bookofjoe

6 SIGNS YOU NEED AN AI FRIEND

This ad showed up in my Google News this morning.

As is happening more and more often, the image in the ad is almost certainly an AI, but they're getting so good so fast that soon it won't be possible to tell the difference.

It might be time to reread Nick Bostrom's seminal 2000 paper, "Are you living in a simulation?"

Many knowledgeable people think so.

Here's the paper's summary:

This paper argues that at least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a "posthuman" stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation. It follows that the belief that there is a significant chance that we will one day become posthumans who run ancestor‐simulations is false, unless we are currently living in a simulation. A number of other consequences of this result are also discussed.

Just reading the summary hurt your head?

I hear you.

Watch the superb Season 7 of "Black Mirror" on Netflix.

Almost every episode revolves around AI and simulations and the like.

Below, the trailer.

Those were the days, my friend

Go here and click the blue circle and gaze in wonder at how music played out over the past half century.

Wait a sec — if you can't guess the song I'm hearing you must be new here.

[via my Crack Pittsburgh Correspondent©®™]

A Bit of a Stretch Paper Clips

From the website:

We had to pull a few wires to make these paper clips.

They look like your bog standard paper clips — only looooonger!

4"L x 0.3"W

Disclaimer: Due to the length of the wires, these are not intended for holding paper. They can serve as unique bookmarks or collectibles.

My idea of fun would be to put one of these in someone's paper clip stash and never say a thing.

Set of 3 clips: $6.50.