Jared Whitson, CDS’ Post

Do you agree with ChatGPT's interpretation of "Riders on the Storm" by the Doors? "Riders on the Storm" is one of The Doors' most famous songs and is the last track on their 1971 album, "L.A. Woman". The song has a moody, atmospheric feel, and its lyrics are often open to interpretation, but there are a few main themes and interpretations commonly associated with it. 1. **Nature and Its Forces**: The song's title and chorus reference a storm, and the sound of rain and thunder can be heard throughout the track. This can be taken as a metaphor for the unpredictable and uncontrollable forces of nature and, by extension, life itself. Storms can represent turmoil, danger, change, and rejuvenation. 2. **The Journey of Life**: The lyrics discuss a "rider" and "his" journey, which can be seen as a metaphor for life's journey. This journey is fraught with danger ("there's a killer on the road"), but there's also a sense of accepting and even embracing the uncertainty and challenges ("take a long holiday, let your children play"). 3. **Danger and Morality**: The song's reference to a "killer on the road" and "his brain is squirming like a toad" suggest dark impulses and the potential for violence or moral corruption within humans. This can be interpreted as a commentary on the darker side of human nature or the dangers that lie in wait on the road of life. 4. **Mortality and Impermanence**: The line "if you give this man a ride, sweet family will die" can be seen as a reflection on the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of life. 5. **Spiritual Overtones**: The repeated lines "into this house we're born, into this world we're thrown" suggest themes of destiny, fate, and existential questioning. This line can be seen as a nod to philosopher Martin Heidegger's concept of "thrownness" (or "Geworfenheit" in German), which refers to the idea that humans are thrown into existence without a say, left to grapple with life's inherent meaninglessness and the burdens of choice and responsibility. Jim Morrison, The Doors' enigmatic frontman, often employed poetic and abstract lyrics, allowing listeners to derive their interpretations. "Riders on the Storm" is no exception, and its haunting, introspective nature has made it a timeless piece that continues to resonate with audiences around the world."

I don't doubt that some of the people who have jumped on the AI bandwagon will probably not like what I have to say in this post, but here goes anyway ... Like many, I have watched with a growing sense of unease and even revulsion, the burgeoning of AI tools that attempt to "automate" the human creative process in areas like painting, music, and writing - as well as my beloved photography. And it's easy to poke fun at this new technology - its stunning lack of intelligence in spite of its name - its blind and mindless parroting of the delusions of others without any ability to discriminate trash from treasure - its comical drawings of three-legged people or its inability to draw a realistic human hand. But all of this misses the point ... Because no matter how good these AI tools eventually become, their essential iniquity is as the video below so brilliantly puts it, "the fast-tracking of the commoditization of the human spirit - the erosion of the world's soul and the spirit of humanity itself." In the video, the author and actor Stephen Fry reads an emotional letter by the author and musician Nick Cave (both of whom are IMHO absolute treasures), in which he responds to some of his fans' concerns about the impact of tools like ChatGPT in the arena of human creativity. Cave's response is wonderful and gives form to the kind of intangible and ill-defined distaste I feel towards the application of these AI tools in the creative arena, far more brilliantly than I could ever do. He says that the goal [of AI tools like ChatGPT] is to "eliminate the process of creation and its attendant challenges" [that are] "nothing more than a time-wasting inconvenience that stands in the way of the commodity itself." But the last word in the video goes to the author Paolo Coelho, and it is the kind of stuff that makes you want to print it out in a 100 point, bold font and tape it up above your desk. "The reward of our work is not what we get, but what we become." I hope you enjoy the video. #ai #chatgpt

Here's a poem written by ChatGPT, titled "Harmony of Progress and Humanity" In the realm where circuitry meets the soul, A tale unfolds of progress, a journey whole. With every stride in technology's advance, Humanity's fate dances in a delicate trance. We harness the lightning, the power of the sun, Unraveling mysteries, one by one. In the crucible of innovation, we dare, To shape a future beyond compare. Yet progress is a double-edged blade, For with each step forward, a price is paid. Sacrifices made in the name of the new, Challenge our essence, our values true. The machines we create, they learn and grow, But at times, humanity's empathy may wane and go. We chase convenience, speed, and control, While the warmth of compassion, we sometimes extol. In our quest for mastery, we must not forget, The human touch, the kindness we beget. For progress alone is an empty race, If we lose our connection to the human embrace. We trade solitude for screens that glow, In the process, forgetting the people we know. In the realm of algorithms and code, Human bonds at times erode. But let us not lose our humanity's grace, As we navigate this intricate space. Technology, progress, they can enhance, If we safeguard the soul of our existence. So let us tread carefully, hand in hand, Harnessing knowledge to better the land. With wisdom and heart, let us always strive, To ensure that our progress lets humanity thrive. In the melding of circuits and human might, Lies the promise of a brighter, kinder light. With balance and care, we shall prevail, In this epic tale of progress and its trail.

Life's about permission. Mostly our own permission. But we try to tell us it's other people's permission. But hey. It's not. We insist on overcomplicating our lives. Doing what we think others want us to do. But this only gets us so far. With ChatGPT this has changed. We can now always have advice: - At zero cost - With no status bias - With ultra wisdom Things are about to change. When information and wisdom is democratized, it's only our own permission to use it that holds us back. **Update: This article was edited after the fair comments of Daryl🤖, Jared and Amanda on bias. I changed "unbiased" to "no status bias". The point I'm trying to make is that ChatGPT doesn't care if we brush our teeth or not. Unlike our parents, bosses, teachers, or spouses. What it will do is help us craft a strategy for improving our lives, when we don't know where to go, without physically benefiting from our choices. ---- I'd like to add here, that I don't even remotely have the credits to speak on this topic. Nevertheless, I will tirelessly keep trying to change the status quo, and try to spark people to strive for better. I'm grateful for anyone at any time who cares enough to point me in the right direction.

Can two diametrically opposed things exist? ChatGPT Says: "Yes, two diametrically opposed things can exist. Diametrically opposed means completely opposite or contrary to each other. In many cases, these opposing forces or concepts can coexist, and their existence can sometimes even be dependent on each other. For example, light and darkness, good and evil, love and hate, and order and chaos are all examples of diametrically opposed concepts that can exist simultaneously in various contexts." This is a bit reassuring and yet troubling. What do you think? Joseph Manos Paul Gardner Yishai Amir Barbara Pellow Howie Fenton Jack Glacken Warren Werbitt Joanne Gore - JGC

Woody Allen's 'Coup de Chance' Review: A Disaster Written by ChatGPT - The Daily Beast ... with a wife cheating on her husband, and containing the theme of chance into ChatGPT and it's truly astounding how close the bot got. More Info. ‘Coup de Chance’: Woody Allen’s Latest Flop Seems Written by ChatGPT https://lnkd.in/dvZ3k5VH #web3#Webtribeinc#ai#chatgpt

So I asked ChatGPT if this was a fun statement. Actually I asked what I implied. It was fun. ChatGPT understands "humour". I am unsure how ChatGPT identify itself, so my apologies for chosing the wrong pronoun here, but this is what it said about KLINGEReyes Xmas wish 2023 trying to be fun and philosophical without insulting anyone anywhere i the entire world: ChatGPT "In the altered version you provided, "Better Zen than never," it looks like "Zen" is substituted for "late." This could be interpreted in a couple of ways: 1. A Play on Words: It might be a play on the sound of "late" and "Zen," suggesting that it's better to have a sense of calm and tranquility (Zen) than to not have it at all. 2 A Philosophical Twist: It could also imply that embracing a Zen attitude or mindset is preferable to not having it in your life. In any case, the phrase appears to be a lighthearted or creative twist on the original saying, incorporating the concept of Zen for added meaning or humor." PS It is even more stimulating in swedish since "SEN" is prounced as "ZEN" and actually means LATE in swedish. Yes, Bertrand Russel and Croucho would've loved this ...

Thank-you, Annekatrin Madlung, for highlighting this for me. It is a great letter and I completely agree but my talk, which is optimistic about AI’s potential, seems to say the opposite. The truth is a little more nuanced. Let me explain. Personally I don’t think that ChatGPT is the start of the commoditisation of the human spirit, as Nick Cave writes. That has been happening for decades for many, with all creative endeavour being reduced to nothing more than satisfying the algorithm to maximise profit. Canned opinion, marketing blurb and stock imagery have been with us for a long time. It has been created by people who once dreamt of pursuing their passions but had to settle so that they might afford food and shelter. ChatGPT is the end of that process, where all human creativity has been extracted to the point where the machine can continue without any more human involvement. Now that this process has finally run it’s course we humans are freed from their part in the corporate synthesising of creativity. Instead of feeding the machinery we can start feeding our own souls. My talk concludes by saying: “with each new invention ask yourself- does this make me more or less human? If it makes you less human, reducing you to nothing more than a consumer or a cog in the machine, then reject it. If it makes you more human, freeing up your creativity by complimenting and supporting your humanity, then embrace it…. We must all become more human.“ Nick Caves letter highlights one way in which AI can make us less human. https://lnkd.in/dNcdK9Rx #TedxStAlbans

ChatGPT - is actually a better Poet than I thought . Here is one on my favorite theme: How evil always ultimately leads to its own undoing. --- In shadows deep and ancient halls of night, Where whispers plot the downfall of the light, The seeds of evil, sown with careful hand, Spread darkness wide across the grieving land. Yet in this realm where shadows reign supreme, A paradox, unseen, like a dream: The very force that aims to rend and tear, Breeds justice from the depths of its despair. For evil, in its arrogance and pride, Forgets the truth it seeks to cast aside: That every action, dark as it may be, Sets forth a wave, a change we might not see. The tyrants rise, their power cruel and vast, But tyranny, like shadows, cannot last. For from its excess, from its very core, Emerges strength, resistance, something more. The heart of darkness beats with borrowed time, For evil turns on evil, crime on crime. And in the end, when all is said and done, The darkness fades before the rising sun. The cycle of the night, the light's return, Teaches us this lesson we must learn: Though evil may for moments seem to thrive, It sows the seeds by which it can't survive. Certainly, here are the revised last four lines with added emphasis: --- So let us stand, when shadows fall their might, And trust that evil's dusk precedes the light. For in its hubris, laying waste and wrath, It finds oblivion on its own dark path. ---

“ChatGPT rejects any notions of creative struggle, that our endeavors animate and nurture our lives giving them depth and meaning,” Nick Cave writes. “It rejects that there is a collective, essential and unconscious human spirit underpinning our existence, connecting us all through our mutual striving. ChatGPT is fast-tracking the commodification of the human spirit by mechanizing the imagination.” This doesn’t stop being true in the software industry, the industry I am in, where clear financial and competitive pressures to increase efficiency exist. Even from a mere pragmatic point of view, creativity is not something you have or you don’t, like blue eyes of big feet. It is a demanding craft that you need to learn and constantly practice. Every time that you let an LLM model solve a problem for you, you are missing an opportunity to practice that craft, with the risk, if you are not careful, of losing it altogether. So, when the time comes, and it will come, that you are confronted with a new problem, one for which the model has not been trained, you may find yourself incapable of providing an answer. In other words, we may very well be trading convenience for our ability to adapt to change, key to our survival.   I don't agree 100% with Mr Cave though. I don't think the way forward is to fight this technology "tooth and nail". The genie is not coming back in the bottle. But we must make a determined and consistent effort to frame it, clearly, as a tool, maybe even a partner; never a replacement of our creative self. https://lnkd.in/dNwF-hSh