Can we believe anything we see now?

Elegran
Long before Siri or Alexa came on the scene Mr Google was listening to us.
Some years ago there was lots of videos done in real time showing this.

David49

M0nica

All you need to do is restrict your news coverage to the reputable main stream news sources - BBC, Sky, national newspaper sites.

So you believe all the stories in the national news papers.

No I do not, but they are more reliable than various social media accounts.

Elegran

Is that because you see their designers and programmers as philanthropic benefactors whose sole motive is to increase the sum of happiness in a Utopian world where everyone can spend most of their time at leisure pursuits and enjoying life with their familes, and no-one needs to work more than an hour or two a day to earn enough because AI will increase their productions levels, efficiency and profitability?

Many people see an alternative future, where AI makes production so much more efficient that the humans in charge of supervising them can't keep up with their activities. Unless their minders are exceptionally technically minded, they might not completely understand how they work and in what areas they are likely to malfunction, let alone be aware of deliberately introduced malfunctions which could turn the products into spies in every home.

Those of us who have Siri or Alexa already have a nagging suspicion that they could be reporting to MI5 anything they hear which could be planning insurrection. The situation in the States just now shows how dangerous it could become to criticise the regime or to insist on due process in federal dealings with legal or judicial matters.

I’m not sure whether this is a response to my post Elegran, but if so, no, that’s not how I see it at all - I was thinking it could explain why we may be seeing posts from bots, otherwise it’s hard to imagine a reason for targeting an interactive forum like this one, with entirely fictitious posts.

Elegran

Is that because you see their designers and programmers as philanthropic benefactors whose sole motive is to increase the sum of happiness in a Utopian world where everyone can spend most of their time at leisure pursuits and enjoying life with their familes, and no-one needs to work more than an hour or two a day to earn enough because AI will increase their productions levels, efficiency and profitability?

Many people see an alternative future, where AI makes production so much more efficient that the humans in charge of supervising them can't keep up with their activities. Unless their minders are exceptionally technically minded, they might not completely understand how they work and in what areas they are likely to malfunction, let alone be aware of deliberately introduced malfunctions which could turn the products into spies in every home.

Those of us who have Siri or Alexa already have a nagging suspicion that they could be reporting to MI5 anything they hear which could be planning insurrection. The situation in the States just now shows how dangerous it could become to criticise the regime or to insist on due process in federal dealings with legal or judicial matters.

There was a theory called the Paperclip Maximiser where a bot was charged with making as many paperclips as possible, and the theory said that it would make every single thing, including humans, into paperclips, or things which could make paperclips!

petra

Jaxjacky

If you watch The Capture - on the BBC iplayer - it illustrates how deepfake can falsely portray people in power.

Everyone should watch The Capture.
Would I say it’s never been used 🤔 let me think. 😉

It appears to have been removed. It says, ‘ The Capture will return’.
Strange

Daddima "There was a theory called the Paperclip Maximiser where a bot was charged with making as many paperclips as possible, and the theory said that it would make every single thing, including humans, into paperclips, or things which could make paperclips!"

Because that was its role - a paperclip maker. Bots whose programmed role is posting those long fake stories about toxic partners, family members, friends or relations, or those extreme opinions about current affairs, on social media sites will post them on any social media site that it can get into. I notice they often appear on GN in waves, as though one has passed on a link to others. Maybe we are a homework exercise for apprentice AI data-and-style gatherers?

Sometimes the bots' posts (the money one yesterday for eg) seem a lot more sensible & believable than the occassional really off-the-wall post that turns up from a demonstrably human poster (maybe even some of mine!)

keepingquiet

If it smells fishy it's probably a fish...

And the fish rots from the head.

I now exactly what you mean. I'm totally confused abt what's true/not. Really struggling to sift through all thecrap and bs. If we could opt out of receiving AI on phone it would be really helpful. X

As an American in a Trumpian dystopia, I predict this is going to get worse because I've seen so many people choose to believe lies (yes, they know they're lies) because it reinforces their world view. No matter how stupid or evil the lies are. Deporting was fine when it was criminals, but now it's fine if someone writes an op-ed. That image is distasteful, but it's OK because, in your examples, it Megan or the Pope (both vilified, esp in the UK). * * What kind of world are we leaving our grandkids???

Sadly I think most of the news outlets have now ..for me it's more about the lack of coverage of important international affairs as well as the very right wing bias & blatant unchallenged lying (thinking particularly of Tr ump & Farage) . Where has impartiality, neutral & critical thinking gone? Sad times ! ?

I only use Facebook but it is full of fake news/AI generated stuff now. Alison Hammond was pregnant today, she’s 50 fgs and although I know it’s not impossible AI seem to be generating lots of pregnancy stories for women who are most probably menopausal.

The comments on Facebook have a lot of all-purpose insults, too, which look as though they come from a standard list ready to be selected, eyes closed, with a pin, and clicked to reply to any post which doesn't agree with MAGA doctrines.

Rather like those greetings cards you can buy, which have a series of boxes to tick according to the recipient and the occasion, "Congratulations on your engagement/wedding/triplets/divorce/operation/conviction/parole/funeral. Here's hoping you will be happy/careful/miserable/sterilised/jailed/re-arrested/hell-bound."

Completely agree.

I don’t use Facebook BUT my wife does and the comments do influence her, they are not AI bots they are from people she knows.
That’s a problem for me because I’m a centrist and its moving her opinions to the right, but hey ho it makes a change from countering the left wing opinions on this forum.

My Facebook page is private, I only get posts from family and friends I have allowed to contribute and groups I have signed up for, mainly my local community and special interests that do not post political messages.

Even then there is sometimes so much on it they all do not get read.

M0nica

My Facebook page is private, I only get posts from family and friends I have allowed to contribute and groups I have signed up for, mainly my local community and special interests that do not post political messages.

Even then there is sometimes so much on it they all do not get read.

Mine too but every so often I get flooded with advertising posts from firms or companies I do not know.

Yes, occasionally I have a day when i get half a dozen, but no more. Partly I think because my interests don't trigger anything interesting and popular - Local, Listed buildings and archaeology.

I have suddenly remembered, I am on Pinterest, but not for much longer, it is driving me nuts. Click on site once for an interesting story and I am inundated. Currently old houses for sale anywhere in the UK because we have been house hunting for an old house in one specific location. That has now stopped - we have found one and are buying it, but still the emails full of old houses come in. I delete them each time without following anything up, but still they come.

M0nica

Yes, occasionally I have a day when i get half a dozen, but no more. Partly I think because my interests don't trigger anything interesting and popular - Local, Listed buildings and archaeology.

I have suddenly remembered, I am on Pinterest, but not for much longer, it is driving me nuts. Click on site once for an interesting story and I am inundated. Currently old houses for sale anywhere in the UK because we have been house hunting for an old house in one specific location. That has now stopped - we have found one and are buying it, but still the emails full of old houses come in. I delete them each time without following anything up, but still they come.

Some are interesting but it's rather unnerving if you do a search elsewhere that something related will pop up on FB.

I cannot get rid of those reels and videos, mostly about cats, people's weddings and the Royal Family. They appear every day, there seems to be no way to stop them.

The latest is someone's pregnancy scan
I am not interested!

Allira

The latest is someone's pregnancy scan
I am not interested!

They are all fake too. I posted up thread.

JaneJudge

Allira

The latest is someone's pregnancy scan
I am not interested!

They are all fake too. I posted up thread.

Thanks JaneJudge

I take everything I see on any Social Media with a pinch of salt now as I find it very annoying this AI invasion. How are we supposed to know what is real anymore. I bet its even on TV even the News. I do know a lot of the Trump stuff is AI generated. The good and the bad.

sodapop

Sadly the BBC is no longer a reputable news sourcec due to its biased reporting.

Is it not?

I thought it had improved!
But willing to be convinced otherwise.

To which way is it biased?

I just watched an AI image of a murdered man , appearing in Court, during the sentencing phase of the accused murderer. The victim’s sister decided to present it to the jury - it was eerie - only in America !!!!