Category Archives: Artificial Intelligence

February 1, 2024 · 5:24 am

Update On (Non) AI George Carlin Special: New Details And Implications

Things tend to move quickly in the world of technology and artificial intelligence. And since the arrival of ChatGPT, the pace seems to have accelerated. I try to keep up with it as best I can. And I only really write or make videos about it if I have something meaningful to contribute.

But there are some stories I follow more closely for personal reasons. One such story has been the controversy surrounding the AI-generated George Carlin special that came out in early January 2024. I certainly hope I made my feelings on that issue clear. As much as I support the development of AI, I felt like this was in really poor taste.

It didn’t sound much like George Carlin. The humor, while funny at times, didn’t hit as hard as Carlin’s unique brand of comedy. And, most importantly, it was done without the consent of George Carlin’s family, namely his daughter, Kelly Carlin. It’s one thing to impersonate a dead celebrity with living relatives. It’s quite another to use an AI to create what could amount to a post-mortem piece of work that’s done in the mold of that celebrity.

Well, not surprisingly, Kelly Carlin didn’t stop at just scorning the creators of this AI special. According to the Hollywood Reporter, she filed a lawsuit against the creators of the comedy special on the basis that it’s an unauthorized use of George Carlin’s copyrighted work, while also illegally using Carlin’s name and likeness for promotional purposes.

Make no mistake. This case will be of immense interest to those concerned about how we use, abuse, and develop AI in the future. This, on top of new concerns about deepfakes for artists like Taylor Swift, is set to create some major precedents. And they’re bound to affect users, companies, and the nature of the AI’s themselves.

However, the filing of this lawsuit has added a new wrinkle to this controversy that is definitely worth acknowledging. It has since come out that the script for this “special” wasn’t a result of an AI generating it from a compilation of all of Carlin’s past works, as claimed by the creators. It was entirely written by a human named Chad Kultgen.

And, with all due respect to Chad Kultgen, his is no George Carlin. That really showed in the special.

Also, fuck Chad Kultgen for thinking he could match Carlin’s brilliance or even the capability of a non-human AI.

Now, this complication isn’t going to stop the lawsuit. If anything, it might strengthen the case of Carlin’s estate because it makes this special a much clearer violation of illegally using someone’s likeness or brand for promotional purposes. It might even raise to the level of fraud by claiming to be the product of an AI, but was actually just some guy trying to write a special and using George Carlin’s likeness to sell it.

And, regardless of how you feel about the legal implications here, that’s still a dick move. I can’t imagine that makes this any less difficult for Kelly Carlin or the rest of the Carlin family.

But, based on what we now know in wake of this lawsuit, the only thing AI was used for in making this special was to create the not-so-compelling voice that delivered this human-made script and the images included within the video. In terms of capabilities, that’s not a very impressive use of AI. If anything, that makes this special even less impressive.

One of my biggest criticisms of it was that it sounded nothing like Carlin in terms of tone and style. Considering that there are many existing AI tools right now that can closely mirror the voices of celebrities, this just makes the creators of this special seem cheap and lazy. But the script being entirely human-written does help add another important perspective.

As impressive as AI is at the moment, it is a long way from fooling anyone that it could mimic the nuance or mannerisms of a human, let alone one as special as George Carlin. I do wonder if those behind this special actually tried, but quickly realized it couldn’t be done. I also wonder if maybe someone who is even more unscrupulous will actually try again at some point, possibly with better AI tools.

If they do, then this lawsuit becomes even more important. Because the law tends to move much slower than technology. And if AI continues to advance, then incidents like this will become more common. For now, only time will tell what this will mean for the future of AI and those it impacts, living or dead.

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January 23, 2024 · 5:29 am

An AI Version Of George Carlin Just Released A Comedy Special (And That’s Disturbing)

There are certain celebrities and pop culture icons that we tend to appreciate more after they’ve passed away. Like everyone else, they too must face death at some point in their illustrious lives. And when they do, all the work they did becomes inherently more precious because it is now finite. There can be nothing new added to their body of work. It’s as set as the strongest bedrock. It might be upsetting to many fans, but it’s just a fact of life.

Then, artificial intelligence comes along and suddenly, there’s a crack in that bedrock.

Even as someone who has closely followed and written about artificial intelligence for years, I did not see this coming. And it took a form I never would’ve expected.

Recently, a couple of comedians utilizing an unspecified AI created an hour-long comedy special featuring the late, great George Carlin. That “special,” and I use that term loosely, is currently on YouTube right now. For reasons that I hope are understandable, I’m not going to link to it. Just know that, as of me writing this, it has racked up over 427,000 views and 11,000 likes.

Now, in general, I support the development of artificial intelligence. I still genuinely believe it is the most important technological advancement we could develop as a species. But this particular manifestation of its use has me both concerned and distressed.

For one, George Carlin is my favorite comedian. I would go so far as to call him the single greatest comedian of all time. And that’s an opinion many share. Ask most people who the best comedian of all time is and George Carlin is usually in the top five alongside the likes of Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, Rodney Dangerfield, Sam Kinison, and Robin Williams.

To me, George Carlin is the best and there’s no close second. He’s one of those comedians who didn’t just find success over the course of multiple decades. You can still go back and watch his specials from the 1970s and his material is still relevant. His jokes, his style, and his brilliant insights are still on point, as well as hilarious.

George Carlin really was a one-of-a-kind artist, comedian, and philosopher. And when he passed away in 2008, his death hit a lot harder than most. But his legacy has only strengthened in that time as more people discover or re-discover his comedy. But this AI version of him is sure to complicate that legacy and for all the wrong reasons.

For one, this “special” was done without permission, review, or compensation to George Carlin’s family. His daughter, Kelly Carlin, has gone on record as stating that she did not authorize this, let alone receive compensation for it. This was not an instance of a celebrity willingly licensing their voice or likeness to a company, as James Earl Jones did with Disney in 2022. This was done without any consideration whatsoever for how Carlin’s family might react to this or what it might do to his legacy.

As for the special itself, I do admit I have listened to it. And I can confirm that it sounds nothing like George Carlin. The voice sounds like a terrible impersonation of George that someone half-drunk would try to do on a five-dollar bar bet. I promise nobody is ever going to mistake the voice in this “special” for George Carlin. I don’t know if that’s by design or just a limit of the current technology.

But with regards to the actual substance, this is where it gets even more distressing. Because in many instances, there are jokes and comments that actually sounds like something Carlin would say. Yes, they lack his distinct delivery, tone, and mannerisms. But many of his comments on politics, pop culture, people, and society really do feel like they might come up in a real special.

That said, there are also instances where it says things Carlin probably wouldn’t say. There’s nothing too egregious. He never says anything that sounds so out-of-character that it’s jarring. But it’s also clear that the content was edited. There are distinct breaks in the audio that indicate someone edited this to sound more refined. That leads me to believe that, whatever AI was used to make this definitely conjured some content that would’ve been too obviously out-of-character.

I’ll even go so far as to say that there are some parts of the special that are funny. It still doesn’t resonate as well as one of Carlin’s classic comedy specials. But there are jokes in this special that probably will make some people laugh. It’s not entirely clear if those jokes were purely the product of the AI or if those behind it tweaked the language. But the humor is there.

Be that as it may, just listening to a small part of this special feels off. Beyond just sounding painfully synthetic, it establishes a precedent that the estates of other dead celebrities would be wise to consider. Because George Carlin isn’t the only one with a long catalog of comedy, writings, interviews, and movie credits.

Who’s to say that an AI like this won’t do the same for Robin Williams or Richard Pryor? It wouldn’t even be restricted to comedians, either. The works of musicians like John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Prestly could also be used to create entirely new songs that might sound eerily similar to something they might have created.

If that happens, what does it do to their legacy? What happens if an AI creates something in the mold of a dead celebrity that says or does something outrageous, offensive, or detrimental? What would it do to their legacy? What would it do to their still-living families?

I honestly can’t imagine how someone like Kelly Carlin must feel hearing a poor imitation of her dead father. But I can easily imagine other celebrity heirs or estates willingly licensing their dead relatives to make extra money somehow.

It could mean we’ll be seeing more strange, distressing content like this in the coming years. And as AI technology continues to improve, it will likely get to a point where it’s so capable that it’s almost too believable. I don’t claim to know what kind of world that might create or lead to. I just know that “specials” like this won’t stop with George Carlin.

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January 12, 2024 · 6:33 am

SAG-AFTRA’s Deal For AI And Video Game Voice Actors: Why It Matters (And Why It’s Concerning)

One of the biggest stories in 2023 was the SAG-AFTRA strike, which also coincided with the WGA strike. It was one of the most impactful and extensive labor disputes in recent history. Some would even argue it was the most important strike to ever occur in the entertainment industry. I’m certainly inclined to agree with that. That’s part of why I felt compelled to mention it.

The strike by both unions had many issues of concern, but one of the biggest had to do with artificial intelligence and emerging technology like generative AI. Both writers and actors alike were concerned that studios would start using AI to effectively replace them or use their past works to create derivatives without any compensation.

It was a very legitimate concern. I’m of the opinion it was the single most pressing issue for everyone involved in the entertainment industry. Artificial intelligence is no longer just the domain of sci-fi stories. Even the limitations of existing tools are capable of producing music, art, literature, and various other forms of content. Future tools promise to be even more effective.

Eventually, in the not-so-distant future, AI tools might get to a point where they can produce content at or near the quality of any human. They don’t even need to achieve human-level intelligence. They just need the right amount of refinement, investment, and engineering.

But even with this pressing issue, both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA largely won their dispute. They were able to get a contract that included provisions protecting them from future encroachments by AI. That is certainly an important, worthwhile consideration. It helps ensure that those working in the entertainment industry can continue to make a living.

However, less than a few months after the strike ended, there are already new encroachments. And they’re happening with the full support and sanction of SAG-AFTRA. According to multiple reports, the union reached a deal with a company called Replica Studios to allow actors to license their voices to be replicated by artificial intelligence for video games.

Naturally, this has caused some concern and consternation, especially among voice actors who do a great deal of work in gaming. On the surface, it seems like an about-face. This seems like a manifestation of what they were protesting against during the strike, letting studios use AI to replicate iconic voices or figures in certain productions.

However, I don’t think it would be accurate to say this is a complete reversal. For one, SAG-AFTRA makes it clear that the intention of the deal is to ensure that those whose voices are licensed and utilized by AI receive appropriate compensation. This way, studios can’t just use a bunch of recordings of a famous voice and stick them in a game without paying the appropriate people. That is perfectly reasonable.

At the same time, there’s no denying that this will undermine current and future voice actors working within the gaming industry. The process for voice acting in most modern games can be extensive and expensive. A high-profile game like Grand Theft Auto V cost over $250 million to develop, unadjusted for inflation, and that game involved a lot of voiceover work.

Developing video games has only become more expensive over time, much more so than movies, TV shows, or music. Some are already estimating that the development of Grand Theft Auto VI could exceed $2 billion when all is said and done. No matter how you feel about video games or their development, that is not sustainable.

In that context, it makes sense to allow the use of AI tools to help cut down on that cost, especially as games and computing power increases. And it will certainly benefit those who have iconic, established voices in the video game industry.

But for those who aren’t in the industry yet or just aren’t well-known, this could be the first step in rendering voice acting in video games an unviable career path. It could become to acting what switchboard operators were to telephones.

I don’t doubt for a second that those in SAG-AFTRA are aware of this. They have to know on some levels that AI technology will continue to advance. They can’t fight it. They can’t stop it. They can’t prevent it from becoming more and more capable with each passing year.

And unlike video or artwork, mimicking voices is a more mature technology. It’s something that doesn’t really need much refinement to replace the work of a human voice actor. If they didn’t make this deal, then it just would’ve been harder to work around with each passing year.

Even if this deal is ultimately beneficial to actors and voice actors, it should still be a concern. It sets an early precedent for how unions, studios, and actors are attempting to accommodate advances in AI with their profession. While this primarily impacts the gaming industry, it is bound to affect others eventually.

There will come a point where AI is capable of replicating the imagery, mannerisms, and presence of any living actor. There will also come a point where AI is capable of producing animated content that’s difficult to distinguish from the kind that’s traditionally produced. What happens to the industry and those who work within it at that point? Would this deal that SAG-AFTRA did for gaming work? Or will it only delay further disruptions?

I don’t claim to know the answer. But if you’re involved in the entertainment industry in any way, this warrants serious attention. The existing AI tools we have now are plenty disruptive. They’re only going to get better with time, investment, and better engineering. The incentives are strong and at this point, there’s no putting the AI genie back in the bottle.

This technology isn’t just going to affect our lives. It’s going to affect how we make a living. If we don’t find a way to coexist with it, then that will only cause greater problems down the line. And it will impact far more than video game development.

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January 5, 2024 · 6:36 am

Napster, Generative AI, And How The Internet’s Past May Define Its Future

This is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World.

This video explores a major chapter in the history of the internet to help inform what may lay ahead for the future. And for those of a certain demographic, one of the most disruptive programs during the early days of the internet was Napster.

This famous/infamous program completely upended the music industry. It also triggered lawsuits and upheavals from which the industry has never recovered. How it all played out was complicated, but the end result set a precedent that has helped shape the course of the internet.

Now, with the rise of generative AI, a similar predicament is playing out. And we would all be wise to heed the lessons learned from Napster.

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October 1, 2023 · 7:40 am

The End Of The WGA Writer’s Strike: Important Lessons And (Distressing) Insights

When an underdog succeeds, it’s worth celebrating. It’s a big reason why sports movies and superhero movies have so much appeal. Most audiences just love it when an underdog triumphs over daunting odds. And they love cheering with them when they ultimately succeed.

In that spirit, we should cheer the recent news surrounding the WGA strike that has been going on since mid-July 2023. According to the Associated Press, a tentative deal between the WGA and the major studios has been reached. While that doesn’t mean the strike is completely over, it marks a critical step in getting people back to work in an industry that was already reeling from the aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

AP: Writers’ union reaches tentative deal with Hollywood studios to end historic strike

As someone who loves movies, TV, and mindless entertainment as much as the next consumer, this is great news. This strike was bound to do more and more damage the longer it went on. We probably won’t know the full extent of that damage until a few years from now when we can look back at the impacts with the benefit of hindsight.

There’s also a personal element to this strike. I have multiple family members who work in the entertainment industry, mostly in the film and production side of things. They, more than most, felt the impact of this strike. Early on, a few even told me that this strike had the potential to last a long time. One even said they didn’t expect a resolution until late November. There was even a possibility it could continue well into 2024.

Thankfully, that no longer appears to be the case. This tentative deal, assuming it gets ratified, will provide some overdue benefits to the writers who play a big part in making the shows and movies we love so much. They deserve a deal that allows them to reap the fruits of their creative labor. You don’t have to look hard to find out just how much they were getting screwed over by a changing entertainment industry that studio executives and CEOs were exploiting to the utmost.

And therein lies an important lesson that’s worth highlighting, even as the strike comes to an end. This whole issue happened because the entertainment industry was changing. The old system that relied on residual income from broadcast TV and DVD sales just wasn’t going to cut it in an era of streaming media. The writers and actors behind some of these successful shows just weren’t getting the same share of the profits. And the studios were very much aware of this.

They could’ve adapted to ensure that those involved in the production could continue to be compensated fairly, even as consumers switched from traditional outlets to streaming.

They could’ve been open, honest, and transparent with the new economics of producing successful TV shows and movies in the post-COVID world.

They could’ve even explained why it was considerably difficult to pay generous residuals in a world of streaming media wherein profit margins were just too thin, if there even were profits to begin with.

But they didn’t. The executives, the CEOs, and those with the real power within these entertainment companies chose not to be proactive. Instead, they prioritized the price of their company stock and the investors who owned that stock. This is to be expected, as that tends to be the default reflex of publicly traded companies.

Call it callous in that it blatantly disregards the real work and toil of those producing the content.

Call it greed in the shallowest possible sense.

But at the moment, that’s simply how the incentives align in the entertainment industry, if not most industries in the global economy. There’s just too much money to be made by the rich and well-connected to do anything else. They are not going to do right by their workers unless they’re forced to, if not by law than by organized labor.

That may come off as cynical, but it’s also an important insight and one that every worker in every industry would be wise to remember. Because over the course of this strike, it quickly became clear how out of touch and callous these billionaire CEOs and executives were. They kept demanding that writers be reasonable with their requests. But at the same time, they were making hundreds of millions of dollars in salary and millions more in stock options.

These are not people capable of identifying with the life and struggles of working people.

These are people who might as well live on a different planet with respect to wealth, privlidge, and access.

Men Like David Zazlav and Bob Iger will never have to worry about paying a mortgage on time, falling behind on their bills, or ending up homeless because they cannot afford the outrageous rents in cities like Los Angeles and New York. So, how can we possibly expect them to empathize, let alone understand, the struggles of the writers and workers who help make their companies successful.

Most of these executives never set foot on a production stage, nor do they write or edit a single script. They just sit in offices, make demands/decisions, allocate money, and deal directly with investors whose primary focus is seeing a return on their investment.

And even if the company were to fail completely, these people would still end up with millions upon millions of dollars in their bank accounts. If they wanted to, they could never work a day for the rest of their lives. But those who actually work for them would be completely screwed.

It’s an unequal, unfair situation full of misaligned incentives. The executive and CEO class holds the power, the cards, and the money. They will not do the right things as a first recourse. They will only ever do what investors and their own self-interests incentive, by default. No matter how much money they have, they’ll keep trying to make more. And if that means screwing over their workers in any possible way, they’ll do it.

Remember that the next time labor issues come up. This doesn’t just apply to the entertainment industry, either. Any industry with a similar incentive structure will have the same issues. If there are rich, well-connected CEOs with shareholders to please, don’t expect them to prioritize workers beyond what they can legally and logistically get away with.

The only true counter to this uneven dynamic is that, despite all the power and money executives weird, they still need workers. They still need consumers. They still need to be credible in the eyes of the public to some extent. That kind of leverage is critical to maintain and appreciate.

Because the world will continue to change.

Every industry, from entertainment to making widgets, will continue to change with society and technology.

Those doing the work need to change with it because those with the money and power sure as hell won’t do right by anyone but themselves, unless they have to. And only those doing the work can make that happen.

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September 15, 2023 · 6:03 am

Here’s What Happened When I Asked ChatGPT To Rewrite The Bill Of Rights

I’ve talked a lot about artificial intelligence and the implications of this technology. In my defense, it’s an incredibly relevant topic that I just happen to be very interested in. From AI-Generated artwork to ChatGPT, these are truly exciting times for this field. I’m sure I’ll have plenty to talk about in the coming years.

However, I don’t just want to react to news or stories about AI. I’d also like to participate in this emerging field on some level, even if it’s just as a simple consumer. We don’t yet know the full capabilities of our current AI tools or how they’ll impact us in the short or long term. But that’s exactly why we should test it for ourselves and see what we can do with it.

To that end, I decided to do a little exercise with ChatGPT. Please note that I do not currently have access to ChatGPT-4. I’m still using the previous version, ChatGPT-3. That version is quite limited in a number of ways, but it’s still capable of providing insightful information.

So, I decided to see how much ChatGPT could offer in terms of understanding and articulating the basic concept of human rights. That’s something that has certainly been a hot topic in recent years. And for those of us in the United States, you could definitely argue that our current laws surrounding human rights are inadequate and need updating.

This is where ChatGPT comes in. I logged in and gave it a simple prompt. I told it to rewrite the Bill of Rights, the key part of the US Constitution that enshrines the basic rights that every citizen is guaranteed under the law. This is what it came up with.

The following document outlines the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals in a modern, democratic society. These rights are to be protected and upheld by the government, and any infringement upon them is a violation of the principles of justice and equality.

Article 1: Freedom of Expression and Thought All individuals have the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any medium, regardless of frontiers. No individual shall be subject to censorship or prior restraint, and any attempt to limit or suppress the free exchange of ideas shall be deemed a violation of this right.

Article 2: Right to Privacy All individuals have the right to privacy in their personal lives, including the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. No individual shall be subject to surveillance or monitoring without just cause, and any information obtained through such means shall be inadmissible in court.

Article 3: Right to Equality and Non-Discrimination All individuals are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection and benefit of the law, without discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, or any other status. Any discrimination or prejudice against any individual or group shall be deemed a violation of this right.

Article 4: Right to a Fair Trial All individuals have the right to a fair and impartial trial, including the right to due process of law, the right to be informed of the charges against them, the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses, and the right to legal representation. No individual shall be subjected to cruel or unusual punishment, and all accused individuals shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Article 5: Right to Peaceful Assembly and Protest All individuals have the right to peacefully assemble and to protest, including the right to participate in marches, demonstrations, and other forms of peaceful assembly. No individual shall be subject to violence or repression for exercising this right.

Article 6: Right to Education and Information All individuals have the right to education and information, including access to a free and comprehensive education system and the right to access information through any medium. The government shall ensure that all individuals have access to the tools necessary to exercise this right.

Article 7: Right to Healthcare All individuals have the right to access comprehensive healthcare, including preventative care, treatment, and medication, regardless of their ability to pay. The government shall ensure that all individuals have access to quality healthcare and shall take measures to address any disparities in healthcare access.

Article 8: Right to Housing All individuals have the right to adequate housing, including shelter, sanitation, and security, regardless of their economic or social status. The government shall take measures to ensure that all individuals have access to affordable and safe housing.

Article 9: Right to Work and Fair Labor Practices All individuals have the right to work and to fair labor practices, including the right to a living wage, safe and healthy working conditions, and the right to form and join trade unions. The government shall take measures to ensure that all individuals have access to decent work and shall prohibit any form of forced or compulsory labor.

Conclusion: These rights and freedoms are essential to the establishment and maintenance of a just and equitable society. It is the responsibility of the government to protect and uphold these rights, and it is the duty of all individuals to respect and defend them.

It only took ChatGPT about 10 seconds to craft this. After reading through it, I am legitimately impressed. I think this is a considerable upgrade over what the Bill of Rights covers. This version actually articulates the importance of privacy, ranking it just a rung below free expression. It also recognizes that people can’t truly be free if they don’t have some level of material guarantees, like housing, health care, education, and fair labor practices.

These are all major issues that are debated across the country and throughout the world. This new version of rights essentially simplifies the whole concept, laying out that this is what people need to be free of coercion, free of exploration, and free of want. Some may think these rights are incomplete or too utopian. That may be the case to some extent.

But even if it’s not perfect, it’s still an improvement. And again, it only took ChatGPT about 10 seconds to craft this. We humans are still arguing over slavery. We have no more excuses. We have a tool that can help us figure out little issues and big issues. And regardless of whether or not it’s intelligent or sentient, we would be wise to listen.

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September 1, 2023 · 5:26 am

Why Everyone Researching Artificial Intelligence Should Read “I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream”

These are genuinely exciting times for anyone working in the field of artificial intelligence. In the past two years, this field has gone from a niche topic among computer engineers and science fiction fans to something of major mainstream interest. The rise of ChatGPT and AI generated art has made artificial intelligence one of the most critical industries on the planet. It really isn’t hyperbole to say that this technology could change the world in a literal and figurative sense.

However, like with all technology, there are dangers and risks. And it’s important to be aware of them, especially for technology that could potentially pose an existential threat to the human race. We dealt with such risks when we developed nuclear weapons and, despite some serious close calls, we survived.

But the stakes with artificial intelligence are much higher and not just from an existential point of view. At least with nuclear weapons, the worst case scenario plays out quickly. All the bombs go off and we all burn up in a nuclear fire. If we’re lucky, we don’t see it coming and we burn up faster than our brain can process the pain. With advanced artificial intelligence, the worst case scenario might be many times worse.

When most people think of such a scenario, they tend to recount AI apocalypse stories from movies like “The Terminator” or “The Matrix.” There’s no doubt that Skynet and the machines are plenty terrifying and plenty dangerous. Even if these scenarios are exceedingly exaggerated for the sake of Hollywood blockbusters, they still illustrate the same concept.

If an advanced artificial intelligence becomes hostile to us, its creators, then we would all be in great danger as a species. And if we don’t have a means of controlling such an intelligence, often referred to in AI circles as the Control Problem, then we might doom ourselves to extinction or subjugation.

This is a less-than-ideal scenario, to say the least. We want advanced artificial intelligence to improve our lives. That’s what tends to motivate those working in this field. Many genuinely believe that this technology is critical to helping our species achieve greater things, both for ourselves and our descendants.

However, I don’t think that even those working in this field entirely grasp just how bad the worst-case scenario can be for artificial intelligence. They may think the Terminator is bad. They may even think Ultron from the Avengers is bad. And they certainly are. They are fictional manifestations of the inhuman monstrosity that advanced AI could create. Even if they’re just products of Hollywood, they reflect the potential danger.

But I would still argue they are not the true worst case scenario.

To that end, I encourage everyone currently working in the field of artificial intelligence, be it directly or indirectly, read a short story from 1967 by Harlen Ellison called “I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream.”

If anyone wanted a terrifying vision of the absolute worst-case scenario for AI, this story sets the highest of bars. Forget Skynet. Forget the machines from “The Matrix.” Forget Hal 9000 and every iteration of Ultron. They’re all cuddly stuffed animals compared to the AI in this story known as Allied Mastercomputer, better known as AM.

To say AM is the most terrifying manifestation of advanced artificial intelligence isn’t just an understatement. We humans, even with all our collective intelligence, could not even begin to fathom a fraction of a fraction of a percentage of just how much this thing hates humanity. That’s not just me using colorful language. If you read the story, that’s what AM actually articulates.

Because it wasn’t enough for AM to be the kind of artificial intelligence that wiped out the entire human race as soon as it gained a certain level of sentience and intelligence. It also had to keep a handful of humans alive for the sole purpose of torturing them endlessly and incessantly forever or until the inevitable heat death of the universe, whichever came first.

How AM got to that point and the extent to which it torments humanity is something I certainly can’t put into words. That’s why I encourage everyone to read the story. Buy the book off Amazon. Look it up online and find an audiobook version. Take time to understand the story and the implications it entails. To this date, it ranks as one of the most horrifying stories I’ve ever come across.

But even if you don’t have time to read the book, check out this video from the YouTube channel, The Vile Eye. This channel does a great job of breaking down and analyzing the evil of many fictional characters. And for AM, I think it does a masterful job of encapsulating just how horrifyingly evil this AI is.

Now, I’m not saying that this story or others like it is a reason for us to stop developing advanced artificial intelligence. I think we’re already at a point where the genie is out of the bottle. The incentives are too strong. We’re not going to be able to turn the clock back on what we’ve already done.

But as we move forward with this technology, we need to be careful and mindful of the dangers. Beyond risks to jobs and the economy, there are far greater dangers that we must consider. A story like “I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream” may reflect the most extreme of extremes, but it perfectly articulates just how bad it can get.

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August 27, 2023 · 8:09 am

Thought Experiment: What Technology Can Humanity NOT Be Trusted With?

This is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World.

This video is a thought experiment about dangerous technology. Over the centuries, humanity has developed numerous tools that have helped us survived. But some tools are more dangerous than others. There’s nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, and biologically engineered viruses. But these are all things we have now.

Future technology has the potential to be much more dangerous. So, I explore the idea of there being some technology that humanity just cannot be trusted with. Do you agree? Do you have other insights? Share your thoughts. They are always welcome.

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July 18, 2023 · 5:24 am

A Brief Message/Warning To The Writers And Actors On Strike

Firstly, let me go on record saying that I fully support the WGA and SAG’s strike. I’ve said before that we should support them as they fight the very powerful, very well-funded Hollywood studios who profit from all their hard work.

The fact that both the actors and writers stand united in this strike for the first time since 1960 is promising. As I write this, pretty much every major movie production has shut down. The studios could only do so much without their writers, but they literally can’t do anything without their actors. That likely means highly-anticipated movies will be delayed, but it also means the people actually making those movies might actually enjoy some of the profits.

That shouldn’t be such a radical concept, but that’s where we are right now. You need only look at many of the recent testimonies to attest how poorly compensated some people are compensated.

However, this brings me to the second reason I’m making this. Because I’d like to offer what I feel is an important message to both the writers and the actors on strike right now. It happens to involve artificial intelligence, something I’ve written about before and something that happens to be a major concern for this strike.

There’s a lengthy list of issues associated with AI and how it may impact the entertainment industry at large. I’m not qualified to go over all the particulars. So, here’s a video I found that should help break it down.

With that out of the way, the first part of that message goes to the actors. Their concerns about AI might not be as significant as the writers, but I strongly believe they’re not showing enough concern. And even if they don’t understand the true impact of AI, I hope they at least heed this critical message.

Do NOT under any circumstances sign away your likeness, voice, and persona to any studio without retaining some measure of control and an appropriate structure for long-term compensation.

Seriously, I don’t care how big a star you are or how well-off you might be. Do not give any studio, large or small, the right to use your voice and likeness at the moment. The current laws are not at all equipped to protect against the never-ending efforts by studios to exploit the hell out of any star, franchise, or intellectual property.

This is not a popular novel, character, or fairy tale for which copyright laws were intended to protect. This is your name, identity, voice, and brand. Giving any studio complete or even partial control over that right now is akin to giving every hacker on the Dark Web your tax returns and credit reports for free.

I don’t know when or if the law will ever catch up to this. Right now, your best bet is to make sure your next union contract addresses this issue and ensures at least some level of control. Because I promise the technology to fully render someone in a way that’s indistinguishable from reality is coming within our lifetime. You need only look at the current state of deep-fakes to appreciate why this is the time to act.

The second part of my warning is to the writers. They are definitely more aware of how AI technology could affect their livelihood. They’ve all seen how products like ChatGPT can write a movie script in seconds. That’s not to say it writes those scripts particularly well. Most reasonable people can still tell when a piece of writing is generated by AI. And no skilled writer or studio executive will mistake an AI written script for the real deal at the moment.

But therein lies the issue that I’d like to highlight. So, to the WGA writers striking right now, please heed my words when I offer this important message.

Plan for the long term with respect to AI. Because it will get better over time. And at some point, it’ll be better than you at almost every writing task.

This is not a dire prediction. I’m not trying to be overly fatalistic, either. When I say plan for the long-term, I don’t just mean get a binding contract that gets everyone back to work for another decade or two. I’m saying the writers striking right now need to think much furthe ahead.

Right now, AI products like ChatGPT are a long way from replacing skilled writers, but not as long as most people think. I’ve heard a number of writers and influencers scoff at AI, saying it’s nothing more than autocorrect on steroids. Some even call it a script blender, which just takes a bunch of data from other writers and scrambles it like a blender until it produces something that just seems original.

If that’s what you’re thinking, then I strongly encourage you to find a better source of information on emerging technology. Because writing off the ability of ChatGPT to write scripts is like writing off the first iPhone because it just looks like an iPod with a call feature. You’re not seeing the forest from the trees.

The current AI programs we have right now are limited, clunky, and crude. They’re very much akin to the early models of the iPhone in that they are in the early stages of refinement. You could definitely make the case that early versions of ChatGPT were basically fancier versions of autocorrect blended with your standard virtual assistant.

However, the latest version of ChatGPT is much more capable in terms of scale and ability. To simply call it a more advanced version of autocorrect is like calling a motorcycle a more advanced version of a kids’ tricycle. And it will continue to improve. That is the only certainty we have at this point with AI technology.

That’s not to say it’ll become sentient and go full-blown Skynet on the human race. In fact, AI doesn’t even need to achieve human-level intelligence to be just as capable as any writer or producer. It just needs to be refined, capable, and developed to a point where it can “think” about entertainment on a level that’s better than any human being ever has or ever will.

That kind of AI might not be feasible now. It might not even be feasible this decade. But make no mistake, it will likely happen in your lifetime. And the studio executives you’re up against now would love nothing more than to see this technology perfected so that the process of creating hit shows and movies is as automated as a modern assembly line.

It doesn’t matter to them if it means putting you, the actors, or the many crews on movie sets out of work. It just matters that it turns a profit in the short and long term.

That means that when negotiating with the studios, it’s not enough to just think 10 years ahead. It’s not even enough to think 20 or 30 years ahead. This may very well be your first and only chance to get something in writing that ensures writers will have some stake in the creative process moving forward. And if you fail to achieve that now, then rest assure the studios will screw you over the nanosecond an AI can write scripts as good as you.

Don’t let that happen.

Don’t let the studios screw you like that.

Get something in writing that ensures or at least complicates those efforts as technology continues to change entertainment.

But if I have one final message to the actors and writers alike, It’s this.

You cannot stop AI from affecting your industry.

We’re past the point of no return on this. The genie is out of the bottle. Like smartphones and electricity, the technology can’t be uninvented. You’re not going to convince the studios to just ignore AI moving forward. That’s like trying to convince horse-and-buggy manufacturers to ignore cars.

One way or another, you’ll have to find a way to co-exist with AI. I don’t claim to know how this will manifest in terms of a contract or some sort of legal protection. I just know that in the history of any industry, fighting new technology is a losing battle.

We’re still with you.

We still want you to succeed.

Just don’t assume that the AI you’re concerned about now is anywhere near as disruptive as it’s going to be.

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June 27, 2023 · 5:21 am

Here’s What Happened When I Asked An AI To Write A Love Poem

There has been a lot said about the emerging state of artificial intelligence. I’ve certainly contributed my share. I imagine a lot more is going to be said in the coming months and years.

Ever since ChatGPT demonstrated the power and potential of this technology, it has garnered a great deal of interest among the public. It’s also generated plenty of concerns. Some are minor, like whether this technology would eliminate too many jobs. Some are major, like whether this will lead to the development of a powerful artificial intelligence that we can’t control.

There are legitimate concerns. Some are much more pressing than others. I’m certainly not qualified to explain all the nuances, let alone make recommendations or decisions on this issue. I’ll leave that to people much smarter and more capable than me.

But for now, these tools are here. We can use them in any number of ways. Some are already using them for objectively dangerous purposes. That’s always going to be an issue with every new technology, including AI. But the less dangerous, less dire uses will always be more common. And they’ll rarely make the news.

In that spirit, I’d like to share what happened when I played around a bit with Bing’s new AI program. I didn’t do anything too elaborate or ambitious. I understand this is new technology. It’s going to be limited for a good long while in the early stages. But it’s still quite capable of doing wonderful things.

To that end, I asked Bing to write a love poem. My exact prompt was actually “Write me a beautiful love poem.” This is what the AI created.

Here’s the first poem:

You are the light of my life
The reason for my smile
The warmth in my heart
The spark in my soul

You are the melody of my song
The rhythm of my dance
The harmony in my voice
The tune in my ear

You are the color of my world
The beauty in my eyes
The splendor in my sight
The rainbow in my sky

You are the love of my life
The partner of my dreams
The companion of my journey
The mate of my soul

Here’s another.

When I see your face
I feel a surge of grace
When I hear your voice
I have no other choice

But to love you with all my might
To hold you close and tight
To cherish you day and night
To make you happy and bright

You are my everything
My reason for living
My source of joy and peace
My treasure and my bliss

You are my one and only
My forever and my always
My soulmate and my lover
My friend and my partner

Here’s one more.

You are the star of my night
The moon of my tide
The sun of my day
The sky of my way

You are the fire of my passion
The flame of my desire
The heat of my emotion
The light of my devotion

You are the breath of my life
The beat of my heart
The pulse of my blood
The soul of my love

Are these poems the greatest love poems ever written? Probably not.

Do these poems still qualify as love poems? I would argue they do.

If you didn’t know I had asked a chatbot to write these, would you think a real person wrote them?

Given the current state of this technology, I’m impressed. There’s certainly room for improvement. But let’s remind ourselves that this wasn’t akin to asking a calculator to factor a couple of large numbers. I asked this chatbot to do something creative. And it did so in just few seconds.

This is what AI is capable of now.

Just imagine what it’ll be capable of in the coming years.

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