Ruminations on our relationship with technology
AI slop is a feature, not a bug Over the years, lots of organizations bought into “rapid AI adoption,” imposing LLMs, image generators, and other GenAI technology into workflows as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, many businesses did so without taking time to really understand the technology—and why, as folks like me argued, it requires human … Read more
Do chatbots help students learn? Many teachers are aware of the disruption that large language models (LLMs), the technology behind chatbots, have brought to education. There are obvious concerns about cheating and plagiarism, as well as a pedagogical worry about using LLMs to do schoolwork. If teachers allow classes to use LLMs for tests and … Read more
Although chatbots are unlikely to replace writers, they can provide useful automation for creatives Another article of mine was published on Vanguard Creative (formerly Vanguard UX), where I argued that generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) chatbots are unlikely to replace writers or other creatives. Despite the hype, GenAI chatbots don’t understand human language like we do. … Read more
Will GenAI chatbots lead to genius or superintelligent AI? Conversations with generative AI (GenAI) chatbots are becoming more commonplace. Many of these bots are sounding more human. Some may even seem pretty intelligent. Hence, there’s speculation that this technology might lead to a kind of genius or superintelligent AI. Of course, what counts as ‘genius’ … Read more
Every technology entails a Faustian bargain! Ever since I learned about Neil Postman years ago, I’ve found myself continually coming back to his writings and insights. The founder of media ecology, Postman remains one of my main influences when it comes to thinking about technology. For me, one of his most perceptive observations is that … Read more
What’s zero shot learning performance in AI? Zero-shot learning performance in artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive automation is getting more scrutiny. So, I thought I’d take time to look at what zero-shot learning is, as well as review research on it. To understand zero-shot learning, however, we have to understand machine learning in AI. Machine … Read more
Why AI may increase economic inequality over the years Anyone keeping up with economic news may sometimes find it difficult to be an optimist about artificial intelligence (AI). For instance, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reported that AI may increase economic inequality over the years. In fact, AI will likely affect nearly 40% of … Read more
AI and the problem of induction: insight from David Hume I recently traveled through Scotland, home to one of my favorite Enlightenment philosophers, David Hume. In fact, right in the capital city of Edinburgh, where Hume once lived, there’s a statue of him. Hume wrote back in the 18th century, but his philosophical thought remains … Read more
What does it mean to say blockchains are trustless? The recent rise of cryptocurrency funds just might add to the fantasy of creating a new financial system based entirely on cryptocurrency. So, I thought it would be a good time to revisit some questions about the underlying technology that makes these so-called financial products possible: … Read more