#Ubiquitous AI. ...

[evidently-endless]

looked up a poem and it was followed by a paragraph of ai ‘analysis’. was there really nobody willing to think about a poem for thirty seconds and write it themselves. what are we doing.

[queen-mabs-revenge]

ok the second last chapter was the best one because in fairness it actually did address encoded biases in both generative and predictive AI datasets and violent outcomes for oppressed groups in policing, healthcare, resource distribution, etc. and it did make mention of the horrific exploitation of workers in the neocolonial world in cleaning datasets, moderating virtual spaces, tagging, transcribing, and other digital sweatshop work.

but the problem is that the solutions offered are more women in STEM and better regulations... with the end goal always always always of accepting and facilitating the existence and forward motion of these technologies, just with more equitable working conditions and outcomes. early in the book, there's a great aside about how generative AI being used for new forms of image based sexual abuse causes incredible harm to those who experience misogyny and also is gobbling up energy and water at exponential rates to do so. but that environmental angle gets a few sentences and is never spoken of again in favour of boosting a kinder, more inclusive inevitable AI inundated future.

but like — the assumption that these technologies are both inevitable and reformable makes all the solutions offered untethered and idealistic!

profit is mentioned throughout the book, but the system of profit generation isn't mentioned by name once. so the problems of some machine learning systems get attributed to patriarchy and profit as if those two things are separate and ahistorical, instead of products of class society with its most recent expression in capitalism.

but yeah I mean it's not presenting itself as a Marxist analysis of AI and gendered violence so I know I'm asking it to do things it was never setting out to do. but still, it's wild how when you start to criticise technology as having class character it becomes glaring how few critiques of AI, both generative and predictive, are brave enough to actual state the obvious conclusions: not all technology can be harnessed to help the collective working class. some technology is at its root created to be harmful to the collective wellbeing of the working class and the natural ecosystems we are in and of.

technology isn't inherently agnostic. it isn't neutral and then progressive if harnessed correctly, and that idealist vision is only going to throw the people and entities capitalism most exploits into the furnace of the steam engine powering the technocapitalist death drive.

you can't build a future without misogyny using tools designed to capitalise on increasingly granular data gathered from ever-increasing tools of surveillance, to black-box algorithmic substitutions for human interaction and knowledge, to predate on marginalised communities to privatise and destroy their natural resources and public services, and to function on exploited labour of unending exposure to the most traumatising and community-destroying content. and we have to be ruthless in our analysis to determine which AI technologies are designed and reliant on those structures — because not all are!

you have to be brave enough to go through all that analysis and say the thing: if we want a future of technological progress that is actually free from misogyny, we can't build it with those tools that are built by and for the capitalist class and are inextricable from their interests and the oppression of other groups of people that capitalism needs to perpetuate.

some technology is not fit for purpose if our purpose is collective liberation.

[fake-guns-blazing]

YOU WILL NOT AI YASSIFY OLD PHOTOS. YOU WILL VIEW THE IMAGES IN DOGSHIT ORIGINAL QUALITY AS GOD INTENDED. YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT BUT AT LEAST THAT'S ACTUALLY HIS FUCKING FACE. "but i just wanted to–" GOD DOES NOT NEGOTIATE

[fortunaestalta]

[borrelia]

very enamored with this ai generated golf sonic that came up on google.

brb trepanning before tee off!

[rulesforthedance]

VALUVABLE ADVERNT□OMING

(ON MUILETMIDUDIA SOCIAL PLOFYORMS)

[embervoices]

I can't help you with most of those (adblocker helps with some of it, but we don't have any control over what companies put at their own back-ends), but I can help you with Google:

This goes straight to Google's Web Only search, i.e. no AI overview. I've gotten so used to it on my desktop, my phone sometimes startles me with the AI overviews when I forget and search regular Google these days.

I wish there was a way to completely OPT OUT of AI. Like you could set your ENTIRE Internet browser to NOT shove it down your throat.

When social media was getting big, you could just NOT get a Facebook or a Twitter. It was simple as that. You can't do that with AI.

Trying to find a job? It goes straight to an AI filter. Trying to look at art? Here's 100+ ai shit. Trying to look up who was in what movie from the 1980s? GOOGLE GEMINI IS HERE WITH THE COMPLETELY WRONG ANSWER!

Someone PLEASE create a way to allow people to get AI the FUCK OUT of our lives if we DO NOT WANT IT!

[dibelonious]

CLOUD COMPUTING was the main concept for web 2.0, for the last two decades.

UBIQUITOUS, OMNIPRESENCE is the main concept for this new world of artificial intelligence everywhere.

[radixanalytics]

THE FUTURE OF DATA ANALYTICS

INTRODUCTION

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, data analytics stands as a pivotal force, driving informed decision-making across industries. As we embrace the era of big data, artificial intelligence, and advanced computing, the future of data analytics promises to be both transformative and revolutionary. 

Let's embark on a journey into the realms of tomorrow's data analytics, exploring the trends, technologies, and possibilities that will shape the way we derive insights from data.

AI-POWERED ANALYTICS

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into data analytics is set to redefine the capabilities of predictive modeling and data interpretation.

Machine learning algorithms will play a crucial role in automating data analysis, uncovering patterns, and providing real-time insights.

AI-driven analytics will enable businesses to make faster, more accurate decisions based on a deeper understanding of their data.

EDGE ANALYTICS    

The future of data analytics will witness a shift towards decentralized processing with the rise of edge analytics.

Edge computing allows data analysis to occur closer to the source, reducing latency and enabling real-time decision-making in scenarios such as IoT devices and smart sensors.

This trend will be particularly impactful in industries where instantaneous insights are critical, such as healthcare and manufacturing.

EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF UNSTRUCTURED DATA

With the proliferation of multimedia, social media, and other unstructured data sources, the future of analytics will grapple with managing and extracting meaningful insights from vast and diverse datasets

Natural Language Processing (NLP) and advanced text analytics will become integral to deciphering the value hidden within unstructured data, providing a more comprehensive understanding of customer sentiments and market trends.

ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE DATA ANALYTICS

With increased public awareness about data privacy and ethics, the future of data analytics will prioritize responsible practices.

Ethical considerations in data collection, usage, and storage will become integral, requiring organizations to establish transparent and accountable data analytics frameworks.

AUGMENTED ANALYTICS

The rise of augmented analytics will empower business users with tools that automate data preparation, insight discovery, and sharing, reducing their reliance on data scientists.

Natural language interfaces and automated insights will make data analytics more accessible to a broader audience within organizations.

CONCLUSION

The future of data analytics is an exciting frontier where technological advancements and evolving trends promise to unlock unprecedented possibilities. 

As businesses and industries adapt to these changes, the journey towards data-driven decision-making will become more dynamic, intelligent, and ethical. 

By staying at the forefront of these developments, organizations can harness the power of data analytics to navigate the complexities of the future and gain a competitive edge in an increasingly data-driven world.

[adastra-sf]

The Robot Uprising Began in 1979

edit: based on a real article, but with a dash of satire

source: X

On January 25, 1979, Robert Williams became the first person (on record at least) to be killed by a robot, but it was far from the last fatality at the hands of a robotic system.

Williams was a 25-year-old employee at the Ford Motor Company casting plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. On that infamous day, he was working with a parts-retrieval system that moved castings and other materials from one part of the factory to another. 

The robot identified the employee as in its way and, thus, a threat to its mission, and calculated that the most efficient way to eliminate the threat was to remove the worker with extreme prejudice.

"Using its very powerful hydraulic arm, the robot smashed the surprised worker into the operating machine, killing him instantly, after which it resumed its duties without further interference."

A news report about the legal battle suggests the killer robot continued working while Williams lay dead for 30 minutes until fellow workers realized what had happened. 

Many more deaths of this ilk have continued to pile up. A 2023 study identified that robots have killed at least 41 people in the USA between 1992 and 2017, with almost half of the fatalities in the Midwest, a region bursting with heavy industry and manufacturing.

For now, the companies that own these murderbots are held responsible for their actions. However, as AI grows increasingly ubiquitous and potentially uncontrollable, how might robot murders become ever-more complicated, and whom will we hold responsible as their decision-making becomes more self-driven and opaque?

[frecklefacedgod]

I honestly think that education standards should be updated to include stuff like this. Lots of people DON'T know the extent of information that tech companies have on them. One of the downsides I can foresee to is that Big Tech could easily lobby for inaccurate lessons, but this seems to be a growing crisis in the Digital Age that should be addressed.

people who are just finding out about internet tracking and data mining in the year 2025 and that your special robot friend does not respect your privacy lol

[literaticat]

Is it ethical to use Chat GPT or Grammarly for line editing purposes? I have a finished book, 100% written by me and line edited by me already--and I do hope to get it traditionally published. But I think it could benefit from a line edit from someone who isn't me, obviously, before querying. But line editing services run $3-4k for a 75k book, which is beyond my budget.

I was chatting with someone recently who self-publishes. They said they use Chat GPT Plus to actually train a model for their projects to line edit using instructions like (do not rewrite or rephrase for content /edit only for rhythm, clarity, tone, and pacing /preserve my voice, sentence structure, and story intent with precision). Those are a few inputs she used and she said it actually worked really well.

So in that case, is AI viewed in the same way you'd collaborate with a human editor? Or does that cross ethical boundaries in traditional publishing? Like say for instance AI rewords your sentence and maybe switches out for a stronger verb or adjective or a stronger metaphor--is using that crossing a line? And if I were to use it for that purpose, would I need to disclose that? I know AI is practically a swear word among authors and publishers right now, so I think even having to say "I used AI tools" might raise eyebrows and make an agent hesitant during the querying process. But obviously, I wouldn't lie if it needs to be disclosed... just not sure I even want to go there and risk having to worry about that. Thoughts? Am I fine? Overthinking it?

Thanks!

I gotta be honest, this question made me flinch so hard I'm surprised my face didn't turn inside out.

Feeding your original work into ChatGPT or a similar generative AI large language model -- which are WELL KNOWN FOR STEALING EVERYTHING THAT GETS PUT INTO THEM AND SPITTING OUT STOLEN MATERIAL-- feels like, idk, just a terrible idea. Letting that AI have ANY kind of control over your words and steal them feels like a terrible idea. Using any words that a literal plagiarism-bot might come up with for you feels like a terrible idea.

And ethical questions aside: AI is simply not good at writing fiction. It doesn't KNOW anything. You want to take its "advice" on your book? Come on. Get it together.

Better idea: Get a good critique group that can tell you if there are major plot holes, characters whose motivations are unclear, anything like that -- those are things that AI can't help you with, anyway. Then read Self-Editing for Fiction Writers -- that info combined with a bit of patience should stand you in good stead.

Finally, I do think that using spell-check/grammarly, either as you work or to check your work, is fine. It's not rewriting your work for you, it's just pointing out typos/mistakes/potential issues, and YOU, PERSONALLY, are going through each and every one to make the decision of how to fix any actual errors that might have snuck in there, and you, personally, are making the decision about when to use a "stronger" word or phrase or recast a sentence that it thinks might be unclear or when to stet for voice, etc. Yes, get rid of typos and real mistakes, by all means!

(And no, I don't think use of that kind of "spell-check/grammar-check" tool is a problem or anything that you need to "disclose" or feel weird about -- spell-check is like, integrated into most word processing software as a rule, it's ubiquitous and helpful, and it's different from feeding your work into some third-party AI thing!)

[1percentcharge]

I have still never used generative ai once in my life and the fact that so many people around my age do feels so odd. Like it just became so ubiquitous right under my nose. What do you mean high schoolers are using chatgpt to write essays?? That wasn’t even available to the public until 5 months after *i* graduated! And why and when did college students the same year as me pick it up? Ough

[ooc-miqojak]

I've seen tons of similar stories - like Fahrenheit 451 - and Black Mirror even had one a lot like this! A very, very common trope/fear we humans have of the technological future is how invasive and consuming it will be... because it already is. This is the natural trajectory for capitalism - especially as we put AI into all kinds of shit that doesn't need it.

I've even had gaming youtubers break down the psychological manipulation that things like video games use to dig into the same part of the brain that gambling taps into... capitalism is literally altering our brains to better predate on us.

That said, I'm built different - I'd just get a raspberry pi and build it to block ads... like we've done once already in my home. (And then I'd probably be in capitalist prison too, but oh well. I've ripped the AI and external searches out of my Win11 bc it was predatory and annoying, so I will continue to alter the products I pay for and own!)

About ten, fifteen years ago I wrote a story about a guy living in a Capitalist dystopia. His walls, furniture, and tableware are all covered in smart displays. Basically animated wallpaper. It's sold as being able to turn your room or objects into anything - A nice forest view, outer space, a fantasy realm... but the companies that run this stuff keep sneaking ads in.

It gets so bad he's always being woken up by adverts that offer insomnia cures and better bedding that play when he tries to sleep.

So he buys the ad-free tier, and it's great... for a few months. And then he starts getting adverts from 'premium partners'. So he goes up a level... and the same thing happens.

So he jailbreaks his wallpaper and sends all the ad servers to 0.0.0.0 and voila... he can sleep.

Until this SWAT team blows his door off and drag him off to jail. The Ad companies are suing him for loss of revenue for the products he' notionally have bought if he'd watched their adverts, based on some weird 'The average consumer buys X products with an average value of Y' calculation.

The judge is like 'well I dun wanna annoy the sponsors' so he RICO's this guy's house and possessions and sends him to jail.

... which is a nice relaxed non-volent offender jail for the corporately disenfranchised. But because these people have no money... there's no ads and now he's happy because the only place he's free... is in prison.

Which at the time was a bit much and now it's like: Called it.

Elon's suing companies for not advertising because he's losing revenue. He's also cranking the price of Ad Free Twitter. Disney and Amazon play adverts on their paid service when services used to be free because of the adverts... and now you have to pay to watch the adverts or go up a couple of tiers.

And google's going around freaking out about ad-blockers.

[dandelionsresilience]

whether the internet becomes an intolerable surveillance state, ubiquitous subscription model, or unusably ad- or AI-ridden shithole, I think we need to remember

how to do things offline

either on your personal hard drive (just because it’s an app doesn’t mean the information is stored in your device) or on paper. I’m not saying the collapse of the internet is imminent, and I’m not suggesting we do everything completely without technology, or even stop using it until we have to. (to be clear, I also don’t think the internet will just blink out of existence, suddenly stop being a thing at all; rather I think it might continue to lose its usefulness to the point where it’s impossible to get anything done. anyway) but some people may have forgotten how we got by before the internet (I almost have!), and the younger generation might not have experienced it at all.

I figure most people probably use the internet mainly for communication with friends and family, entertainment and creation (eg. writing), and looking up how to do things, so here’s how to do those things offline:

First and most importantly, download everything important to you onto at least one hard drive and at least one flashdrive! files can get corrupted and hardware can get damaged or lost, but as long as you keep backup copies, you have much-closer-to-guaranteed access versus hoping a business doesn’t decide to paywall, purge, or otherwise revoke your access. I would recommend getting irreplaceable photos printed as well

download and/or print/write down:

anything important to you - photos/videos, journals, certificates, college transcripts

contact info - phone numbers and/or addresses of friends/family (know how to contact them if you can’t use your favourite messaging app), doctors (open hours would be good too), veterinarians if you have pets, and work

how-to’s - recipes (one, two), emergency preparedness (what do I do if… eg. I smell gas)

other things you might google: cleaning chemicals to NOT mix, what laundry tag symbols mean, people food dogs and cats can and can’t eat, plant toxicity to pets

and know offline ways to find things out - local radio station, newspaper, a nearby highway rest area might have a region map, public libraries usually have a bunch of resources

also, those of you who get periods should strongly consider not using period tracking apps! here’s how to track your period manually

free printable period tracker templates (no printer? public libraries usually charge a few cents per page, or you can recreate it by hand)

moving on to entertainment, you can still get most media for free! it’s completely legal to download your favourite movies to your own personal hard drive, you just can’t sell or distribute copies (not legal advice)

movies: wcostream.tv (right click the player) - the url changes every once in a while but usually redirects; I recently noticed that it’s hiding a lot of movies behind “premium,” so it may or may not work anymore | download youtube videos

music: how to get music without streaming it | legal free downloads

games: steamunlocked.net - doesn’t have every game and can be slow to update, but very reliable

books: free online libraries | legal free downloads

otherwise passing time:

active outdoor games

for road trips (social verbal games)

for when power’s out

for sheltering in place (not all offline, but good ideas)

board games (often found at thrift stores)

ad-free customisable games collection (mobile)

read, write, draw, or whatever your craft is, sing, dance, clean, reorganise, take a bath

go outside - excuses include napping (if safe), eating, reading, finding cool plants/animals/rocks, playing with the dog

places to go include:

zoos and museums can be surprisingly cheap

parks and nature preserves

library, mall, or game shop

and a few miscellaneous things for good measure:

time budgeting | household management

how to use a planner | I’ve had success with visually blocked-out schedules like these

please add on if you have any other offline alternatives to common uses of the internet!

[the-ocean-is-trans]

i hate ai as much as the next guy but i need us to stop framing students' dependency on ai as purely a decision made by lazy kids to not think for themselves and to start framing it as a complex social issue influenced by factors such as corporations aggressively marketing ai to students, a media landscape (including both social and mainstream media) that rewards a lack of critical thinking, a severe K-12 teacher and staff support shortage, amongst many other things im not naming, and also yeah some kids who don't want to do homework, which was so many of us at one point except that there wasn't such a ubiquitous and simple way of getting out of doing the work for most of us. yes students do need to understand the value of doing scholarly work on their own in order to combat this issue, but is only part of any possible solution as it is really only a fraction of the problem.