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'Alexa has also chatted with users about sex acts' Uh... so? Are they implying that even in the privacy of your own home, with your own property, you should S
by otakucode 8y ago
'Alexa has also chatted with users about sex acts' Uh... so? Are they implying that even in the privacy of your own home, with your own property, you should STILL be so neurotically terrified of sexuality that you dare not even speak of it? How crippled by their hatred of human nature is the author?
The real interesting point here is all the people offended by a mindless piece of software. It's really very stunning. Normal healthy human beings only get offended when it's a person making a judgement that affects them in some way. The ability for some sounds coming out of a speaker, when it's known they do not represent any conscious thought of any living person and has no influence or control over ones own life, to offend someone is probably a sign of mental illness in the listener.
Can we go the other direction with this? Will we find people looking up to Alexa as a creative genius? As the most loving parent to ever exist? If an infinite number of monkeys on typewriters generated Shakespeare, I guess we need to ask - are the monkeys then Shakespeare? We might figure not since the monkeys are unlikely to be able to make a repeat performance. But Alexa, oh she would be full of wonders! Once you've totally abandoned the notion that the involvement of a conscious mind is relevant, all kinds of things become possible.
Much science fiction presumes we will engage in grand combat with AI when it demands respect -- it seems we are much closer instead to thrusting it upon them and exalting them above humanity before they've even got the capacity to recognize themselves in a mirror.
- dwighttk 8y ago“…even in the privacy of your own home, with your own property…” Neither privacy nor property are appropriate in that context.
- otakucode 8y agoAlexa devices are your property. Your home is where you use Alexa devices. Both are paramount in this context.
- lostlogin 8y ago> Are they implying that even in the privacy of your own home, with your own property, you should STILL be so neurotically terrified of sexuality that you dare not even speak of it? In my extremely limited experience, kids love talking to Alexa. I’d prefer that there was at least a safe mode.
- PavlovsCat 8y ago> The ability for some sounds coming out of a speaker, when it's known they do not represent any conscious thought of any living person and has no influence or control over ones own life, to offend someone is probably a sign of mental illness in the listener. This illness is very, very widespread.. doesn't make it less of an illness though. > Once you've totally abandoned the notion that the involvement of a conscious mind is relevant, all kinds of things become possible. > Much science fiction presumes we will engage in grand combat with AI when it demands respect -- it seems we are much closer instead to thrusting it upon them and exalting them above humanity before they've even got the capacity to recognize themselves in a mirror. That's putting very beautifully and efficiently what I very much struggle with to express: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18502239 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18502239 In a nutshell, I think we're not so much creating intelligence, we're destroying what's left of intelligence humans, and we will build a blinking LED yet, and then fall down and worship it because it blinks. No more responsibility, no more nagging questions, no more mirrors that can't be bribed.