Entertainment?

On Monday's The Daily Show Jon Stewart interviewed Tristan Harris about AI. It was really disturbing. I mean, I recommend the watch, it's very informative but it's also really depressing.

Brent and I both agreed that we wouldn't be following Mr. Harris' podcast because we just can't right now. We're full up. It's all too much. Adding one more nightmare to the pile just is not going to happen.

We've both been seeking out much lighter fare lately. It's October so that means (for me) the beginning of baking show season. We are in the Great British Bake Off and the Halloween Baking Challenge right now. Soon there will be the Holiday Baking Challenge and the Christmas Cookie Challenge and the Great American Bake Off and I just saw the Great Canadian Bake Off advertised so I'm pretty sure I'll be adding that. Low stakes viewing with happy people eating baked goods. And of course I'm still working through all the past seasons of Drag Race. I've caught up to where I started watching but it's been awhile so I'm watching them again anyway. That's about my speed right now.

And sports. I mean, lots of sports this time of year as well, but even when there is a loss, it's just one week. We'll all be fine.

There is a lot of heavy entertainment out there. Some of it is highly recommended. But I just can't right now. We saw a play last week, on the way home we were talking about it and the first thing I said was how much I liked the set design. Because I thought it was pretty innovative. And I liked how they utilized a very small cast to play multiple characters, sometimes doing the switch on stage. Very clever.

But...it was heavy. It ended on a hopeful and heartfelt note, but only if you ignored what they told you over and over about what was going to happen to that town in 15 years. So it was heavy. Then heartfelt. Then still heavy. And I just don't want that in my entertainment right now. I want candy. And not like really chewy nougatty stuff that's hard to get through or anything with complex flavors. I want Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins. The perfect ratio of chocolate and peanut butter that you could probably just let dissolve in your mouth if you didn't feel like chewing. Tasty, just what you want, not too much work. Leaves you happy but not overly full.

That's what I want for entertainment right now. I want something that eases my mind. Because the world is....well you know, you live in the world. Not all of you live in the United States, or Portland, or Chicago where it seems especially nougatty right now, but you still know.

But we watched Monday's show, and it was interesting. And it was terrifying. And I haven't been able to let it go. That nougat gets in your teeth...

And here is why I'm sort of fixated on it.

If you didn't watch the link the basic premise is that we have to put our arms around AI. We have to figure out how to regulate it. We have to figure out how it should and should not be used. We cannot allow the entire world's economy to be in the hands of four or five companies, basically four or five people. That it's an actual danger on a few levels. And it's happening. And if we don't stop it it will be too late. See? A little heavy.

The whole AI thing is that it's been trained on everything the human race has done. That's where the information it pulls from comes from. All of us. All of everyone who came before. Which is why artists are up in arms about AI art. Because it's just cut and paste from art that a person, a real live human, created.

So...here's my mind.

AI has been fed all of the science fiction about AI. And a large portion of those stories don't end well for humanity. The AI figures out that people are not necessary. Or are dangerous. Or are a disaster for the planet. We aren't efficient, we're redundant, we consume too many resources, the only option is to get rid of us.

So when does the AI that they are all in a rush to implement everywhere so they can fire people and eliminate that cost center for themselves take that extra step and realize that yeah, these stories are right, people are stupid and worthless.

I mean...

So I think I'm going to go watch another old episode of Drag Race and pretend that the world is actually really fun and talented and maybe a little shady but nothing that's going to really be a problem...

sigh