#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

[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.

[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!

[theshotsheardacrossworlds]

New

Lord and Cook AU. In a timeline where Agnes Currai is not the Warrior of Light (but she does know him!) and Estinien Varlineau is a viscount. After Ishgard opens to the rest of Eorzea following the end of the Dragonsong War, Agi gets a job as a cook in a nobleman's household. SFW.

Author's Note: I've been sitting on this for a while. Oops. LOL.

Agnes Currai trudged through the Gates of Judgement, her boots crunching the freshly fallen snow. Ishgard had recently opened its borders at the end of the Dragonsong War, which for Agnes in particular, meant better employment. While her time as an adventurer had been pleasant, after the Calamity and the death of her father, mentors, and many friends, she decided to leave that life behind to stay with her mother in Costa del Sol.

And now here I am accepting a position in Ishgard for nearly triple the pay of what I was making in Limsa as a cook. Too bad it’s cold as fuck. Definitely need to have Mum send me more sweaters.

She glanced at the address on her acceptance letter and noted the home of the lord she would be cooking for was in the Pillars. Where the fuck is that?! Are there tons of pillars? “Um, excuse me?” She asked a soldier nearby.

All she heard in reply was a grunt.

Ooooooooookay. “Begging your pardon, but I’m supposed to be going to this address to begin my employment. Do you know how to get there?” Agnes held out the letter, which the soldier reluctantly took.

“Hmph. First, attune to the aetheryte. Once there, you’ll be going straight and then to the left by the Skysteel Manufactory. Continue up the stairs to the Pillars. The address is close by the aetheryte at the Anthaneum Astrologicum.” He gave her the letter back, and Agnes bowed.

“Thank you so much. Have a good day.” As she turned towards the aetheryte, she heard the soldier mutter, “More bloody outsiders every damn day.” Well fuck you too!!!

At least his directions aren’t shit. I’ll give the asshole that. She thought as she approached the house of her employer. What’s his name again? Viscount Estinien de Varlineau of House Varlineau. Sounds fancy. Agnes rang the bell at the door and was greeted by a middle-aged elezen with salt and pepper hair and glasses.

“May I help you?” Oh good, another Ishgardian who has a log rammed up his ass.

“I’m Agnes Currai—” She began but was cut off immediately.

“Mistress Currai, you’re never to come to the front door of the manor. The help goes through the side door. Around the corner there. You’ll find Madame Rolandtois waiting for you.”

He then slammed the door in her face.

Her mouth hung open for several moments before she shook her head and walked to the side door. The nerve of that fucking piece of shit!!!!!!!!!!!!! She knocked on the door and was greeted by a much friendlier face.

“Ah! You must be Agnes! Welcome, welcome to Ishgard, mon amie!” Madame Rolandtois was also a middle-aged elezen, Agnes’s height, with silver hair. “Your luggage arrived earlier, and I had one of the others take it to your room. Would you like some tea? Something to eat?”

At least she’s nice. I think we’ll be very good friends. Agnes smiled and nodded. “Yes please that would be lovely. It’s a lot colder here than in La Noscea.” The two settled in the kitchen and spoke for nearly a half a bell (and her tea is truly amazing) before Agnes was shown to her room on the first landing. “Madame—”

“Pray, call me Estelle.”

“Estelle, how is his lordship? What kind of person is he?” Agnes asked, changing into something more work appropriate.

Estelle’s face lit up. “His lordship is a most kind man and by far the best employer I’ve had. He pays us all well and truly cares about us. If he sees a guest being rude to a member of staff, then he asks them to leave. Truly a wonderful man.”

Either she’s telling the truth or is a hell of a liar. She nodded. “When will I be meeting him?”

Estelle took out a small notebook from her apron. “Tomorrow morning after breakfast. Once you’re finished, I’ll show you the kitchen and your station.” She left and closed the door behind her, leaving Agnes alone. She closed her eyes and sighed.

Don’t worry, Mum. I have a good feeling about this place.

***

Estinien de Varlineau hummed to himself as he ate his dinner. “Henri, pray give Estelle my compliments. This is one of the best meals I’ve had.” He glanced at his manservant, whose face was unreadable.

“Milord, your dinner this evening was prepared not by Estelle but the new cook, Mistress Currai.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then mayhap I should go down to the kitchens when I’m finished to speak to her myself.”

“You are scheduled to meet her tomorrow, my lord. If I may,” Henri turned his up his nose. “Mistress Currai is not aware of our social customs. She’s uncouth, dresses like she came from a whorehouse—”

Sighing, Estinien held up a hand. “Henri, Ishgard is entering a new age. We are to welcome those different from us. And besides, Mistress Currai has impeccable references, including one from the head chef at the Bismark in Limsa Lominsa. I will not tolerate any discrimination or general nastiness in my household, am I understood?” By the time he asked the question, Estinien was standing face to face with Henri, a steely look of determination in his pale blue eyes. “Am I clear?”

Henri bowed. “Yes, milord. Crystal.”

He nodded. “Good, good. I’ll go down to the kitchens shortly and then retire to the music room.”

“Very good, milord.”

***

“And then I said, ‘You’re going to need at least three showers to get all that muck out of your ass!’” Agnes laughed. She was sitting at a large table in the kitchen with other members of staff, telling them stories from her adventuring days. Telling funny stories and baking cookies for your coworkers are two ways to make a good first impression---thanks Mum and Da!

Suddenly, everyone at the table stood, though Agnes had no idea why. “What? Why—” Is someone here? My back is to the entrance and hallway, so I suppose someone came downstairs?

“Agi, stand up! It’s his lordship!” Estelle whispered and tugged her arm.

We stand for him? Uh huh. Okay.

“Good evening, everyone.” A deep voice murmured as Agnes scrambled to stand and turn around.

Oh.

OH.

Oh no.

OH NOOOOO.

HE’S HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She could feel her cheeks burning, and her palms getting sweatier by the second.

“You must be Mistress Currai.” Estinien said, smiling warmly. “Tis good to meet you. I am Estinien, Viscount of House Varlineau.”

Instinctively, Agnes held out her hand. Gasps were heard in the kitchen. Henri looks like he’s going to murder me. I think…I fucked up. She moved her mouth, but no words came out. He’s too hot. Everyone is staring. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Still smiling, Estinien took her hand in his and shook it. More gasps. Ground, please swallow me at any time. “I wished to thank you for my dinner this evening. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.”

LET. GO. OF. HIS. HAND. AGI. She quickly released his hand (gods, they are so big and warm and strong and STOP) and giggled. “O-oh, you’re welcome, milord. I’m so glad you liked it.” Don’t say anything else, Agi. Don’t sound stupid.

The nobleman chuckled, smiling at her still. “Until the morrow. Good night, all. May the Fury bless and keep you.”

The others muttered something about the Fury? I don’t even know. Doesn’t matter though because HE IS GORGEOUS.

Agnes quickly excused herself and scurried to her room and began to write a letter to her mother.

Dear Mum,

I’ve arrived safely in Ishgard and began my new job. It’s all going well so far (granted it’s only been one day). Everyone is so nice, especially Estelle (she appears to be around your age, perhaps older), but Henri the manservant is a massive twat.

Remember how you and I both thought the Viscount would be an old man? Well, guess what? He isn’t! He looks to be in his early thirties, polite, kind (so far), and is extremely good-looking. Like out of a romance novel good-looking. AND!!!!! He loves my food! Oh Mum, why does he have to be hot?!

I hope to hear from you soon, Mum. Be well and send my love to my friends.

Your daughter,

Agi

[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.

[sturayoflite]

Watch "SINGULARITY TIMELINE | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE + AGI + ASI (2023 - 2100¹⁰⁰)" on YouTube

[profound-yet-trivial]

You could invest the $10M in stocks, spend $1K per day, and still watch number go up.

I'd still take the cash even at, say, $3M simply because of AGI timelines.

Explain your reasoning plzzz

[financepulse]

$MSFT: Microsoft and OpenAI redefine AGI with a $100B profit target, impacting tech access timelines.