podcast friday

[sabotabby]

 Podcast Friday Saturday. Whoops, no one told me that yesterday was Friday. I should have known based on it being called "Good Friday" and the previous day having been Thursday, but to be quite honest I am very tired.

Anyway. This week's podcast that you simply must listen to is the season finale of AURORA AWARD-NOMINATED PODCAST Wizards & Spaceships "AI and Transhumanism ft. Robert J. Sawyer." The renowned sci-fi author talks about the existential threats posed by GenAI and the deep rot and grift at its core. 

As you know, Bob, I have strong, spicy, and controversial opinions on this topic and in particular on why, even though no one asked for this, even though GenAI is not a profitable business for anyone and is threatening to tank the global economy when its speculation bubble bursts, it is still being rammed down our throats. While there are more obvious and immediate threats—the genocide in Gaza, the mass deportations of immigrants and citizens and persecution of trans people in the former US—GenAI to me is a microcosm of the lie at the heart of the liberal democratic order. It improves no one's lives and adds nothing good to the world and yet we are all being forced to believe that it is inevitable. Sawyer's righteous rant is the counterbalance to that narrative that you need right now.

P.S. does anyone want more art history posts from me? I mean you're getting them regardless, but I'm curious to know.

Comments

[sonia]

Yes please on the art history posts, that was fabulous!

And as someone with a computer science masters in AI from 1991, I fully agree with this rant.

[dissectionist]

I always enjoy reading art history. I will especially love it if Art Deco enters the chat, but I’ll read about any era any time!

[agoodwinsmith]

Art history me up, baby.

[radiantfracture]

Yes please more art history.

[sovay]

P.S. does anyone want more art history posts from me? I mean you're getting them regardless, but I'm curious to know.

Yes, obviously.

[kore]

GenAI to me is a microcosm of the lie at the heart of the liberal democratic order. It improves no one's lives and adds nothing good to the world and yet we are all being forced to believe that it is inevitable.

A-fucken-men, it's absolutely infuriating.

Yes please more art posts! I might not comment bc t is still recovering, but the last one was so great.

[moon_custafer]

I too would like some more art-history posts.

[minoanmiss]

I love it when you talk about art history

[lizbee]

I would absolutely love to know more about abstract art -- I go to galleries and I'm like, "I like this, it makes me feel a way, but I don't understand it and I need more context." (I am also happy to take book recs, if that's easier.)

[greylock]

I'm going to vote for art history too.
I also got confused about which day it was.

I feel like I missed episodes 10 and 11 of W&S too. I'll try and listen tomorrow.

[flamingsword]

I love art history to the point that when I was a teen and twentysomething I wanted to be an art restorer. Please keep using art history to throw unflattering context on various modern media and sociopolitics.

[symbioid]

One thing I don't get - and maybe it's just an Elon thing (is he even a "transhumanist"?)... When I was an Extropian/Transhumanist, to me the whole point was to transcend all these boundaries to become beyond human.

Now these assholes want the AI and all that shit, BUT ALSO FORCE YOU BACK INTO THE CAVES LIKE THE HUMAN FLESHLINGS YOU ARE (BREED FOR ME).

WTF? And the whole "Long Now" thing - I think there are some people involved in that who do want to envision things on longer time scales, because Capital is so next-quarter, but it seems both conveniently ignore the medium-term which is where human existence really lies. I suppose that's convenient. And gives justification for "WE ARE DOING THIS TO SAVE US YOU MORTALS" (even if you're a fucking idiot mortal too, thanks for thinking you have the answers and not letting us have a voice, dickweeds).

I should listen to this one in particular because of the transhuman aspect. IDK how much that plays a role, but it sounds like you're talking about the contradictions in that worldview?