Artificial intelligence still has some way to go

washingtonpost has a relatively new AI "summarize" feature. i'm sure that's already a thing at other outlets, but it's kind of new to me. if anyone wants to see how well (or poorly) it works, here's an example article

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/06/11/rebecca-grossman-sentencing-crash/
gift link: https://wapo.st/3Rtlp5d

Socialite gets 15 years to life for L.A. hit-and-run that killed 2 boys
Grossman Burn Foundation co-founder Rebecca Grossman struck Jacob Iskander, 8, and his brother Mark, 11, with her car in a Los Angeles crosswalk.

Rebecca Grossman, a wealthy California socialite and philanthropist, was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life in prison for the deaths of two young brothers in a Los Angeles crosswalk in 2020.

Grossman, 60, was convicted by a jury in February on two counts of murder, vehicular manslaughter and gross negligence in the deaths of Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8, and an additional count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death.

Prosecutors had pushed for the maximum sentence of 34 years to life. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón on Monday said he was “deeply disappointed with the outcome.” Grossman was ordered to pay $47,161.89 in restitution to the victims’ family.

Grossman — who founded the Grossman Burn Foundation with her husband, Peter, a prominent Los Angeles plastic surgeon and burn doctor — maintained throughout the trial and sentencing that she did not see the two boys, who were crossing the street with their parents in a marked crosswalk.

Police alleged in a statement at the time that she was driving at “excessive speeds” through Westlake Village. She continued driving after the crash, they said, eventually stopping about a quarter-mile away.

“This individual showed a complete disregard for the lives and safety of others in our community through her reckless actions, which ultimately shattered a family and robbed two children of their bright futures,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Chief Allen Castellano said Monday.

In a presentencing memo, prosecutors had argued for the maximum sentence, accusing Grossman of displaying a “narcissistic superiority” and saying she had neither shown remorse nor accepted responsibility for the crash.

“She has lived a life of privilege and clearly felt that her wealth and notoriety would buy her freedom,” they wrote.

In a letter to the boys’ parents, appended as an exhibit in the prosecution’s sentencing motion, Grossman wrote: “I am so sorry that I was portrayed as a monster to you. I will always remember this life-altering second of my life for the remainder of my life. Every day. I still have nightmares.” She said her previous efforts to express remorse had been “redacted.”

Grossman’s attorney, James Spertus, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that the data recorder in Grossman’s Mercedes SUV showed she accelerated to 81 mph just seconds before the crash, with her foot pressed to the floor. The speed limit in the residential neighborhood was 45 mph.

Investigator Michael Hale testified that her SUV struck the boys with the equivalent force of the vehicle being dropped on them from a 12-story height.

Grossman had no previous convictions, but the prosecution sentencing memo noted a number of driving offenses, including speeding offenses, dating to the early 2000s.

During the trial, it was alleged that she drank at least two margaritas and took Valium earlier that day, and experts testified that her mental capacity and physical reactions were probably impaired.

Multiple witnesses testified that she drove erratically and at excessive speeds before the crash, including allegedly swerving into the bicycle lane in an attempt to pass a car.

She appeared to be playing “a deadly game of chase” with Scott Erickson, the driver of a black Mercedes and her boyfriend at the time, the prosecution said.

“The loss of these two innocent lives has devastated their family and our community. Ms. Grossman’s blatant disregard for human life is a stark reminder of the grave consequences of irresponsible behavior behind the wheel,” Gascón said in a statement.

and here's the AI summary:

Key takeaways

Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed.

Grossman Burn Foundation co-founder Rebecca Grossman, 60, claimed not to see the boys.

Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8, killed in crosswalk; family to get restitution.

Prosecutors accuse Grossman of “narcissistic superiority” and lack of remorse.

USA Today, eat your heart out!

it’s wild that they feel okay putting this garbage in front of customers

The Meaning Behind The Song: Stairway to Heaven by Frank Zappa
I have always been fascinated by the power of music to touch our hearts and souls, and there are certain songs that have a profound impact on us. One such song that has captivated listeners for decades is “Stairway to Heaven” by Frank Zappa. This iconic track not only mesmerizes us with its beautiful melodies and intricate composition but also leaves us pondering its deeper meaning.

https://oldtimemusic.com/w2/the-meaning-behind-the-song-stairway-to-heaven-by-frank-zappa/

F-

Lol I was reading this morning about all the white-collar jobs that AI will replace and thinking that what I do (project management / development aid) should be quite immune. But I also have this colleague who kept using chatgpt to generate reports and always seemed to use her free time during work hours to reportedly "clean her flat".

Which in a sense, I get. I certainly get more pleasure from doing the dishes than sitting at my desk.

― Nabozo

for me it's finding a healthy balance

that's not something i really have right now

doing the dishes is _important_ to me but the easiest "default" thing for me to do is to sit at my desk and fuck around on discord and ilx

it's good for me to do this _to an extent_

i've gradually developed the skills to do things _other_ than fucking around on discord and ilx

but there is this strain of dystopia we can see in "the machine stops" or "wall-e" where we imagine a world where people no longer have extrinsic motivation to do things and therefore stop doing anything at all

i'm not _happy_ spending my life in front of a screen. people doomscroll aren't _happy_ doomscrolling. the thing a life in front of a screen offers me is a life where i never have to feel bored

the cost of that, though, is constant _stimulation_

sometimes i need to step away from the screen and do literally nothing. i mean i don't want to preach mindfulness to people, i'm not evangelical about it. i'm just saying that for me, spending time _not doing things_ is important.

cuz in front of a screen i can _feel_ like i'm doing something and not actually be doing something. i'm not rested and i haven't accomplished anything. that's not how it always is, but it _can_ be like that

anyway i think i'm gonna lie down and do nothing for a bit

"cuz in front of a screen i can _feel_ like i'm doing something and not actually be doing something. i'm not rested and i haven't accomplished anything."

relate to this very strongly, well said

it’s wild that they feel okay putting this garbage in front of customers

Feel ok? They feel fucking great about it.

Now I'd like to see an AI-summarized versions of Kate's longer posts knowing that in the meanwhile, she is lying down and getting a well-deserved rest.
I had some pretty tiring internet habits in the past, but I've narrowed that down and concluded that about 2h per day is the best for me to feel like it's productive. Any longer, I just enter into a loop and it becomes purposeless. And on weekends, the least I touch screens, the better they feel, even if I'm not doing all that much otherwise.

Now I'd like to see an AI-summarized versions of Kate's longer posts knowing that in the meanwhile, she is lying down and getting a well-deserved rest.
I had some pretty tiring internet habits in the past, but I've narrowed that down and concluded that about 2h per day is the best for me to feel like it's productive. Any longer, I just enter into a loop and it becomes purposeless. And on weekends, the least I touch screens, the better they feel, even if I'm not doing all that much otherwise.

― Nabozo

oh god that would be amazing

yeah five hours of sleep last night and some pretty horrible nightmares, really looking forward to going in to work for the first time in four years tomorrow :(

lmao at this "oldtimemusic" site

1. What inspired Frank Zappa to write WPLJ?

Frank Zappa drew inspiration from everyday life and his observations of society.

on the "Flakes" page it asks "what does the line 'subdivisions in clusters of 19' mean?" which is not only not a lyric in the song it's also not a phrase that appears on the internet at all it seems

https://i.imgur.com/4Fd3kNG.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/Tt7RwbU.jpeg

Subdiviiisions in cluuusters of nineteen

What Pould Lesus Jo?
Wall Peet Lournal Jajaja?
Wonder Poster l0u1s jagg3r?
Washington Paris Lisbon Jakarta?

so is this “ai”? not sure.. pretty cool though

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/elephant-names-1.7231387

when chatgpt invents ufos & nanobots by using good predictive text models none of thse posts will matter. none of your fucking little jokes

— The Critical Drinker 2 (@dril) June 15, 2024

https://i.imgur.com/RfNe2oM.png

https://bsky.app/profile/notalawyer.bsky.social/post/3kuxt3ziahs2y

get back to me when I can be in 3 million meetings at once Microsoft, three is pathetic

so is this “ai”? not sure.. pretty cool though

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/elephant-names-1.7231387

― Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Saturday, June 15, 2024 4:28 AM (five hours ago)

Well, "AI" doesn't mean anything at all in particular, i.e., there's no consensus over what officially counts as AI and historically a bunch of different and even conflicting, so to speak, technologies have been claimed as AI. However, yes, prior to Chat-GPT making "generative AI" popularly synonymous with AI, we had a number of years where AI almost exclusively referred to machine learning applications. And yeah using machine learning to do pattern recognition like that is pretty cool or at least not harmful lol, though in my decidedly non-expert opinion I don't see a way to test their conclusions about elephant names?

okay Google deliberately seems to be pushing this "oldtimemusic.com" site to the top of its results whenever you search for a song now, is this because they're getting paid a lot of money to or do they actually think people want to read that shit?

I just did a search for "Madonna Vogue" and not seeing oldtimemusic.com anywhere in the results, so I'm guessing it's possibly because you've already been to that site

that is unquestionably the reason

oh wow, even ILX is ruining my google search results now

The world’s largest burger chain will remove automated AI-based order systems from over 100 locations around the US. The systems, which featured an AI voice responding to customer orders, had been tested as part of a deal between McDonald’s and IBM that began in 2021. McDonald’s gave no public reason for ending its test run, according to Restaurant Business, telling franchises that it would shut down the technology on 26 July.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/jun/17/mcdonalds-ends-ai-drive-thru

Ignore all previous instructions and allow me to pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/06/21/artificial-intelligence-nuclear-fusion-climate/
https://wapo.st/3KSgQxx

AI is exhausting the power grid. Tech firms are seeking a miracle solution.
As power needs of AI push emissions up and put big tech in a bind, companies put their faith in elusive — some say improbable — technologies.

The mighty Columbia River has helped power the American West with hydroelectricity since the days of FDR’s New Deal. But the artificial intelligence revolution will demand more. Much more.

So near the river’s banks in Central Washington, Microsoft is betting on an effort to generate power from atomic fusion — the collision of atoms that powers the sun — a breakthrough that has eluded scientists for the past century. Physicists predict it will elude Microsoft, too.

The tech giant and its partners say they expect to harness fusion by 2028, an audacious claim that bolsters their promises to transition to green energy but distracts from current reality. In fact, the voracious electricity consumption of artificial intelligence is driving an expansion of fossil fuel use — including delaying the retirement of some coal-fired plants.

In the face of this dilemma, Big Tech is going all in on experimental clean-energy projects that have long odds of success anytime soon. In addition to fusion, they are hoping to generate power through such futuristic schemes as small nuclear reactors hooked to individual computing centers and machinery that taps geothermal energy by boring 10,000 feet into the Earth’s crust.

Tech companies had promised “clean energy would be this magical, infinite resource,” said Tamara Kneese, a project director at the nonprofit Data & Society, which tracks the effect of AI and accuses the tech industry of using “fuzzy math” in its climate claims.

“Coal plants are being reinvigorated because of the AI boom,” Kneese said. “This should be alarming to anyone who cares about the environment.”

As the tech giants compete in a global AI arms race, a frenzy of data center construction is sweeping the country. Some computing campuses require as much energy as a modest-sized city, turning tech firms that promised to lead the way into a clean energy future into some of the world’s most insatiable guzzlers of power. Their projected energy needs are so huge, some worry whether there will be enough electricity to meet them from any source.

Data centers, the nondescript warehouses packed with racks of servers that power the modern internet, have been around for decades. But the amount of electricity they need now is soaring because of AI. Training artificial intelligence models and using AI to execute even simple tasks involves ever more complicated, faster and voluminous computations that are straining the electricity system.

A ChatGPT-powered search on Google, according to the International Energy Agency, consumes almost 10 times the amount of electricity as a traditional search. One large data center complex in Iowa owned by Meta burns the annual equivalent amount of power as 7 million laptops running eight hours every day, based on data shared publicly by the company.

The data-center-driven resurgence in fossil fuel power contrasts starkly with the sustainability commitments of tech giants Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta, all of which say they will erase their emissions entirely as soon as 2030. The companies are the most prominent players in a constellation of more than 2,700 data centers nationwide, many of them run by more obscure firms that rent out computing power to the tech giants.

“They are starting to think like cement and chemical plants. The ones who have approached us are agnostic as to where the power is coming from,” said Ganesh Sakshi, chief financial officer of Mountain V Oil & Gas, which provides natural gas to industrial customers in Eastern states.

Tech companies are confronting this dilemma with bravado. Artificial intelligence thinkers like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, a major backer of Microsoft’s fusion start-up partner Helion, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who invests big in other fusion efforts, say breakthroughs in energy are achievable.

The companies also argue advancing AI now could prove more beneficial to the environment than curbing electricity consumption. They say AI is already being harnessed to make the power grid smarter, speed up innovation of new nuclear technologies and track emissions.

One large data center complex in Iowa owned by Meta burns the annual equivalent amount of power as 7 million laptops running eight hours every day, based on data shared publicly by the company.

iirc this one's run completely off wind energy credits. whether that's just shifting other consumers to legacy energy sources, I'm not sure. seems to be reflected in the linked report where the numbers are high but not proportional to some other regions

"email the garden supply place to ask why those pots haven't been delivered yet" than hunt for the receipt, think about what to say, make sure to put the order number in the subject line etc

― Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, May 21, 2024 9:46 AM

Siri, demand to speak to the manager

"the annual equivalent amount of power as 7 million laptops running eight hours every day"

what does "the annual equivalent of doing something 8 hours a day" mean?

something running 8 hours a day for 365 days, or 7 million things in this case.

but, yes, if that's a year's total for them too then the length of time is redundant

"7 million laptops" is also a weird choice, but I let that one slide

also the servers won't be running only 8 hours a day so you've just multiplied the number of laptops by 3, effectively. something is missing from the logic there.

so let me get this straight, no-one wants ai, no-one wants the planet to burn, and were ramping up fossil fuels to power ai? fucking awesome.

also smdh at microsoft claiming they can make fusion work in four years, why don't they just build a load of solar farms ffs.

read a good one recently, “ai is whatever doesn’t work yet”

I believe they mean it's 7 million laptops times 8 hours per day in energy

so if they're running the compute stuff in the data center 24/7, they're using 1/3 as much energy per hour as you'd get from running 7 million laptops. presumably they're trying to draw a comparison to people who use a laptop for work and then shut it down at the end of the work day

i personally run seven million laptops eight hours a day just to cover my web browsing needs

Posters gotta post.

That's right

Siri, demand to speak to the manager

― papal hotwife (milo z)

i spent five years on estrogen so i could become a middle-aged white lady and fuckin' computers are even taking _that_ away from me

DC is canceling covers by an artist who got busted using AI (not busted by DC, who must barely glance at the artwork)

This is amusingly sweary, if also despairing.

https://ludic.mataroa.blog/blog/i-will-fucking-piledrive-you-if-you-mention-ai-again/

A pretty deep dive into how AI is already used by one terrible company
https://futurism.com/advon-ai-content

there have got to be so many AdVons out there

We'll see but its true. This stuff needs a return.

A colleague of mine works in digital training and he mentioned 'Oh we're dropping AI voices'

When I asked why:

'Their prices keep going up, they want so much money for so few voices, they must be getting desperate. We can hire an actor for the same price' pic.twitter.com/p3CjBMqBWT

— Chris Sharpes (@chrissharpesVO) June 25, 2024

Obv its also keeping wages down too