AI and Brain Rot!

 Dear you,

Oxford Dictionary declared brain rot to be the word of the year. Bingo. All around us, we hear pointless chatter on social media sites like Meta/Facebook (still proud to say I never joined that sad gang), and deal with the increasing power of AI and its shadowy creators, those who choose what we can access, know, and even imagine.

Ah, the reductionist wisdom of AI, notably via a general Google search. Insert this:  the world is at war and I am watching football.  The machine, AI Overview, responds: "If the world is at war and you are watching football, it would be considered a stark contrast, implying a sense of detachment or denial from the serious reality of the situation, as if you are choosing to actively ignore the ongoing conflict and prioritize a seemingly trivial activity like watching a game."

Good lord, these AI responses are idiotic. Of course this is a "stark contrast" and of course the games contrasted to bloody warfare are even less than trivial.  But the machine misses the point.  For example, now, somewhere in Gaza or Ukraine or Syria, a mother is making a sock puppet "sing" to her troubled child.  It is a game. It is a moment of lightness meant to not merely distract but to lift the spirit of the sad child. This mother knows joy is necessary; it can save us; it can give us a spark of energy needed to carry on, to face the next barrage. And, in softer (much softer) conditions here, in my world, I watch the powerful play of athletes and am lifted, enjoying the joy of play.  This helps me prepare for and face the next cognitive-dissonance inducing event. 

Hear the above?  Only authentic intelligence (or whatever it is I possess), not artificial intelligence, can process that thought and offer that interpretation, that flesh and blood understanding. We who know this, who already see the idiocy of many forms of revered AI, might be judged as neo-luddites.  Hell no. We choose to use technology, it is useful, but we never, ever, want technology to use us.

Local note of applicability:  At this past weekend's condo owner's meeting, a typical angry white man commented that my request for a de-encryption box for my Smart TV made me a "dinosaur".  Hilarious.  We are paying for basic cable, why not have access to it?  Stream away and pay even more money? Now that is foolish.  We should be resilient, able to access legacy news, CSPAN, PBS, and those aforementioned sporting events, even when the (OMG!) wifi goes down. It is also notable that this same critic whined about how when our internet failed his door/ring camera went out and his renters couldn't stream TV. Imagine that. He and his unfortunate guests face a sort of extinction I won't.  I have access to wifi via a secondary mode, basic cable TV will often be up when wifi is down, and I can tune into the joy of radio, NPR or smooth jazz, or even drop in this thing called a CD (compact disc for those who forgot) and hear that spark of joy only music brings.

I am "social distancing" and expanding my communication/information access options to avoid catching brain rot. Oh, and yes, do not forget that precious thing called the public library. So many avenues still available, so many ways to make sure the powerful play goes on.

Resilience!  My word of this year, and the next, and the next . . .

Love,

Joyce