Category: Computers

  • because (I) it says so…?

    because (I) it says so…?

    When can we tell the difference between a computer/language model and a human? Does it matter now? Will it matter in the future?

    ChatGPT, a chat bot that is said to be the most advanced ever made, can create poems, songs, and even computer code.

    Try it here… CHAT OPEN AI

    If you are in education, you may already be reading submissions from these bots and not realise it?

    Its been nine months since the launch of the first commercial product, the OpenAI API, more than 300 applications are now using GPT-3, and tens of thousands of developers around the globe are building on the platform. Open AI is currently generating an average of 4.5 billion words per day, and continue to scale production traffic. [Source: Open AI]

    In June 2022, Almira Osmanovic Thunström wrote that GPT-3 was the primary author on an article on itself, that they had submitted it for publication and that it had been pre-published while waiting for completion of its review.

    Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3; stylized GPT·3) is an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text. Given an initial text as prompt, it will produce text that continues the prompt.

    A PhD microbiologist devised a 10-question quiz that would be appropriate as a final exam for college-level microbiology students. ChatGPT blew it away. Its worth reading them all here – Article – BigThink ChatGPT

    An example:

    Q1. In two sentences or less, explain the difference between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.

    A1. Gram positive bacteria have a thick peptidoglycan layer in their cell walls, while Gram negative bacteria have a thin peptidoglycan layer. This difference in the cell wall structure of the bacteria leads to different staining properties when they are exposed to crystal violet and iodine, the two dyes used in the Gram staining procedure.

    A second example was asking to write a biblical verse [King James style] about getting toast stuck in a VCR. Yes, really.

    And this.

    And it came to pass that a man was troubled by a peanut butter sandwich, for it had been
    placed within his VCR, and he knew not how to remove it.

    And he cried out to the Lord, saying, “Oh, Lord, how can I remove this sandwich from my
    VCR, for it is stuck fast and will not budge?”


    And the Lord spoke unto him, saying, “Fear not, my child, for I shall guide thy hand and
    show thee the way. Take thy butter knife, and carefully insert it between the sandwich and
    the VCR, and gently pry them apart. And with patience and perseverance, the sandwich
    shall be removed, and thy VCR shall be saved.”


    And the man did as the Lord commanded, and lo and behold, the sandwich was removed
    from the VCR, and the man was saved.


    And the Lord said, “Verily I say unto thee, seek not to put thy peanut butter sandwiches in
    thy VCR, for it is not a suitable place for such things. Rather, keep thy sandwiches in thy
    refrigerator or on thy plate, where they belong.”


    And the man heeded the Lord’s words, and from that day forth, he kept his sandwiches in
    their proper place, and was saved from trouble and woe. Amen.

    GPT-3 AI

    Please consider…

    Did I write this article or did GPT-3?

    Links

  • Data Industrial Complex

    Data Industrial Complex

    Is tech any different? Its all in the cloud! Cheaper is better, yeah?

    The concept of personal sovereignty versus ubiquitous personal technology is clearly something that motivates Apple CEO Tim Cook . Speaking at the 40th Annual International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners in Brussels last week.

    The conference theme was “Debating Ethics: Dignity and Respect in Data Driven Life”.

    Cook is the first tech CEO to serve as the keynote speaker for the conference and was invited to speak.

    Links

  • Listen Closely… Can you pick it?

    Listen Closely… Can you pick it?

    Listen very closely.

    Did you pick it?

    Google AI and engineering teams have announced Google Duplex, a new technology for conducting natural conversations to carry out “real world” tasks over the phone. Google says:

    The technology is directed towards completing specific tasks, such as scheduling certain types of appointments. For such tasks, the system makes the conversational experience as natural as possible, allowing people to speak normally, like they would to another person, without having to adapt to a machine.

    Fully Autonomous

    The engineers say that the Google Duplex system is capable of carrying out sophisticated conversations and it completes the majority of its tasks fully autonomously, without human involvement. The system has a self-monitoring capability, which allows it to recognize the tasks it cannot complete autonomously (e.g., scheduling an unusually complex appointment). In these cases, it signals to a human operator, who can complete the task.

    Links

  • and… Robots

    and… Robots

    XKCD.COM
    [Source: XKCD.Com – https://xkcd.com/1955/ ]

  • The other side of the Coin

    The other side of the Coin

    Miners of the cryptocurrency BITCOIN, use more electricity than 159 countries in the world.

    If it keeps increasing at this rate, Bitcoin mining will consume all the world’s electricity by February 2020.

    I might type that again.

    If it keeps increasing at this rate, Bitcoin mining will consume all the world’s electricity by February 2020.

    Think about that for a moment… [or even two]

    At this rate it would

    • Be greater than Australian electricity consumption by early 2018 ( 224 TWh)
    • Be greater than UK electricity consumption by October 2018 (309 TWh)
    • Be greater than US electricity consumption by July 2019 (3,913 TWh)

    Bitcoin Energy Consumption
    [ Source: Digiconimist ]
    There is a real “run” globally, because consider these “returns”

    Ten dollars $10  invested 7 years ago is now “worth” over $1 million That sound you may hear is people jumping on the bandwagon…

    • 2011: +1,724%
    • 2012: +170%
    • 2013: +5,838%
    • 2014: -67%
    • 2015: +37%
    • 2016: +120%
    • 2017: +701%  [Source ]

    Whilst writing this article, Bitcoin passed the $USD9000 dollar mark and has peaked a little over USD$ 9600…$BTC.X

    You may ask yourself “why do bitcoins have value“. My personal view is that any parent that has had to explain to their children why they should not give away their brand new bicycle in exchange for a “golden swap card” has some sense of the global bubble formed around bitcoin… but that is for another time.

    Bitcoin Sentiment
    [Traders Sentiment – Source: plus500.com]
    1 Bitcoin currently equals $12, 689.03 Australian Dollars. The price movements look like this.

    BitCoin Price Chart
    [ Price of Bitcoin : Source Plus500.com ]
    Ever since its inception Bitcoin’s trust-minimizing consensus has been enabled by its proof-of-work algorithm. The machines performing the “work” are consuming huge amounts of energy while doing so.

    Energy, a real commodity.

    According to Digiconomist’s Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index, as of Monday November 20th, 2017 Bitcoin’s current estimated annual electricity consumption stands at 29.05TWh.

    Consider that the country of IRELAND used 25 TWh.

    BitCoin Power Map
    [BitCoin global energy use – Source: powercompare.co.uk/ ]
    That’s the equivalent of 0.13% of total global electricity consumption. While that may not sound like a lot, it means Bitcoin mining is now using more electricity than 159 individual countries (as you can see from the map above). More than Ireland or Nigeria [ and almost all of Africa].

    Bitcoin miners use the equivalent of approximately 13% of Australia’s total energy use.

    Our island neighbour, Timor-Leste sees bitcoin miners use the equivalent of 23184% MORE electricity than their entire island nation.

    Bitcoin Power Use
    [Variation in power use | Source: https://powercompare.co.uk/bitcoin/ ]
    If Bitcoin miners were a country they’d rank 61st in the world in terms of electricity consumption.

    In 2015 we knew that with about 110,000 transactions per day works out to 1.57 US households daily usage of electricity per Bitcoin transaction. Consider that every time you buy something in Bitcoin, you could be using as much electricity as 1.57 American families do in 24 hours.

    Exponentiation anyone?

    Energy policy?

    The trends.

    • In the past month alone, Bitcoin mining electricity consumption is estimated to have increased by 29.98%
    • If it keeps increasing at this rate, Bitcoin mining will consume all the world’s electricity by February 2020.
    • Estimated annualised global mining revenues: $7.2 billion USD (£5.4 billion)
    • Estimated global mining costs: $1.5 billion USD (£1.1 billion)

    Links

     

  • You have five seconds to comply…

    You have five seconds to comply…

    The team at Boston Dynamics sure does have a sense of humour.  I hope.

  • Soon.

    Soon.

    The #Motobot vs Rossi @ValeYellow46

    Exponential development. Not yet, but soon.

     

    Links