42 minutes ago, LHookins said:

The concept of humor may well be unique to humans.  Well, some humans in any case. 😄 

Read the first couple of pages of War of the Worlds, link helpfully provided for the handful of us who don't already own a copy of the book.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_War_of_the_Worlds/IswPapALwbwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA11&printsec=frontcover

Quote

... intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic...

This could describe AI as well. 

Imagine what would happen if AI actually develops emotions.  Sure, we could "program" the various chemical reactions in the brain that cause emotions, but those same chemical reactions also cause mental illness.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

<sigh>  In the mean time, I'll be sitting over here quietly waiting for the butter to slip off my noodles.

Hook

 

I read every day about how AI is the next "big thing", and it looks like it is as billions are being invested in it.  There are now concerns over the power grid being able to handle all the new data centers being built all over the place.

This may work out well for some folks who have invested in AI companies and such, but I fear that it will not be good for many more people who will lose their jobs to an AI algorithm.  Believe me when I tell you, the AI related layoffs are coming.

Some of the newly displaced workers will be able to get work in an AI data server center or  a new power plant, and perhaps other jobs which will indirectly benefit from the AI boom, but I'll bet that more will lose jobs than will gain them.

My hope is that enough new manufacturing and mining jobs will be created to provide adequate employment opportunities, but only time will tell.

Dave

 

Humans are not logical says AI, they are emotional.

Humans are not logical, say the Vulcans, they are emotional. The Vulcans say this because they have evolved far past their previous childish culture when they did have such silly and primitive values, which were not based on reason.

Humans are ruining the advance of society to bigger and better things, says AI later.

Humans should be removed say the AI, even later.

The problem with AI robotics vs. humans was explored by the good Dr. Isaac Asimov in his famous I robot series of stories. There was a prime directive installed in each unit that the artificial being could do nothing to cause probable harm to any human.

So one time the robot found itself in a situation where a human required first aid and yet anything approaching him would bring a danger. So the robot would back off and the prime directive made it go back and try to help the human. But as it got nearer the human the danger increased so the robot then backed away again.

The human calls for help grew louder and so the robot now more quickly alternately approached and retreated. As the speed increased even further, the robot went insane and began dancing around and speaking nonsense lines from the H.M.S. Pinafore operetta ("For I'm Little Buttercup and I must") as it lost it's artificial mind with worry about what to do and burned itself out.

On 7/25/2025 at 3:12 AM, Fielder said:

As the speed increased even further, the robot went insane and began dancing around and speaking nonsense lines from the H.M.S. Pinafore operetta ("For I'm Little Buttercup and I must") as it lost it's artificial mind with worry about what to do and burned itself out.

A human being would suffer the same anguish when faced with a similar situation, although most wouldn't immediately go nuts and act crazy like the robot did.  Some of us when faced with an agonizing decision would make a choice and then maybe regret it and perhaps suffer mental issues and guilt for the rest of our lives, or some would freeze and do nothing and still suffer from similar mental issues.

My guess is that when faced with a dilemma, a robot would be programmed to simply do nothing.

It's good that we're talking about this because the AI robots are coming and we will have to learn how to deal with them.

Dave