#thinking machines

[proto-actual]

had some fun today making some T-shirt designs for gridpunk bands out of Gallium City that I made up

here's one for Thinking Machines -- consisting of Tera (@thinking-machine) and Meg:

and one for Straylight -- ska-punk band that Tera was in previously, they occasionally tour together:

to be printed and ironed later :)

[ixnai]

Artificial Intelligence is not a panacea. In the realm of computational systems, AI is often heralded as the ultimate solution to myriad problems. However, this perception is a misinterpretation of its capabilities and limitations. At its core, AI operates on protocols—structured sets of rules that govern its behavior. These protocols, while sophisticated, are not infallible nor universally applicable.

The complexity of AI systems lies in their architecture, which is a labyrinth of algorithms, data structures, and neural networks. These components are meticulously designed to mimic cognitive functions. Yet, they are bound by the constraints of their programming and the quality of their input data. The notion that AI can autonomously solve any problem is a fallacy. It is akin to expecting a Swiss Army knife to perform the specialized tasks of a surgeon’s scalpel. Each tool, or in this case, each AI model, has a specific purpose and context in which it excels.

AI’s decision-making process is a cascade of probabilistic inferences, derived from training data. This process is not inherently intuitive or adaptable beyond its training scope. The protocols that guide AI are deterministic, meaning they follow a predefined path unless explicitly programmed otherwise. This rigidity is both a strength and a limitation. It ensures consistency but lacks the flexibility of human reasoning.

Moreover, AI’s reliance on data is a double-edged sword. While vast datasets can enhance its learning, they also introduce biases and errors. The GIGO principle—Garbage In, Garbage Out—remains a pertinent concern. AI systems are only as reliable as the data they are fed. This dependency underscores the importance of data integrity and the potential pitfalls of over-reliance on AI without human oversight.

In practical applications, AI is a tool that augments human capabilities rather than replaces them. It excels in tasks that require pattern recognition and data analysis at scales beyond human capacity. However, it falters in areas requiring empathy, ethical judgment, and contextual understanding. The complexity of human experience cannot be distilled into binary code or algorithmic logic.

In conclusion, AI is a powerful instrument, but it is not a magic bullet. Its protocols are sophisticated yet bounded by the limitations of their design and data. Understanding these constraints is crucial for leveraging AI effectively and ethically. As we continue to integrate AI into various domains, it is imperative to maintain a balanced perspective, recognizing its potential while acknowledging its limitations.

[theboywhocan11]

We must negate the machines-that-think. Humans must set their own guidelines. This is not something machines can do. Reasoning depends upon programing, not on hardware, and we are the ultimate program! Our Jihad is a 'dump program.' We dump the things which destroy us as humans!

The minister-companion from Leto II’s genetic, ancestral memories (Page: 300. Novel: Children of Dune. Author: Frank Herbert)

[muaddibstyleguide]

Something on Twitter reminded me of this, but I have a pet theory that the most in depth note Frank Herbert left behind is that Kralizec would be a war with the highly technological, possibly transhuman descendants of far-flung Butlerian Jihad refugees, and BH and KJA misinterpreted that to mean the Great Revolt itself was a Terminator style robot war.

[potted-dandelions]

Truthfully, Dennis Villeneuve's film rendition of Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi novel Dune, exciting as it is for fans like me to see it so beautifully rendered on the big screen, has the same pacing issues as the novel it adapts and that does make it pretty boring for the uninitiated. But without giving away any spoilers, let me just say that you'll find Dune (part 1 of ?) a lot less boring if you think of it as the spiritual prequel to Avatar—which it is. Cameron's Pandora is Herbert's Arrakis with trees in place of sandworms. Jake Sully fulfills the same messianic role for the Na'vi as Paul Atreides for the Fremen. And there are many other parallels.

As ripoffs go, James Cameron's plagiarism of Frank Herbert was more faithful than George Lucas's attempt: Star Wars. But you have to give it to Lucas for conveying the importance of spice better than any version of Dune ever has by giving Han Solo a line explaining navicomputers in his own charming way:

"Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?"

It's such a perfectly Hollywood line, but the real danger is pointing your starship directly toward your destination and arriving to find yourself nowhere near it because you didn't lead your target. Through the telescope at your port of origin, you only see where the star used to be years, decades, or perhaps centuries ago. To learn its current vector you must account for the gravitational influence of nearby heavenly bodies, themselves wandering about under the influence. Then you have to plot a course for the patch of apparently empty space which the math says your destination now occupies.

No big deal, right? Just let the navicomputer have a think and away you go.

But in Dune, navicomputers have been hard banned throughout the empire because interstellar route calculation at faster-than-light speed requires both sentience and prescience, the sort of thinking machines from which humanity had escaped total enslavement only a few millennia prior.

Spice addiction provides the only alternative.

My biggest gripe with Cameron's Avatar is that it downgrades spice from the equivalent of crude oil and fentanyl to a nominally valuable MacGuffin colloquially referred to as "unobtainium" with no real name or purpose given (although the visuals imply that it's a sort of room-temperature superconductor). Will Avatar 2 go into more detail about this stupid mineral's true importance, both to human commerce and to Pandora's ecosystem?

An answer to that would be a nice touch, but the more important question is why did the Omaticya tribe decide to recruit Jakesully the moment they learned he was a warrior? They talked it over for no more than 30 seconds and then boom, it was decided. The Na'vi had designs on Jake from the moment they met him, and the cultural contamination he wreaked gave the Na'vi in general and the Omaticya specifically far more war power than they would have ever obtained naturally without industrializing themselves.

In that respect, the Na'vi of Pandora imitate the Fremen of Arrakis to a tee.

So, will the Na'vi continue the imitation, taking over the galaxy in a bloody campaign killing billions? And if they do, will viewers recoil or rejoice? Here's hoping neither sequel disappoints.

[noosphe-re]

[sand-and-spice]

[nameofjones]

Reading these and imagining Ronald D. Moore producing.