“May you live in interesting times”
And God! Don’t we live in interesting times!!!
Just in the short span of my existence, we have lived thru a number of technological revolutions.
[Revolution:
– a sudden, radical, or complete change
– activity or movement designed to effect fundamental changes in the socioeconomic situation
– a fundamental change in the way of thinking about something
– a change of paradigm
– a changeover in use or preference especially in technology
]
Not to mention the Sexual Revolution ; )
First there was the Computer / Digital Revolution.
Everything analog became digital, zeros&ones.
It brought us programming, numerous coding languages, Desktop Publishing, Photoshop and Excel spreadsheets, digital photo-processing and so on.
Real Empowerment for normal folks.
Allowing us to do lots of things that before have only been the domain of specialists.
And of course, it brought me my beloved state-of-the-art MacBook Pro, my best & most trusted companion : D
Then we had the Internet Revolution.
It brought the world of knowledge and communication to out fingertips.
Email and Wikipedia, Skype, WhatsApp, internet telephone.
Also loads of internet porn, a lot of e-shopping, Amazon.com and the rest.
Spam, spam, spam.
Hacking, tracking, spying, online gambling, the list goes on.
Loads of user data, user tracking, online advertisement and such.
But for me, I love The Internet so much!!!
I think its the best thing we got since the invention of crunchy bread : )
(And of course, I use secure Tor browsers, spam filters and all such tricks.)
Then the iPhone / Smartphone Revolution! And their Android sibling.
Well, look around.
Everybody and the grandmother has one.
It made us always online, always available.
Convenient! Annoying?
It also brought us endless Selfies and mountains of snapshots that nobody is looking at later on.
And so on.
I hated smartphones at first, refused to have one for longest time.
But now …..
And the Social Media Revolution.
Well, it brought us the blessings of: Mark Zuckerberg (aka Mr. Facebook), Friendster, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, Grindr …. and loads of other apps.
Not to mention X.
I honestly don’t want to voice my opinion about that : {
Crypto Currency / Blockchain Revolution
Oh so much hype, oh so much hope of riches beyond imagination!
Money out of thin air and nobody grocks how this is even possible.
Some got pretty rich for sure.
And … Oh so much loss and fraud, hacks and crashes too.
And now!!!
The AI Revolution.
“An Invention That Will be the End of All Other Human Inventions”
“Our Final Invention”, written by James Barrat in 2013! – already then a clear sighted perspective on things to come.
Now 10 years later it’s the new gold-rush!
AI Startups are coming out of the woodwork like mushrooms in autumn.
Venture Capital investing billions into the new industry.
And Big Tech Companies as well as Nation States are in a frenzy to get into first position.
The Internet Techno-sphere is ablaze with hype and excitement.
The AI-thing is still in its Kindergarten state now, the applications more or less something for geeks playing with new toys.
But in reality its no joke.
Because the AI Revolution is on the way.
And like a tsunami it will roll over everything that does not swim.
SO – I tell myself – I better learn to swim, become an expert swimmer in those murky waters ; )
A good beginning for me is always to get an understanding of the terms and concepts that “the insiders” are using.
At least a glimpse ; )
Everybody and the grandmother by now has heard of ChatGPT, the Chatbot on the internet “who” can tell you “everything about everything” and produce poems in the style of Shakespeare and can write computer code and love letters too. Not to forget job applications.
…. You just have to ask for it, via text or microphone input.
Chat GPT – which stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer – is one of the applications using Generative AI models.
Generative AI refers to models that generate new content, such as text, images, or audio, based on patterns learned from existing data.
1. **Text Generation**: Generative models like GPT-3 and GPT-4 are capable of generating human-like text. They can be used for tasks like content creation, chatbots, language translation, and more.
2. **Image Generation**: Models like DALL·E and CLIP can generate images from textual descriptions or even from random prompts. They can be used for tasks like art creation, concept visualization, and more.
3. **Style Transfer**: Generative models can be used to apply the style of one image to another, creating visually appealing effects. This is commonly used in art and design.
4. **Super-Resolution**: Models like DeepMind’s WaveNet can generate high-resolution images from lower-resolution inputs. This is used in tasks like upscaling images or improving video quality.
5. **Face Synthesis**: Applications like Deepfake technology use generative models to create realistic-looking images and videos of people that never actually existed. This has both creative and potentially concerning implications.
6. **Music Composition**: Generative models like OpenAI’s MuseNet can compose music in various styles and genres. This can be used for commercial music production and creativity.
7. **Video Synthesis**: Generative models can generate realistic video sequences based on a given input. This has applications in video editing, special effects, and even deepfake videos.
8. **Anomaly Detection**: Generative models can be used to model normal data distributions, allowing them to identify anomalies or outliers. This is useful in fields like fraud detection or quality control.
9. **Language Translation**: Generative models like transformers can be used for tasks like translation, where they generate output text based on input in a different language.
10. **Content Recommendation**: By generating personalized recommendations for users based on their behavior and preferences, generative models can enhance content discovery on platforms like streaming services and e-commerce sites.
11. **Code Assistance**: Like the Github Copilot who can help developers write code more efficiently by providing suggestions and autocompletions based on context.
It understands the structure of programming languages and can generate code snippets for a wide range of tasks.
It supports languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, and many more.
Lately i have been using this thing quite a lot and it turned out quite helpful when i am stuck with some code.
And then, sometimes it just makes up something that does not work at all.
Just like me!
Sometimes i use ChatGPT & Co to get a quick overview about an issue or a short summery of a long text.
To prevent misinformation or “hallucination” as much as possible:
– type the question into several LLM Apps (Large Language Model Apps)
– compare the answers, see what makes best sense.
– ask for source reverence (if they can provide that.
The answers seem to be pretty impressive sounding,
And quick!
But should be taken with a grain of salt, because those Generative AI Bots are known to “hallucinate” more often than not.
Or phantasize maybe.
This means they are sometimes simply making things up and telling it with a straight face!!!
Just like us – human “experts” – what we sometimes do 😆
Generative AI ChatBots is just one field of Artificial Intelligence, although the one that gets the most hype and news at the moment.
Other AI fields are already deeply integrated in out life in applications from Google Search to Self-driving Taxis to medical diagnostics to Marketing to …..
…. soon anything i guess 🙄
1. **Artificial Intelligence (AI):** A branch of computer science that focuses on creating machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language understanding.
2. **Machine Learning:** A subset of AI that involves algorithms and statistical models that allow computers to perform a task without being explicitly programmed. Instead, they learn from data and improve their performance over time.
3. **Deep Learning:** A specific type of machine learning that uses neural networks with multiple layers to analyze and learn from large amounts of data. It is particularly effective for tasks like image and speech recognition.
4. **Neural Network:** A computer system inspired by the structure of the human brain, consisting of interconnected nodes (neurons) that process information. They are used in deep learning for tasks like image and speech recognition.
5. **Algorithm:** A step-by-step set of instructions or rules that a computer program follows to perform a specific task or solve a problem.
6. **Training Data:** The data used to train a machine learning model. It’s a set of examples that the model learns from, and it’s crucial for the model’s performance.
7. **Model:** The output or result of a machine learning algorithm after it has been trained on a specific set of data. It’s what the algorithm uses to make predictions or decisions.
8. **Supervised Learning:** A type of machine learning where the model is trained on labeled data, meaning that the input data is paired with the correct output.
9. **Unsupervised Learning:** A type of machine learning where the model is trained on unlabeled data and must find patterns and relationships within the data on its own.
10. **Reinforcement Learning:** A type of machine learning where an agent learns to make decisions by receiving feedback in the form of rewards or penalties.
11. **Natural Language Processing (NLP):** A field of AI focused on enabling machines to understand, interpret, and generate human language in a way that is valuable and useful.
12. **Computer Vision:** The field of AI that focuses on enabling computers to interpret and understand visual information from the world, including images and videos.
13. **Chatbot:** A computer program designed to simulate human conversation, often used for customer service or providing information.
14 **Large Language Models (LLMs)** Are powerful natural language processing models that are capable of generating human-like text. They are trained on massive datasets and have the ability to generate coherent and contextually appropriate responses to a wide range of prompts.
One prominent example of an LLM is GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3), which is developed by OpenAI. It is one of the largest publicly available LLMs, with 175 billion parameters. GPT-3 can be used for a variety of tasks, including language translation, content generation, question answering, and more.
15. **Bias in AI:** When a machine learning model produces results that are systematically skewed in favor of or against a certain group or characteristic.
16. **Ethical AI:** The practice of designing and implementing AI systems in a way that is fair, transparent, and respects ethical principles and values.
These are just some of the basic terms related to AI that can be helpful for non-engineers.
If you have any more specific and detailed questions about any of these terms or would like other information, don’t hesitate to ask ChatGPT 😳 !
All of that is happening right now and some can be, is and will be practically helpful in certain specific areas.
Like tools, like hammers, like Photoshop……
Many high end computer programs like Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop aso. are eager to implement AI features into their already very successful programs.
With impressive results, as in the “object detection and deletion” or the “generative fill” in Photoshop.
All of that – and much more – is happening right now and is developing with exponential speed.
Because AI is already now used to improve on AI itself.
Most of the developers, engineers, coders and businessmen (mostly men again! }) seem to be in it for the exciting ride, for the hype and for the money.
And a place on the table.
Progress for progress sake.
Only a few of them voice caution.
But the rapid development of AI have also created a lot of concern and apprehension around the world.
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Job displacement and unemployment: AI systems are capable of automating tasks that were previously performed by humans, leading to concerns about job displacement and widespread unemployment. This could have significant social and economic consequences, particularly for those in low-skilled or repetitive jobs.
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Algorithmic bias and discrimination: AI systems are trained on vast amounts of data, which may contain inherent biases and prejudices. If left unchecked, these biases can be perpetuated and amplified by AI algorithms, leading to discriminatory outcomes in areas such as hiring, loan applications, and criminal justice.
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Lack of transparency and explainability: Many AI systems are complex and opaque, making it difficult to understand how they reach their decisions. This lack of transparency can hinder accountability and make it challenging to identify and address potential biases or errors.
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Privacy violations and surveillance concerns: AI systems are increasingly used for data collection, surveillance, and monitoring. This raises concerns about privacy violations and the potential for misuse of personal information.
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Socioeconomic inequality: The benefits of AI may not be evenly distributed, potentially exacerbating existing socioeconomic inequalities. Those with access to AI technologies and the skills to use them may gain an advantage, while those without may be left behind.
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Impact on human decision-making: Over-reliance on AI systems for decision-making can erode human judgment and critical thinking skills. It is important to maintain a balance between AI and human expertise.
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Disinformation and fake content: AI-powered tools can be used to generate and spread misinformation and fake content, making it more difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. This can have a significant impact on public discourse and decision-making.
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Potential misuse by malicious actors: AI technologies can be misused by malicious actors for cyberattacks, surveillance, or other harmful purposes. It is crucial to develop safeguards and ethical guidelines to prevent such misuse.
- Autonomous weapons and unintended consequences: The development of autonomous weapons systems, capable of selecting and engaging targets without human intervention, raises serious ethical and safety concerns. Unintended consequences, such as civilian casualties or escalation of conflicts, could have devastating consequences.
At the other end of the spectrum – opposite the techno-evangelists and gadget-enthusiasts – there are now some influential academics, ethics professors, also some of the early pioneers of AI and recently finally some government regulators who try to hit the breaks of the speeding train.
To rail in the Wild Wild West of AI with a more rational perspective of the future consequences of this revolution.
Science Fiction writers and film makers – naturally – have already written about this for a long time and visualized it all:
The term “singularity” was coined by futurist Ray Kurzweil in his 2005 book The Singularity Is Near.
He defines it as “a hypothetical moment in time when technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable changes to human civilization.”
In other words, the singularity is the point at which artificial intelligence (AI) becomes so advanced that it surpasses human intelligence and becomes capable of self-improvement. This would lead to an intelligence explosion, with AI becoming increasingly powerful and intelligent at an exponential rate.
There is no consensus on when or if the singularity will occur, but some experts believe it could happen as early as the next few decades. If it does occur, it is likely to have a profound impact on human society, potentially leading to changes that are difficult to even imagine.
Some people believe that the singularity will be a positive development, leading to a utopia in which AI helps to solve all of humanity’s problems. Others are more cautious, and believe that the singularity could pose an existential threat to humanity.
Only time will tell what the true impact of the singularity will be. However, it is a topic that is worth considering, as it could have a profound impact on our future.
Potential benefits of the singularity
* AI could help to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, such as climate change, poverty, and disease.
* AI could lead to a new era of economic prosperity and growth.
* AI could help to improve our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
Potential risks of the singularity
* AI could become so powerful that it poses an existential threat to humanity.
* AI could lead to mass unemployment, as machines become capable of doing many of the jobs that are currently done by humans.
* AI could lead to a loss of privacy, as machines become able to collect and analyze vast amounts of data about our lives.
**What can we do to prepare for the singularity?**
* We need to continue to develop AI in a responsible and ethical manner.
* We need to educate the public about the potential benefits and risks of AI.
* We need to develop safeguards to prevent AI from being used for malicious purposes.
The singularity is a complex and controversial topic, but it is one that we cannot afford to ignore. By understanding the potential benefits and risks of AI, we can take steps to prepare for the future and ensure that the singularity is a positive force for humanity.
(….. says our friend, the ChatGPT AI)
Me ….. I personally think that we are heading in this direction.
Sooner or later people will get there.
If no Asteroid comes to save our asses from AI ; D
But not in my lifetime, thanks God!
Not thinking too much about AI Singularity, honestly.
At lest not this singularity.
(There is another one that i am very interested in!)
If I am concerned about anything at all, then it’s about the present day distractions and seductions of a technology that very few specialists actually understand.
Still even the inventor of Neural Networks don’t fully comprehend why “the thing” is doing what it is doing.
And the bigger The Thing becomes, the deeper the neural networks become, the more of a “Black Box” they become.
Curiosity kills the cat, they say!
Well, my curiosity drives me to get my hands on The Thing and see if i can make something like a Neural Network myself, a simple Machine Learning application.
So i can learn – by coding – how such things work.
Kindergarden Level ; )
Wish me luck!!!!!!!!
I’ll plan to do that in Javascript, which is the easiest language to write code for me.
Real AI applications are mostly written in Python , which is still like Japanese for me 😯
My idea is to build a very basic Machine Learning application with a simple Neural Network of one hidden layer of neurons (the Black Box) .
And visualize the network of connections in some way to see whats going on “inside”
Kind of spying ; D
Like a small child learns to re-cognize simple objects that Mama shows him/her in a picture book and joyfully points to it and says right word out loud, the application shall recognize and identify a few hand-drawn objects.
Clock, fish, tree, guitar, pencil, car, house, bicycle ….
Seven out of ten times identify the object successfully.
I hope 😆
This would be nice!
I have “trained” this AI-Kid with lots of such simple drawings:
Draw something simple like that and you can see the “synapses” in “his brain” jump and make “intelligent” connections ; )
Well, obviously my AI is still in its infancy, like a young one just learning to speak some words.
Now this next AI is trained on real pictures of cars, persons, animals ….
And running on the Python code language that is optimized for Deep Neural Networks.
Cute, right?
My simple AI Neural Network has learned to recognize and name a few things pretty accurately.
Dog, cat, person, house, fish ….
I am really proud of it 😆
“But hey!”, you say: “ What the heck, what’s so great about that and why should we bother??? Every little child can do that and then much much more!”
Well, I totally agree! I also rather walk on the beach and watch the birds and the bees.
Rather than learning about all those technological things i would rather go flirt with the pretty girls and chat with my friends.
Live a simple life.
And be a happy old guy
Leave it to the future generations to deal with it all.
.
But wait a few years, three, five or ten!
I predict that Ai will be everywhere, infiltrated and integrated in every aspect of human civilization.
And it will have changed civilization as we know it in ways that are now quite unpredictable, almost unimaginable.
Because AI is called “The Invention That Will be the End of All Other Human Inventions”
What we have till now as AI Chatbots and Machine Learning is impressive, can seem almost magical.
But it is only Narrow AI, trained in specific ways by humans.
Practically just a cute 5 year old child.
What is coming sooner than later is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a system that learns by itself.
And develops itself and grows in ways just like we human beings do.
But much much much much faster.
It is said – and warned about – by some of the original pioneers of Artificial Intelligence as a potential threat to mankind.
Sounds very dark and ominous and sci-fi-movie-like and I don’t buy into this fear.
But if we look what the big Tech companies are feverishly working on without much oversight, then it is clear:
We are heading into a very ….
Precarious future I would say.
I am sure I don’t want to be part of that kind of a future.
AI is now getting a body too ; )
No kidding!
So it can walk around and do all kinds of things.
Hopefully not such things: >> Terminator
And again … i am Not Kidding (this is not meant to be funny) but The Military is quite horny already to get their hands on Autonomous Killer Robots, the future of warfare.
And if you don’t want to be left behind by all of those armadas of autonomous AI humanoid robots >>>
Get a AI chip planted into your brain!
Why not?
Elon is going to make it happen soon!
Well, i am poking some fun of it all right now.
My way of saying: Don’t put your head in the sand folks, don’t dismiss it, don’t ignore it but take those things serious, be informed, stay on top of it all as much as you can.
And have some humor about it too, keep it light as much as you can.
This is how i talk to myself, late at night 😎
ps: Hey! i think i must be dreaming!
Because i am still dreaming of world where we human beings spend much more time on the development of inner/psychic abilities and interpersonal skills, practicing feeling and compassion and mindful everyday living and protecting the environment than they spending it on technological advancements and economic profit making ; D
Well, they always called me a dreamer, so there must be some truth in that .
I have decided to dream on!
Hi Chris, I can see AI as the very way to make your dream come true, your dream of a clean world with abundant clean energy where us humans spend much more time on developing ourselves, our self love, our love for each other, our loving interactions etc etc..
I am certainly happy to live in these interesting times of transition, and I am looking forward to be part and witness of that very future!
Big hugs, brother, take care! I love you and I am happy about what you are doing (as far as I know about it 😂😅)
Hola Georg P.
Thx for your response to my article.
I am always happy to get into a dialog with my readers.
Please remind me who you are, i have only a vague memory of some Georgs (no last names ; ) …
Hope to hear from you.
Cris/Samara/Costa Rica
We had a brief exchange about 2 years ago. I was pondering moving to c.r. – ended up in Peru though, where I spent the last 2 years. A few months ago I realized, that my jungle retreat is over as I am now ready to serve my tribe as an elder. So I came back to Austria. After staying with friends for a few weeks I found a great place in the Bucklige Welt, easily accessible from Vienna where most of my extended family still feels compelled to reside.
Hola Georg
yes, i think i remember you
in case you would like to be in contact you can find me on WhatsApp of Signal +506 8410 0022
Have a beautiful day!