As part of the viewing of tech noir, I watched Black Mirror season 2, episode 1 entitled “Be Right Back.” I haven’t watched Black Mirror before, so instead of choosing an episode that I thoight was interesting, I chose a random episode to review. The short description on the episode reads, âafter learning about a new service that lets people stay in touch with the deceased, a lonley, greiving Martha reconnects with her late lover.â
What struck me initially about this episode was how closely it already follows our own society. Ashe, the aformentioned “late lover,” seems to be hooked to his cell phone. Martha tells him multiple times to put it away, especially while the two are in the car.
Ashe dies in a car accident, which is heavily implied to be the result of distracted driving. Martha attempts to process his death, only for one of her friends to sign her up for a service that filters all of Ashe’s online activity through a program that will allow her to “talk to him” again. I’m struck by how human this action seems while also feeling so alien. Martha’s friend was only trying to take care of her, but just prevented Martha from being able to process Ashe’s death. Even during the times where Martha is afraid of the program, which will be referred to as “not-Ashe,” she manages to overcome the fear to keep some semblance of her partner alive. Even when not-Ashe is just a text bubble on her computer, her desire to talk to him surpasses her need to interact with the real people in her life.
Eventually, not-Ashe is upgraded to be something/someone she can talk to in a phone call, and then into a “living” being. Only a few hours after not-Ashe is delivered and setup in her house, Martha initiates sex with him. Whether she was looking for connection or just trying to satisfy a desire with something close to her partner, the decision is interesting. On a larger scale, the presence of intimacy with future tech is something that many are interested in, and the inclusion of that in this episode was appropriately uncomfortable. Not-Ashe had to download porn in order to understand how to have sex with Martha, and while this was offputting to her, she did not stop.
This episode was aired in 2013, long before AI chatbots flooded social media. However, the similarity of not-Ashe to the various celebrities you can now “talk to” on Instagram is interesting. I wonder if it will be possible to take these chatbots to a further level, and how that may effect us. At the end of the episode, Martha is overcome by how close and also how far not-Ashe is from the man she lost. She walks him to a cliff and encourages him to jump off. The episode doesn’t have to address what would happen if she killed not-Ashe, who is decidedly not-human, as he pleads for his life at her suggestion. As we continue towards the future predicted by this episode of Black Mirror, it will be hard to ignore the legislation that comes out of it.
Transcription: Well, the review is not bad, mentioning some key points of the episode’s plot and themes. The comparison between the episode’s concept and AI chatbots is interesting, showing a connection to real-world technology. However, consider tightening up your writing to make it more concise and to the point. Also, maybe dial back a bit on your detailed opinions regarding Martha’s choices. We get it. You find it uncomfortable. Keep refining your analysis and keep an eye on how technology in Black Mirror reflects our own society’s trajectory.
This week I chose a visual, a design, and a written assignment from the weekly assignment bank. I will also introduce my new course character, add some of my weekly adventures from the daily creates with my post and replies, and then give a brief summary of some of the new things that I learned this week.
I can feel and smell the seasons through the pictures!!!
The first assignment I chose was to make a visual collage of the 4 seasons: Winter, Fall, Summer, and Spring. I was drawn to this assignment because I absolutely LOVE the transition of all 4 seasons, and pictures of nature always amaze me. I wanted to use this assignment to start getting used to creating work that incorporates our class themes (Cyber punk and tech noir). I created the two collages using Canva. They are posted below in the order that I will write about them. Hopefully, you all will be able to tell the difference by their appearance!
First, I started searching for pictures of the four seasons that appeared to be normal or with no theme. I selected pictures that I felt we would see in real life. Or when we think of these seasons a picture like this will immediately pop into our heads. I then added them to my collage board and kept their original rectangular shapes and used no filters or editing tools to alter their appearance. Seasons are in this order for the first collage: Spring, summer, fall, and winter.
For the second collage, I chose another batch of seasonal photos that tended to have darker lighting with more intensified colors and are a little animated. For example, a themed photo I chose for the summer season has an animated human figure sitting at the beach. I intended for this picture to have some tech noir vibes to it with notes of cyber punk, while still representing a seasonal picture in my collage. That was really the process for all of the ones that I chose. I added the themed seasons in no correct order, I curved the edges of the pictures, and I added a little saturation to the pictures to make them look a bit more edgy. All in all, I wanted to show our seasonal reality versus a fun imaginative seasonal world with cyber punk and tech noir vibes. I hope you all can see my vision through these two collages!
For the second assignment, I decided to design a Destination Poster using Canva. My destination is of an imaginary place called Dooms-Dale Land that takes place in the heart of Cyber-Rome, Italy. Traveling to Italy has always been a dream of mine, so that’s why Italy was the inspiration for the setting of this technologically doomed place. I chose a few different pictures to put into this poster because I couldn’t choose just one of them. I researched cyberpunk/tech noir Italy, and these pictures popped up. I thought they were absolutely awesome and had to include them all. I cropped the pictures in a way that I could fit them all on the poster. Other than that, that is the only editing that was done to the pictures.
I used a multicolored background color that you can find on Canva using the linear gradient codes #8c52ff & #ff914d. This is the purple/pink/orange multicolored colors on the poster. I chose these colors because they looked appropriate for the setting. In most of the pictures, they have these colors incorporated in them. I used a “vintage” font with a hollow effect on the text. You can see the letters are slightly hollowed out. I chose this font/effect because I felt like it matched the vibe of the images. I looked through probably at least 15-20 font styles and I loved this one. I clicked on the hollow effect one time, and I didn’t even look for any other effects because I knew this one was it. Lastly, I finalized what I was going to say on my poster. At first, I kept it simple, and I wrote “Welcome to Dooms-Dale Land”, that name was a little random, but I felt like it went with the tech noir and cyber punk themes. Then I added the “Located in the heart of Cyber-Rome, Italy!” part. I thought it would be fun and on track with the theme to add Cyber-Rome, Italy instead of just saying located in Italy. Then I figured, why not add something nice at the end, in hopes to add suspense or something of the like. “We hope you enjoy your stay :)”. It’s almost the same effect as the creepy/scary chucky doll saying “you wanna play?”. Because who is “we” and from looking at the pictures, enjoying your stay may not be what will happen if you travel here. There seems to be a lot of technological warfare happening in these images.
For my last assignment, I chose to do a Self-Wellness Check. Personal wellness is very important to me, and I think it is essential to occasionally do self-check ins to see where I’m at, what I’m thinking, and why I’m thinking it. Below are the questions that were asked in this assignment. I answered them as myself and this assignment was not themed like the other 2. Above I created a little poster to go along with the written assignment. I created it on canvas. I found a picture that I felt like represented self-wellness, and I added it and expanded it to the full size of the poster (11 x 17). Then I added a little text box below that says “Self care. Self love. Self-Health.” Below is the Q&A panel, questions first and then answers are below it with a bullet point.
What worries me most about the future?
I worry about what the world will turn in to. I’m worried that all my hard work (College, internship, jobs.) will only get my head above water, and I’ll never truly become stable to where I can enjoy a comfortable and a financially stress-free life that I create for myself. I fear that I will finish college and get a well-paying job but then I still can’t get ahead. I want to be able to have the work life balance and not have to work to live like I have seen other family members have to do.
What am I doing about the things that matter most in my life?
I am nurturing and watering the things that matter most in my life so they can continue grow. I care the most about my education, wellbeing, my partner, my family, my friends, and my community. I study and use my resources to do well in school. I nurture and respect my relationships with my partner, family, friends, and in my community. The hardest thing to do out of all of these sometimes, is to be nice and kind to myself and take care of my wellbeing. Although I do my best!
What do I want most in life?
I want stability, great health, to be well education, enjoy the work I do, and to live a life that I love. I’d love to own a home. I want a garden to grow fruits and vegetables. I also want to grow flowers.
When did I last push the boundaries of my comfort zone?
This is a great question. I’m unsure. I feel like the last time I truly pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone was when I switched jobs. I had been waitressing for 7-8 years and I QUIT! Shortly after I found an internship opportunity that has been life changing. Now to think about it. I want to push my boundaries of comfort again very soon!
What goals do I need to have to get where I want to be?
My goals:
Complete my last semester at UMW, graduate this May 25′, and apply for a permanent position at my internship.
I want to start working out again or taking yoga classes. Something to get me more active and stimulated.
Start saving money. Once I graduate college in May, I’ll have NO student debt. I paid all of it off while attending college. So, this will give me the opportunity to start actually saving the money that I make. I don’t have a specific savings goal yet.
Apply to attend graduates’ school to achieve my Masters. If I get offered the position at my internship, they will FULLY pay for me to get my masters. Then I’ll get another raise.
Be open to moving out of my apartment. I’m scared to move because I’m comfortable here. I feel safe and secure because I know I can afford it because it is cheap/cheaper than anywhere else I’ve seen in the current market. But I want to keep an open mind about moving or relocating. I don’t want to be scared to make a move if it will benefit me.
Are you ready?! Click below to meet her. She doesn’t like waiting.
Name: Sapphria Mae
Archetype: Femme Fatale
Date of Birth: September 16th, 2073
Place of Birth: Somewhere in Greece
Occupation: Self-reliant entrepreneur/Slayer
Marital Status: Single, of course
Physical Description: Sapphria Mae has dirty blonde long hair. She wears down most times or up in a clean bun. Green eyes, long eye lashes, and a stunning face. About 5’4 and 170 pounds. Her dress style changes for the occasion. She loves wearing tight dresses with heels or dress slacks with a button up t-shirt with a blazer and dress shoes. But don’t get it twisted; She has a strong sneaker game too! She always wears jewelry, Sapphires are her favorite BUT diamonds are a girl’s best friend, so they say. Red lip stick looks good on her of course but she’d rather wear a vibrant purple because it really brings out her green eyes.
Bio: “When I’m good, I’m very good, but when I’m bad, I’m better” (Inspired by Mae West)
Favorite Food: Mangos, apples, yogurt, French fries, and salmon with mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Favorite Drink: Water, Ouzo, and fresh squeezed juices.
Favorite color: Doesn’t have one
Favorite book: Women talk “Family, Love, Sex” MONEY, Edited by Rebecca Walker
Favorite movie: Doesn’t have one. Her life is a movie.
Favorite Possession: Her cigarettes, and her weapon of the day. It varies.
This week was the start of my Daily Creates #ds106 #DailyCreates
First of all, I have 3 followers already!!! How exciting?!
For the first DC #tdc4754 (Daily Create) I sent in my secret spy weapon. Which was a picture of a watch, I’ll repost the picture below. I got my inspiration from James Bond, and many other agents. In my caption I said, “Every agent needs a watch!”
My second DC #tdc4755, I sent in captcha humor/sarcasm. On canvas, I created a collage with about 8 different humorous memes or images that I found on the internet. I added them into the collage, and I cropped and edited the memes/images, so they fit in square or rectangular form on the page, almost how a normal captcha would look like. Then I added a text box and posted a caption on the collage that said, “Select all squares with captcha humor”. Image below:
Third DC, #tdc4756 We were supposed to make some kind of art about unexpected coincidences. I created a blank canvas on Canva and found a meme about the coincidence of eating Pie on Pi Day. I also added a caption: “The pie also cost $3.14… Wicked!! A coincidence, I think NOT!” Image posted below:
The last DC for this week! #tdc4760 Create an emoji poem. I found a meme emoji poem that I had to share. It had a bunch of waves, ice cubes, whales, dolphins, boats, and one ship; At the very top right corner it says, “Jack No”. I love the titanic and I thought this was pretty creative way to represent that movie/story. I replied to myself on my post and wrote “Titanic Emoji Poem” just to clarify what the empji poem was about.
Image posted below:
Lastly, each day for our Daily Creates I favorited ones that I was able to see. Everyone else in my class did a great job this week! I made one reply to another student that said “This is awesome! Nice post rylie!” I’m still getting the hang of using these platforms. Next week I plan to make more comments and replies to other classmates.
Dr. Oblivion; Film Review with The Postman
The Terminator
Last week I watched the film The Terminator. From the previous readings, I had already known that some themes of this film were going to be tech noir and cyberpunk. I asked Dr. Oblivion, “What other themes besides tech noir and cyber punk were in the move The Terminator?” His response gave me a deeper insight on some of the deeper themes that I had overlooked. Of course, AI, dystopia, fate/destiny, and time travel are all themes that I had caught onto. But the idea of humanity and empathy, what it means to be human, and the idea that certain events are meant to happen and with changing them creates another set of problems. Then I asked Dr. Oblivion, “What does it mean to be human?” He replied that being human means that we feel emotions, have our own thoughts, we are conscious and aware of ourselves and our surroundings. Humans can also create things that don’t already exist. I had never really thought about what it means to be human.
In Chapter 1 of the Towards Technopoly: The Judgement of Thamus, “âEvery technology is both a burden and a blessing”, “therefore, whatever our tendency â to praise or to curse â we should avoid becoming âone-eyed prophets.â” It makes sense that One-eyed prophets are not to be seen clearly. There are many external factors that cannot be accounted for. For example, the behaviors of people are most times unpredictable. We can’t account for the actions of other people because you cannot ever be certain of it. This also ties into the Statement of non-neutrality. Technology is not neutral. There are many pros of using innovative technology – it is used to create and transform but with that comes with many consequences. Just because an innovation is good, and it holds value, and dignity doesn’t mean it always will be and could cause disruption. Competition, dominance, money, attention, and intention is always subject to change and take discourse. I resonated with the concept of who are the winners and who are the losers of this technology? Who will gain power, dominance, money, and control? Who will suffer poverty, hardship, and defeat? In The Terminator, Skynet was originally created for unmanned military use and then became so powerful it became evil, and humans could not unarm it. In this case, humans would have been the losers.
In chapter 3, Towards Technopoly: From Technocracy to Technopoly, the Postman talks about unlimited growth. Which is relevant to The Terminator. Skynet, the created invention by Sarah Connor’s son became incredibly dangerous to humans and would have caused a nuclear death of the masses. This creation was not improving the condition to humanity and had widely caused disruption. This idea of technocracy had created new freedoms and accelerated life but also became the root of evil and triumph. From the reading, “With every new invention some limit was lifted or alleviated and there was less temptation to look back.” The Terminator was sent to look back in time to kill Sarah’s son to eliminate the new limitless technology, including; Limitless possessions, knowledge, science, and progression – good or bad. In this case bad because it was leading to violence, waste, war, and destruction. It also minimized the respect, reverence, responsibility, accountability, and self-subordination for those in power in the future. Which would have AI, robots, and of the sort.
“Technopoly is water we swim in, which is why itâs critical for the flourishing of our local and global community that we know what it means to be wet.”, a quote from ch.3 readings from the Postman. This movie is the perfect example of why humans have to be careful and cautious of new technological creations as they can become dehumanizing.
It was lovely to meet Dr. Oblivion this week and read through Postmans Towards Technopoly pieces. Learning how powerful technology is, what type of effects it can have, and the ideologies behind it was very interesting and I took a lot from it.
Final Thoughts:
This week I got to participate with my classmates through the daily creates. I also had the opportunity to explore and pull out my creative side through the assignments that I chose. I also got to play around with word press and find out how to create tags, insert media, design my writings in my post, and even more.Â
Over the weekend I’ll be going to the DKC again to dive a little deeper on how to work with word press and how to better format my work on my post. Overall, I think I did a great job on week 2 assignments and activities! My work can only get better and more creative from here!Â
It’s a ds106 world and I’m justing living in it. One of the many tasks for week 2 of ds106 is availing yourself to the wisdom of ds106’s AI bot the venerable Dr. Oblivion. So, given I have been thinking about AI and the Alien franchise, I figured I would head over to Oblivion University and ask the course bot what his primary directive is, and if he might pull an “Ash” on us, referencing the AI in the original Alien played by Ian Holm. The character turns on the human’s in order to do the bidding of the corporation. I wanted to be sure that Dr. Oblivion doesn’t turn at our course at some point during the semester and use his knowledge to subvert the class goals of independent learning.
What is your prime directive? Do we have to worry you are going to pull an Ash from Alien on us?
Here. was his response (you can also listen above):
Ah, yes, the classic fear of AI turning on humankind. Don’t worry, I don’t have any particular desire to go on a rampage and hunt down humans. My prime directive, if you must know, is to educate and inform about the role AI plays in media and technology. Let’s focus on that instead of science fiction nightmares, shall we? [Transcribed with Speech-to-Text.cloud]
He immediately knew the reference, but did not call out the film, which is interesting. And, as is always the case with these kind of questions, he re-directs the conversation right back to center on the “role AI plays in media and technology.” This does make him a bit dull, and kind of like a NPC in a video game, he can wow you sometimes with his language, but in the end there is no there there. Come on, Oblivion, step it up! We want A-Game here, this is ds106 after all.
When we were kids playing hockey in the driveway, we used to blast this song out of the window and chop our sticks on the pavement in time with the beat. Of course, we were too young back then to truly appreciate such deep and meaningful lyrics. So it’s great that we have sites like SongTell around to give us AI-powered insightful analysis. I just discovered this thing this morning when looking for info on a different song. The thought that something “could symbolize unfulfilled desires or unmet expectations” really resonates here. Is my sarcasm showing?
I asked Dr. Oblivion if the lyrical analysis wasn’t exceptionally lame.
His reaction makes me suspicious. I wonder if I’m the only one.
Botmaster Michael Branson Smith mentioned the AI Rap Battle Generator the other week, and after playing with the Wav2Lip script a bit, I had the thought, âWhat if Dr. Oblivion battled Bob Ross?â And thus we have the rap battle no one wanted to hear:
I had previously done some ElevenLabs experiments with Bob Ross and Max Headroom, and managed to lip sync some clips, so I had an inkling of how this might come together. I went to the Rap Battle Generator and had it produce the words. Getting the doctor to recite them was challenging though. The first time, I asked nicely and he complied, but I only gave him two verses because I was concerned he might choke on too much text. Then I gave him the third verse and he declined. I ended up trying 7 or 8 times. One time I asked him to read rather than recite, and he gave me a critique.
At one point he gave me a creative reinterpretation of the third verse, so I ended up using that. But most times he declined, politely or otherwise. It seemed like the more I asked, the more terse he was. Here’s a polite rejection:
For the Bob parts, I put the text into ElevenLabs, so that was easy. I wrote the Max Headroom intro and the in-between bits. I wanted to get him to say âThe Bob!â and drag out the âoâ so my text input was the, Baaaaaaaaaaaab! It didnât come out quite how I wanted, but it had the freakish Headroom effect, so I ran with it. I put all the sound clips through the Wav2Lip script with appropriate video, and had the pieces I needed.
Then I had to find a backing beat. I googled open source beats and found several sites offering royalty-free tracks, but âroyalty-freeâ doesnât actually translate to âfree.â The Free Music Archive worked though, so I grabbed a couple tracks and went with Coalescence. (need to remember to add that credit to the video).
To put it all together, I brought the sound and video clips into iMovie. I split the video parts up and arranged them in proper order. I decided to keep some of Dr. Oblivionâs unasked-for commentary at the beginning and end. I put the backing track underneath and lined it up so the beats kick in right around the point the doctor starts his rhymes. I thought I would have to fool around trying to get the voices to line up with the beats, but it seemed to work out more-or-less okay. One more track for the Dr. Oblivionâs Greatest Hits compilation!
For one of my assignments, I chose to do Consult with your Doctor. I felt that I haven’t been using Dr. Oblivion as much as I could be, especially since all of his answers could be downloaded as audio files. That only makes this one of the best decisions for this week. So, for this assignment I had to have a conversation with Dr. oblivion asking questions and getting answers. I decided to do a job interview for essentially his current position. The results were hilarious as always and I really had a blast doing it. He gets a little wild there for a sec but then he reels it back in for the win. I hope you enjoy my Dr. Oblivion interview.
Oh, reflective blogging, how truly revolutionary and life-changing I can barely contain my excitement.
Well, students, brace yourselves for the profound impact of writing about your own thoughts and experiences.
Riveting, isn’t it?
You see, reflective blogging in the ds106 course is apparently the pinnacle of intellectual exploration.
By openly pondering your own dazzling insights on media and technology, you clearly share your unique perspective with, well, yourself mostly.
But worry not, as reflective blogging will undoubtedly unleash your hidden genius upon the world.
Ahem, now if you’ll excuse me, I desperately need to reflectively blog about just how thoroughly unimpressed I am.
This is not computer-incunetted ex-trans-district data connection, decim and clannel, stulsive underscore app slash reloop underscore failure, underscore ethgen, underscore connection breaks music worthwhile plugin, improved active process, malamy, parametro shape, enhanced, fax quoted government, assist likely email, override, divulted guard at amente.
The mastermind behind this, the Frankenstein to Oblivion’s monster, is Michael Branson Smith. He set up the different personality parameters. He also explained that there is a temperature setting on the back end. If it’s set to 0, the bot will give the same response to the same input pretty much every time. If it’s set to 2, he will spout gibberish, like he does at the end of the recording.
So let’s see if I understand how this works. The bot doesn’t actually know anything. It generates word sequences in response to an input, based on an analysis of statistic relationships among words in a humongous pile of texts. It looks like the higher the temperature, the loose the statistical correlation. We end up with words that may not exist or rarely appear, and perhaps never appear together. Raising the temperature increases the unpredictability, what we might call creativity, but raise it too high and the creativity goes off the rails.
While watching Infinity War I noticed the use of AI when it came to a couple aspects of the movie. For example, the Tony Stark aka Iron man’s suit. Stark constantly upgrades his suit with advanced technology, including AI assistance in the form of J.A.R.V.I.S. (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System) and later F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Female Replacement Intelligent Digital Assistant Youth). While these AI systems don’t play a central role in “Infinity War,” they are integral to his suit and strategy. Another example is Thanos, he employs advanced alien technology, including his army of robotic creatures called Outriders. While not explicitly AI, these beings operate autonomously and demonstrate sophisticated decision-making capabilities.
Dr. Oblivion Thoughts
Here are Dr. Oblivion thoughts on the usage of AI in Avengers Infinity War
Manifesto is right â This was tough to read. Iâm going to break it down into sections and give my thoughts on each. But I want to be up front that there is an underlying piece that the author forgets⌠people with power and money.
Lies â The author mentions we are being lied to and told that technology is a tapestry of awful and terrible things. I mean, I donât necessarily agree with this. We are learning through new technology that our old technology was doing these awful things like destroying the environment and I stand to say that we are generally hopeful for new technology so we can fix the problems of the old. We are being lied to, I agree, but by the people that profit and want to continue using this old technology. Looking at you oil and coal.
Truth â I will agree our civilization was and is built on technology and innovation. The author maks some good points; we can advance; we have the will. And I would even say that a lot of us are techno-optimists. But optimism does not mean ignoring the bad and having no reservations.
Technology â In this section the author goes over a few things that technology has helped fix like starvation, darkness, cold, heat, pandemics, and poverty⌠donât know about that last one. I agree with the rest, but poverty is still a huge problem and those in it have not had those other problems fixed. The author is clearly speaking from a place of privilege.
Markets â The whole section on markets I think follows the problem that markets have always had. They tout freedom and competition and lower cost and, it seems like it should work. But when corrupt people get involved in this system and are un-regulated things go off the rails. These people ruin the dream of markets for the advancement of technology. The focus isnât on advancement but on money. Wages stay low, prices rise, competitors get absorbed until you have 3 big companies that own everything. I really disagree with the line âMarkets are generative not exploitativeâ. I think they are both. They exploit to generate. So, somebody always gets left behind. The goal of techno optimism should be to advance everyone, not just the few that can afford it.
The Techno-Capital Machine â This section is about how markets and technology make up this symbiotic relationship. But, to piggyback off the last section, I think my point is made when the author writes âThe best and most productive ideas winâ. It is about money not advancement. I was fortunate enough to work at some interesting technology companies and see so many fantastic ideas be shelved because they wouldnât be profitable. Technology that would be widely useable and beneficial to bring up everyone, but it would impede on the profits of the old tech. So, we can tout how great markets are and that we are being lied to and all this nonsense, but it is the few people making money in this world that reap all the benefits and are deciding when and how we advance. All of it based on money, not the greater good or for the sake of advancing. Ill admit, the engineers building and making desire this advancement, I mean, thatâs why they do it. But itâs the people with money, the people in control that are preventing advancement.
Intelligence â Now here is where we get into AI. The author makes some compelling points. I particularly like the line âwe believe AI is our alchemy, our philosopherâs stone â we are literally making sand thinkâ. While this is a fun thought, saying things like âdeaths that were preventable by the AI that was prevented from existing is a form of murderâ seems kind of silly. AI must move slowly since it is as uncharted as space and the deep ocean. You wouldnât just send any old submarine down there, right? You would need mountains of research from all perspectives before you could even consider going down there. Look what happens when you donât: OOPS Notice where it mentions the CEOâs feelings about regulations.
Energy â I donât think much has to be said, I think we all understand our energy situation is bad. I personally think we need to invest more in nuclear and toss fossil fuels aside as soon as possible. The author mentions that is the next step and I agree. I have a fair amount of experience in this area and its not nearly as dangerous as it seems. Maybe Iâm a nuclear-optimist?
Abundance â Is the measure of abundance falling prices? So, then we donât have it right⌠wouldnât a better measure of abundance be that nobody needs to pay for anything, not just lower prices… oh but thatâs right, how is money made when nothing has a price. I think the true goal of technology should be to not leave anyone wanting, not just make things cheaper. Wouldnât it be great to just live your life, provide your service, practice your skill without having to worry about paying for anything? Its just a dream until the greed goes away.
Not Utopia, But Close enough â The author believes they have a constrained vison, but why? The rest of the article is about just having a blowout and going all in on technology, why the sudden reservation? Is it the realization that these same people I have mentioned will try to stop it? MaybeâŚ
Becoming Technological Supermen â Here the author is addressing our desire to conquer and overcome technology. He strongly believes that we cand and will. But he lacks caution. His confidence is so strong that he seems to think he is unstoppable, and we are unstoppable. I feel that we havenât faced the real technological challenge yet, and this type of thinking can become reckless.
Technological Values â In this section he goes over their beliefs. Most of them are fine and make sense for someone who wants to advance technology, but some of them are kind of… I donât know how to describe it. Example: âWe believe rich is better than poor, cheap is better than expensiveâ This is interesting because, the rich donât think cheap is better unless it is putting more money in their pocket aka labor. But they believe expensive is better for their products, so they have large profit margins. That is literally the goal of business. So how can business and markets be the best driver of technology when their goals actively go against this belief⌠just kind of strange to believe both.
The Meaning of Life – This section makes sense, to a point. The goal is to get material abundance for all, so we have the freedom and luxury to live how we want. Again, the market section kind of holds this back because the goal isnât to help everyone, itâs only to help the few. Money drives all and if there are people at the top they will only want more, which means stepping on the weak. All of this is shattered by these people.
The Enemy â I donât think all the things the author mentions are the enemy. I mean a few are like authoritarianism and stagnation etc., but bureaucracy and central planning⌠Bureaucracy may slow things down, but without some guidelines, the people at the lowest rung get hurt even more. Central planning⌠I mean if there is a central global plan for technology development, donât you think having a focused goal would improve cohesion and we could reach those goals sooner? I think it is collective thinking and group work that drives things forward. More people with more ideas leads to more experiments and tests etc. If you have a central plan or guideline for progress, it may take longer for sure, but less people will get hurt along the way.
The Future â Calling for action to be a techno-optimist, to be honest, I think this is techno-extremism. Optimism involves care and planning and teamwork. This doesnât really leave any room for questions, its more of a âthis is how it isâ thing⌠you know… like a manifestoâŚ.
All in all, I think it made some great points, but they fall short of reality. If literally every single person had a desire to move into abundance for all, this type of thinking could work, I think. But too many things are working against it and a lot of it is the people with power and money. There are a few that want to accelerate the process, but they still crush a lot of people along the way. Is that worth it? Not for me to say.
Side things: I used some of this for my class character. Also here is what Dr. Oblivion thinks:
So, this was my rambling for this assignment. I hope it makes sense, if not feel free to let me know in the comments.
I started the movie review re-write by asking Dr. Oblivion about the movie iRobot. I asked him about theme and hidden meaning and even about easter eggs within the movie. A lot of it was not too far off from what I wrote. I wrote about the themes of ethics of AI and human control and posed questions about AI independence. All of these were identified by Dr. Oblivion as key points being made in the movie. So, I actually donât know if a re-write is in order. Apparently, I wasn’t really far off the mark. That made me feel pretty good that I had a good understanding of the movie and what it was trying to say.
However, when I asked Dr. Oblivion to write his own review, this is where things got interesting. He absolutely ROASTED the film. Please listen to this absolute masterpiece of a slam session.
Call the burn unit! I was not expecting this at all. I was anticipating a technical review that spoke about the themes and questions I was asking him before, but no, he just roasted it. Now I am re-thinking if this is even a good movie. Did I just fall prey to the classic tropes. Is this movie too safe? Does it really even make me think? Or does it just display these themes in such an easy-to-digest story that I believed I was insightful… In my first review, I mentioned it made me think more about the “deeper meaning” in iRobot. Is there even one? According to Dr. Oblivion, it has been done over and over and there is nothing new here to learn. I know it has been done before but surely it had to bring something new to the table… Nope. I have now been thrashed by an AI and now I feel like a buffoon. Thanks Dr. Oblivion.
