20 or so years ago, as I was earning my CS degree, I had the opportunity of take a course in the fledgling tech known as Artificial Intelligence. One semester later, I came to the conclusion AI was not ready for prime time. 2 decades have not changed that.
Better than a month ago, I tried to upgrade the cameras I use to make sure no varmints are in the yard when I let the pups out. The website kept kicking me back to help, rather than helping me. Artificial, indeed.
4 weeks ago, a wild storm blew through our neighborhood, blowing down a tree limb which blew down at least 3 utility poles. It also wiped out our phone, internet, and TV. Our lovely mayor was Therese on the spot and got the power back in just under a day. Getting the rest of our services back was a bit more of an adventure.
Over the years, I have, on occasion, complained abot the Little Girl From Guadalajara (or Gwalior) and the difficulties Diversity can inflict on our lives. The past few years, the Little Girls (and the Boys From Bombay) have grown in their jobs and you can get something done. When I called tech support (cell on another carrier) to remedy our issues, the Little Girl from AI couldn't wait to help. She wanted my passcode and told me it was wrong (twaren't as I later found out). She then ran some tests and said the gaterway was dead (tain't, I'm using it now) and she would send a new one. And send she did. Wrong configuration.
Nothing daunted, I followed Aunt Hillary's advice and persevered. Took me 4 days to talk to a human being. He was helpful and said the earliest somebody could come out was the following Monday. Guy came out and showed me the box on the utility pole the storm knocked out and said he'd report it. Next day, a couple of guys with a cherry-picker came out and wrapped what looks like a trash bag around.
Still there. Fed up, You-know-who said we ought to go to the store in town and talk to one of their human beings. Took an hour, but, after she called a few Members Only phone numbers, I found out the passcode was right and she'd get somebody out Friday (we're talking 10 days after the original storm). The guys came out and fixed everything inside of an hour.
It was the box on the side of the house (Blondie said they took the whole thing apart).
AI is based on the principle that, as you observe certain behaviors and their solutions, you can create rules to anticipate solutions to those problems. If you've heard about the data centers that are being built, they're for collecting data so rules can be formulated. No need for human beings. Those who remember Star Trek will recall Spock saying, "it's behavior is that of a computer being fed contradictory or insuffiecient data". This is what happens when AI can't be turned off. It just goes round and round in a loop.
The Davos crowd and its adherents have been talking about how swell it would be if the human race was reduced by 7/8.Presumably the world would be run by AI
In such situations, I always go back to the old Greek proverb, "Be careful of that for which you wish. You may get it".
