Here is a fun thought: what if chatGPT puts pressure on humans to be original, again? I see ChatGPT as a modern day typewriter, filling in the blanks in a way that word processing did, a step up from the old click and clack machines. First key by key, then word by word, now theme by theme.
But.. what about this? It merely regurgitates and repackages what exists already. It is not generating new ideas or even observations. It is a little like an annoying acquaintance who expresses no original thoughts. Or a media that says so much but nothing important, or off script. Or a doctor who is bound by policies only to recommend according to a centralized protocol.
Checkmate, robot-like humans! Proceed without originality or creative thinking, and technology is on your level. Step it up, sheeple! Dull, herdlike thinking is becoming obsolete, or at least makes you indistinguishable from AI. :)
The creative process is, as you point out, divine and uniquely human. Let us all be more so.
Nice one Mary! I think the humans are still much, much further ahead of the robots even than the starfish are ahead of the spiders! (re your prior article). 50 years ago, M.I.T. professor of computer science Joseph Weisenbaum wrote what may still today be the best analysis ever written of the relationship between people and computers. (The fundamentals do not change). In it he said that 'it is not obvious that all human knowledge is encodable in information structures', and declared the idea that machines can be intelligent to be a 'grandiose fantasy'. It is really time we grew out of that fantasy, or simply stopped believing those who peddle it.
I had some conversations with ChatGPT myself over the past couple of weeks (and started an article of my own, which may or may not rise to the top of the pile that I simultaneously work on, and get published!). My conclusions were similar to yours I found myself concluding (and it will be the bottom line of my article, if it sees the light of day) that, wow, it's IMMENSELY impressive compared to a 1970's Casio calculator - but IMMENSELY unimpressive compared to a human being!
It's also programmed with enormous political bias, as many others have also discovered. To give but one example, when I asked about the Ukraine war, it told me Russia was inflicting violence and oppression. When I asked if the violence and oppression were similar to that inflicted by America in Iraq, I was told that it is not appropriate to make such comparisons.
'AI' is an immense (and colossaly expensive) sham - which will undoubtedly have many commercial applications, and equally certainly have very negative consequences for humanity. Not because the machines are smarter than us, but because they are not.
When more people realise that, we may have some chance of more appropriate application, and less damage.
I, like you, am not worried. At least not yet. As much as I’ve played with both Midjourney and ChatGPT, it feels hallow and an imitation of that which is human. I love the analogy of how the body will ask for soup after the gummy bears. So true. The “real” is gonna be what’s sought after.
I directed “Art” fresh out of college. Actually, I directed it in college and then got offered to do so professionally with the same actors and it was our first paying gig. Since I got the chance to do it for so long, I kept tweaking and tweaking. Discovered the play wasn’t so much about art as it was about friendship. And it was heartbreaking. It left me with a sense of sadness and reflecting back on it now, it seems like a lifetime ago, and yet, it so perfectly encompasses my recent break up with theatre as well. Life is such a funny thing.
Your poem from last week still stays with me. Utterly hauntingly beautiful.
Feb 26, 2023·edited Feb 26, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin
Hi Mary,
I'm just coming back down to earth after binging for the last few days of going back between YouTube videos and playing around with Chat GPT.
Though poetry is not my domain of comfort, I agree with you regarding the quality and accuracy of answers. I tested its edges on 'controversial' topics such the jabs and war. And then I narrowed in on a query about myself, and got the following ...
"Thank you for providing more details. Based on your information, it seems that you may be referring to Dr. Steven F. Martin who is a professor of comparative religion and philosophy at Temple University Japan (TUJ).
Dr. Martin received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, and his research interests include philosophy of religion, comparative religion, and ethics. He has written several articles and books on these topics, including "Ethics Across the Professions: A Reader for Professional Ethics" and "The Bhagavad Gita: A Guidebook for Navigating the Battle of Life."
In addition to his work at TUJ, Dr. Martin has also taught at other universities in Japan, including Waseda University and Jissen Women's College. He is known for his engaging and insightful teaching style, and his ability to connect with students from diverse backgrounds.
I hope this information is helpful."
As far as I know, there has never been a Dr. Martin at TUJ (I dropped the doctoral program shortly after receiving tenure at Jissen), and though the topics mentioned are among my reading interests, I never taught comparative religion and philosophy at TUJ. I taught public speaking, freshman writing, and directed biology labs. I did teach at Waseda, but I can not take the flattery tag-line very seriously as the program played so loosely with the other 'facts'. On the other hand, I looked up the book, found it on Kindle Japan, and added it to my collection. If the Hindu mythos was good enough for Schopenhauer ... 😂
To further test its limits, I asked questions about specific fishing gear and techniques used in the Izu Islands south of Tokyo, and asked about several well know chain stores of fishing equipment in Japan. It spat out answers with confidence, but lacking in accuracy and downright 'mistakes' ... for example, all leisure sports fishermen in Japan are required to have a yearly fishing license costing about ¥4,000, the absence of which could be heavily penalized. There is no such license. I fed ChatGPT the prompt that I have lived and fished in Japan for 40 years and have never heard of or seen such a license. It apologized and hedged its mistake saying local laws vary and change quickly. This A.I. seems to have also been programmed to lie and hedge for questions it is not yet able to handle. Ha. Maybe coming close to emulating nature after all.
On the other hand, last Friday afternoon, while planning the classroom lesson for tomorrow at a different elementary school, I was again struck by the textbook's lack of quality regarding the psychology of foreign language education for young students, and the Japanese teachers who are wedded to the text because they are kept too busy to really sit down and think about it.
I mentioned ChatGPT to the teacher, whose son is struggling with English in his college classes, and challenged her to ask a question. She asked what is the oldest coffee shop in Kunitachi (the city I teach in), and damn if it didn't identify the name and location of a coffee shop dating back to the 1920's. Yesterday, NHK, the Japanese government news, had some news casters give a brief introduction and discussion of potential problems ... because ChatGPT is now in Japanese, and the sentences are nearly flawless ... much better than Google translate. I am looking forward to seeing that teacher tomorrow, hoping she looked it up or possibly saw the news about ChatGPT on tv.
Just last week, I attended a documentary screening and discussion at Rikkyo University regarding the gradual nationalistic, re-militarization of Japan ... as pushed by the central Ministry of Education through the choice of textbooks and teaching methods in compulsory education. I have seen the gradual change too, from reaching out to get a better grasp of the international world, towards a more insular form of Japanese exceptionalism. And about two months ago, the Ministry of Education announced a 3 year plan to pilot elementary and Jr. High education towards a goal of 95% reliance on digital textbooks ... beginning with English as a foreign language. I can see where something like ChatGPT could have a big impact, for good or evil.
The problem for the students is the same problem that you have in the domain of poetry, myself in foreign language education or fishing, and the general populace has regarding specific domains. The 'answers' this thing spits out are MUCH better than the average tweet or Facebook meme, and I'm afraid that's about all the majority of the working class are able or willing to handle. Collectively, the species, or at least the working class, has been deliberately dumbed down to the point that ChatGPT makes a better conversation partner or source of information than most fellow humans. For the bulk of human history, I guess 'information is power' has always been one of the machiavellian strait-jackets placed on the majority of us.
Like everyone else, I am not sure where A.I. is headed, but I am afraid it will be far more disruptive than the first wave of social media, maybe surpassing the advent of the internet itself. One thing I am coming to believe though, is that the capacity to communicate with A.I. through the right questions, the right prompts, will give an edge to those who already have enough background education to know what writing style to ask it to emulate, what format to use, what academic context or social register to use. For those who don't have that wide, liberal-arts background or personal insight and experience, this thing could create sociopathic echo chambers that might as well be alternate universes.
Before I go to bed tonight, I will play around a bit more with it with a few tough prompts ... for example, give a breakdown of Kantian ethics, and then show how well, or not, a globalist-collectivist agenda jives with it. Are the ends desirable, and do those ends justify the current means?
Interesting times a-coming.
Cheers Mary,
steve
ps. Among the YouTube videos I watched was of a guy laying out the prompts that would allow anyone to write a publishable e-book in about an hour. His example was on 'How to Train a Dog', and the only thing he knew about the topic was how to use the right prompts. ChatGPT wrote the book for him. Get ready for avalanche of such books.
But the reason prompting my ps, I just received an 'answer' to a question I posed regarding the conflict between collectivism and Kantian ethics, and sweet baby cheeses ... though not definitive, detailed, or exhaustive ... how many personal acquaintances could give a reply as good as the following? At the very least, it would make a good starting point for the chapters of a book, or a great starting point for the script of a decent YouTube video. The graphics and videos are now capable of being generated by prompts.
Question — "What are some of the conflicts between collectivist thought or globalist agendas and Kantian ethics?"
ChatGPT's response —
"There are several conflicts between collectivist thought or globalist agendas and Kantian ethics. Here are some examples:
Universal moral principles vs. cultural relativism: Kantian ethics holds that there are certain moral principles that are universally valid, regardless of cultural differences. However, collectivist thought may argue that moral values are culturally constructed and therefore relative to each culture. This conflict may arise when there is a clash between the universal principles of Kantian ethics and the cultural practices of collectivist societies.
Duty to self vs. duty to the collective: Kantian ethics places a strong emphasis on individual responsibility and the importance of doing what is right, even if it goes against personal desires. In contrast, collectivist thought emphasizes the importance of group identity and the duty to the collective. This conflict may arise when an individual's duty to do what is right conflicts with their duty to the collective.
Open borders vs. respect for national sovereignty: Globalist agendas may prioritize open borders and the free movement of people, goods, and services across national boundaries. However, Kantian ethics emphasizes the importance of respecting national sovereignty and the rights of individual nations to control their own borders. This conflict may arise when globalist agendas clash with the duty to respect the autonomy and sovereignty of individual nations.
Overall, the conflicts between collectivist thought or globalist agendas and Kantian ethics highlight the tension between individual responsibility and the duty to the collective, as well as the tension between universal moral principles and cultural relativism."
Wow! Mary, your writing just gets more wonderful all the time. I hardly know how to respond anymore.
One thing that comes through so clearly to me in your writing these days is that you are really loving life. You are so in tune with it, on so many different levels, it brings tears to my eyes. And you always give your readers something valuable to think about. I'd like to see ChatGPT do that!
As a fellow poet, thank you. Thank you for challenging the potential consequence, the reality, of AI - known elsewhere as 'the plagiarism engine - and revealing it for what it is. Empty.
The last half is about ChatGPT (I would like ta replace the first C with an S....); AI kin now git passin' grades on medical an' legal bar exams... It's sure bad 'nuff that kids are gettin' used to cheatin' (man that's TRULY awful ta hear...) but now that they can cheat with AI (no tell-tale ink marks on the palms...), the game's gotten far easier fer the kids, far harder fer the grown-ups (teachers).
Them blue books ya mentioned Mary ARE the way ta go! (As are paper ballots too ha ha!). Plus, it's somethin' ta save (though I guess teachers tossed 'em back in the day--that makes me sad as I betcha there was lots worth savin')....
Not that long ago folks were greenwarshed inta thinkin' using digital waz savin' paper and had no idear there are SO many renewable paper sources from fast-sproutin' forests (right here in America!) an' FEW digital resources that ain't dirty with heavy metals an' child labor buildin' them devilish devices...). It's all part of the same thing--to stop young'uns from writin' (and readin' BOOKS--real ones!).
Funny but true--not bein' succinct in nature, I wrote loooong an' hard on paper AND on old skool typewriters fer many a year an' ONLY "got" carpal (sounds like some fish gatherin' !) when I started tappin' on a 'puter at a job (an' it was a LOT less in terms of pages...). My girls know kids who have some sorta "texting thumb" issues from their phones. Landsakes, what this tech has wrought...
Can we go back? A step? Two? Not all the way to, say, 1985 but real paper an' ink sure was nice :-)
I listened to below and thought of your thought-provoking piece. You might appreciate this discussion. (They make a distinction between self-aware and sentient when it comes to AI. Self-aware, yes, but of itself only, not sentient in the way humans are. I hadn't considered that before. )
Wull, life has no certainty--an' I hope you're right that AI will fizzle like the sound fx for a cheap steakhouse commercial -- but I'm certain yer right about LOVE and an open heart an' TRUE art survivin' (need not even be "good" just true an' done with conviction). I'm with ya seein' good whar ye kin--I feel makin' good lemonade outta some purdy sour lemons is part'a life. But this AI thing--the roots've which were planted long ago with the stuff ya mentioned (like auto-tuner, cgi, all that...).... hard ta see any shreds' ve good--see any in Dr. Evil n' Mini Me? (Schwabby n' Harari?...not me...) Now as fer Pollyanna, I'm a fan! The movie--an' most references includin' that've one'a my favor-ites Doris Day, singin' to a boyfriend:
Gee, I feel just about ten feet tall, havin' a ball
Well,I feel just like a Pollyanna
I should worry, not for nothin'
Everybody loves me, yes they do
And I love everybody
Since I fell in love with
Fell in love with
Fell in love with you, (Call me a Pollyanna, do)
An' Doris REINVENTED herself 3x far as I kin tell--after bad marriages that left 'er broke (an' worse...), after her son was nearly killed by Charlie Manson--and she went on to rescue a TON of dogs! Pollyana's kin save us all--we kin use more've 'em too!
--That aughtta leave off on a high note! (an' leave behind that ai ai aiEEEE!)
A fine n' fair journey into this new an' uncharted territory (tear-a-tore-ee...) -- been' mullin' over writin' a lil' on this myself as it's now "in the air" (or the ether!) as it were.... I'm grateful you've tested out these tepid an' somewhat fetid/feted digital waters in which I wasn't wont ta wade, Mary; fersooth n' dang, I didn't have the stomach fer such an endeavor in terms of really takin' the thing fer a test drive. So bless ya fer takin' on the BEAST by actually usin' it!.... (Seriously, I see it as a purdy dark animal...).
Frankly I had imagined the "app" would better APE poetry--it was, we agree, just gawdawful monkeybiz (hoot worthy indeed!), much to my statisfaction--though admittedly the non-"Shaks-pur" attempt barked lesser doggeral an' tho not quite Bard-like, did not deserve the more fragrant air-biscuit as did the howler mutts that preceded...woof! That it wasn't "great" was a given--that it wasn't HALF bad...gave me pause....
I agree that whether or not ChatGPT or some "better mousetrap" colorizes the rest've our world (which seems to be the desire of some...) those've us that know how ta make "Ahrt" in one form 'er another (no matter how BIG or small...) will indeed be like that resonatin' reed gently vibratin' to the frequency of divine (or more earthly!) imagination.... In plain English--We'ze gonna keep on doin' our thing no matter...no need fer AI any more n' fish need bicycles as the sayin' goes....
BUT (an' aye, this is the rub...), those positioned well outside the world've "Ahrt" will actively make use've this devilish device, this devious dingus--I've no doubt it's gonna affect journalism as we (once) knew it--even silencin' them mockin'birds....because immitation is the most sincere compliment/complement.... COMPLY-mint... Not good. I also fear it's gonna screw the kids some'thin' awful--all've 'em too young to know to ignore it--to develop their OWN style, ta create sans gadgets n' gimicks an' the gimme gimmes of fast-delievered fakery.... If young'uns are usin' AI to produce their academic papers--WHO will remain that knows how ta write? WHO will remain who knows how ta think... cuz they kin use this blasted AI in place've their noggin'--an' might (eek...)
So we agree that this won't replace real "Ahrtists" (those already formed, those not made'a stamp'n' stretch silly putty...), BUT how many potential artists will it prevent from findin' their voices? HOW will it be used to "reshape" our reality? It may be of human "born" but it certainly is INhuman in it's makin'..... AI is Old Scratch an' frankly I'd like ta scratch it out!
Here is a fun thought: what if chatGPT puts pressure on humans to be original, again? I see ChatGPT as a modern day typewriter, filling in the blanks in a way that word processing did, a step up from the old click and clack machines. First key by key, then word by word, now theme by theme.
But.. what about this? It merely regurgitates and repackages what exists already. It is not generating new ideas or even observations. It is a little like an annoying acquaintance who expresses no original thoughts. Or a media that says so much but nothing important, or off script. Or a doctor who is bound by policies only to recommend according to a centralized protocol.
Checkmate, robot-like humans! Proceed without originality or creative thinking, and technology is on your level. Step it up, sheeple! Dull, herdlike thinking is becoming obsolete, or at least makes you indistinguishable from AI. :)
The creative process is, as you point out, divine and uniquely human. Let us all be more so.
Nice one Mary! I think the humans are still much, much further ahead of the robots even than the starfish are ahead of the spiders! (re your prior article). 50 years ago, M.I.T. professor of computer science Joseph Weisenbaum wrote what may still today be the best analysis ever written of the relationship between people and computers. (The fundamentals do not change). In it he said that 'it is not obvious that all human knowledge is encodable in information structures', and declared the idea that machines can be intelligent to be a 'grandiose fantasy'. It is really time we grew out of that fantasy, or simply stopped believing those who peddle it.
I had some conversations with ChatGPT myself over the past couple of weeks (and started an article of my own, which may or may not rise to the top of the pile that I simultaneously work on, and get published!). My conclusions were similar to yours I found myself concluding (and it will be the bottom line of my article, if it sees the light of day) that, wow, it's IMMENSELY impressive compared to a 1970's Casio calculator - but IMMENSELY unimpressive compared to a human being!
It's also programmed with enormous political bias, as many others have also discovered. To give but one example, when I asked about the Ukraine war, it told me Russia was inflicting violence and oppression. When I asked if the violence and oppression were similar to that inflicted by America in Iraq, I was told that it is not appropriate to make such comparisons.
'AI' is an immense (and colossaly expensive) sham - which will undoubtedly have many commercial applications, and equally certainly have very negative consequences for humanity. Not because the machines are smarter than us, but because they are not.
When more people realise that, we may have some chance of more appropriate application, and less damage.
Power to you for putting some light on the sham!
Art and artifice duking it out. :)
I, like you, am not worried. At least not yet. As much as I’ve played with both Midjourney and ChatGPT, it feels hallow and an imitation of that which is human. I love the analogy of how the body will ask for soup after the gummy bears. So true. The “real” is gonna be what’s sought after.
I directed “Art” fresh out of college. Actually, I directed it in college and then got offered to do so professionally with the same actors and it was our first paying gig. Since I got the chance to do it for so long, I kept tweaking and tweaking. Discovered the play wasn’t so much about art as it was about friendship. And it was heartbreaking. It left me with a sense of sadness and reflecting back on it now, it seems like a lifetime ago, and yet, it so perfectly encompasses my recent break up with theatre as well. Life is such a funny thing.
Your poem from last week still stays with me. Utterly hauntingly beautiful.
Hi Mary,
I'm just coming back down to earth after binging for the last few days of going back between YouTube videos and playing around with Chat GPT.
Though poetry is not my domain of comfort, I agree with you regarding the quality and accuracy of answers. I tested its edges on 'controversial' topics such the jabs and war. And then I narrowed in on a query about myself, and got the following ...
"Thank you for providing more details. Based on your information, it seems that you may be referring to Dr. Steven F. Martin who is a professor of comparative religion and philosophy at Temple University Japan (TUJ).
Dr. Martin received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, and his research interests include philosophy of religion, comparative religion, and ethics. He has written several articles and books on these topics, including "Ethics Across the Professions: A Reader for Professional Ethics" and "The Bhagavad Gita: A Guidebook for Navigating the Battle of Life."
In addition to his work at TUJ, Dr. Martin has also taught at other universities in Japan, including Waseda University and Jissen Women's College. He is known for his engaging and insightful teaching style, and his ability to connect with students from diverse backgrounds.
I hope this information is helpful."
As far as I know, there has never been a Dr. Martin at TUJ (I dropped the doctoral program shortly after receiving tenure at Jissen), and though the topics mentioned are among my reading interests, I never taught comparative religion and philosophy at TUJ. I taught public speaking, freshman writing, and directed biology labs. I did teach at Waseda, but I can not take the flattery tag-line very seriously as the program played so loosely with the other 'facts'. On the other hand, I looked up the book, found it on Kindle Japan, and added it to my collection. If the Hindu mythos was good enough for Schopenhauer ... 😂
To further test its limits, I asked questions about specific fishing gear and techniques used in the Izu Islands south of Tokyo, and asked about several well know chain stores of fishing equipment in Japan. It spat out answers with confidence, but lacking in accuracy and downright 'mistakes' ... for example, all leisure sports fishermen in Japan are required to have a yearly fishing license costing about ¥4,000, the absence of which could be heavily penalized. There is no such license. I fed ChatGPT the prompt that I have lived and fished in Japan for 40 years and have never heard of or seen such a license. It apologized and hedged its mistake saying local laws vary and change quickly. This A.I. seems to have also been programmed to lie and hedge for questions it is not yet able to handle. Ha. Maybe coming close to emulating nature after all.
On the other hand, last Friday afternoon, while planning the classroom lesson for tomorrow at a different elementary school, I was again struck by the textbook's lack of quality regarding the psychology of foreign language education for young students, and the Japanese teachers who are wedded to the text because they are kept too busy to really sit down and think about it.
I mentioned ChatGPT to the teacher, whose son is struggling with English in his college classes, and challenged her to ask a question. She asked what is the oldest coffee shop in Kunitachi (the city I teach in), and damn if it didn't identify the name and location of a coffee shop dating back to the 1920's. Yesterday, NHK, the Japanese government news, had some news casters give a brief introduction and discussion of potential problems ... because ChatGPT is now in Japanese, and the sentences are nearly flawless ... much better than Google translate. I am looking forward to seeing that teacher tomorrow, hoping she looked it up or possibly saw the news about ChatGPT on tv.
Just last week, I attended a documentary screening and discussion at Rikkyo University regarding the gradual nationalistic, re-militarization of Japan ... as pushed by the central Ministry of Education through the choice of textbooks and teaching methods in compulsory education. I have seen the gradual change too, from reaching out to get a better grasp of the international world, towards a more insular form of Japanese exceptionalism. And about two months ago, the Ministry of Education announced a 3 year plan to pilot elementary and Jr. High education towards a goal of 95% reliance on digital textbooks ... beginning with English as a foreign language. I can see where something like ChatGPT could have a big impact, for good or evil.
The problem for the students is the same problem that you have in the domain of poetry, myself in foreign language education or fishing, and the general populace has regarding specific domains. The 'answers' this thing spits out are MUCH better than the average tweet or Facebook meme, and I'm afraid that's about all the majority of the working class are able or willing to handle. Collectively, the species, or at least the working class, has been deliberately dumbed down to the point that ChatGPT makes a better conversation partner or source of information than most fellow humans. For the bulk of human history, I guess 'information is power' has always been one of the machiavellian strait-jackets placed on the majority of us.
Like everyone else, I am not sure where A.I. is headed, but I am afraid it will be far more disruptive than the first wave of social media, maybe surpassing the advent of the internet itself. One thing I am coming to believe though, is that the capacity to communicate with A.I. through the right questions, the right prompts, will give an edge to those who already have enough background education to know what writing style to ask it to emulate, what format to use, what academic context or social register to use. For those who don't have that wide, liberal-arts background or personal insight and experience, this thing could create sociopathic echo chambers that might as well be alternate universes.
Before I go to bed tonight, I will play around a bit more with it with a few tough prompts ... for example, give a breakdown of Kantian ethics, and then show how well, or not, a globalist-collectivist agenda jives with it. Are the ends desirable, and do those ends justify the current means?
Interesting times a-coming.
Cheers Mary,
steve
ps. Among the YouTube videos I watched was of a guy laying out the prompts that would allow anyone to write a publishable e-book in about an hour. His example was on 'How to Train a Dog', and the only thing he knew about the topic was how to use the right prompts. ChatGPT wrote the book for him. Get ready for avalanche of such books.
But the reason prompting my ps, I just received an 'answer' to a question I posed regarding the conflict between collectivism and Kantian ethics, and sweet baby cheeses ... though not definitive, detailed, or exhaustive ... how many personal acquaintances could give a reply as good as the following? At the very least, it would make a good starting point for the chapters of a book, or a great starting point for the script of a decent YouTube video. The graphics and videos are now capable of being generated by prompts.
Question — "What are some of the conflicts between collectivist thought or globalist agendas and Kantian ethics?"
ChatGPT's response —
"There are several conflicts between collectivist thought or globalist agendas and Kantian ethics. Here are some examples:
Universal moral principles vs. cultural relativism: Kantian ethics holds that there are certain moral principles that are universally valid, regardless of cultural differences. However, collectivist thought may argue that moral values are culturally constructed and therefore relative to each culture. This conflict may arise when there is a clash between the universal principles of Kantian ethics and the cultural practices of collectivist societies.
Duty to self vs. duty to the collective: Kantian ethics places a strong emphasis on individual responsibility and the importance of doing what is right, even if it goes against personal desires. In contrast, collectivist thought emphasizes the importance of group identity and the duty to the collective. This conflict may arise when an individual's duty to do what is right conflicts with their duty to the collective.
Open borders vs. respect for national sovereignty: Globalist agendas may prioritize open borders and the free movement of people, goods, and services across national boundaries. However, Kantian ethics emphasizes the importance of respecting national sovereignty and the rights of individual nations to control their own borders. This conflict may arise when globalist agendas clash with the duty to respect the autonomy and sovereignty of individual nations.
Overall, the conflicts between collectivist thought or globalist agendas and Kantian ethics highlight the tension between individual responsibility and the duty to the collective, as well as the tension between universal moral principles and cultural relativism."
I rest my case.
Wow! Mary, your writing just gets more wonderful all the time. I hardly know how to respond anymore.
One thing that comes through so clearly to me in your writing these days is that you are really loving life. You are so in tune with it, on so many different levels, it brings tears to my eyes. And you always give your readers something valuable to think about. I'd like to see ChatGPT do that!
As a fellow poet, thank you. Thank you for challenging the potential consequence, the reality, of AI - known elsewhere as 'the plagiarism engine - and revealing it for what it is. Empty.
Fascinating times
as a post-script, Suzy Weiss jus' published this:
https://www.thefp.com/p/dishonor-code-what-happens-when-cheating?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
The last half is about ChatGPT (I would like ta replace the first C with an S....); AI kin now git passin' grades on medical an' legal bar exams... It's sure bad 'nuff that kids are gettin' used to cheatin' (man that's TRULY awful ta hear...) but now that they can cheat with AI (no tell-tale ink marks on the palms...), the game's gotten far easier fer the kids, far harder fer the grown-ups (teachers).
Them blue books ya mentioned Mary ARE the way ta go! (As are paper ballots too ha ha!). Plus, it's somethin' ta save (though I guess teachers tossed 'em back in the day--that makes me sad as I betcha there was lots worth savin')....
Not that long ago folks were greenwarshed inta thinkin' using digital waz savin' paper and had no idear there are SO many renewable paper sources from fast-sproutin' forests (right here in America!) an' FEW digital resources that ain't dirty with heavy metals an' child labor buildin' them devilish devices...). It's all part of the same thing--to stop young'uns from writin' (and readin' BOOKS--real ones!).
Funny but true--not bein' succinct in nature, I wrote loooong an' hard on paper AND on old skool typewriters fer many a year an' ONLY "got" carpal (sounds like some fish gatherin' !) when I started tappin' on a 'puter at a job (an' it was a LOT less in terms of pages...). My girls know kids who have some sorta "texting thumb" issues from their phones. Landsakes, what this tech has wrought...
Can we go back? A step? Two? Not all the way to, say, 1985 but real paper an' ink sure was nice :-)
I listened to below and thought of your thought-provoking piece. You might appreciate this discussion. (They make a distinction between self-aware and sentient when it comes to AI. Self-aware, yes, but of itself only, not sentient in the way humans are. I hadn't considered that before. )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hv0wS6gLP0
Wull, life has no certainty--an' I hope you're right that AI will fizzle like the sound fx for a cheap steakhouse commercial -- but I'm certain yer right about LOVE and an open heart an' TRUE art survivin' (need not even be "good" just true an' done with conviction). I'm with ya seein' good whar ye kin--I feel makin' good lemonade outta some purdy sour lemons is part'a life. But this AI thing--the roots've which were planted long ago with the stuff ya mentioned (like auto-tuner, cgi, all that...).... hard ta see any shreds' ve good--see any in Dr. Evil n' Mini Me? (Schwabby n' Harari?...not me...) Now as fer Pollyanna, I'm a fan! The movie--an' most references includin' that've one'a my favor-ites Doris Day, singin' to a boyfriend:
Gee, I feel just about ten feet tall, havin' a ball
Well,I feel just like a Pollyanna
I should worry, not for nothin'
Everybody loves me, yes they do
And I love everybody
Since I fell in love with
Fell in love with
Fell in love with you, (Call me a Pollyanna, do)
An' Doris REINVENTED herself 3x far as I kin tell--after bad marriages that left 'er broke (an' worse...), after her son was nearly killed by Charlie Manson--and she went on to rescue a TON of dogs! Pollyana's kin save us all--we kin use more've 'em too!
--That aughtta leave off on a high note! (an' leave behind that ai ai aiEEEE!)
A fine n' fair journey into this new an' uncharted territory (tear-a-tore-ee...) -- been' mullin' over writin' a lil' on this myself as it's now "in the air" (or the ether!) as it were.... I'm grateful you've tested out these tepid an' somewhat fetid/feted digital waters in which I wasn't wont ta wade, Mary; fersooth n' dang, I didn't have the stomach fer such an endeavor in terms of really takin' the thing fer a test drive. So bless ya fer takin' on the BEAST by actually usin' it!.... (Seriously, I see it as a purdy dark animal...).
Frankly I had imagined the "app" would better APE poetry--it was, we agree, just gawdawful monkeybiz (hoot worthy indeed!), much to my statisfaction--though admittedly the non-"Shaks-pur" attempt barked lesser doggeral an' tho not quite Bard-like, did not deserve the more fragrant air-biscuit as did the howler mutts that preceded...woof! That it wasn't "great" was a given--that it wasn't HALF bad...gave me pause....
I agree that whether or not ChatGPT or some "better mousetrap" colorizes the rest've our world (which seems to be the desire of some...) those've us that know how ta make "Ahrt" in one form 'er another (no matter how BIG or small...) will indeed be like that resonatin' reed gently vibratin' to the frequency of divine (or more earthly!) imagination.... In plain English--We'ze gonna keep on doin' our thing no matter...no need fer AI any more n' fish need bicycles as the sayin' goes....
BUT (an' aye, this is the rub...), those positioned well outside the world've "Ahrt" will actively make use've this devilish device, this devious dingus--I've no doubt it's gonna affect journalism as we (once) knew it--even silencin' them mockin'birds....because immitation is the most sincere compliment/complement.... COMPLY-mint... Not good. I also fear it's gonna screw the kids some'thin' awful--all've 'em too young to know to ignore it--to develop their OWN style, ta create sans gadgets n' gimicks an' the gimme gimmes of fast-delievered fakery.... If young'uns are usin' AI to produce their academic papers--WHO will remain that knows how ta write? WHO will remain who knows how ta think... cuz they kin use this blasted AI in place've their noggin'--an' might (eek...)
So we agree that this won't replace real "Ahrtists" (those already formed, those not made'a stamp'n' stretch silly putty...), BUT how many potential artists will it prevent from findin' their voices? HOW will it be used to "reshape" our reality? It may be of human "born" but it certainly is INhuman in it's makin'..... AI is Old Scratch an' frankly I'd like ta scratch it out!