AI megathread

I don't think we can tell how close we are to the peak.

People thought we'd have driverless cars by now, but obviously that's failure.

There is, I think, an interesting difference between those two AI applications. The driverless cars have to work almost perfectly, which is something that is more or less impossible given that the technology basically looks for correlations without causation.

However, applications like an enhanced GOOGLE are absolute winners. Being right 10% of the time may be entirely successful because people filter the output and only save the potentially useful output.

David

AI-generated movie posters with Disney logos force Microsoft to alter Bing Image Creator

Cristine Criddle

Microsoft has tweaked its artificial intelligence image generator tool after concerns were raised over a viral social media trend where users created realistic Disney film posters of their dogs, highlighting broader copyright issues in the industry.

Disney’s logo was visible in illustrations made by Microsoft’s Bing Image Creator, which were then posted to TikTok and Instagram. The pictures featured people’s pets in the style of posters made by Disney’s Pixar studio, leading influencers to encourage others to prompt the artificial intelligence tool to generate their own versions.

After concerns were raised, the term “Disney” was blocked from being entered into the image generator, and users were shown a screen which said the prompt—the search terms used to guide the AI—was against its policies. One person familiar with Disney’s approach suggested the media giant had reported its concerns about copyright or intellectual property infringement.

The tool has since been adjusted to allow the term Disney, but the text and logo in the AI-generated pictures still resemble those in original images, as illustrated in the poster, above, for the film Brave. They feature a jumbled but still recognizably similar version of the genuine logo but, for example, with misspellings or a blurred font, such as the picture above showing a dog.

Yes alternatively their marketing department is on fire. We will soon learn if that’s the case (I’m broadly speaking about the AI business her)

I guess you are a bit younger than me (74), and don't realise (or at least did not experience) that AI initiated mountains and mountains of hype back in the 1980s. That morphed gradually into the artificial neural net architectures, which were again hyped to the skies and then abandoned.

The basic problem with modern AI is that it isn't reliable. It runs on creating statistical relationships without using a human to filter out the junk that gets generated by this process.

https://www.statology.org/spurious-corre...-examples/

Discovering the statistical correlation between smoking and lung cancer (among other diseases) was a great step forward in medicine, but discovering a correlation between people's use of matches and lung cancer would not have been as useful.

David

I guess you are a bit younger than me (74), and don't realise (or at least did not experience) that AI initiated mountains and mountains of hype back in the 1980s. That morphed gradually into the artificial neural net architectures, which were again hyped to the skies and then abandoned.

The basic problem with modern AI is that it isn't reliable. It runs on creating statistical relationships without using a human to filter out the junk that gets generated by this process.

https://www.statology.org/spurious-corre...-examples/

Discovering the statistical correlation between smoking and lung cancer (among other diseases) was a great step forward in medicine, but discovering a correlation between people's use of matches and lung cancer would not have been as useful.

David

The classic artificial neural nets were prone to overfitting to their data. It's the emergence of the "transformer" architecture in 2017 that have caused the massive breakthrough we are now witnessing.

The classic artificial neural nets were prone to overfitting to their data. It's the emergence of the "transformer" architecture in 2017 that have caused the massive breakthrough we are now witnessing.

Well I'll take your word for it, but I do see signs that the new AI will still drown in hype.

One need only think of the driverless cars that aren't there. These cars not only do not work well enough to be widely accepted They don't work using simple cameras. They use a variety of ranging technologies to aid them. Why, you might ask, can't they do the job the way we do it? They even need to be connected to a SatNav - even though there are road signs that they could read.

The likes of Tesla have tremendous financial clout and I am pretty sure if these cars worked satisfactorily they would be in general use.

David

The likes of Tesla have tremendous financial clout and I am pretty sure if these cars worked satisfactorily they would be in general use.

There are in more than general use David.  As you know, I own one.  All I see when driving around is Teslas now.

I get your point (re: driverless) but EVs do more than "work satisfactorily".  My Tesla is the best vehicle I've ever owned even in spite of it not doing the driving for me.

[Laird]

Google unveils its latest artificial intelligence model Gemini, claiming it largely outperforms OpenAI's ChatGPT (by AP/Reuters on 7 December, 2023)

The technology's problem-solving skills are being touted by Google as being especially adept in maths and physics, fuelling hopes among AI optimists that it may lead to scientific breakthroughs that improve life for humans.

In a virtual press conference, Google declined to share Gemini's parameter count — one but not the only measure of a model's complexity. A white paper released on Wednesday outlined the most capable version of Gemini outperforming GPT-4 on multiple-choice exams, primary school maths and other benchmarks, but acknowledged ongoing struggles in getting AI models to achieve higher-level reasoning skills.

Some computer scientists see limits in how much can be done with large language models, which work by repeatedly predicting the next word in a sentence and are prone to making up errors known as hallucinations.

"We made a ton of progress in what's called factuality with Gemini. So Gemini is our best model in that regard. But it's still, I would say, an unsolved research problem," Mr Collins said.

The inline video from the article is pretty impressive, featuring Gemini interpreting moving visual imagery:

Hands-on with Gemini: Interacting with multimodal AI

Google's new LLM and ChatGPT competitor Gemini has faced some backlash after it's demo video was revealed to be highly edited. Learn about the latest Gemini drama and take a closer look at its benchmarks.

I have been reading a bit about ChatGPT, and I learned that you can ask it hypothetical questions, such as "assuming the afterlife exists". I found the results rather interesting.

Note how it is reluctant to speculate on the afterlife until prompted by me to "have a go".

[quote]

ChatGPT 3.5
User
assuming there is an afterlife, can you imagine what it might be like?
ChatGPT

The concept of an afterlife is a matter of personal belief and varies among different religious, spiritual, and philosophical traditions. Since there is no scientific evidence or consensus on the existence or nature of an afterlife, any speculation about it is purely hypothetical and subjective.

Different cultures and religions have diverse beliefs about the afterlife. For example, in some religious traditions, there is the notion of heaven and hell, where individuals are rewarded or punished based on their actions during their earthly life. Others may believe in reincarnation, where the soul is reborn into a new body.

Without concrete evidence, it is challenging to provide a definitive answer about the nature of an afterlife. People's beliefs and imaginations about the afterlife often reflect their cultural, religious, or personal perspectives on existence, purpose, and the nature of consciousness.
User
have a go!
ChatGPT

Certainly, imagining an afterlife is a creative exercise, and interpretations can vary widely. Keep in mind that any speculation is purely hypothetical and doesn't reflect any objective reality. Here's one imaginative scenario:

In this afterlife, existence transcends the physical constraints of our earthly experience. It's a realm where consciousness is liberated from the limitations of the human body. Time, as we know it, becomes nonlinear, and individuals have the freedom to explore their own existence and connect with others on a profound level.

This afterlife could be a place of continuous learning and self-discovery, where individuals have the opportunity to reflect on their past lives, learn from their experiences, and gain a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all beings. It might be a realm of pure energy, where thoughts and emotions shape the environment around you.

In this afterlife, there could be a sense of universal harmony, where individuals are in tune with a greater cosmic intelligence. The boundaries between individuals dissolve, fostering a deep sense of empathy and understanding. Communication might occur through a form of telepathy, allowing for a direct and profound exchange of thoughts and emotions.

The afterlife could also be a place of reunion, where individuals are reunited with loved ones who have passed away before them. It might be a realm where the essence of each individual persists, allowing for a continuation of relationships and connections formed during their earthly existence.

Again, it's important to emphasize that these are imaginative and speculative ideas, and any belief in an afterlife remains a matter of personal faith and cultural or religious tradition.
[\quote]


The thing to appreciate here is that Chat-GPT was trained on essentially the entire internet as it existed in Jan 2022. It is described as being analogous to the mechanism in a mobile phone that tries to anticipate what you are about to write. I don't fully understand the analogy there but I think the analogy makes it crystal clear that this is something that is superficially intelligent but constructed out of a mindless process.

Returning to the quote above, I wonder what nonlinear time would feel like.

David

I extended my query using the following request:

User
OK, will you speculate what might happen when we die assuming the afterlife is a reality, and being very creative.
ChatGPT

Certainly, let's explore a creative and speculative interpretation of what might happen when we die, assuming an afterlife is a reality:

In this imaginative scenario, the afterlife is a vast cosmic library, a repository of infinite knowledge and experiences. When individuals pass away, their consciousness transcends into this ethereal realm. Each person's journey in the afterlife involves navigating through the countless books and scrolls that contain the collective wisdom and memories of all sentient beings.

The Cosmic Library:
The afterlife is a magnificent library stretching beyond the limits of comprehension. Each book represents a life lived, and every page contains the detailed account of a person's thoughts, actions, and emotions.

Book of Life:
Upon entering the afterlife, individuals are greeted by the Book of Life, a tome that chronicles the entirety of their earthly existence. Every joy, sorrow, accomplishment, and mistake is intricately woven into the narrative of their personal volume.

Interconnected Realms:
The library comprises interconnected realms, each representing different aspects of existence such as love, knowledge, creativity, and compassion. Traveling through these realms allows individuals to gain a profound understanding of the universal tapestry of consciousness.

Reflection and Growth:
Souls have the opportunity for reflection and growth. They can revisit moments from their lives, gain insights into the ripple effects of their actions, and learn from the experiences of others. This continuous cycle of reflection fosters wisdom and spiritual evolution.

Shared Narratives:
Souls can choose to share their stories with others, creating a collaborative narrative that transcends individual perspectives. This communal storytelling weaves together the threads of existence, fostering empathy and connection among the inhabitants of the afterlife.

The Astral Archive:
Deep within the cosmic library lies the Astral Archive, a repository of universal knowledge. Souls can access this boundless source of information, exploring the mysteries of the cosmos, unlocking the secrets of existence, and contributing to the ever-expanding tapestry of wisdom.

Eternal Creativity:
Creativity knows no bounds in the afterlife. Souls can engage in the creation of new realms, stories, and ideas, adding to the infinite tapestry of the cosmic library. The act of creation becomes a form of cosmic collaboration that transcends the limitations of mortal existence.

Remember, this is a purely speculative and imaginative interpretation. The concept of an afterlife is deeply rooted in personal, cultural, and religious beliefs, and interpretations vary widely.

David