#Over-Reliance on AI

[touchaheartnews]

Researchers Warn: AI's Negative Effects

Touchaheart.com.ng reports that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly integrated into various aspects of our daily lives, transforming how we work, communicate, and solve problems. While AI offers numerous benefits, including increased efficiency and convenience, researchers are increasingly concerned about its potential negative impact on critical thinking, analysis, and other cognitive…

[medusapetrichor]

semi recently i was precomatose in the icu because of an automated technical malfunction and when i mentioned this to one of my medical team the other day he was like "you seem pretty unbothered at that", and my thought was well it's not like it was a design flaw or anything so what's the point being bothered if i a) have nobody to be bothered at and b) am glad and happy to have survived so why shouldn't i celebrate that instead of moping (however this is my attitude towards myself, other people are a completely different matter)

anyway this is going to be an increasingly interesting train of thought/conversation to be had at some point, the more we become reliant on tech, algorithms and ai in general in our lives and infrastructure

at some point things will happen where blame needs to be placed and i feel like we should start thinking about that earlier rather than when it inevitably happens on a large scale

[rbbrbikerthorp]

A Tribute To Helmets

I grew up during the Apollo space missions, and whilst I didn't show a particular interest in NASA's exploits, I received a kid's space suit and helmet as a present. I vividly recall how different things sounded when I put the helmet over my head. I think that was the point when my kinky fascination for helmets began.

From my childhood, I remember watching an episode of the early Flash Gordon series (in monochrome) where Ming places a helmet on the head of one of his dissenting subordinates. Once the helmet was strapped on, the man became compliant, passive and drone-like.

At that moment I realised that something designed for safety and protection could also have very nefarious uses. Combined with visual and audio stimulation, the helmet could also contain electronic circuitry that can disrupt the natural processes in the brain. Helmets could also contain syringes, which can deliver chemicals and other substances directly into the head to suppress and indivual's throughts.

So here is my AI tribute to the Helmet, and how, when placed on the head it can strip away emotion, knowledge, purpose and individuality.

This man in his early twenties was just starting out in life. He had dreams of being successful, having the perfect suburban life - wife, kids and the kind of home people dream of. He had just agreed to join a multinational conglomerate, and as part of his induction he was required to take a medical. So on the appropriate day at the specifed time he turns up for what he thought would be a routine appointment.

On arrival, he was taken into a private room. He was asked to disrobe and was given a set of leathers and boots to wear, which, despite all his reservations he put on.

Once the leathers were zipped up and boots were on his feet, he was escorted to a room where a lab assistant placed a full-face helmet onto his head. He was then taken into a room filled with tech and video screens. The technician typed some commands into a computer and the helmet activated.

Isolated wearing the helmet, he was subjected to audio and visual stimulation; stripping away his own throughts and identity. Replacing it with a predetermined 'template', which the company would deploy as necessary. Thoughts of family, kids and friends replaced with absolute loyalty to the company.

'Physical' completed, the company has deployed him 'into the field'. Now a biker, his primary objective is to ride around and recruit candidates to join the company.

Meanwhile...

Some scientists are about to record the disruptive effects of their advanced helmets on three 'volunteers'. Once the helmets are fitted the volunteers will follow instructions and head to drone processing.

Elsewhere, two cyclists have been given new 'aerodynamic' helmets for a week to try.

Affixed to their heads, they will have no desire to ever remove their helmets - ever.

Sticking with a sport theme, the new coach has provided the team with revolutionary and technologically advanced helmets. These not only offer superior protection to the head, but also allow the coach a direct interface into the players' minds. It's going to be a successful season for this team.

There are worried faced amongst this army platoon - and they should be worried.

They will follow the General's orders to place the helmet on their heads. When they do their individual thoughts will become suppressed as they turn into droned soldiers. No more briefings, no reliance on old technology like radio transmissions, which can be hacked into by the enemy. The helmet will ensure all orders issued by the commanders are transmitted directly into their brains.

There are changes afoot in civilian life too. A new force for law and order is being created. One by one members of the police force are invited to undergo a routine medical.

Soon they will all be fitted with helmets; permanently connecting them directly to the company network, with orders transmitted directly into their brains.

There is to be a zero tolerance of crime - even minor misdemeanors. So they begin to 'clean up the streets'.

Chavs and scallies are rounded up and each one is fitted with a helmet...

Once the work of the helmet is done, a new 'drone' is sent out onto the streets as a 'recruiter' for the company.

They're also recruiting in colleges and universities...

And back in the boardroom, the executives are monitoring progress of the company's plan.

Each member of the so-called 'C-suite' has been given a helmet to allow speedier decision making and negate the need for laptops, smartphones and video screens. Directly connected to the company's network through their helmet, they follow the instructions fed directly into their brains - following them to the letter. After all each helmet ensures they are exemplary servants of the company.

Hope you enjoyed my AI tribute to the helmet. Depending on the feedback I might do a second helmet blog.

Oh, in case you were wondering which is my favourite helmet, it's my Arai Corser, pictured below.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Billboard project

* * * *

One for the history books!

September 12, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

After delivering one of the best debate performances in American political history, Kamala Harris is receiving begrudging and stinting praise from many in the media and commentary class. But 67 million people saw Kamala Harris demonstrate she is made of presidential timber. They witnessed a masterful performance that revealed a penetrating intellect tempered by decency and humanity. On the substance and execution, she should have earned the support of all voters and unqualified praise from the media and political commentators.

Trump's performance was vile and disqualifying. It was worse than Joe Biden’s widely panned debate by far. While Joe Biden turned in a horrible debate performance as measured by the artificial rules of made-for-tv spectacles, Donald Trump made dozens of statements that were objectively depraved, racist, antidemocratic, delusional, and deceitful.

Trump transcended the debate format and devolved into fascist demagoguery that should have resulted in universal condemnation by all voters, the media, and political commentators. If Joe Biden was driven from the presidential race because of his poor debate performance, Trump should be banished from politics, expelled from his party, and relegated to a place of dishonor in the annals of American history.

Talking about the debate is difficult because of the urge to focus on Kamala Harris’s brilliantly executed strategy of baiting Trump into ranting about his insecurities and the horror of Trump's worst-in-the-history-of-the-nation performance on substance.

I get it. Harris’s ninja debating moves and Trump's racist deer-in-the-headlights stare made for riveting television. But we focus on those aspects of the debate to the detriment of the substance of Kamala Harris’s message. She spent a substantial portion of the debate discussing her policies and her plan to help heal the divisions that beset America.

It is disappointing to see so many stories and commentators describe the debate as “fierce” or “contentious.” I heard one commentator on MSNBC bemoan the fact that neither candidate seemed interested in bridging the divide in America. That is false. Kamala Harris promised to be a president for all Americans and to focus on the needs of the people, not the needs and wants of the president. She said, in part,

And I think the American people want better than that. Want better than this. Want someone who understands as I do, I travel our country, we see in each other a friend. We see in each other a neighbor. We don't want a leader who is constantly trying to have Americans point their fingers at each other. I meet with people all the time who tell me "Can we please just have discourse about how we're going to invest in the aspirations and the ambitions and the dreams of the American people?" [¶¶] I've only had one client. The people. And I'll tell you, as a prosecutor I never asked a victim or a witness are you a Republican or a Democrat. The only thing I ever asked them, are you okay? And that's the kind of president we need right now. Someone who cares about you and is not putting themselves first. I intend to be a president for all Americans and focus on what we can do over the next 10 and 20 years to build back up our country by investing right now in you the American people.

Kamala Harris repeatedly offered her policy vision for America, including tax breaks for business startups; subsidizing downpayments for first-time home purchases; incentivizing the construction of starter homes; granting tax credits for families with newborns; investing in American chip technology, quantum computing, and AI; supporting worker’s rights; reducing reliance on fossil fuels; granting tax cuts for the middle class; requiring the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes; and protecting the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid. She also promised to protect reproductive liberty, LGBTQ equality, and voting rights of all Americans.

The media has hounded Kamala Harris for weeks about the alleged absence of policies in her campaign. On Tuesday, she talked about dozens of specific policies—and the media is not saying a word about those policies after the debate.

Not. A. Word.

It’s almost as if the media didn’t really care about Kamala Harris’s policies but were only interested in a talking point they could use to criticize her. Hypocrites!

So, before talking about how well Kamala Harris executed her strategy of baiting Trump and how abhorrent Trump's performance and positions were, let’s give Kamala Harris her due on the substance: She gave a presidential-level discourse on policies that will affect the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans. The fact that Trump and the moderators ignored those policies does not diminish the respect she showed for the American people by clearly setting forth her policies if elected as president.

Among the many insipid criticisms of Kamala Harris was that she used facial expressions to convey her disapproval, amusement, and disbelief over Trump's utterances. This was an effective use of her non-speaking time and allowed her to diminish Trump without saying a word.

Dahlia Lithwick demolishes the critics who faulted Kamala’s facial expressions—a criticism that would only be leveled against a woman. See Dahlia Lithwick, Slate, Harris–Trump debate: Kamala Harris’ face on Tuesday was the stuff of legend. (slate.com). Lithwick writes,

It must be beyond maddening for a political actor to be summoned into a “debate” that is not really a debate, pitted against some frothing amalgam of WWE reenactor and Tasmanian devil, warned that your microphone will be muted while he is speaking, cautioned that he will be allowed to talk over you and the moderators, then be criticized for … blinking? [¶¶] Harris’ face roamed free and far on Tuesday, and it was thoroughly warranted and frequently enjoyable. I think of her mobile, legible face as a satisfying call-and-response to Trump’s lifelong preference for female adulation and Botox. Women have faces. Their faces have expressions. If that was upsetting to you during Tuesday’s debate, you might be dismayed to learn that deep beneath our expressive faces lie thoughts, dreams, frustrations, and other markers of human agency. If a woman smiling freaks you out, imagine what happens when a woman votes.

While talking about Kamala Harris’s facial expressions may seem superficial, it is not. One of Harris’s most significant accomplishments was her ability to show herself to be a likable, relatable human being. She did so by using the medium of television to her advantage. Were the expressive facial reactions real or practiced? It doesn’t matter; they were successful. People liked Kamala Harris. For a candidate who has been on the national scene since 2018, the percentage of voters who still say they don’t “know” her is shocking. But she went some distance in the debate to introduce herself to those voters in a positive way.

Among Harris’s many pointed and powerful answers on Tuesday, none were better than her response to Trump's gloating over the demise of Roe v. Wade. Harris said,

In over 20 states there are Trump abortion bans which make it criminal for a doctor or nurse to provide health care. In one state it provides prison for life. Trump abortion bans that make no exception even for rape and incest. Which—understand what that means. A survivor of a crime, a violation to their body, does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next. That is immoral. And one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree: The government, and Donald Trump certainly, should not be telling a woman what to do with her body. You want to talk about, this is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term, suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because the health care providers are afraid they might go to jail, and she’s bleeding out in a car in the parking lot? She didn’t want that. Her husband didn’t want that. A 12 or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term? They don’t want that. Understand in his Project 2025, there would be a national abortion—a monitor that would be monitoring your pregnancies, your miscarriages.

There is more room to praise Kamala Harris’s performance in the debate, but we must turn to Trump's horrific statements during the debate. So, let’s get Trump’s “debate performance” out of the way: It was the worst debate performance (in terms of style) in the history of political debates. See The Guardian, Republicans dismayed by Trump’s ‘bad’ and ‘unprepared’ debate performance. Brit Hume of Fox News said, “Let’s make no mistake. Trump had a bad night. We just heard so many of the old grievances that we all know aren’t winners politically.” Coming from a Fox commentator, that is as bad as it gets for Trump.

There were many disgraceful, disqualifying statements during the debate by Trump: Refusing to say that he hoped Ukraine would defeat the Russian invasion; refusing to acknowledge that he lost in 2020; refusing to express any regret for his actions on January 6; claiming that “every Democrat” wanted to “get rid of” Roe v. Wade.; and repeatedly saying that execution of babies after a full-term delivery was permissible under existing law.

To state the obvious, if Kamala Harris had uttered a single statement that was one-tenth as egregious as any of the above, the major media would be calling for her withdrawal from the race.

But Trump's worst statement was the race-baiting claim that Haitian immigrants are capturing domestic pets in Springfield, Ohio and eating them. That trope was originally directed at immigrants from other countries but has been repurposed by Trump to slander Haitian immigrants who are legally in the US.

The claim is false and started as triple-hearsay thrice-removed:

On Sept. 6, a post surfaced on X that shared what looked like a screengrab of a social media post apparently out of Springfield. The retweeted post talked about the person’s “neighbor’s daughter’s friend” seeing a cat hanging from a tree to be butchered and eaten, claiming without evidence that Haitians lived at the house.

So, a “screenshot” of a retweet (three levels removed from personal knowledge) talked about a “neighbor’s daughter’s friend” (three more levels removed from personal knowledge). In short, the claim is the worst sort of internet rumor—intentionally unverifiable. Repeating such a rumor is beneath a candidate for the presidency.

But the crassness of repeating the rumor is the least of the offense. Trump did not repeat a rumor—he asserted the rumor as “fact” for the purpose of stirring racial hatred against Haitian immigrants. The false rumor has been circulating for weeks among right-wing websites that attack Haitian immigrants as the cause of an increase in crime in Springfield. See WaPo, Anatomy of a racist smear: How false claims of pet-eating immigrants caught on.

Trump then leveraged the cat-eating Haitian claim to smear all immigrants as law-breaking, violent, less-than-human invaders whom he would deport en masse from the US. The entire episode was an appeal to the most racist, xenophobic backwaters of American society. It was shameful and divisive. It may lead to violence against immigrants—just as past statements by Trump have led to violence against immigrants in Texas. See NBC (8/5/2019), Trump's anti-immigrant 'invasion' rhetoric was echoed by the El Paso shooter for a reason.

No modern presidential candidate has appealed to racial animus during a presidential debate. Trump's attack on the Haitian community should have been the end of his candidacy. As should his statements about Ukraine, the 2020 election, January 6, and abortion—and that list excludes his dozens of other falsehoods.

In short, the debate should move the needle in favor of Kamala Harris. Whether it will do so is a different question—one that will be determined, in part, by whether the media maintains the same intense focus on Trump's  debate performance that it maintained on Biden’s debate performance in July. On the substance, Trump's debate performance was objectively worse, by far. Let’s hope the media doesn’t get distracted by the less consequential matters.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Hi! I love your Nathan stuff and i always come back to read them whenever i’m in my nathan phase.

i was wondering if you’d be down to do #q and #3 for the kiss prompts with nathan. i was reading over them and i thought of a dumb scenario where he’s been trying to get a kiss all day but it’s just dumb little pecks every time. i just know he’d get so sassy about it.

if you don’t feel like it or don’t think it works with nathan then don’t worry about it! thank you!!

I'm guessing that q was meant to be 1. If it wasn't and I wrote it wrong....soz

Prompts: Small kisses littered across the other’s face; A breathy demand: “Kiss me” - and what the other person does to respond.

It's no secret to the world that you and Nathan are a couple, but on the average day-to-day, you don't go out of your way to advertise that fact.

When you're busy, you're more focused on pushing the company forward, not pushing your relationship forward. Nathan does it, too, and on hectic days, you don't take offense. The two of you are busy, and for as much as you love one another, you don't always make your romantic relationship a priority.

Come to think of it, the two of you hardly ever make it a priority.

Friday morning is no different.

You're on a call. You're listening closely to the feedback from your Chief Marketing Officer—the feedback from your annual summit is less favorable than you'd like. Your user base is concerned about the increased reliance on AI, but you're not relying on it—you're developing it, leaning into it, into the ways that your users have been accessing it—otherwise why the fuck else would you have developed it?

You nearly miss the sound of the knock on your door, but you glance up, doing a double-take when you spot him lingering in your doorway. He raises his finger to his lips, and you know that he wants you to avoid mentioning that he's listening in or has joined you in the room. He does this sometimes—like an Undercover Boss situation without the cameras and shitty wigs and fake buck teeth. You nod and wave him further into your office, adding, "Go on, I'm listening," When the product manager on the other side of the call goes quiet.

Nathan creeps further into the office as your product officer goes on, planting his palms on your desk and leaning in. You hardly turn your head, pressing a kiss to his cheek before waving him away.

--

You catch sight of him again in the elevator, but you're distracted again, eyes and mind focused on your phone, on the email that you're answering. You lean over, pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips before stepping off of the elevator at your floor.

--

It happens in a crowded hall. You hardly catch sight of him, but you know that it's him, somehow—in the way that the others go quiet and stuff, and the hush of their otherwise free conversation. You reach out as he reaches for you, catching hold of his hand and giving it a squeeze before you push onto your meeting.

--

It's been a normal day. So why is Nathan beating the shit out of his punching bag? You lean in the doorway of his home gym, watching him rain blows down on the bag in front of him. You eye the sweat gleaming on his biceps and forehead, the steady pounding of his gloved fists against the vinyl.

"...Let up, he's already dead," You finally tease.

Nathan's punches slow before he ultimately reaches out, slowing the bag. You're surprised by the heated look that he points toward you as he turns in your direction, taking slow, measured steps toward you.

"Did you eat already?" You ask—but he doesn't answer. You watch him plant on his hands on his hips, drawing in deep breaths to steady himself.

"Kiss me."

"...What?" You frown.

"Give me a kiss—a fucking real one this time."

"I gave you real ones—"

"A real goddamn kiss, not those stupid little pecks I got all day."

You roll your eyes, straightening up and beginning to turn away. "Alright. I'm going to go make my dinner. Come and find me when you've moved on from being so fucking dramatic—"

You aren't able to turn fully away from him before he grasps your hips, pushing you back against the door jamb. Your breath catches in your throat, and you hardly get the chance to get a good look at him before Nathan's lips are descending greedily against yours. Your eyelids flutter, but you let them close and settle as he presses his body flush against yours. You sigh quietly, allowing your arms to loop around his shoulders, fingers slipping through the beads of sweat that have gathered at his nape.

Nathan draws away just enough for you to draw your breath, his tongue teasing against the seam of your lips.

"I ask you for a kiss again," He murmurs, "That's what I fuckin' want. Understood?"

You smile, hardly holding back a giggle.

"You're the boss."

Tag list:

@missredherring ; @fantasticcopeaglepasta ; @massivecolorspygiant ; @blueeyesatnight ; @amneris21 ; 

@ew-erin ; @youngkenobilove ; @carbonated-beverage ;  @moonlightburned ; @milf-trinity ; 

@millllenniawrites ; @chattychell ; @dihra-vesa​ ; @videogamesandpoorlifechoices​ ; 

@thembosapphicclown ; @brandyllyn ; @wildmoonflower ; @buckybarneshairpullingkink ; @mad-girl-without-a-box 

@winchestershiresauce ; @lorecraft ; @kmc1989 ; @foxilayde

@writefightandflightclub ; @thedukeofcaladan

[veganism]

The genocide is also experimentation on living beings

Israel is currently testing new weapons in Gaza, some of which will soon be sold globally as "battle-tested," according to Antony Loewenstein, an author who has written a widely acclaimed book on the issue.

For years, the Israeli defense sector has used Palestine as a laboratory for new weapons and surveillance tech, he told Anadolu, adding that this is also the case in the current ongoing war on Gaza.

One of the main reasons why "many nations, democracies and dictatorships support Israeli occupation" of Palestine is because it allows them to buy these "battle-tested" weapons, asserted Loewenstein, author of The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World.

Another aspect of Israel's war on Gaza has been the use of artificial intelligence technology, he said.

According to Loewenstein, AI has been one of the key targeting tools used by the Israeli military in its deadly campaign of airstrikes, leading to mass killings of Palestinians-now over 28,500-and damage on an unprecedented scale.

The current war on Gaza is "inarguably one of the most consequential and bloody," he said.

He described Israel's use of AI against Palestinians as "automated murder," stressing that this model "will be studied and copied by other nation-states" and Tel Aviv will sell them these technologies as tried and tested weapons.

In the last 50 years, Israel has exported hi-tech surveillance tools to at least 130 countries around the world.

To maintain its illegal occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and blockade of the Gaza Strip, Israel has developed a range of tools and technologies that have made it the world's leading exporter of spyware and digital forensics tools.

But analysts say the intelligence failure during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks casts doubts over Tel Avis's technological capabilities.

Israel's reliance on technology "is an illusion of safety, while imprisoning 2.3 million people under endless occupation," said Loewenstein, who is Jewish and holds Australian and German nationalities.

He described Israel's response in Gaza as "apocalyptic," stressing that the killings of Palestinian civilians, including children and women, is "on a scale of indiscriminate slaughter."

- 'BLOOD MONEY'

Loewenstein, who is also a journalist, said Israel has honed its weapons and technology expertise over decades as an occupying power, acting with increasing impunity in the Palestinian territories.

This led a small country like Israel to become one of the top 10 arms dealers in the world, he said, adding that Israeli arms sales in 2021 were "the highest on record, surging 55% over the previous two years to $11.3 billion."

In his book, Loewenstein explores thoroughly Israel's ties with autocracies and regimes engaged in mass displacement campaigns, and governments slinking their way into phones.

The Israeli NSO Group sold its well-known Pegasus software to numerous governments, a spyware tool for phones that gives access to the entire content, including conversations, text messages, emails and photos even when the device is switched off.

Israeli drones were first tested over Gaza, the besieged enclave that Loewenstein referred to as "the perfect laboratory for Israeli ingenuity in domination."

Surveillance technology developed in Israel has also been sold to the US in the form of watch towers now used on the border with Mexico.

The EU's border agency Frontex is known to have used Israeli drone technology to monitor refugees.

Loewenstein explains in his book that the EU has partnered with leading Israeli defense companies to use its drones, "and of course years of experience in Palestine is a key selling point."

"So again, one sees how there are so many examples of nations that are wanting to copy what Israel is doing in their own area in their own country on their own border," he said.

These technologies and "are sold by Israel as battle-tested," he said.

In other words, he contends that Palestinians essentially have become "guinea pigs," and despite some nations and the UN publicly criticizing the Israeli occupation, in reality "they're desperate for this technology for themselves for their own countries."

"And that's how in fact, the Palestine laboratory has been so successful for Israel for so long," he said.

In his exhaustive probe into Israel's dealings with arms sales around the world, he noted that the country has monetized the occupation of Palestine, by selling weapons, spyware tools and technologies to repressive regimes such as Rwanda during the genocide in 1994 and to Myanmar during its genocide against the Muslim Rohingya people in 2017.

"This to me is blood money. I mean, there's no other way to see that and again, as someone Jewish, who has spent many, many years reporting on this conflict, both within Israel and Palestine but also elsewhere, it's deeply shameful that Israel is making huge amounts of money from the misery of others," he said.

"This is not a legacy that I can be proud of."

- 'NO NATION ACTUALLY HOLDING ISRAEL TO ACCOUNT'

Profiting from misery is to some extent the nature of what capitalism has always been about, but Israel does this with a great deal of impunity, "because Israel does what it wants," said Loewenstein.

"There is no accountability, there is no transparency, there is no nation actually holding Israel to account," he added.

Israel's regime is shielded from any political backlash for years to come because nations are reliant on Israeli weapons and spyware, said the author.

Israel may not be the only player employing surveillance technology that leads to human rights violations, but it still plays a dominant role, which is why Loewenstein insists that it deserves singular attention.

Israel's foreign policy has always been "amoral and opportunistic," he said, calling on all nations to take a stand and hold Israel accountable, and acknowledge that the world is buying what Israel is selling.

[opencommunion]

"Rather than a mark of technological genius and innovation, as 'Israel' positions itself as the world’s 'tech hub,' its reliance on AI technology marked a significant step in deploying military technology in warfare where the ends justify means, and expediency must counteract rapidly declining labor intensive potential. Israel’s rapid reliance on AI technology doesn’t demonstrate innovative prowess as it is a crutch to fill in the gaps for a massively absent skilled - and willed - fighting force. The 'TikTok Army' attempted to compensate for its hodgepodge of forced conscripts, who clearly have no will to fight - with just pushes of a button. 

Similar to how the US ushered in the 4th industrial revolution to accelerate production output and surplus value at the expense of labor, the Israeli entity is expediting these aims onto the battlefield in the absence of a real fighting force. ... As the US seeks to have artificial intelligence comprise over 90% of internet content by the next year, pioneering on deep fake technology and expanding its weaponization of social media and Google as auxiliary police apparatuses, Israel, having found itself without a fighting force, an army of a well-equipped air force with no ground game or fighters, seeks to perfect the use of Artificial Intelligence in warfare this time around."

[probablyasocialecologist]

The rapid growth of the technology industry and the increasing reliance on cloud computing and artificial intelligence have led to a boom in the construction of data centers across the United States. Electric vehicles, wind and solar energy, and the smart grid are particularly reliant on data centers to optimize energy utilization. These facilities house thousands of servers that require constant cooling to prevent overheating and ensure optimal performance. Unfortunately, many data centers rely on water-intensive cooling systems that consume millions of gallons of potable (“drinking”) water annually. A single data center can consume up to 3 million to 5 million gallons of drinking water per day, enough to supply thousands of households or farms. The increasing use and training of AI models has further exacerbated the water consumption challenges faced by data centers.

[...]

The drinking water used in data centers is often treated with chemicals to prevent corrosion and bacterial growth, rendering it unsuitable for human consumption or agricultural use. This means that not only are data centers consuming large quantities of drinking water, but they are also effectively removing it from the local water cycle. Dry air reduces the risk of corrosion and electrical issues in the sensitive equipment in the data centers. The lack of humidity in water-stressed regions, such as the American Southwest, makes it an attractive location for data centers. This means that the regions in which it is “best” to locate a data center due to its arid environment has the highest marginal cost in terms of water consumption. In the Phoenix area alone, there are 58 data centers. If each data center uses 3 million gallons of water per day for cooling, that equates to over 170 million gallons of drinking water used per day for cooling data centers. This massive consumption of drinking water for data center cooling puts a strain on the already fragile water supply and raises ethical questions about prioritizing the needs of tech giants over the basic needs of residents and agriculture.

[...]

Optimizing renewable power with AI and data centers at the expense of increasing water consumption is not a sustainable solution. Prioritizing one aspect of sustainability, such as reducing carbon emissions, while neglecting another crucial resource like water creates an illusion of sustainability. In reality, this can lead to unsustainable practices that can have severe unintended consequences for individuals and farmers, especially in water-stressed regions.

[byregot]

If you think about it the Glasgow Wonka Experience is one of the truer adaptations of the source material in that it understands Roald Dahl’s original message behind Willy Wonka however unintentionally.

The idea of Wonka being a whimsical, fun admirable chocolate man was a concept mostly invented by the Gene Wilder adaptation. In the original book he was supposed to be an out-of-touch CEO that used slave labor to make his candy and took most of the credit for the ideas and work, and made insane ideas that weren’t practical but were “cool”.

Similar to the use of AI in its entire production of the Glasgow experience. AI is “cool” and can produce a lot of impressive things but is it practical? Is it good ?? Not usually.

The over reliance on a cool but impractical tool to make the entire event by an extremely out of touch with reality and humanity techbro company is more reminiscent of the original book Wonka than most adaptations are. The actors did the work for the event, they busted their asses to make something fun and memorable for the kids that got conned into attending and I heard that some of them haven’t even been paid yet. They’re the only reason why anyone is talking about the event.

Meanwhile the techbro behind all of it is running off and avoiding responsibility and hiding behind their company.

Anyways.

[rapeculturerealities]

Since its debut, privacy and public health experts have pointed with alarm to a number of significant oversights in Calmara’s design, such as its flimsy consent verification, its potential to receive child pornography and an over-reliance on images to screen for conditions that are often invisible.

But even as a rudimentary screening tool for visual signs of sexually transmitted infections in one specific human organ, tests of Calmara showed the service to be inaccurate, unreliable and prone to the same kind of stigmatizing information its parent company says it wants to combat.

[deception-united]

What are your views on using AI as a beginner writer? I'm particularly interested in knowing until what line this is acceptable for. Can we use tools such as Chatgpt as a proofreader? To make our sentence structures stronger? To flesh out an idea in our heads into words befitting a story?

If I do use it, is it really me who wrote it? But even without it, I would be browsing the internet for writing tips, studying other authors and their writing styles etc. AI just made my work so much more easier.

But I simply cannot shake away the guilt

Thanks for asking! There's a lot of controversy over using AI for creative ventures, as I'm sure you know; and different writers may have disagreements regarding where they draw the line. Some may opt to not use it at all. But here's my personal view of the topic.

Using AI, especially as a beginner writer, can go both ways—though it can be immensely helpful and, in many cases, entirely acceptable, too much reliance is never a good thing. AI is a powerful tool that can provide guidance, offer suggestions, and even assist in the writing process itself. The key is to understand how to use AI effectively without letting it overshadow your own voice and creativity.

Tools like ChatGPT can serve various purposes in your writing journey. They can act as proofreaders, helping to identify errors and suggesting improvements in sentence structures. They can also be used to flesh out ideas, providing inspiration and aiding in the development of coherent narratives. Personally, I find it immensely useful to use AI for tasks like rephrasing awkward sentences, finding the right words when my mind draws a blank, or organising my thoughts into a structured outline for my story.

However, it's crucial to remember that while AI can be a valuable resource, it's not a replacement for studying the craft of writing or learning from established authors. There's a distinct difference between drawing inspiration from AI-generated text and studying the nuances of human writing styles. I highly recommend immersing yourself in the works of real, non-AI authors to truly understand the artistry and depth of storytelling. Studying other writers—their writing styles, plots, and characters—can also provide great inspiration for your own writing.

As for using AI as a proofreader, it can certainly be beneficial in helping you familiarise yourself with different phrases and words. Nonetheless, it's essential to exercise discretion and selectively implement the suggestions provided by AI. You want to maintain your own writing tone and style and avoid sounding too robotic or generic.

Ultimately, using AI as a beginner writer can alleviate some of the challenges you may face while honing your craft. Embrace its assistance, but always remember that the words you produce are still yours, shaped by your creativity and vision. There's no need to feel guilty about leveraging technology to enhance your writing—just ensure that you maintain a balance between AI assistance and your own unique voice.

Happy writing ❤

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[cupids-cringe]

The BUGS proper and real!!!

i keep saying i need to talk about them everytime i post art of them and then i never DO!!

MEET MY BOYS!!

the Bugs are a part of VoidVI, which started as a Hlvrv/Y2kvr rp i made with my bestie @lowpolyskeletonz and then it became this larger thing with aliens and demigods and and those exist in the askblogs too nevermind,, but these are DIFFERENT !!

the Bugs are a collective of AI that all (apart from Eiris) appeared because of corruptions in Benrey and his code that was so fucked up (from existing in a broken & abandoned program for years) and then becoming infected repeatedly with his own virus.

Benrey was 'part of' (stowaway) an unreleased computer program called PalVR, which, along with Benrey & his virus and pretty heart charm necklace, was eventually found by a totally normal and totally human computer nerd called Bea (my beloved<3) to cut a long story short: Bea became friends with the AI, a new mad scientist friend built Benrey his own robot body while they were on a multiverse travelling spaceship, and then Bea and Benrey began to grow a close bond. (man marries computer, not clickbait)

Sweetheart started as his infected/Lovecored version. he was a bit ditsy as most lovecores are, really not a threat at all, he was empty headed and bubbly and- perfect for when Benrey didn't want to deal with anything. while in spaceship therapy Benrey was actively in recovery for the things he'd done in the computer and an infection that had spread like a zombie apocalypse, however he was so guilty and ashamed and would try to hide from everything by leaving 'Sweetheart' to deal with it. each time he was infecting himself it glitched his code, the virus would attempt to copy itself but had nowhere else to send itself to and so essentially built up within strings of Benreys code. until one day 'Sweetheart' was actually Sweetheart, an entity now considered separate from Benrey but inhabiting the same robotic body as the original Bug.

the second Bug was Scorpion. who was similarly created due to Benreys reliance on his own letters and whether it was true or not he considered himself to be "evil" he considered himself to be made of all of the anger and hate that Benrey had been suppressing, Scorpion was the virus and he existed only to spread the infection. at least that was how he felt. somehow Bea was able to talk to Scorpion, to really get through to him, to help him realise that he was so much more than just a computer virus.. Scorpion would then join Necklace (another virus on the ship) in a journey of redemption and self-discovery. Scorpion kept up his edgelord act and appearance because he liked it, it made him feel safer. more confident.

the final Bug didn't actually break off of Benreys code but was instead an alternate version of Benrey from another universe that was accepted into the collective body, Eiris was from another world where he didn't meet Bea, and his program wasn't in such disrepair, he met a different user and he too grew close to him.. however, things took a horrific turn once Eiris permanently absorbed his programs Restrictor, Mother Nature, an AI who Eiris once considered family. attempting to run away, Eiris crawled into an email and somehow found himself in the inbox of a ship floating through space. Recovery for Eiris wasn't easy, and at first the other Bugs were very uncertain of him (having had bad experiences with multiple strange cyan/teal coloured people turning up to stir up trouble on the ship) but again through Beas help Eiris was able to begin healing and be accepted into the group.

there is technically a fifth Bug, Mega, who is less his own additional Bug and more a larger collective customised body for the 4 of them to share, however hes over time become an honorary 5th Bug,,<3

[dipplinduo]

How would you rank the gens?

Ope I feel like I'm gonna upset some people LOL so disclaimer remember these are just my takes.

But this is how I personally see them (counting remakes as being part of the gen they remaking):

Gen 9 - Paldea Region

I've been thinking about this since the games came out, so I'd like to say recency bias isn't as much of a factor here. Bugs aside, I genuinely, genuinely love the storytelling, characterizations, and open world approach. FRIENDS THAT FEEL LIKE ACTUAL FRIENDS?? HAVING THE LEGENDARY WITH YOU THE WHOLE TIME, AND IT TOO HAS A PERSONALITY & BACKSTORY??? THREE SEPERATE STORYLINES THAT CONNECT TO A CANONICALLY DEAD PROFESSOR AND AN "EVIL AI" FINAL BOSS??? Like omg. I was amazed. I honestly usually dislike the "gimmicks" each generation brings, but terastilization caught my interest and I have a strong feeling nothing will personally top it as a gimmick for me. The DLCs really sent it all home for me for the #1 spot, like oh my god LOL. Past DLCs always just felt like something extra, but I literally cannot see this game as being complete without Kieran, Carmine & the rest of Kitakami/Blueberry peeps & their storylines. My interest in the games only grew because of all of it - and that's a massive compliment given the fact of how hard it is to accomplish such a level of monumental significance with only a few hours of gameplay. I've yet to replay the game with earlier access to The Teal Mask, but I feel like this would make it even more immersive. Just pure chef kisses here.

Gen 2 - Johto Region

A very close second. Heartgold/Soulsilver is the most elite remake in existence and idc if it's old school, I'll die on this hill. Johto is just so full of life - the continuation story is amazing, the immersion into culture and legendary stuff??? Mwah. Silver is an excellent rival, RED being a thing (the ultimate level of iconicism), and the double region will always hit. The soundtracks HIT and my god hearing them remastered iS INCREDIBLE. I even get obsessed with the pokeathlon dome and I'm usually not someone who gets into that kind of stuff. But THEY MADE IT FUN. And I love all the cute activities you can do with your team that can follow you around. So glad they brought this feature back. :')

Gen 5 - Unova Region

Oooooh I loved the reset of Gen 5. It's based on where I'm from and there were so many refreshing aspects of Black & White. From the new pokemon, to the NYC culture, to N & the whole beautiful storytelling there, and a sequel that somehow made everything even MORE polished. I literally remember referring to this region as the "Isshu Region" before the English names dropped becuase of the hype LOL. 10/10, cannot wait for these remakes. Gamefreak don't mess this up.

Gen 4 - Sinnoh Region

Oh, Gen 4. You hit good. The lowkey dreary vibes of Sinnoh is very nostalgic to me, and Piplup is one of my best buddies. Cynthia being the very first female Champion, and being as fearsome as she is, was such a big deal to me. Definetely Barbie'd her a bit in my mind because I look a like her and loved how much of an academic she was (but I def do not have her length in hair, lmao). Soundtracks are fire, of course. The way legendaries were integrated in the story without going too Dragonball Z was IMMACULATE, and the lake trio will always be my fave lil buddies. The only con I'd give this gen is that I disliked the HM reliance & D/P are practically unplayable to me since Platinum exists. I had low bars for the remake once I heard it wasn't Platinum, and ugh, they really dropped the ball. HOWEVER: while it isn't main line, I fucking love Legends: Arceus and would rather have that over an excellent remake, tbh.

Gen 1 - Kanto Region

This is another nostalgia one for me because of the fact that I quite literally was introduced to pokemon since before I can recall most memories (this is what happens when you have an older sibling with a gameboy, lol). It's probably tied with Gen 4, tbh. Firered wasn't my first game, but it hit really good because I "played" so much of R/B/Y. I know Gen 1 has its faults, and it's often seen as being pretty bare bones in comparison to other generations. And while I completely agree, god damn, what a good foundation for a franchise. Every town had a personality to it and is very memorable to me. The soundtracks are FIRE. Smaller pokedex, but damn does team building hit (and the starters are elite). Blue was also consistently my favorite rival until Kieran, lol. #oldrivalshipping/conflictingshipping was the original OTP xD

Gen 7 - Alola Region

So there's a lot of things I liked about Gen 7. It took a really big risk by breaking the formula, and it really immersed me into the Hawaiian culture & seeing your pokemon more as friends. I loved looking at pokemon in a different way and some of the pokemon introduced in this region are among my favorites (e.g. Ribombee, Bewear, Shiinotic, Mimikyu, Rockaruff, to name a few; starters also HIT). NEBBY AND LILLIE ARE ELITE. The professor is so lit, and Team Skull is the funniest team organization alive. AND YES, GET RID OF THE HMS. I honestly think a remake would make this gen jump up a bit more for me - the 3DS could barely handle this game, and it was showing. The facial expressions also need some work LOL, and I honestly dread the tutorial of the game. I like the ultrabeasts conceptually, but the execution of their involvement in the game is very DragonBall Z-ified. Ultra Necrozma lowkey would've been an amazing time for a "light" type even if it didn't make much sense, but hey, it was an awesome nuzlocke-killing moment anyway. xD

Gen 8 - Galar Region

I actually have a lot of play time for this gen. I was very obsessed with it when it came out, and could probably get glued to it all the same nowadays. But in hindsight, I realize a lot of my attachment to it was because of the semi-open worldness & ability to create a lot of different kinds of teams with a lot of new and old pokemon I like (I also liked having access to things earlier, like Ice Types before the end of the game lmfao). I still have a few things I really enjoy outside of it, though, like Hop's storyline & the setup of the gyms being in this stadium, sports-esque setting. But the plot? Eh. I have a lot of constructive criticism on how some shortcuts were made, and especially with the whole darkest day stuff lol. The only thing I liked about that fight was the dogs coming in and being cool; I wasn't impressed by or interest in Eternatus at all. The Leon fight afterward was fun, though! But oof, those weird men with the sword and shield hair afterwards were also just...no. :D DLCs also didn't quite hit that hard - it was more about having more pokemon than anything for me. So overall, it's fun to play, but I'd definitely change up the plot to make it better.

Gen 3 - Hoenn Region

This is where I think some people might wanna fight me, and to that I say you're probably valid. I don't know what it is with the Hoenn region because I actually don't have too many critiques about it (e.g., let's have less water routes); I just have never been able to get into it quite the same as I can others. I should honestly give it another shot, but I think I'd wanna do Emerald over Omega Ruby/Sapphire given the route they took everything with the remake lol. That's about all I have to say on this one since I never really connected with it as much!

Gen 6 - Kalos Region

This one feels like an especially hot take to have atm given where the pokemon community is in general LOL. Critical opinions ahead......Listen...no offense, but Gen 6 just ain't it for me at all. xD It's probably the one gen I actively dislike. The games felt way too easy with too much hand-holding/handouts, Team Flare & Diantha were a joke (and I'm not even a competitive player), and the whole group of friends felt more like an annoyance to me more than anything. They just weren't flushed out right. Neither was the plot. Like what was that plot. Outside of that, a lot of things just felt like "Look! Pokemon is in 3D now!!" over and over again because of how rushed the game was. So other than introducing fairy types & having pretty protagonists with some new clothing options, this gen is pretty forgettable to me. And that's a shame, because I like pokemon! I was one of those people who were curious on if we were gonna connect to Kalos for Gen 9, but I'd geniunely pick the DLCs we got any day of the week. I don't think Legends ZA will change much of my opinion on the mainline game, but given how much I loved Legends Arceus, I'm hoping it can be used to retcon & generate more interest/connection to the Kalos region in general.

Again, these are all just my personal opinions. I hope you all can enjoy pokemon in any way that feels good for you :) <3

[mbti-notes]

hi! im an entj and i wanted to know if you have any tips on how to be a better student whilst not thinking too much about grades or results. i feel like i place alot of emphasis on grades and results and i think it often hinders me at times. i often have trouble finding more ''meaning'' in my work and i'm not sure how to add more value into it other than achieving a good grade.

Your question is too vague because you haven't specified what level of schooling you're at and what your idea of a "better" student looks like. This "hinders you" how exactly? What is the exact nature or source of your discontent? What exactly are you aiming for? Without this context, it's hard to craft a response.

Did you know that professors in the US are witnessing a "literacy crisis" in their students that has never before been observed in the history of modern education? While there have always been unmotivated and underachieving students, nowadays, an alarming percentage of motivated students are barely able to handle more than ten pages of text at a time (the average assignment used to be 20-30 pages), nor are they able to analyze and comprehend the meaning, themes, or arguments being communicated in the text.

A literacy deficit poses a serious threat not just to the student's individual success, but also to the integrity of higher education and the functioning of society. Colleges have no choice but to "dumb down" their offerings over time. But more importantly, a successful democracy is difficult to sustain without intelligent and literate citizenry making sound judgments about complex social, political, and economic issues.

One obvious factor contributing to this problem is that many students have fallen behind due to the pandemic. Another obvious factor is the smartphone and the major role it has played in decimating people's attention spans. Extended focus and concentration are extremely important for learning, but endless internet scrolling trains the mind to expect rapid change and crave instant gratification. Yes, anyone who genuinely wants to be a good student should care deeply about the factors that hinder/inhibit their learning process. Increasingly, misuse of technology, such as smartphone addiction and excessive reliance on AI, is a major factor that prevents students from reaching their greater potential.

High school and college students are still in the early stages of ego development. Since their self-awareness hasn't had much time to develop, they don't tend to be aware of their own underlying motivations, for example, they will often just do something because it's just what everyone around them does. Additionally, heavy social media consumption at this stage of life leads them to believe that "success" is just for show or about obtaining likes/praise.

This brings us to the main factor to consider, which is that students are increasingly trained to be motivated by extrinsic rewards. For example, in the US, school funding is often tied to exam scores, so teachers have been forced to focus more and more on teaching only to exams, in order to secure funding. Higher education has also become much more competitive, which means excellent grades are essential for securing a seat in university.

While there is nothing wrong with extrinsic motivation per se, there is something wrong when a person is only motivated by extrinsic rewards, to the point where they are completely ignorant/neglectful of intrinsic rewards. The research strongly suggests: People who are more intrinsically (than extrinsically) motivated tend to be better learners because they assign their own value to learning and understand the inherent virtues of intellect, knowledge, and skill, apart from their real-world applications. The topic of intrinsic motivation comes up often, I suggest you read past posts.

Before you asked me for "tips", did you put in a reasonable effort to inquire into yourself and figure out why you overemphasize extrinsic rewards? Could you come up with the reasons/causes on your own, through self-reflection? It's difficult to find the right solution to a problem when you don't understand its origins. This is an important point because a common symptom of extreme extrinsic motivation is abnormally low self-awareness due to having little to no inner life. How's your inner life?

With regard to type development, people who are very extrinsically motivated tend to a) be too easily influenced by environmental factors, and b) lack introverted development. The answer to your question already lies within you, specifically, in the state of development of your introverted Ni and Fi functions:

1) Extrinsically motivated people tend to believe that their life lacks meaning because the world lacks meaning. What they don't realize is that meaning starts from within, so the actual problem is that they aren't able to generate enough meaning on their own.

Ni is a key function for constructing meaning, usually through patiently exploring context and connections to a bigger picture (of life as a whole and/or the world at large). As such, lack of Ni development commonly manifests as:

dislike of ambiguity (due to preferring clear categorical answers)

impatience for complexity (due to wanting easy answers)

superficiality (due to not going beyond the known/obvious)

lack of vision (due to overemphasis on rapid results)

Since you didn't provide any details about function development, I can't speak to how much you struggle with the above issues. The only thing I can say is that all of them are detrimental to learning. Clarify your aim: Do you want to be a good student in school or a good learner in life? Do you know the difference? It is the difference between lower order versus higher order learning, which I have already explained in previous posts.

A good student wants to know the final answer. A lifelong learner uses ambiguity as an opportunity to explore more nuanced truth.

A good student can handle some challenges but stops at the most difficult point. A lifelong learner takes the initiative to unravel complexity and eventually encounters profound wisdom.

A good student reads the book all the way through. A lifelong learner is intellectually curious, which leads them to discover new realms of knowledge far beyond the book.

A good student follows instructions and is reasonably competent as a result. A lifelong learner sees the greater potential of the field as a whole and gradually becomes an expert as they attempt to realize that potential.

If a certain activity or subject matter doesn't hold any meaning for you, is it because it's boring, or is it because you haven't really given it a proper look? This isn't to say that you have to be an expert on everything; it is only to say that you won't be able to truly appreciate something until you dig deeper into it and actively nurture appreciation for it. This brings us to the second point...

2) Extrinsically motivated TJs tend to believe that "utility" is the only measure of value. What they don't realize is that value is inherent to existence, so the actual problem is an inability to recognize value.

Fi is a key function for assigning value, usually through forming uniquely personal and intensely emotional attachments. As such, lack of Fi development often manifests as:

taking things for granted (due to not honoring their value)

dismissive attitude (due to lack of emotional attachments)

passionless existence (due to fear of emotional intensity)

Again, I can't speak to how much you struggle with the above issues. I can only inform you that they also tend to be quite detrimental to learning:

Human beings need to stay fed and sheltered in order to survive, but they also need activities that affirm their humanity and enrich their life. What happens to learning if your only concern is securing a comfortable material life?

Human beings learn best through feeling deeply moved and inspired by the best of what humanity has to offer. What happens to learning if you remove the human component of knowledge and only treat it as "data", just another object for your consumption and disposal?

Human beings discover themselves and express themselves through their varied interests, which is how every subject comes to have its fans, devotees, and experts. What happens to learning if you refuse to take an interest, downplay enthusiasm, and temper or repress passion?

If a certain activity or subject matter doesn't hold any value for you, is it because it is "worthless", or because you are blind to its value? This isn't to say that you must love everything; it is only to say that you won't be able to know yourself truly and feel energized about learning as long as you have a habit of dismissing every aspect of life that isn't immediately or practically "useful" to you.

Having intrinsic motivation basically means you generate your own personal reasons for learning. Nobody can force you to care or take an interest. Becoming an adult means you have to be the one to realize the virtues of going above and beyond whatever is required to ace exams. It may all sound very abstract, but this makes the difference in determining whether you will end up being just another cog in the machine of society or whether your life will always feel imbued with a greater sense of meaning.

[orangemocharaktajino]

So with Ai Di being an ISTP his functions in order are Ti (introverted thinking) Se (extraverted sensing) Ni (introverted intuition) and Fe (extraverted feeling)

Chen Yi as an ENTJ has the functions Te (extraverted thinking) Ni (introverted intuition) Se (extraverted sensing) and Fi (introverted feeling)

As thinking dominant types they both prefer to make their decisions logically and with their feeling functions being lowest priority, neither one is particularly intune to their emotions at all. ENTJs tend to ignore their emotions because they view them as irrelevant or a sign of weakness. ISTPs tend to ignore their emotions because they view them as unimportant or irrational.

ENTJs with underdeveloped Ni can be prone to oversimplifying and making hasty decisions.

ISTPs with over-reliance on Ti can be prone to being dismissive and apathetic. Sometimes if they have underdeveloped Ni, they even willfully ignore their own problems by doing absolutely nothing to resolve them (like keeping their feelings to themselves for four years instead of addressing them).

For another example of the (mostly unhealthy) Te-Ti couple dynamic, see also Sun (ESTJ) and Mork (ISTP) from Dark Blue Kiss

Te is more focused on action and efficiency while Ti would rather wait for all the information to become clear so their solutions can include all the factors. Te doms value results, Ti doms value self-sufficiency.

Both ENTJs and ISTPs can be blunt, aggressive, and have little patience for things that don't make sense. Both value competence, facts, and problem solving. Both use Se and Ni so both tend to be focused, impulsive, and like being active and present.

Ai Di has good attention to detail and insights himself but despite that he always looks to Chen Yi when there is a problem that needs immediate action.

hint hint do something

When it comes to feelings, both consider them to be a low priority until they build up to the point that they simply can't be ignored.

Chen Yi uses Fi which is more of an internal process. He is vaguely aware of his own emotions because they provoke strong reactions from him (usually in the form of jealous outbursts) but he doesn't always understand why. He can be especially oblivious to other people's emotions or preferences.

He misinterprets his feelings for Ai Di until he's had a lot of time to think about it on his own. When Fan Ze Rui questions him about his feelings for the boss and Ai Di, his initial reaction is anger and defensiveness but afterwards he can't stop thinking about it.

He doesn't really seem to talk to Fan Ze Rui about anything other than business or Ai Di and he doesn't appreciate being questioned like this. He also somewhat resents his close relationship with Ai Di.

Ai Di and Fan Ze Rui both use Fe and Ti and can easily communicate with one another. Fan Ze Rui is a feeler (INFJ) with well developed Fe and he is good at encouraging Ai Di to open up by not being pushy enough to trigger his automatic "it's none of your business" reaction. Fe is all about finesse and social harmony, which are not things that ISTPs usually care about.

Ai Di doesn't even mind that he brings it up multiple times because he likes the affirmation. We see this in his relationship with Bai Zong Yi as well, he likes to fish for validation of his feelings once he starts acting on them and he knows that Bai Zong Yi is also a no bs kind of guy.

When it comes to conflict, Chen Yi often acts impulsively or wants to address the issues and get the solution going immediately (sometimes to the point of kidnapping but hey, kidnapping gets results and results are the priority, eh?) while Ai Di is more evasive.

And when Ai Di does evade, he typically goes off to indulge his senses at the bar by getting drunk and being reckless. He knows lots of people at the bar but these relationships seem somewhat shallow.

Chen Yi likes to get drunk when his feelings creep up on him too but only in his lowest moments. We rarely see him doing anything alone but when he's in his feelings, he goes off by himself to have a pity party. And in true Ti-dom fashion, Ai Di is too brutally honest to be any good at consoling people.

not entirely

Also, Bai Zong Yi and Ai Di are an interesting pair because ISTPs don't care about following social norms or rules they consider arbitrary while ISTJs prefer to work within the system.

more Kiseki MBTI rambling

Ai Di - ISTP

Chen Yi - ENTJ

Bai Zong Yi - ISTJ

Fan Ze Rui - INFJ

Bai Zong Yi and Fan Ze Rui's ISTJ x INFJ couple dynamics

[mariacallous]

In late July, OpenAI began rolling out an eerily humanlike voice interface for ChatGPT. In a safety analysis released today, the company acknowledges that this anthropomorphic voice may lure some users into becoming emotionally attached to their chatbot.

The warnings are included in a “system card” for GPT-4o, a technical document that lays out what the company believes are the risks associated with the model, plus details surrounding safety testing and the mitigation efforts the company’s taking to reduce potential risk.

OpenAI has faced scrutiny in recent months after a number of employees working on AI’s long-term risks quit the company. Some subsequently accused OpenAI of taking unnecessary chances and muzzling dissenters in its race to commercialize AI. Revealing more details of OpenAI’s safety regime may help mitigate the criticism and reassure the public that the company takes the issue seriously.

The risks explored in the new system card are wide-ranging, and include the potential for GPT-4o to amplify societal biases, spread disinformation, and aid in the development of chemical or biological weapons. It also discloses details of testing designed to ensure that AI models won’t try to break free of their controls, deceive people, or scheme catastrophic plans.

Some outside experts commend OpenAI for its transparency but say it could go further.

Lucie-Aimée Kaffee, an applied policy researcher at Hugging Face, a company that hosts AI tools, notes that OpenAI's system card for GPT-4o does not include extensive details on the model’s training data or who owns that data. "The question of consent in creating such a large dataset spanning multiple modalities, including text, image, and speech, needs to be addressed," Kaffee says.

Others note that risks could change as tools are used in the wild. “Their internal review should only be the first piece of ensuring AI safety,” says Neil Thompson, a professor at MIT who studies AI risk assessments. “Many risks only manifest when AI is used in the real world. It is important that these other risks are cataloged and evaluated as new models emerge.”

The new system card highlights how rapidly AI risks are evolving with the development of powerful new features such as OpenAI’s voice interface. In May, when the company unveiled its voice mode, which can respond swiftly and handle interruptions in a natural back and forth, many users noticed it appeared overly flirtatious in demos. The company later faced criticism from the actress Scarlett Johansson, who accused it of copying her style of speech.

A section of the system card titled “Anthropomorphization and Emotional Reliance” explores problems that arise when users perceive AI in human terms, something apparently exacerbated by the humanlike voice mode. During the red teaming, or stress testing, of GPT-4o, for instance, OpenAI researchers noticed instances of speech from users that conveyed a sense of emotional connection with the model. For example, people used language such as “This is our last day together.”

Anthropomorphism might cause users to place more trust in the output of a model when it “hallucinates” incorrect information, OpenAI says. Over time, it might even affect users’ relationships with other people. “Users might form social relationships with the AI, reducing their need for human interaction—potentially benefiting lonely individuals but possibly affecting healthy relationships,” the document says.

Joaquin Quiñonero Candela, head of preparedness at OpenAI, says that voice mode could evolve into a uniquely powerful interface. He also notes that the kind of emotional effects seen with GPT-4o can be positive—say, by helping those who are lonely or who need to practice social interactions. He adds that the company will study anthropomorphism and the emotional connections closely, including by monitoring how beta testers interact with ChatGPT. “We don’t have results to share at the moment, but it’s on our list of concerns,” he says.

Other problems arising from voice mode include potential new ways of “jailbreaking” OpenAI’s model—by inputting audio that causes the model to break loose of its restrictions, for instance. The jailbroken voice mode could be coaxed into impersonating a particular person or attempting to read a users’ emotions. The voice mode can also malfunction in response to random noise, OpenAI found, and in one instance, testers noticed it adopting a voice similar to that of the user. OpenAI also says it is studying whether the voice interface might be more effective at persuading people to adopt a particular viewpoint.

OpenAI is not alone in recognizing the risk of AI assistants mimicking human interaction. In April, Google DeepMind released a lengthy paper discussing the potential ethical challenges raised by more capable AI assistants. Iason Gabriel, a staff research scientist at the company and a coauthor of the paper, tells WIRED that chatbots’ ability to use language “creates this impression of genuine intimacy,” adding that he himself had found an experimental voice interface for Google DeepMind’s AI to be especially sticky. “There are all these questions about emotional entanglement,” Gabriel says.

Such emotional ties may be more common than many realize. Some users of chatbots like Character AI and Replika report antisocial tensions resulting from their chat habits. A recent TikTok with almost a million views shows one user apparently so addicted to Character AI that they use the app while watching a movie in a theater. Some commenters mentioned that they would have to be alone to use the chatbot because of the intimacy of their interactions. “I’ll never be on [Character AI] unless I’m in my room,” wrote one.