#AI race

[jcmarchi]

Could Alibaba's Qwen AI power the next generation of iPhones in China?

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/could-alibabas-qwen-ai-power-the-next-generation-of-iphones-in-china/

Could Alibaba's Qwen AI power the next generation of iPhones in China?

Apple’s aim to integrate Qwen AI into Chinese iPhones has taken a significant step forward, with sources indicating a potential partnership between the Cupertino giant and Alibaba Group Holding. The development could reshape how AI features are implemented in one of the world’s most regulated tech markets.

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Apple is in advanced talks to use Alibaba’s Qwen AI models for its iPhone lineup in mainland China. The move would depart from Apple’s global strategy of using OpenAI’s GPT models for its AI features, highlighting the company’s willingness to adapt to local market conditions.

The technical edge of Qwen AI

Qwen AI is attractive to Apple in China because of the former’s proven capabilities in the open-source AI ecosystem. Recent benchmarks from Hugging Face, a leading collaborative machine-learning platform, position Qwen at the forefront of open-source large language models (LLMs).

The platform’s data shows Qwen-powered models dominating the top 10 positions in performance global rankings, demonstrating the technical maturity that Apple seeks for its AI integration.

���The selection of Qwen AI for iPhone integration would validate Alibaba’s AI capabilities,” explains Morningstar’s senior equity analyst Chelsey Lam. “This could be particularly important for Apple’s strategy to re-invigorate iPhone sales in China, where AI features have become increasingly important for smartphone users.”

Regulatory navigation and market impact

The potential partnership reflects an understanding of China’s AI regulatory landscape. While Apple’s global AI features remain unavailable in China due to regulatory requirements, partnering with Alibaba could provide a compliant pathway to introduce advanced AI capabilities.

Market reaction to the news has been notably positive:

Alibaba’s stock surged 7.6% on Monday, followed by an additional 1.3% gain on Tuesday

Apple shares responded with a 2.2% increase

The tech sector has shown renewed interest in China-focused AI integration strategies

Development timeline and expectations

The timing of the potential collaboration aligns with Apple’s upcoming China developer conference in Shanghai, scheduled for March 25. Industry observers speculate the event could serve as a platform on which to announce the integration of Qwen AI features into the iPhone ecosystem.

“The partnership could change how international tech companies approach AI localisation in China,” noted a senior AI researcher at a leading Chinese university, speaking anonymously. “It’s not just about technology integration; it’s about creating a sustainable model for AI development in China’s regulatory framework.”

Implications for developers and users

For Chinese iOS developers, the potential integration of Qwen AI presents opportunity. The partnership could enable:

Creation of locally optimised AI applications

Enhanced natural language processing capabilities specific to Chinese users

Seamless integration with local services and platforms

Prospects and industry impact

The effects of the partnership extend beyond immediate market concerns. As global tech companies navigate operating in China, the Apple-Alibaba collaboration could serve as a blueprint for future integration.

For Alibaba, securing Apple as a flagship partner could catalyse more partnerships with global technology companies seeking AI solutions for China. The collaboration would demonstrate Qwen AI’s capability to meet the stringent requirements of one of the world’s most demanding tech companies.

Looking ahead

While both companies maintain official silence on the partnership, the tech community awaits announcements at the upcoming Shanghai developer conference. The development is important when AI capabilities increasingly influence smartphone purchasing decisions. For Apple, success in China will impact its global growth trajectory, and integrating Qwen AI could provide the competitive edge it needs to maintain its premium market position against local manufacturers offering advanced AI features.

It underscores a broader trend in the tech industry: the growing importance of localised AI solutions in major markets.

See also: Has Huawei outsmarted Apple in the AI race?

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.

Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here

[code-of-conflict]

Technological Competition: The New Cold War in AI Development

Introduction: The Global AI Race

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just a technological advancement—it is a tool for geopolitical dominance. The race to lead in AI development has quickly become the new "Cold War" for technological superiority, with countries vying for global influence through innovation. India and China, two rising powers in the global AI race, are engaged in this competition, not just for technological advancement, but for broader geopolitical positioning. The winner of this race will hold significant leverage in global markets, cybersecurity, and military might, reshaping the international order.

India and China’s AI Race: Strategic Motivations and Differing Paths

China’s approach to AI development is aggressive and expansive, driven by its ambition to become the global leader in AI by 2030, as outlined in its "New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan" (2017). China sees AI as a key to enhancing its global competitiveness, strengthening its military, and asserting its dominance in sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and national security. Its significant investments in AI infrastructure, research, and development underscore its commitment to becoming an AI superpower.

India, on the other hand, has taken a more measured approach, focusing on AI for social inclusion, economic growth, and democratic governance. India's AI strategy, outlined by NITI Aayog in 2018, emphasizes "AI for All," aiming to harness AI's potential to address societal challenges in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education​. While India’s strategy focuses on leveraging AI for inclusive growth, its efforts to scale AI innovations to compete globally are still in their nascent stages.

The contrasting motivations behind India and China’s AI policies—China’s for global dominance and India’s for societal benefit—reflect their broader geopolitical aspirations. However, the divergence in their AI strategies also highlights the technological gap between the two nations, which has significant implications for global power dynamics.

AI and Economic Competitiveness

AI is poised to reshape the global economy by enhancing productivity, automating processes, and fostering innovation. China’s early adoption and massive investments have given it a significant edge in AI-driven economic competitiveness. Chinese companies like Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu have integrated AI into various industries, creating a robust AI ecosystem that fuels their global expansion​. China’s AI investments in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare have not only boosted its domestic economy but also positioned it as a critical player in global supply chains.

India, while progressing in AI research and development, faces challenges in scaling AI applications across industries. Although India has a growing start-up ecosystem and a strong IT sector, it lacks the infrastructural investments and comprehensive AI strategies seen in China​. Nevertheless, India's potential to become an AI hub for the developing world cannot be overlooked. The Indian government’s focus on creating AI solutions for its vast and diverse population provides a unique model of AI deployment, one that prioritizes inclusivity and social welfare over sheer economic dominance.

Global Influence and Geopolitical Consequences

The AI race between India and China extends beyond economic competition; it is also about gaining geopolitical influence. China's AI strategy is intrinsically linked to its geopolitical ambitions. Through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its growing investments in AI research, China is exporting its AI technologies to developing countries, influencing the global AI standards and creating dependencies on Chinese technology. This raises concerns about digital sovereignty and the spread of authoritarian AI governance models, particularly in surveillance and data control, which China uses to maintain its own domestic security.

India, on the other hand, is positioning itself as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence. By advocating for responsible AI development, India promotes a more ethical and democratic approach to AI governance. India’s participation in international forums, such as the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), signals its intent to influence global AI standards while safeguarding democratic values​.

However, to truly challenge China’s dominance, India must increase its investment in AI infrastructure, foster international collaborations, and scale up its AI research efforts. The challenge for India is to compete with China while adhering to its principles of transparency, data privacy, and ethical AI development.

The New Cold War: AI and Future Power Dynamics

As AI becomes the backbone of economic and military power, the competition between India and China will shape the future balance of power in Asia and beyond. China’s rapid progress in autonomous systems, AI-driven cybersecurity, and military applications presents a formidable challenge to India’s national security and sovereignty. India’s response must involve not only bolstering its AI capabilities but also forming strategic alliances with like-minded countries to resist China’s growing influence in AI governance and technology standards.

Conclusion

The AI race between India and China is more than just a competition for technological superiority—it is a battle for global influence and economic power. China’s aggressive push for AI dominance threatens to reshape the global order, while India’s democratic and inclusive AI model offers an alternative path. However, the technological gap between the two nations poses a significant challenge for India. As the new Cold War of AI intensifies, India must accelerate its AI investments and forge international collaborations to protect its interests and promote a more responsible and ethical AI-driven future.

[utilitymonstermash]

I heard some interesting takes on the e/acc twitter spaces last night that not asking for subsidies to win “AI Race” against China, the accelerationists were positioning themselves to be in an adverserial relationship with regulators in Washington and Para Governmental Orgs.

AI is a hot topic and the organizers back east have to do something. If they aren’t marshaling resources to boost local efforts against China, then they are going to regulate the operations at home, and mediate arguments between them and decels.

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Little detail I loved in Dune Part Two was Irulan recoding her notes on a futuristic phonograph cylinder because the AIs fucked things up so badly the entire human race is now fanatically opposed to anything as advanced as a calculator.

[world-store]

Google is falling behind in AI arms race, senior engineer warns

A senior software engineer at Google wrote a critique asserting that the internet search leader is losing its edge in artificial intelligence to the open-source community, where many independent researchers use AI technology to make rapid and unexpected advances. The engineer, Luke Sernau, published the document on an internal system at Google in early April. Over the past few weeks, the document…

[local-dragon-haunt]

hey! i’m an artist and i was wondering what about the httyd crossover art made it obviously AI. i’m trying to get better at recognizing AI versus real art and i totally would have just not clocked that.

Hey! This is TOTALLY okay to not have recognized it, because I DIDN'T AT FIRST, EITHER. Unfortunately there’s no real foolproof way to distinguish real art from the fake stuff. However I have noticed a general rule of thumb while browsing these last few months.

So this is the AI generated image I used as inspiration. I will not be tagging the account that posted it because I do not condone bullying of any type, but it’s important to mention that this was part of a set of images:

This is important because one of the BIGGEST things you can use to your advantage is context clues. This is the thing that clued me in: right off the bat we can see that there is NO consistency between these three images. The art style and outfits change with every generated image. They're vaguely related (I.E. characters that resemble the Big Four are on some sort of adventure?) and that's about it. Going to the account in question proved that all they posted were AI generated images. All of which have many red flags, but for clarity's sake we'll stick with the one that I used.

The first thing that caught my eye was this???? Amorphous Blob in the background. Which is obviously supposed to be knights or a dragon or something.

Again, context clues come into play here. Artists will draw everything With A Purpose. And if what they're drawing is fanart, you are going to recognize most of what you see in the image. Even if there are mistakes.

In the context of this image, it looks like the Four are supposed to be running from these people. The thing that drew my attention to it was the fact that I Didn't Recognize The Villains, and this is because there is nothing to recognize. These shapes aren't Drago, or Grimmel, or Pitch, or any other villain we usually associate with ROTBTD. They're just Amorphous Blobs that are vaguely villain shaped.

Which brings me to my second point:

Do you see the way they're standing? There is no purpose to this. It throws the entire image off. Your eye is drawn to the Amorphous Villain Blobs in the background, and these characters are not reacting to them one bit.

Now I'm not saying that all images have to have a story behind them, but if this were created by a person, it clearly would have had one. Our group here is not telling a story, they are posing.

This is because the AI does not see the image as a whole, but as two separate components: the setting, and the description of the characters that the prompter dictates. I.E. "Merida from Brave, Jack Frost from ROTG, Rapunzel from Tangled, and Hiccup from HTTYD standing next to each other"

Now obviously the most pressing part of this prompt are the characters themselves. So the AI prioritizes that and tries to spit out something that WE recognize as "Merida from Brave, Jack Frost from ROTG, Rapunzel from Tangled, and Hiccup from HTTYD standing next to each other".

This, more times than not, is going to end up with this stagnant posing. Because AI cannot create, it can only emulate. And even then, it still can't do it right. Case in point:

This is not Hiccup. The AI totally thinks this is Eugene Fitzherbert. Look at the pose. The facial structure. The goatee. The smirk. The outfits. He's always next to Raps. Why does he have a quiver? Where's Toothless? His braids? His scar??

HE HAS BOTH OF HIS LEGS.

The AI. Cannot even get the most important part of it's prompt correct.

And that's just the beginning. Here:

More amorphous shapes.

So these are obviously supposed to be utility belts, but I mean. Look at them. The perspective is all off. There are useless straps. I don't even know what that cluster behind Jack's left arm is supposed to be.

This is a prime example of AI emulating without understanding structure.

You can see this particularly in Jack, between his hands, the "tassels" of his tunic, and the odd wrinkles of his boots. There's just not any structure here whatsoever.

Lastly, AI CANNOT CREATE PATTERNS.

Here are the side-by-sides of the shit I had to deal with when redesigning their outfits. Please someone acknowledge this. This killed me inside. THIS is most recognizable to me, and usually what I look for first if I'm wary about an art piece. These clusterfuck bunches of color. I hate them. I hate them so. much.

Anyways here's some other miscellaneous things I've noticed:

Danny Phantom Eyes

???? Thumb? (and random sword sheath)

Collarbone Necklace (corset from hell)

No Staff :( No Bow :(

What is that.

So yeah. Truly the best thing to do is to just. study it. A lot of times you aren't gonna notice anything just looking at the big picture, you need to zoom in and focus on the little details. Obviously I'm not like an expert in AI or anything, but I do have a degree in animation practices and I'm. You know. A human being. So.

In conclusion:

(Y'all should totally reblog my redesign of this btw)

[jcmarchi]

Ursula von der Leyen: AI race ‘is far from over’

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/ursula-von-der-leyen-ai-race-is-far-from-over/

Ursula von der Leyen: AI race ‘is far from over’

Europe has no intention of playing catch-up in the global AI race, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared at the AI Action Summit in Paris.

While the US and China are often seen as frontrunners, von der Leyen emphasised that the AI race “is far from over” and that Europe has distinct strengths to carve a leading role for itself.

“This is the third summit on AI safety in just over one year,” von der Leyen remarked. “In the same period, three new generations of ever more powerful AI models have been released. Some expect models that will approach human reasoning within a year’s time.”

The European Commission President set the tone of the event by contrasting the groundwork laid in previous summits with the urgency of this one.

“Past summits focused on laying the groundwork for AI safety. Together, we built a shared consensus that AI will be safe, that it will promote our values and benefit humanity. But this Summit is focused on action. And that is exactly what we need right now.”

As the world witnesses AI’s disruptive power, von der Leyen urged Europe to “formulate a vision of where we want AI to take us, as society and as humanity.” Growing adoption, “in the key sectors of our economy, and for the key challenges of our times,” provides a golden opportunity for the continent to lead, she argued.

The case for a European approach to the AI race 

Von der Leyen rejected notions that Europe has fallen behind its global competitors.

“Too often, I hear that Europe is late to the race – while the US and China have already got ahead. I disagree,” she stated. “The frontier is constantly moving. And global leadership is still up for grabs.”

Instead of replicating what other regions are doing, she called for doubling down on Europe’s unique strengths to define the continent’s distinct approach to AI.

“Too often, I have heard that we should replicate what others are doing and run after their strengths,” she said. “I think that instead, we should invest in what we can do best and build on our strengths here in Europe, which are our science and technology mastery that we have given to the world.”

Von der Leyen defined three pillars of the so-called “European brand of AI” that sets it apart: 1) focusing on high-complexity, industry-specific applications, 2) taking a cooperative, collaborative approach to innovation, and 3) embracing open-source principles.

“This summit shows there is a distinct European brand of AI,” she asserted. “It is already driving innovation and adoption. And it is picking up speed.”

Accelerating innovation: AI factories and gigafactories  

To maintain its competitive edge, Europe must supercharge its AI innovation, von der Leyen stressed.

A key component of this strategy lies in its computational infrastructure. Europe already boasts some of the world’s fastest supercomputers, which are now being leveraged through the creation of “AI factories.”

“In just a few months, we have set up a record of 12 AI factories,” von der Leyen revealed. “And we are investing €10 billion in them. This is not a promise—it is happening right now, and it is the largest public investment for AI in the world, which will unlock over ten times more private investment.”

Beyond these initial steps, von der Leyen unveiled an even more ambitious initiative. AI gigafactories, built on the scale of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, will provide the infrastructure needed for training AI systems at unprecedented scales. They aim to foster collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.

“We provide the infrastructure for large computational power,” von der Leyen explained. “Talents of the world are welcome. Industries will be able to collaborate and federate their data.”

The cooperative ethos underpinning AI gigafactories is part of a broader European push to balance competition with collaboration.

“AI needs competition but also collaboration,” she emphasised, highlighting that the initiative will serve as a “safe space” for these cooperative efforts.

Building trust with the AI Act

Crucially, von der Leyen reiterated Europe’s commitment to making AI safe and trustworthy. She pointed to the EU AI Act as the cornerstone of this strategy, framing it as a harmonised framework to replace fragmented national regulations across member states.

“The AI Act [will] provide one single set of safety rules across the European Union – 450 million people – instead of 27 different national regulations,” she said, before acknowledging businesses’ concerns about regulatory complexities.

“At the same time, I know, we have to make it easier, we have to cut red tape. And we will.”

€200 billion to remain in the AI race

Financing such ambitious plans naturally requires significant resources. Von der Leyen praised the recently launched EU AI Champions Initiative, which has already pledged €150 billion from providers, investors, and industry.

During her speech at the summit, von der Leyen announced the Commission’s complementary InvestAI initiative that will bring in an additional €50 billion. Altogether, the result is mobilising a massive €200 billion in public-private AI investments.

“We will have a focus on industrial and mission-critical applications,” she said. “It will be the largest public-private partnership in the world for the development of trustworthy AI.”

Ethical AI is a global responsibility

Von der Leyen closed her address by framing Europe’s AI ambitions within a broader, humanitarian perspective, arguing that ethical AI is a global responsibility.

“Cooperative AI can be attractive well beyond Europe, including for our partners in the Global South,” she proclaimed, extending a message of inclusivity.

Von der Leyen expressed full support for the AI Foundation launched at the summit, highlighting its mission to ensure widespread access to AI’s benefits.

“AI can be a gift to humanity. But we must make sure that benefits are widespread and accessible to all,” she remarked.

“We want AI to be a force for good. We want an AI where everyone collaborates and everyone benefits. That is our path – our European way.”

See also: AI Action Summit: Leaders call for unity and equitable development

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.

Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.

[justdavina]

Check out my AI Gurl Jen M at Pinterest.

She's HOT! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

[octuscle]

Exchange student: Berlin, Germany

October 01, 2024

Brad had come to Berlin as an exchange student because it was supposed to be the party capital of Europe. He was looking forward to a semester of spring break. But he quickly became disillusioned. There was hardly anyone walking around at the Technical University who looked anything like Spring Break. Most of them were dressed in black, with short hair and pale faces. Brad stood out like a sore thumb. And apart from that, Berlin was very different from what he had imagined. He had been told that Germany was so incredibly clean. Berlin was dirty and run-down. The people were unfriendly. The weather was terrible. By the time he moved into his room in the run-down student dormitory, which had probably last been renovated in the 1980s, he was homesick for Providence.

Tonight was a faculty welcome party. The building was an old factory hall, a ruin. The music was just one thing: deafeningly loud. The people at the party were all stoned or high on pills. It stank of sweat, cigarette smoke and sweet energy drinks. Brad wondered whether he could still change universities. Munich was supposed to be much more civilized than Berlin. Someone gave him a funny-looking pill. It was about 02:00 when Brad left the party. His sweater had disappeared. But it had been better than he had feared.

November 05, 2024

Monday was the day Brad recovered. There weren't usually any really good parties on Mondays. And if there were, he could make an exception. In fact, Brad was the go-to person for many of his fellow students when it came to where to go anyway. Brad was usually extremely well informed. Not necessarily about life at university… He had let his attendance at lectures slip a little in the first month. But hey, there was still ages until exams. Tonight was encore.une.fois at the OX! Of course Brad was on the guest list. From 21:00 he was in the gym, pumping up his muscles. And from 01:00 he was on the dance floor. Shit, he had expected something like Springbreak. How boring Springbreak was! Real life was raging here. All it took was a few pills, Red Bull and the right beats. And that was definitely the case today!

At 05:00 the music went off and the cleaning light came on. Brad checked his messages to find out where the best after-hours party was. There were no important lectures on Wednesdays anyway. And he was still far too wound up to sleep.

December 20, 2024

Uni was over until the new year. Actually, he should have been back in Connecticut by now. But Brad wanted to take at least this weekend to Berghain. Moritz had become his friend and business partner. The two were the shooting stars of Berlin's party organizers. Brad had collected 39K followers in the last four weeks alone. His party outfits defined what bouncers wanted to see in the clubs. Normally, DJs had groupies. Or musicians. Moritz and Brad always had a whole cluster of guys and girls hanging around them, basking in their presence and hoping to get shagged by one of them. Particularly lucky ones claimed to have been fucked by both at the same time. Whether this was true was debatable. But as a legend, it was certainly a cool story.

Their gas masks were elaborate custom-made masks that gave off a well-dosed mixture of poppers and laughing gas. Not that the two of them needed it. But it made the intoxication of a party night perfect. There were always two spare masks and the necessary cartridges in their rucksacks. To recharge their gas masks. Or to let very privileged fans share in their intoxication. It was 03:00. Too early to decide whether anyone would get that privilege tonight. Now it was time to dance. The way they only danced at Berghain.

[ki-kink]

Hi, I'm a 18 yo nerd student in computer science. I've always envied the chavs. The only thing that makes me close to them is my style, some regular gray sweatpants. You could help me?

Bruv, them grey trackies don’t make you a Scally, ya know?

First ting, fix up yer gaff. A Scally ain't livin' with his rents in the burbs. You’re in a council flat, smellin' like beer, fags, cheap bleach, and sweat. Got dirty laundry everywhere and bare used tissues. Yeah, a Scally's always lookin' rough. If you ain’t mashing a mate or a sket, best you just wank off. Man, you could do that right now. You ain't thinkin' 'bout nothin' but beats. Studying? Don’t make me cackle! You ain't even finished school, fam! And you ain't gonna. You work in a slaughterhouse, innit? But your trainer’s sayin' you got big potential as an MMA fighter.

So? You happy though? Now move it! Go cop some new cigs and chill with your mandem at the bus stop before training.

[two-pears-in-a-trenchcoat]

"i am going to caboose you" says the evil caboose man

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Business school professors trained an AI to judge workers’ personalities based on their faces

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me TODAY (Feb 17) for an event at KEPLER'S in MENLO PARK with CHARLIE JANE ANDERS and TOMORROW (Feb 18) for an event with WIL WHEATON in LA. More tour dates here.

Theory-free inference is a hell of a drug. For years, Big Data advocates – the larval form of today's AI weirdos – have insisted that if you have enough data, you can infer causal relationships between complex phenomena without ever having to understand how x causes y, and thus, we can slay the dread "correlation is not causation" beast.

This is cousin to Milton Friedman's famous economic catechism:

Truly important and significant hypotheses will be found to have "assumptions" that are wildly inaccurate descriptive representations of reality, and, in general, the more significant the theory, the more unrealistic the assumptions (in this sense)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essays_in_Positive_Economics

AI turns out to be a great tool for creating plausible statistical correlates of imaginary phenomena. Remember the guy who claimed to have invented Machine Learning Gaydar by analyzing the faces of gay people and comparing them to straight people? Same dude later claimed to have invented an AI that could guess, from your face, whether you were a Republican or a Democrat:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/15/hoover-calling/#phrenology

This is just AI Phrenology, a continuation of the "scientific racism" movement that was invented to provide a justification for colonialism, slavery, genocide and eugenics. It imagines that there are invisible genetic traits that determine things like your ability to be a good boss, or whether you will cheat on your partner, or whether you are destined to be rich. It's a kind of cod-scientific astrology, where you get to declare yourself to have been born with "good blood" that destined you to rule over others.

Amazingly, this "scientific" philosophy has somehow managed to thrive after the rise of computational genomics, the science that analyzes population-scale genetic surveys to identify whether there is any genetic basis for the idea of "races" (and other cherished distinctions of the "human diversity" movement) have been shown to have no discernible basis in, you know, genetics.

As Adam Rutherford – a superb science communication and accomplished computational genomist – writes in his 2020 book How To Argue With a Racist, nearly everyone on Earth is descended from the same tiny group of survivors of a couple of severe genetic bottlenecks, the exception being Africa, where there is far more genetic diversity than in the rest of the world:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/08/16/combat-wheelchairs/#race-realism

A Swede and an Australian Aboriginal person are more closely related than two members of the different groups of San people. If genes were the dispositive factors in human personality and accomplishment, we'd expect to see far more variance in the outcomes of African people than we do between, say, Inuit people and Italians. And yet, somehow people who all live in the same society, facing the same structural challenges of post-colonialism, international looting, and a global IP regime that denies them the ability to manufacture their own medicines and fix their own equipment produces people with remarkably similar outcomes. Meanwhile, it's surprisingly easy to predict the life outcomes of people from very different societies, based on those societies' position in the global hierarchy.

Sure, genetics play a role in shaping our outcomes. We are built out of the interactions between our genome and the physical and social world around us. But all evidence points to the social and physical factors grossly outweighing the genes. Back to astrology: distant celestial objects inarguably interact with us at our births and through our lives. Some infinitesimal tidal stress is exerted upon the Earth by other planets; photons streaming from faraway, long-dead stars shower down upon us. But the gravity exerted by, say, Saturn, on your body as you pass through the birth canal is less than the force exerted by the paper covers the midwife wears over her shoes in the birthing room. Sure, those disposable covers are a lot less massy than Saturn – but they're far closer, which matters when you're talking about forces that attenuate at the square of distance.

Genes play an important role in the development of your brain and the systems that regulate it, like hormones and nerve signals. But that role is clearly swamped by the role that the physical and social environment play as you grow up. You don't have "good blood" or "bad blood."

But people who believe in – and benefit from – social hierarchy have always yearned for a freestanding, objective basis for the fact that they have more and everyone else has less. That's the origin of "efficient markets hypothesis" (I'm rich because the market thinks I'm a good "capital allocater"), of "meritocracy" (if I'm rich, I must have merit), and "evolutionary psychology" ("Honey, it's not my fault I fucked my grad students – blame the bonobos!"):

https://pluralistic.net/2020/08/30/arabian-babblers/#evopsych

Which brings me to this week's caliper-wielding AI: the "Photo Big 5" AI that can look at your face and predict whether you're going to be good at having an MBA:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5089827

This is the creation of four academics at elite institutions – however, their discipline isn't genetics. They're business school professors. They got a bunch of MBAs' self-assessed results on surveys of "Big 5 personality types" – itself a kind of astrological exercise with barely more rigor than, say, Meyers-Briggs – and then fed these results, along with the subjects' Linkedin profile photos and self-reported salaries and titles to an ML and produced – voila! – a machine that tells you whether you'll be a good manager based on your face!

This is an objectively very funny exercise, like AI Gaydar for middle-managers. They resort to some hilarious obfuscation:

Photo Big 5 exhibits only modest correlations with cognitive measures like GPA and standardized test scores, yet offers comparable incremental predictive power for labor outcomes.

In other words, we created a new random-number generator that is as bad at predicting your life-chances as the SATs or your GPA, two extremely bad ways of predicting your life chances – except to the extent that both numbers can be inflated if you start with a bunch of money and hire elite test-prep consultants. Good thing personal appearance has no correlates with wealth and there's no way to spend money to look more like a member of the elite? Naw, it must be the genetics underpinning the relationships between your "craniofacial features and behavior."

It's easy to see why AI is so tempting to people who want to incinerate any qualitative factors in a complex societal problem, transforming them into dubious quantitative residue that an algorithm can do math on:

https://locusmag.com/2021/05/cory-doctorow-qualia/

It's junk science at scale, with a business model. The purpose of this automated eugenics is the same as every "rational" account of hierarchy in human history: to retroactively justify winners, and to condemn losers before the game even starts.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/17/caliper-ai/#racism-machine

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[bodyhopper-files]

Changing at the gym - Version 1 (Shapeshift - Muscle Growh - Race Change)

[futureperfectchanges]

The Pride Pin

"Have you got a little rainbow flag? Or maybe a rainbow handkerchief?" Edward asked the man behind the counter. He was on his way to a gay wedding and had seen a large pride flag in the window of this store which had given him an idea. "Basically something that I could put into my breast pocket for a wedding i'm going to." Before quickly adding: "To show my support to the grooms that is."

"Ah, how nice, although I'm afraid I only have large flags at the moment, but I do have a few pins left over from Pride, would one of those work for you?" replied the shopkeeper as he pointed to a box a little further down the counter.

"Looks perfect" Edward said as he picked up one of the pins.

"Just to check - you did say you wanted it to show you're an ally of the gay community didn't you? It's just that some of the items in this store can be a little, well, unpredictable, so just wanted to be clear about things before you try it on."

"Of course" Edward lied.

In truth Edward hadn't wanted to go to this wedding at all. He worked with one of the guys getting married, John. They had joined a law firm at the same time so had met during their induction and had been good friends for a while - at least until John had come out as gay and started dating guys. Edward was glad that John was happy, but had since mostly avoided hanging out together unless it was a work event. He had gone to one dinner soon after John's engagement to his boyfriend, Miguel, but had spent the whole meal feeling embarrassed. Everyone else at the table had been so obviously gay and they had made no attempt to talk quietly, so he was sure all the surrounding tables had been judging him all evening.

When Edward had received the invite to the wedding he had initially planned to decline it. What had changed his mind was the fact that a lot of John's straight female friends were going to be there, and with most of the other guys at the wedding being gay, it was almost guaranteed that he would hook up with one of the girls. He hoped that the pride pin was going to be the 'icing on the cake' with regards to getting attention from the girls. How could they turn down a guy who was so supportive of his friend? With any luck he would be back at home with a lady before the happy couple had even cut the cake.

"Here, let me put it on for you" the shopkeeper offered.

Edward had intended on keeping the pin out of sight until he had entered the wedding, but he didn't want to offend the shopkeeper so let him reach over and place the pin on his lapel - he'd just take if off as soon as he left the store.

Edward looked at the mirror behind the counter and his first thought was to worry that the pin might make the girls at the wedding think he was gay too. He started to wonder if it was a bad idea, and as if to confirm that he felt the pin prick his chest. Soon after he felt another prick and he wondered if the shopkeeper had failed to cover the back of the pin properly. When he started to feel more and more pricks on his chest, and not just where the pin was, he began to worry that something was wrong.

Edward felt like he was being stabbed with needles all across his chest and he felt like he had no choice but to pull his jacket off. He didn't know what was going on, but he needed to stop whatever was causing the pain.

Edward was confused. He had taken off his jacket and the pricking sensations had stopped, but when he looked down at his chest he didn't understand what he was looking at as it. What he first saw on his chest was a mix of colors that hadn't previously been there. It was as though someone had covered his chest in paint.

"¿Cómo?" Edward said aloud whilst continuing to stare at his chest. He had never had a tattoo so didn't understand what he was looking at. As he reached up to rub off whatever was on his chest it quickly dawned on him that the colors were not going to come off easily.

"What is this? Is this a tattoo? How do I get this off?" Edward asked in increasingly frantic tones, all with a slight Spanish accent. He had been so fixed on the new tattoos that he hadn't noticed that the rest of his body had taken on a subtle tan.

The shopkeeper didn't reply, he knew that if an item from his shop was not used as intended it could cause a little confusion for the customer, so he just waited to see what would happen.

"What is going on? And what's wrong with my voice?" Edward asked as he started to get angry. "I'm a dancer at Infernos nightclub and if you want to see me shake my ass... wait... no I meant to say i'm a dancer, no a dancer..." Edward had wanted to tell the shopkeeper that he was a lawyer at a powerful law firm and would kick his ass if he didn't fix what was going on but he didn't seem able to get the right words out.

Whilst Edward's mind tried to deal with what was going on, he started to wonder what sort of options he had to get rid of the tattoo, or what he could do just to cover it up. It was then that he looked back at the mirror and realised how much else had changed across his body. His heart sank as he knew there was no way he could cover everything up.

Edward sighed as he thought again about what to do with the tattoos, but was then confused. Why was he thinking of covering them up? He loved showing them off. He had spent so much of his life hiding who he was, but now there was no one who was going to stop him from being his true self. He was Eduardo - a proud Latino twink.

Eduardo felt the jacket he was holding and then remembered that he had come in to buy a new shirt. "Hey, do you have any dress shirts?" he smiled as he asked the storekeeper. "My best friend is marrying some fancy lawyer today and I want to look good for the occasion!"