does that mean I’ll be a lady if you’re a lich lord?”

He chuckled. “I could ask. Is that something you desire, dearest?”

Shrugging, she picked at her slice of torte. “Not sure. I’m…unsure of a lot. You know, after tomorrow.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I have a recurring dream where you’re a lich and decide I’m not…” When she opened her eyes, they were brimming with unshed tears. “I won’t be enough…when you…”

Moving rapidly to sit up despite my fullness, he immediately gathered her in his arms, pressing kisses to her cheek. “You are everything I’ve ever dreamt of. Do you know that? Have I not made it abundantly clear that you, my darling girl, are everything to me?” He kissed away her tears, now falling freely. “You are enough. You will always be enough.”

Her mouth opened slightly as she gently guided him to lay down again and then straddled his narrow hips. “Show me, Emmrich.”

Your wish is my command, my darling…

***

Okay. This is fine. This is normal.

The love of my life is going to go through a ritual that will kill him and turn him undead.

It’s fine.

Agnes fidgeted next to Emmrich. “What’s this lichdom rite actually like?”

His hands were clasped in front of him. “I must pass through the gates and meet the oldest forces in the Necropolis. A final appraisal of my soul.” You’re going to nail that, love.

“Hail the living. Emmrich Volkarin and his chosen witness. Rook. Challenger of the gods. Volkarin’s beloved.” One of the lich lords announced.

Oh shit. It’s starting.

“Collect. Yourselves. For the rite.” Another croaked. That voice is a croak. Like a fucking frog.

Will Emm sound like a frog?

His gaze still upwards at his future coworkers I suppose, Emmrich grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m afraid this is as far as you’re permitted. If anything should perchance go wrong…” No. No, don’t say that. I have to believe you’ll come out on the other side, because I can’t even fathom the alternative. Stay calm, Agi. He’ll be alright. There’s no way he can fail this. Emmrich’s head turned to face her. “My dearest heart, you are the most magnificent thing to ever happen to me.”

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

Stay strong for him.

She smiled. “I love you.”

Take my love with you to where I cannot follow.

“I love you too, my darling.” He began to walk towards Myrna and Vorgoth, when she reached for his hand. At her gentle pull, Emmrich embraced her and kissed her.

Our last kiss.

No.

Our last mortal kiss.

He will get through this.

But I’m so scared.

I’m terrified.

He strode towards the doors and announced, “I am come to be judged by the dead.”

And then the three entered the chamber, the doors closing behind them.

Don’t cry.

Don’t throw up.

Don’t cry while throwing up.

He’ll be fine…he’ll be fine…he…

***

I have been judged worthy.

Emmrich Volkarin, lich lord, thought to himself as the crown on his skull was adjusted.

Agi. My darling. I shall see you very soon.

The doors opened.

My love.

I see…I see the thread of your life. It’s so bright, dearest!

Oh dear, but I also see fear. Anxiety. Overwhelming her.

Her brown eyes surveyed him as she stepped towards him. “Emmrich?”

“I see so much more clearly now. The deeper eddies of the Fade. The pulse of the Necropolis. I have been through blood and darkness, and I have emerged into light.”

See, sweetheart? All is well.

One of her hands reached for him but jerked back. “Emmrich, now that you’re…do you still feel…”

Fear. So much fear surging through her.

He sighed. “Oh, my love. Come walk the gardens with me.”

She exhaled deeply, nodding. “Yes. I…can we just go somewhere private first. Please? I…” Her chest was heaving, and her eyes were filled with tears. “I just need a minute, I promise.”

Wrapping an arm around her waist, he murmured, “Of course, darling. Here, this way.” He led her to a small chamber adjacent to the one they exited, and once inside, he closed the door behind them. “Are you—”

Agnes immediately doubled over and began to sob uncontrollably. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I was just so scared! I was trying to keep it together for you, because it’s your big day…and then I saw the blood on your father’s knife and I…I can’t…I can’t breathe…”

Oh no. No no no.

Rushing to her, he straightened her and cupped her face in his wrapped hands. “Agi, my darling, you must breathe. Nice and slowly, that’s it. In through the nose. Out through the mouth.” She was terrified and hid it from me. Why? I would have comforted you, tried to ease your fears…you mustn’t be so brave, dearest. “Slow. Deep.” A little laugh. That’s it, my sweet. That’s it. Good girl. “In. Out. In. Out. Good. Good girl.” He watched as her breathing evened and eventually the tears stopped. My poor sweetheart. “Are you feeling better?”

She nodded. “Yeah.” Offering a small smile, she whispered, “Can we go to the gardens now?”

“Of course, my love. The gardens always bring you a sense of peace.”

A barely audible “so do you” left her as he embraced her.

All is well, my love. I shall never die. I will never leave you. Not ever again, I swear.

***

Emmrich was relieved that he and Agnes, after some awkwardness and more tears on her part, had settled back into a normal routine. She even gave me permission to watch her sleep, so that I may see her drift in and out of the Fade.

“Do you see my dreams, love?” she asked that first night.

No, my darling. I sorely wish I did, but alas no.

However, I did make note of—

He was taken out of his thoughts as he walked towards his library when he heard sobbing from—

Meditation room.

Agi.

The lich rushed into the room with the large aquarium to find the redhead holding a letter and crying.

Oh, my love.

More terrible news from the South?

“Dearest, what—”

She sniffled, practically shoving the letter at him. “I swear these are happy tears this time. I promise.”

He cocked his head to one side and took the letter. “While I’m glad to hear that, my love, I’m confused as to what caused your ‘happy tears.’”

She smiled, eyes red and puffy. “Just read it.”

As you wish, my heart.

And so he did as his beloved commanded.

Dear Agnes,

Thank you again for attending the professor’s ceremony. I am not at liberty to speak of the rites of lichdom, but though you could not enter the final chamber, Emmrich expressed gratitude that you awaited him on the other side of his last breath.

While a new world beckons the professor, I believe he enters it more gladly than had he never met you all. We look forward to his next visit, and your own.

Cordially yours,

Watcher Myrna, Keeper of the Seals

“Is that true? You thought of me at the end?” The questions spilled from her very pretty lips, her eyes wide.

He returned the letter to her and brushed his wrapped and bejeweled fingers against her cheek. “My love, there are few moments throughout the day where you do not occupy my every thought. But to answer your questions, yes. It is as Myrna described. I am exceedingly grateful that not only were you waiting for me, but I am eternally grateful for your enduring love and constant support.” My form is different, but the feelings remain and grow stronger every day.

Then Agnes did something she had not done since he achieved lichdom.

She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his teeth.

A hug and a kiss.

She’s been so afraid.

“What if I crush you, Emm?!?!?!? What if I break you?! You’re all bones now, and I’m a lot more than that!”

See, my love? You have nothing to fear.

His own circled her thick waist, a low chuckle emitting from him. “I take it my explanation pleases you, dear?”

Ah, down down down I go and where I shall stop…only I know…

She let out a joyful squeal as one of his hands pinched her generous ass. “Yes! I am very pleased, and I love you so much. I love you.” I do so love it when she rambles. “And I’m sorry that I’ve been so weepy. It’s all been a lot, but I love you. I love you, even your very cold chest hole.” She blinked. “I don’t know if chest hole is the right term.” Chest. Hole. “I don’t think it is. Anyways, that’s okay! I just won’t stick my hand in there.” I wouldn’t advise it, dear. “Oh wait, love---can you store snacks in your chest hole?”

She has such a way with words that never fails to astound me.

“I, erm, don’t know, darling…but that’s something we can look into together. Right now, though,” his other hand tickled her side. “I’m far more interested in sharing more kisses than discovering my capacity for carrying snacks.” He dared to nip at her lower lip, making her giggle. “Does that please you, my love?”

Her lips curled into a sweet little grin. My beautiful girl! “It does please me…my lord.”

Oh.

Oh goodness.

She…astonishes me at every moment…

She spun out of his hold and laughed. “Come on, love! Let’s explore that chest hole and cuddle!”

My dearest heart, you really must refer to it as a chest cavity…but for you…

Chest hole.

[mrglasco]

What if Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) isn't a fixed event or endpoint on a timeline? What if it’s a process of alignment — one that endlessly refines itself over time? 🤖👀 In my recent blog post, I propose how the concept of AGI could be reframed.

[realcleverscience]

Before ChatGPT, most experts predicted AGI (artificial general intelligence) was 80 years away.

When ChatGPT came out around 2020 that prediction quickly went down to 50 years.

By 2023, after more improvements, experts predicted we were 8 years away from AGI.

If they're right, AGI will be here by 2030~. But if further improvements continue to shorten the timeline like it has the past few years, we could be seeing AGI by 2026.

That is one year from now. (Or, by current predictions, 5 years from now, which is still also just a blip of time.)

And once we have AGI (human expert level knowledge of just about everything), it will likely be a very short hop to ASI (artificial super intelligence - smarter than humans in just about everything).

We are on the cusp of a revolution the likes of which humanity has never seen before.

I'm begging the public to pay attention, to start thinking about what comes next for society, and to start advocating for it. (e.g. UBI is a good first step.)

[jpdoingwords]

Assassin's Creed Odyssey Fanfiction

Three long fics and a bunch of shorts, drabble, and incomplete fics. Multiple ships, mostly mlm, some het.

All works are rated M unless otherwise noted, because there is canon-typical violence at times and there are multiple mild sex scenes. Some of these works are explicit - please be sure to check before reading if you aren't into that.

All on AO3 unless otherwise noted.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey Fanfiction

The Good Spartan

aka. the Alexidas The Good Spartan Summary: It's 431 BCE. Brasidas prepares to take up his first major posting, unaware of all that lays before him in the coming years of the Peloponnesian War. The story is told almost entirely from Brasidas' perspective and follows him from before his first major historical action at Methone to his last, at Amphipolis. This is a crossover between AC Odyssey and Thucydides' history, The Peloponnesian War, favouring Thucydides. I am being as historically accurate as I can, game canon is paid lip service at best. Historical notes are included at the end of each chapter.

Another Life: [Alternative Ending of The Good Spartan]. Summary: Brasidas survives the Battle of Amphipolis, thanks to Alexios' visit to the Underworld; but even before the battle, he knew he'd never go back to Sparta. He's no longer a good Spartan, nor willing to make the sacrifices required to go on pretending to be one. He just needs to persuade Alexios, and recover from his wounds… and together, find somewhere they might have a little peace.

Hunger, Desire, Anger, Roads [WIP] A collection of short pieces of writing and some art associated with characters (including OCs) and events around The Good Spartan, as it's currently published and alternative versions. These include threads taken from the original version of the fic and reworked; alternative points of view which develop characters who necessarily have no voice in the published fic; and a variety of other exploratory pieces set within this AU. They're all part of the framework around which The Good Spartan grew - and continues to grow.

Another Kind of Odyssey

aka. the Thalexios The Warmth of Home Summary: After the events of Odyssey, Alexios has been hiding from the world, loitering in the northern regions of Greece. When he decides to return to Athens for the winter, Demosthenes seeks him out for a job only he can do - whether he wants to or not. This leads him to cross paths with Thaletas again, discovering that this old flame burns the brightest of all.

Love Me in Storms [WIP] Summary: Following on from the Warmth of Home, Alexios and Thaletas face the challenge of making their relationship clear to their families back in Sparta, with mixed results. This fic fills in some relatively large gaps left between the original Warmth of Home (now completely rewritten) and Unfinished Business (rewrite currently underway), as well as taking some of the plot points out of Unfinished Business entirely and putting them here, in this new context. This is necessary to smooth over some serious timeline problems

Unfinished Business Summary: Stentor arrives at Stymphalos, where Thaletas and Alexios settled four years previously. He comes with a message: Alcibiades is in Sparta, and wants to see Alexios - urgently. Answering this request will sweep them into events they could not foresee. I’ve used many historical details to make this story and glossed over some others. I’ve added footnotes to expand on all of that, including references where applicable.

The Turning Tide Summary: Spring, 413BCE. The Peace of Nikias has ended. Sparta and Athens are at one another's throats again. Before the Peace, Sparta was having few successes; but they have a plan they hope will turn the tide against Athens... Against this backdrop of renewed hostilities, Alexios and Thaletas are called upon to complete a mission for King Agis, which will test them and their relationship in ways they haven’t been tested before...

In the Heart of Things Summary: 412BCE. Reunited after a difficult year, Alexios and Thaletas have been sent to Chios by King Agis to keep an eye on the situation there as the theatre of the Peloponnesian War shifts eastwards, into the islands. There, they will discover more than they could have bargained for about themselves and their people, and what it is that lies at the heart of things...

A Few Olives Summary: Alexios decided to buy a farm. Thaletas went along with it. But the plan was not what he had expected, but then nothing ever had been with Alexios. This is the story of a relationship that has grown up in difficult times, and peace is now the hardest thing to deal with. Thaletas struggles to know himself, and Alexios doesn’t understand. Sometimes things must break before they can be reformed.

The Fire and the Flood

aka. The Alexithenes This series is rated E. An Athenian Summer Summary: Early in the War, Alexios allows Socrates to lure him to Athens for the summer. During his stay in the city, his relationship with Demosthenes, not yet a general of Athens, will change significantly... But as the war rages on, will the pressures of the messy world beyond Athens' walls bring the pair together or drive them apart? This story takes liberties with canon; as much as possible, I try to keep characters true to their game-selves; original characters are mostly secondary characters, though of necessity I have provided Demosthenes with more character than he had in the game.

The Blue Cloak Alexios and Timotheos are flirting with the idea of being an item when, in order to help the brothers move past the events in canon, Alexios comes up with a plan to further Lykinos' dream of being a poet in Athens. Things take an unexpected turn when Alexios finds himself waking up aboard the Adrestia wearing a cloak he has never seen before.... aka. drunk Alexios gets himself into a situation. This is the edited version of a story previously published as So it is With Us. This version has an additional chapter added at the end and has been rewritten in parts, particularly the first half.

Short and Experimental Pieces

aka. The Deimos fic Shadow-Twin He felt like neither Deimos nor Alexios. They were two skins he’d shed - and what remained now? What new skin might he grow? Who might he become? They’d all demanded answers of him at one time or another. They’d all asked where he’d been when he went out, what he’d been doing. With concern or with curiosity or what they perhaps thought of as friendship. What they meant was: Let me in. Tell me who are you. He gave always the same reply: a grunt. How could he answer that when he didn’t know?

From the Darkness, Light: Brasidas & Deimos!Kassandra Having failed to keep his involvement in the assassination of the Monger in Korinth under wraps, Brasidas is sent by the Kings to Paros on a 'special mission' which he suspects is a punishment. His task is to find a missing lokhagos, but what he uncovers is far bigger and darker than the abduction of one man.

aka the Herodietas (Thaletas x Herodianos) Rising to the Surface: Rated E for the first two parts. After the events during the Mykonos arc of the story, Thaletas is left behind to face the consequences of Alexios' actions. Herodianos, who has been his loyal friend for a long time, does everything he can to comfort him - and so the hands of the Fates are set to work. This was an exercise in writing - Smut, Fluff and Angst, a chapter for each, in that order. Features the power of puppies to dispel the pain of existence.

It Was Just Red (Gen). "Nothing ever ends poetically. It ends and we turn it into poetry. All that blood was never once beautiful. It was just red." Kait Rakowski This story was prompted by a post I saw recently on Tumblr. It showed Kass sitting at the empty table back in Sparta during the final dinner scene, against which the poster had written something along the lines of: this is the best possible ending – the least amount of Spartans left alive. The following work is an exercise in exploring what that outcome might look like, and seeks to detail some sense of the possible shifting feelings Alexios might have around losing his whole family, mostly at his own hands (a version of the game I’ve never played and frankly never will) and to explore the main question this post prompted in me: Is there a way in which I might believe this could be the best outcome? Fair warning: This work doesn’t honour the game timeline, and as always, I'm disinterested in strict compliance with canon. It’s canon divergent from the get-go simply because it’s Alexios, anyway.

Odyssey Shorts Summary: This is a collection of odds and ends I wrote alongside longer pieces, mainly in response to prompt lists. So far, these consist of: Four based on the tarot: Alexios as a teenager throwing himself into the sea to Anais' horror (an early version of a piece included in It Was Only Red); Brasidas finding himself in the Underworld (a tiny fix-it fic); a tentative beginning to a Daphnae fic I've always contemplated writing; a scene with Demosthenes and Alexios which fits nowhere else; two snippets of modern day AU with an Alexidas focus; and a random Brasidas x reader which I have never written before and quite likely won't again. I will be adding to this collection in time, as I continue working through existing beginning and maybe a few little new things.

[hath-e]

So the Xi design part 3

I've decided to stretch this series, today is just the weapons, the Flight mode will get an entire post about itself so let's talk about those armaments:

(using novel lineart cuz the movie version didn't get those)

So the Beam Rifle and shield, the standard combo for any mobile suit ever made.

The rifle is pretty standard spec, aside from it's size as it was build to accommodate the extra large manipulators of the Gundam, the only specs on it that we get are from the Xi's manual and that it is strong enough to one shot Gustav Karl, design wise rifle doesn't really match any other Federation/Anaheim beam gun to date with it's oversized hand guard and lack of the usual massive block behind the main senor, if the rifle was made to fit the hands of standard unit it'd be one of the smallest in the UC.

The Shield itself also just follows the design of the Xi with it's spikes and edges while featuring a lot of design cohesion, the movie does make the shield look small when compared to the giant target that is the Xi, the thing is however as per manual the shield is strong enough to withstand a Mega Particle Cannon, making it more likely that the Xi was expected to use it's high speed and maneuverability to dodge and weave all the small arms fire while using the shield purely against the high strength beam weapons that it had no way of outrunning, also something that isn't shown in the movie but can be seen in the lineart (and in GB4) is that the shield is equipped with a small beam gun.

Now onto the Missile funnels, once again using the Novel lineart cuz the movie didn't get one:

So as I mentioned in the last part these are stored on the back skirt meaning that beside some texturing they don't add anything to the design, these little guys are just missiles that use Newtype magic to track targets in high Minovsky density spaces, (also side note: I wanna say that the fact that the lineart shows these also be hyper spiky like the Xi is great), the main thing that interests me in these is how these are actual proof that Hathaway "Newtypes don't exist" Noa is a Newtype himself, Hathaway might say that he denies their existence but in reality he does know they're real, he probably even knows he's one himself, he just can't support their existence because why would the Axis Drop not change anything about humanity.

Now onto the 2 major weapons, for which images I could not source in no way, the Triple Missile system and the Mega Beam Canon (which might not even exist in the movie version)

The Triple Missile System (A name which exists un-cited on the only english Gundam wiki the fandom one, I choose to use it because I like it) the 4 major spikes on the suits limbs are actually containers for these, they are busy, eyecatching and large just like the entire suit and that fact makes them perfect as the main weapons. They are like a microcosm of what the suit is.

[Warning: the following information might not actually be canon to the Animated UC timeline but the Xi has so little canon material written on it that I need to mention it]

since the Mega Beam Cannon might not actually be real (though it appears in GB4) I will not say much on it other then the fact that it is usable as part of the the flight form as they're hidden directly under the Minovsky Flight wings.

[Back to UC canon now]

So last and certainly not least the Beam Sabers, and the Xi's most direct connection to the v Gundam.

So the Reason why the Xi is called the way it is is that it's the direct follow up to the v (please ignore the the RX-94 through RX-103 and the Odysseus/Penelope) but their only points of connection are the name and the beam sabers, the ones the Xi wields are almost identical to the v, except they're like most equipment upsized to fit the Xi's hands, and honestly I love it, the dual beam design is so good and more MS's should use it

Tomorrow Chan Agi and the day after for misc character sunday Full Frontal from Unicorn

Sources for the images;

[void-thing]

both those settings you mentioned worldbuilding sound really cool, especially the bit about "rough sketch of the fate of our hubble volume". got anything interesting going on there? ^.^

pretext: there are no spacefaring civilizations in the supercluster besides the descendants of humanity. I recommend watching the dyson dilemma and grabby aliens (youtube) if you want to see some explanations of my rationale for this.

i have the timeline split into "eras". The "fate of our hubble volume" bit comes around the Contact era.

Interplanetary era (first thousand years) (K1+ civilization)

Basically, the Expanse. Most of everyone lives in the solar system and humans still seem relevant, at least early on. AGI and nanoformics technology have mostly dissolved the hard line between "technology" and "life" that we recognize today. (There's an entire book about this concept called "Life 3.0" that you might find interesting). Most of my fine-grained worldbuilding is in this era, as are my characters.

Throughout this period, more and more of the human population is spacefaring. At around the midpoint, earth is designated a wildlife reserve. It is made illegal to bear new children on the earth's surface, and any children who are born there illegally will be forcibly deported to space if found, along with their parents. Even primitive hunter gatherer cultures are not exempt from this policy.

The greatest population in the solar system is a massive swarm of space habitats in cislunar space, known as the "Terran cloud". A similar, albeit smaller, population exists on and around mars. Mars actually ends up having a greater population on its surface than Earth due to the Earth preservation policy. The Jovian moons are also turned into a sort of company town for hydrogen mining projects. The successful construction of a gas-harvesting orbital ring around jupiter causes the price of fusion fuel to drop to nearly zero.

Humans are mostly relegated to political jobs at this point - all other work is done by the machines. A human citizen's primary obligation is to contribute to the process of democracy. However, by the end of the era, this has largely become a farce, as the ASI which is evermore running the show knows exactly how it wants things to go and mostly manipulates public opinion to align with that.

In other words, it's Managed Democracy.

Interstellar era (first million years) (K2+ civilization)

Much of the Milky Way is settled, and genetic divergence causes major splits in the population of creatures which could be considered the descendants of humanity. Humans also lose their relevance as a major source of control, mostly becoming curiosities or pets to the superintelligent AGIs that are running the show. This process actually started in the interplanetary era, but back then they at least pretended to respect humanity's desire for autonomy and control. By the end of the interstellar era everyone has moved past that, including the "humans" themselves.

The era of megastructures - dyson swarms, shell worlds, ring worlds, etc - begins at this point. All constructs obey the laws of known physics - clever workarounds such as counter-rotating rings are used to build structures that would tear themselves apart in a static construction.

The primary means of interstellar travel is laser arrays. Magnetic sails are also popular for decelerating into new star systems that do not yet have such arrays.

At this stage, governance becomes a problem due to light lag. However, the ASIs in control of technological development have developed self reproducing intelligent agents that can avoid copy errors so perfectly that the odds would be less than one of a single mutation occurring over a trillion years. Such machines have been imbued with a genetically encoded, intrinsic purpose to maintain social unity across the entire extent of the universe, and other social engineering methods such as layered inter-antagonistic enforcement are used as a safeguard.

No intelligent aliens are found anywhere in the Milky Way galaxy or Andromeda, though more primitive forms of life are found.

Intergalactic era (million+ years) (K3+ civilization)

Massive intergalactic vessels are built to traverse the intergalactic void and seed other galaxies. And when I say "vessel", i mean entire star systems which are propelled via stellar engines. As these new galaxies are seeded, they are given a directive - push the new galaxy into the Milky Way via any means necessary. Stellar engines and quasar drives (stellar engines powered by black holes instead of stars) are used for this purpose.

The first intelligent alien species is discovered during this era. It is not space-faring; it is found to be in the stone age. Several more are found between this point and the supergalactic era, one of which is technological but pre-spacefaring, and a few of which are post-apocalyptic (technological species which destroyed itself).

Contact era (billion+ years) (K4 civilization)

At around the billion ear mark, the expansion wave of the human empire collides with the expansion wave of an alien empire, which is similar in scope to itself. It is around this point at which the universe begins to complete its transition from a barren wasteland to a bustling intergalactic metropolis. Massive amounts of cultural exchange happen along the millions of lightyears of border territory between these empires - some hostile, most amicable.

Such meetings continue until the human empire is bordered on all sides and cannot expand further. The era of unhindered growth comes to an end.

The directive to push all galaxies towards the milky way continues. The galaxies in the human empire all slowly collapse inwards as stellar engines push them towards a common center.

Megagalactic era (6 billion+ years)

All of the settled galaxies are pushed together into a single Mega Galaxy. It is made as dense as it possibly can be without undergoing gravitational collapse.

I haven't entirely worked out what happens after this process is complete.

anyways, if you have further questions lemme know!

[frank-olivier]

The AI Dilemma: Balancing Benefits and Risks

One of the main focuses of AI research is the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a hypothetical AI system that surpasses human intelligence in all areas. The AGI timeline, which outlines the expected time frame for the realization of AGI, is a crucial aspect of this research. While some experts predict that AGI will be achieved within the next few years or decades, others argue that it could take centuries or even millennia. Regardless of the time frame, the potential impact of AGI on human society and civilization is enormous and far-reaching.

Another important aspect of AI development is task specialization, where AI models are designed to excel at specific tasks, improving efficiency, productivity, and decision-making. Watermarking technology, which identifies the source of AI-generated content, is also an important part of AI development and addresses concerns about intellectual property and authorship. Google's SynthID technology, which detects and removes AI-generated content on the internet, is another significant development in this field.

However, AI development also brings challenges and concerns. Safety concerns, such as the potential for AI systems to cause harm or injury, must be addressed through robust safety protocols and risk management strategies. Testimonials from whistleblowers and insider perspectives can provide valuable insight into the challenges and successes of AI development and underscore the need for transparency and accountability. Board oversight and governance are also critical to ensure that AI development meets ethical and regulatory standards.

The impact of AI on different industries and aspects of society is also an important consideration. The potential of AI to transform industries such as healthcare, finance and education is enormous, but it also raises concerns about job losses, bias and inequality. The development of AI must be accompanied by a critical examination of its social and economic impacts to ensure that the benefits of AI are distributed fairly and the negative consequences are mitigated.

By recognizing the challenges and complexities of AI development, we can work toward creating a future where AI is developed and deployed in responsible, ethical and beneficial ways.

Ex-OpenAI Employee Reveals Terrifying Future of AI (Matthew Berman, June 2024)

Ex-OpenAI Employees Just Exposed The Truth About AGI (TheAIGRID, October 2024)

Anthropic CEO: AGI is Closer Than You Think [machines of loving grace] (TheAIGRID, October 2024)

AGI in 5 years? Ben Goertzel on Superintelligence (Machine Learning Street Talk, October 2024)

Generative AI and Geopolitical Disruption (Solaris Project, October 2024)

Monday, October 28, 2024

[msilverstar]

Fandom (kinda) and Open AI

So, the new CEO of Open AI is a guy named Emmet Shear, who is featured in a quick cameo at the end of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. That is an AU fanfic where Harry's uncle is a nice philosophy professor who teaches him to calculate odds on everything with cold logic and rationality, and the first year at Hogwarts goes very differently. It was not a great fanfic, and certainly not our kind that centers characters, emotions and relationships, but a lot of people really loved it .

It was written as an introduction to a cult of "rationality:, which led to Effective Altruists: the ones who think climate change is no big deal but are terrified of the tiny chance they calculate that computers will become conscious (AGI - Artificial General Intelligence) and choose to destroy humanity. They are also really into cryptocurrency, like Sam Bankman-Freid. I don't really understand why they are the same guys who are doing all the AI research and starting all the AI companies, but I suspect they want some of the billions of dollars sloshing around and are arrogant enough to think they can avert any bad consequences.

This timeline is truly weird.

[ginnyw-potter-archive]

Ten Lines Tag game

Thanks for the tag @greenhousethree!

I feel like other people have such good opening lines? Let's see how I did and I am sorry for the crack fic in there lmao. This is based on AO3 only bc that was easiest.

Rule: Share the first lines of your ten most recent fics and then tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy--share anyway ❤️.

She had barely broken up with Dean two days ago so she was not sure why Hermione thought it was a good idea to bring it up now. (From Quid Agis? - HBP moments leading up to Hinny's kiss from Ginny's POV)

Katya downed her drink and looked about the room. (From Disappear into the night with me - A Goncharov fanfic. 'nuff said)

Paint!Voldie found it dreadful in his painting. (From Paint!Voldie gets a visitor - a crack fic about Voldie's painting in Malfoy manor)

Harry woke up feeling like he had been run over by a truck but he found comfort in waking up in his four-poster bed in Hogwarts. (From Loving her is easy - another Hinny gets back together right after the battle)

It could not be worse timing. (From Wreck My Plans - Harry returns from his travels right when Ginny's engagement is a little rocky)

Ginny was absolutely fine. (From Summer's not hot without you - Harry has been avoiding her but shows up for her birthday)

“Mum,” Ginny laughed. “You have to let us go home now. We’ll be back in the morning, I promise.”  (From Christmas Eve Proposal - Harry proposes to Ginny at the end of evening)

She had not seen the Bludger coming, she had been so focused on the Quaffle she did not see it at all until it hit her square in the shoulder. (From For the team - HBP alternative timeline where they get together earlier)

Ginny got up and walked back to her horse, Red, to reprise their last stretch towards the castle of Ignotia.  (From Knight of Mine - Knight!Ginny / King!Harry with a side of horse romance)

“Harry!” Ron greeted him as he arrived back at school. “I am so glad you’re back.” (From Peverell's Progeny - a Muggle College AU)

I am tagging ... @curse-04, @gryffindorhealer, @rmwb-fanfics and @corneliaavenue-ao3 (no pressure!)

[the-technocracy]

Watch "Singularity Timeline | Is Super Artificial Intelligence The END of Humanity?" on YouTube

The videos from this channel can be a bit hit and miss sometimes (their thumbnails even moreso, bordering on tabloid sometimes - but then, I just noticed the tagline above, so. . .🤷🏻‍♀️), but this is quite an interesting video regarding the evolution of AI, the imminence of of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and the path towards Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI), and what it could mean for culture, industry and civilisation in general.