It’s been a long time since I made an ephemera post. I love the word, which stems from the Greek ephēmeros, meaning “lasting only a day”. Ephemera are collectible, transient paper-based or digital items that were originally designed to be discarded or used for a short period, rather than preserved.
That definition sums up exactly what my ephemera posts are about; a random collection of things which I stumble upon when cruising the great wide web but do not feel like diving into upon discovery. I bookmark these items for later, and then go back to read them later, sharing what fascinates me most with you.
Lately it’s been all-AI for me. I am scared of it. I am fascinated by it. I do not understand most of it, especially the science parts, but I am trying to learn more about at least some of it. It feels like it could be a helpful tool and also somehow incredibly dangerous to us as individuals and as a species. I’ve been using AI for all sorts of research and design projects, which I admit has been very helpful. At the same time, AI can feel like the embodiment of every dystopian science-fiction warning I’ve ever read. To sum it up, I have a real love-hate relationship with AI, and I am not sure that will ever change. Until society and I get it figured out—if we ever do—here are a few AI-related items that I hope you find as interesting as I do.
- Man can fly – virtually at least
- Is it a real Monet or AI? The x-verse had strong thoughts (all of which turned out to be wrong)
- Alan Turing – The Man, The Myth, The Institute
- The AI NOW 2017 Report makes for some very interesting reading
- 3 billion photos and counting – you’re on candid camera thanks to Clearview AI
- “Please” and “thank you” are the magic words – even for AI
- Florida is suing OpenAI and the filing is worth reading
- Musk vs. Altman -a fascinating case thrown out because timing is everything (here, here, and here)
Happy reading.
The Grey Goddess 