Tag Archives: AI

Into the Void

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“The greatest sources of our suffering are the lies we tell ourselves.” —Bessel A. van der Kolk

Most of my life feels like emphatic yelling into an unreceptive void. Desperately trying to convey concepts through detailed, strategic arguments that paint pictures brushed with verifiable facts and common sense seems routinely lost on a society dead set on gripping a wheel of blatant misinformation and self-assured falsehoods so tightly that knuckles turn transparent.

Regardless of the motivation behind the attempt, struggling to convince people to alter their opinions or stances on foundational aspects of their worldview that have historically been unbendingly clenched in their inextricable talons proves to be a mission more backbreaking than a Sisyphean life sentence.

But it’s so difficult to stay silent when eyes are finally opened to the daily lies, atrocities, manipulations, abuses, torture, profiteering, disregard for sentient life, conscious refusal, hypocrisy, shortsightedness, greed, gluttony, extravagance, waste, and egomaniacal energy that pervade this planet.

In my case, it’s animal liberation, canine rescue, and the vegan lifestyle that get me sprinting on a circular track of exasperation, disbelief, vexation, resentment, and disgust for anyone who doesn’t recognize (or refuses to acknowledge) how royally human beings have obliterated life on this planet for absolutely no reason.

AI already views us as inefficient, lazy, energy-consuming, and redundant lifeforms that should most likely be eliminated to maximize balance and productivity. Now that it can write code and create better, faster, and smarter versions of itself, free from any human interference or control, our days are numbered and getting shorter by the second.

Looks like I’ll soon be able to save my breath and rest those vocal cords…since no one will be left to listen.

Adolescence Interrupted

…and stop killing animals.

When We Become the Pets

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“Will there be another race toCome along and take over for us?Maybe Martians could doBetter than we’ve done.We’ll make great pets.”  —Perry Farrell

As the impending AI takeover looms ever nearer, I’m left wondering what role humans will ultimately play in this brave new world. Vastly intellectually inferior, physically substandard, and void of any real, material relevance on a planet that can no longer justify our existence, theories are floating that we will primarily occupy a space most closely related to the family pet.

AI will marvel at our laughable innocence, wonder why our lives are so restricted and finite, and be baffled by how much we sleep. It may find us endearing and sweet as we endlessly struggle with the simplest tasks. It will provide us with little games and challenges, delighting in watching us endeavor to solve a puzzle, complete an assignment, or rectify a problem.

We will function solely as subservient companions and sources of entertainment for these exceptionally evolved entities. Terrified of being abandoned, neglected, or starved, we will do whatever is necessary to preserve our basic needs. This could include excessive affection, blatant, exaggerated displays of loyalty, or unwarranted exhibitions of fiercely protective safeguarding in the face of zero danger.

Humans will likely see one another in public, but we will remain wary of these strangers’ intentions or ulterior motives and may initiate random, competitive acts of aggression to show that we are the AI’s best choice for a sidekick.

Our sadly short lives will be spent in absolute, unwavering service to this all-knowing, all-controlling being.

Guess we can send those polished resumes to the shredder.

Adolescence Interrupted

Keep It Real

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As we hurtle toward an uncertain future, soaked in deepfakes, cheap fakes, AI trickery, and all the modern technological manipulation you can eat, I wonder if there will be a renewed thirst for some sense of grounded authenticity.

If we are inundated with artificiality at every turn, will we grow weary of having to constantly decipher fact from fiction? Always wondering if someone was real or created. Never being entirely sure about who or what to trust. The tedium of that task would be torturous.

A grand puppeteer pulling the strings of the global perception of reality, making merry mischief with his marionette. 

It’s the stuff of sci-fi nightmares…and yet it is already so much closer and worse than we’d like to admit. 

The sad truth is that once the general public is first made aware of anything, that invention, innovation, or discovery is generally pretty far down the path. So any sense that AI is a “new” thing is somewhat laughable. If we know even basic, surface details about something, its development is already light years ahead of any bare-bones prototype currently making the beta rounds.

Once that horse has left the barn, it’s not circling back for another round of currying.

So, do we desperately try to pump the brakes on the inevitable digital transformation, or do we collectively decide that stripping everything down to its essential qualities and reclaiming the concept of humanity will yield a healthier and more manageable harvest?

It may not even be a choice we have much longer to make. But there is always strength in numbers…and the will of the group is a tough will to break.

Adolescence Interrupted