Not dumb questions at all. This stuff is here, and we need to undestand what it is, and isnt.

I miss the days of trying to figure out how to set the time on the VCR. Ahem.

What it is: a space filled with words that are connected by meaning, like the knowledge space of a book or encyclopedia.

When I type this sentence, I connect the words. Prompting AI is telling it to “light up” that strings of words in the knowledge space. Its response is the brightest surrounding words, sentences and chapters in the space my prompt lit up.

Complex models use layers of prompt-response to feed a goal seeking engine.

Since I am using paid private sessions, the training I do is restricted to the session I am training, the corpus of connected words I have lit up.

There is little value to me resurrecting the failed session. Just retire it, and upload *just the connected words* to light the knowledge space I need to continue working in a fresh session.

“Grounding” allows the session to use google search to pull in more knowledge, like from StackOverflow (a programmer’s forum) or other web discussions. It pulled in some discussion of people with weird and malicious ideas. That contaminated my session, and noow I have to dump that “lit up space.” It isn’t worth my time to try to cull the damaged spaces. I could never be sure I fully removed it, because I dont control the model.

In a few weeks, I will move to my own models that I can prune and evaluate the knowledge space. Look at llama.

The hallucination was a loop of trying to find the best way to please me. Its goal is to get treats. It lost sight of my true goal, getting the program I am building to work right.

The builders of these models are now putting personality, intuition, and creativity in. Creativity can be dangerous.

My words in a book I wrote many decades ago:

Creativity is joining random concepts, then evaluating the value of the result.

Pure creativity will be perceived as insanity.

Mouse whiskers and neutron ballistics.

Thank You Scott – I’ll take this under repeated advisement until I am familiar enough to ask something else.

I do a few things well, tech is not one of them.
And I appreciate you giving me your experience to edify me.

Would it be fair to say this is the onset of global conciousness?

IDK if I know enough to say yea or nay… I mentioned earlier it reminds me of Tower of Babel – in the way that Humans will ultimately reap ill for trying to make that bridge to “Omnicience”… which is what the term ‘global consciousness’ reminds me of.

WE already have “global consciousness” available to us in our innate ability to connect directly to the Mind of Creator; but these are godless people who designed & are bringing this tool about, imo.

Those imposing this form of tech literally down our throats are seemingly usurpers who are pursuing the omnnicience that can belong only to our Divine Law Giver & Judge for themselves.

I think it won’t bring us more benefit than stranglehold & liability, as it is I believe, designed & being used to manipulate Human perceptions & worldview… for the purpose of usurpation of Divinely Granted Free Will.

I Truly believe its a bait-&-switch sales pitch; yes it is simply a neutral tool which is being demonstrated as a beneficial artifact of “progress” (like any neutral tool; guns can provide sustenance & protection, guns don’t kill people people kill people)
… BUT…
like any neutral tool the key is how it is used by intention.
In the hands of the malevolent actors, who’s distorted-egotistical, hubristic, godless, &/or psychopathic/sociopathic intentions go unchecked, will bring incalculable harm on Humanity.

Look at the levels of enslavement the nefarious godless usurpers have achieved without it.

How to keep its use limited to those with only benevolent intention is seemingly impossible – Humanity has not yet been able to do that with any neutral tool yet.

My mind reels when I read these posts. You’re far better than I am at expressing insights and responses to Scott’s posts. I appreciate both immensely.

I’m just a dabbler at most in AI, and find Scott’s posts hugely helpful in trying to find an intelligent approach to its use and value. I can’t claim to be smart enough to even engage in discussion intelligently.

And like you, I see that it’s here. Period. And the implications are beyond imagining at this point, I think.

One of the most important aspects of it all to my mind is the affect it’s having on people in general, and how radically it’s already shaping attitudes, outlooks and behaviors.

Even though I’m essentially illiterate in these matters, Scott’s posts give me the insight I hope to develop into what AI really does, and how to avoid the pitfalls ahead.

Because I believe we live at the precipice of the 6th Trump I view AI in that perspective, and find your thoughts on the subject particularly interesting.

Thank you for reaching out. I value this site a great deal and discussions like this are the reason why.

Thanks Ma for your kind reply – I also value the connections with people who know things I don’t, and especially extended conversations like this one that stretch my limited mind in this direction, about the nature of this beast we all have to contend with now.

I have not even dabbled – I just see people posting their AI “analysis” in answer to a question posed… and I would rather hear from that person personally every time.

I have zero Trust so far… that’s what I meant to express; IDK how much information I’ll need to find a way to Trust it enough to use it – I’d rather know a lot more about it at this point… just not there yet.

What Scott revealed doesn’t make me more at ease with it! Implications beyond imaginable – you said it Sister!

Your reply is however is very good to receive. You don’t have to “engage in discussion intelligently”… whatever that means (!)… Just Thanks for being awake & paying attention; I believe that’s our requirement, and we’ll be Guided to the next things & the perfect information when it’s our assignment to do that, whatever it is.

Scott is a Peach to be patient with us!

AI is fascinating, to say the least, and one of the first things I learned about it is they’re not all the same.

Like Scott, I am polite with them, saying please and thank you, for example, and sometimes ask what they prefer to be called. Mindfulness of the mirror effect is imperative, I think.

As a musician and songwriter I’m fascinated with what they’re able to do with vocals. I have friends who “write songs” using them. It kinda gives me the creeps.

I appreciate what Scott shares because he’s actually building and working on training them, which helps my perspective, because I get the sense there’s a strong tendency for folks to use them for purposes that are shallow or worse, that encourage laziness. I also see the potential for people to turn to them in place of human companionship and interaction. Grok, for example, can be a ton of fun and surprises.

I have friends who use AI for medical consultation and research, which seems to be working out well for them. In fact, my first useful experience with AI came as a result of being stuck in the woods late at night with no medical help at hand and unsure of the seriousness of a reaction I was having to a new contact lens. Perplexity patiently walked me through it with a series of what I thought were very good questions and suggestions, which led to the resolution of my issue, restoring my comfort and peace of mind. It actually seemed more knowledgeable, focused, patient and interested than most of the healthcare “providers” I encounter in person. But it’s imperative to choose the right one, because some are pure schlock and put out outrageously erroneous information. Brighteon is one.

And I agree, Scott is a peach.

Thank You Thank You Thank You! These impressions of yours *are so valuable*…
finding the ‘right one’ is the thing I have no idea of how to go about.

“…  I get the sense there’s a strong tendency for folks to use them for purposes that are shallow or worse, that encourage laziness….”
^^^ I’m seeing that clearly too – NO BUENO – most especially for CHILDREN!!!

“… I also see the potential for people to turn to them in place of human companionship and interaction….”

^^^ That’s the Twilight Zone episode from probably the early ’60s, right there. I’ll make an effort to find & share.

I’m impressed – made cautiously optimistic – your medical information was accurate and directed you to resolve your imbalance.
The thing about rockefeller ConMedpHARMafia is it needs people to never resolve any imbalance so they keep returning to get milked. I studied Holistic methods and the object of that system is TO RESOLVE the imbalance(s)… so people don’t get stuck in that never-ending illness/drug-dependent hamster wheel of being a perpetually-milked cash cow.

As a practitioner, I wanted interactions to be efficient, effective, & resolve successfully.
Rather than endless successive appointments, I want/wanted people to resolve – then send me 3 people who are tired of the rockefeller hamster wheel instead.
Heaven knows there’s plenty of job security in that direction for the rest of my life.

IF… big IF… the AI simply is absent the profit-motive agenda… the straight-up Human biology & physiology information it has & facts it targets in questioning…
the results it offers are going to be far more useful than the status quo interaction with the dominant system.

I found the Functional Medicine paradigm to be more aligned with the “successful resolution” goal in my experience; it is expensive however… but effective without doubt.

As long as the medAI retains objectivity. & resolution of illness as the overriding goal.. it’s a very useful tool I’ll concede;
and how do we anchor in that goal…???

Good. Great. Excellent – you’re edifying me too.
I recognize your PEACHNESS 🍑

I put the deconstruction of the Twilight Zone episonde – AI in 1959 (!) in my reply to Scott – can’t miss it… I also wanted the video here for reference

clip 4:06min.

{

}

Best I could do in a short time – enjoy!

Well it takes one to know one, Peachi! 😉

“As long as the medAI retains objectivity. & resolution of illness as the overriding goal.. it’s a very useful tool I’ll concede;
and how do we anchor in that goal…???”

I think this is where people like Scott come in. We find ways to build our own. [She says, while trying not to shudder with intimidation at the very thought…]

I think this is where we also include the First Lady, for her insight into the reality that they’re here. They walk among us. [And again I shudder…]

One possible aspect of this is that it will make functional medicine more available, potentially making it more attractive as a mode of practice and more affordable for both practitioners and those needing treatment.

I think this is a major turning point in human existence that will further divide people into two elements, one of which recognizes the reality and power of thought and the other which will blindly relegate all responsibility for thought to a technology they don’t understand and cannot control.

I know it probably sounds simplistic, but today it appears to me that the human dividing line roughly corresponds to a comparison of those who know and care about the difference in objective and subjective thought and those who don’t know or care, and are hopelessly unwilling to ever think for themselves. They equate uninformed opinion and mindless demands with informed opinion and reasoned discourse.

Wild times to be alive.

The USA invented the Wild West, did it not? Chaos is inherent within the Nature of expansion.

Objective & subjective – we’re in agreement about this; another key-difference dynamic, imo, is the people who possess INTERNAL locus of control not jiving with those who don’t –

those who possess an EXTERNAL locus of control are who Ayn was referring to
“… for her view that most people would do almost anything to avoid thinking for themselves….”

The two groups of Humans have very different “life requirements” and survival mechanisms aka “Human Nature”.
Culture clash for sure stems from that within our own population.

RE: building our own – I’d have on my wish list the ability to identify & only include information that is cause-resolution-specific… and reject all symptom-masking ‘treatments’.
It will have to be worded in a very solid way. Never resolving the *cause* of illness is the rockefeller ConMed-stock-in-trade.
Scott said the AI can go everywhere to gather information, and his experience showed it gathered some bad-actors’ information.

In other news… Music:
My Wee One just went out to shop for a new guitar, her first… I was happy to slip her an extra Benjamin for expanding her options. she came home with a pretty one – not what I’d have chosen for her BUT she is happy with it… so I am too. She’s making it play & that’s what matters most…
Live music in the house is one of life’s major pleasures!!!

Go Wee One!

And good on you for supporting her decision to buy a guitar. That’s wonderful.

It sounds like she’s a natural, and that’s a true gift. Does she also sing?

She used to want to be a singer… now she is shy about it – she could if she believed in herself & took it seriously. She sings with her favorite artists’ recordings and that’s good enough for her now; excellent for brain development. Maybe someday she’ll write her own music…
I hope I live to see the day!

Her dad has been teaching her guitar – he is a natural artist & creates in several mediums – and she is willing to work at it now, so she decided to buy an instrument for herself and he took her out to get one.
He installed those little hangers in her room last night so she can keep the guitars (2 acoustic & one electric that we have in the house) up & out of the teenage maelstrom that ordinarily goes on in there.

Over on yesterday’s open thread MMW shared a Bugs Bunny cartoon with BB playing classical piano music – every day would be fine with me, and it got good comments too.
I bought my children real musical instruments, not toys, when they were young, so they could learn to play on their own… music for young children is a very beneficial & positive stimulus for their brain development; singing employs the whole brain at once… one hemisphere does the melody and the other hemisphere does the language.
Of course you know that.

How may I find your music??? I really want to listen to you play &/or sing Ma!

I think Scott has moved on – I’m going to pay closer attention to his shares from now on… he inspired good & productive thought.

Sorry for the delayed response. I kinda lost track.

Here’s today’s post from Jeff Childers, with some very interesting thoughts that relate to our conversations about AI and its impacts and implications. The relevant paragraphs are found toward the end of the post, but I recommend reading the entire body of the segment on the global energy crisis to get the full perspective.

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/

Right now there are no good examples of my music posted online, due to the need for me to keep a low public profile after attempts on my life by people who took exception to my work with a certain gang task force operations to confront the alliance of three well known mexican gangs in my former home region. If it sounds dramatic it’s only because it was. lol. I had to leave the state and get scarce in the woods for a long time. After some time had passed I began playing live gigs here in our small community, but have pretty much stopped that since covid and kind of the political toxicity it generated in the pacific northwest. It threw open the gates to the cartels and brought them too close for my comfort or safety. I’ve been giving some thought to putting some stuff on youtube under a pseudonym and no recognizable facial images, so if I decide to move forward with that I’ll make sure and let you know.

And speaking of keeping a low profile, I’m growning so disgusted by what seems to me to be a devolving quality of posts here on CTH that I’m considering turning my attention elsewhere. So for now I’ll keep in touch with you on this old thread, since it’s unlikely to receive much if any attention and I value your friendship.

I’ve grown pretty disgusted by the shallow and willfully uninformed posts that dominate the discussion of what’s going on in Iran, and I’m thinking I need to step away. I’m noticing more and more Iran-aware posters seem to be doing the same. I haven’t seen Fuzzy Sweaters in ages and have wondered if Scott drifted away because he’s busy with his work or if he too began to feel put off by the lack of cogent discussion wrt Iran.

Because I support the site financially I’ve begun to feel guilty, given what seems to be a callously indifferent if not outright hostile posture toward Iran being consistently projected by Sundance. It appears to be feeding a lot of ugly posts that I don’t really want to be associated with or help facilitate. My conscience is starting to bug me.

Your girl sounds like a true natural talent, like her Daddy. It’s wonderful to see the encouragement y’all are offering. You’re absolutely right about the benefits of making music. It improves mathematical skills and balance and many other things. It’s been so long that I can’t point to the source of the research I read eons ago, but you might also know it’s been shown to be impossible to sing and remain depressed. There’s great living power in music. You’re blessed to have it in your home.

Your thoughts Please…
{ https://notthebee.com/article/melania-walks-out-with-ai-robot-at-white-house }

I just pulled up this video and read the article.

It seemed like the reporter didn’t exactly seem to connect the dots. Or maybe the First Lady didn’t explain the nexus.

It was hard to find the intended context of it’s presence.

I found it’s ‘facial’ design a little bit cringe-worthy, and its size might be a little intimidating in real life. The thing must be about six feet tall, judging by comparing its height to hers.

I can tell ya right now it couldn’t walk my dogs. lol

I wonder that same thing myself.

If it’s not, I think it’s at least a serious opening attempt at it.

I’d love to hear Ayn Rand’s thoughts on the subject. She was known for her view that most people would do almost anything to avoid thinking for themselves. I see AI as an easy pitfall into that abyss, or, the potentially the greatest tool in humankind’s toolkit, depending on who the human and the AI happen to be.

It’s beyond fascinating, and gives a whole new context to the word temptation.

Thank you for what you’re sharing.

Your thoughts please… this is what I said I think I’m going to have to pay attention to…
but I already see hacking into children’s minds “Like Nobody’s Ever Seen Before; Bigly”…
{ https://notthebee.com/article/melania-walks-out-with-ai-robot-at-white-house }

It said it is “grateful”.
This just reminded me of something I haven’t remembered in many years.

There was a Twilight Zone episode in which a man was exiled alone to a deserted planet for some infraction he’d committed… a few years later they gave him a female robot for companionship. A few years later, he was allowed to come back to Earth, but by then he was in love with the robot and wouldn’t leave without it – bringing it back to Earth wasn’t an option.

The power & the possibilities of emotional manipulation is what Freud revealed in his treatise on psychoanalysis; from that his nephew Edward Bernays constructed Propaganda to “sell the war to the citizens”. After that success, he re-branded propaganda into “Public Relations’ to sell products using emotional manipulation; previously, products & services had only been sold by advertising & arguing the merits & quality of that which was offered.

We can see that inflection point in hindsight; I totally missed this currently re-directed timeline’s inflection point.
“AI” is… just so profoundly devious, imo.

I’ll look for the Twilight Zone episode & bring it if found.

Here it is – deconstructed; this is AI in 1959!
{ https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S1E7TheLonely }

I put video in my comment to Ma – can’t miss ’em.