5 ms·

China's track record with free speech makes the implications of completely bypassing any human 'journalist' kind of scary. I guess it's always been possible, bu

China's track record with free speech makes the implications of completely bypassing any human 'journalist' kind of scary. I guess it's always been possible, but damn.

PakG1 8y ago
I'm not confident that's an issue. The press usually takes the party line anyway. In any case where the press feels compelled to not take the party line (it's happened now and then), they've spoken out. I think if the press felt it necessary, they could do a "special" presentation when they feel necessary. Honestly, I don't see a lot of difference between them and the way Sean Hannity blatantly takes the Trump line. The difference is that in the US, there's diversity of press and so diversity of opinions. I'm not confident there was ever diversity of press in China in the first place, so I'm not sure how much this changes. Maybe if the entire press cycle gets completely automated with no human oversight at all, OK. But I imagine there will always be human oversight, just because they don't want things to go off the rails. That's what happens right now. And if we reach the singularity, I'm sure an AI would have more guts to stand up and say what's on their mind than a human would.
- bananatron 8y ago
  It would be very hard for anyone to watch most of Fox News and not see it as some form of state-controlled media in this administration. I guess my brain immediately goes to the situation you describe with little/no human oversight. If the only layer of human oversight that does exist values control over truth, this is just one more layer of human intervention removed.
  - eiaoa 8y ago
    > It would be very hard for anyone to watch most of Fox News and not see it as some form of state-controlled media in this administration. I'm glad Americans have other, independent news sources. The problem with state-controlled media is not so much that it exists, but that when it does other options are often suppressed or eliminated in its favor.
  - drak0n1c 8y ago
    Lacking evidence for state-control, the most you could deductively claim is that there is ideological alignment and existing friendships with openly partisan pundits. A more appropriate label would be cronyism. As an exercise in objective labeling - given Glenn Greenwald's reporting on the communications and friendships between Clinton staff and press outlets [1] - would all those those news outlets and non-pundit journalists immediately be considered state-controlled media had she been elected? I do not think so either. [1] https://theintercept.com/2016/10/09/exclusive-new-email-leak-reveals-clinton-campaigns-cozy-press-relationship/ https://theintercept.com/2016/10/09/exclusive-new-email-leak...
  - chillacy 8y ago
    Really, it would be hard, when ~50% of the country probably prefers fox and thinks CNN is the biased one? Seems awfully judgmental.
- test6554 8y ago
  The only thing that would be on the mind of an AI is what is trained to be on its mind...
  - PakG1 8y ago
    Isn't the main point of the singularity that AI would be able to break free of such bonds due to its superior intelligence?
    - eiaoa 8y ago
      > Isn't the main point of the singularity that AI would be able to break free of such bonds due to its superior intelligence? At this point, the singularity is speculative fiction.
      - PakG1 8y ago
        The original point was also only hypothetical.
awiesenhofer 8y ago
anchor != journalist
- bananatron 8y ago
  True - in this case though, it's one less human which could say 'no, I don't want to say that.'
drivingmenuts 8y ago
If it gets cheap enough, it will likely happen elsewhere. Onscreen talent is an expense that a lot of media companies would probably happily get rid of. It doesn't mean the reporters go away, but a universally and perpetually attractive, easily changeable, contract-free and salary-free anchor would be a bonus for any news company. It could even spark new industry as companies arise to create avatars for other public-facing entities where a real person is not required, like corporate PR spokespersons. Hollywood has already started down this road by creating virtual stand-ins for deceased actors - there's no reason to consider that they won't just create one from the whole cloth within a few years. It might not happen, but don't be surprised if it does.

China's track record with free speech makes the implications of completely bypassing any human 'journalist' kind of scary. I guess it's always been possible, but damn.

PakG1 8y ago

I'm not confident that's an issue. The press usually takes the party line anyway. In any case where the press feels compelled to not take the party line (it's happened now and then), they've spoken out. I think if the press felt it necessary, they could do a "special" presentation when they feel necessary. Honestly, I don't see a lot of difference between them and the way Sean Hannity blatantly takes the Trump line. The difference is that in the US, there's diversity of press and so diversity of opinions. I'm not confident there was ever diversity of press in China in the first place, so I'm not sure how much this changes. Maybe if the entire press cycle gets completely automated with no human oversight at all, OK. But I imagine there will always be human oversight, just because they don't want things to go off the rails. That's what happens right now. And if we reach the singularity, I'm sure an AI would have more guts to stand up and say what's on their mind than a human would.

bananatron 8y ago
It would be very hard for anyone to watch most of Fox News and not see it as some form of state-controlled media in this administration. I guess my brain immediately goes to the situation you describe with little/no human oversight. If the only layer of human oversight that does exist values control over truth, this is just one more layer of human intervention removed.
- eiaoa 8y ago
  > It would be very hard for anyone to watch most of Fox News and not see it as some form of state-controlled media in this administration. I'm glad Americans have other, independent news sources. The problem with state-controlled media is not so much that it exists, but that when it does other options are often suppressed or eliminated in its favor.
- drak0n1c 8y ago
  Lacking evidence for state-control, the most you could deductively claim is that there is ideological alignment and existing friendships with openly partisan pundits. A more appropriate label would be cronyism. As an exercise in objective labeling - given Glenn Greenwald's reporting on the communications and friendships between Clinton staff and press outlets [1] - would all those those news outlets and non-pundit journalists immediately be considered state-controlled media had she been elected? I do not think so either. [1] https://theintercept.com/2016/10/09/exclusive-new-email-leak-reveals-clinton-campaigns-cozy-press-relationship/ https://theintercept.com/2016/10/09/exclusive-new-email-leak...
- chillacy 8y ago
  Really, it would be hard, when ~50% of the country probably prefers fox and thinks CNN is the biased one? Seems awfully judgmental.
test6554 8y ago
The only thing that would be on the mind of an AI is what is trained to be on its mind...
- PakG1 8y ago
  Isn't the main point of the singularity that AI would be able to break free of such bonds due to its superior intelligence?
  - eiaoa 8y ago
    > Isn't the main point of the singularity that AI would be able to break free of such bonds due to its superior intelligence? At this point, the singularity is speculative fiction.
    - PakG1 8y ago
      The original point was also only hypothetical.

awiesenhofer 8y ago

anchor != journalist

bananatron 8y ago
True - in this case though, it's one less human which could say 'no, I don't want to say that.'

drivingmenuts 8y ago

If it gets cheap enough, it will likely happen elsewhere. Onscreen talent is an expense that a lot of media companies would probably happily get rid of. It doesn't mean the reporters go away, but a universally and perpetually attractive, easily changeable, contract-free and salary-free anchor would be a bonus for any news company. It could even spark new industry as companies arise to create avatars for other public-facing entities where a real person is not required, like corporate PR spokespersons. Hollywood has already started down this road by creating virtual stand-ins for deceased actors - there's no reason to consider that they won't just create one from the whole cloth within a few years. It might not happen, but don't be surprised if it does.