Are you A.I.?
“Some people worry that artificial intelligence will make us feel inferior, but then, anybody in his right mind should have an inferiority complex every time he looks at a flower.” ~ Alan Kay
Have you been keeping up with the news about the rapid emergence, and potential consequences, of artificial intelligence? Here are few recent headlines:
Microsoft announces new multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI
ChatGPT passes MBA exam given by a Wharton professor
Massachusetts lawmaker asked ChatGPT to write his floor speech
'Robot lawyer' powered by AI will help fight speeding ticket as it takes first case in court
This chatbot will argue with your cable company for you—and might lower your bill
I’m a big fan of that last one. 🤣
So what exactly is A.I.? Let’s break it down.
Artificial means “not natural or spontaneous” and, to keep it really simple, intelligence is “goal-directed adaptive behavior.” Given those descriptions, it appears to me that most human beings are artificial intelligence. People, in general, are not acting spontaneously from their innate intelligence. Instead, most of their actions are mechanical, goal-directed and adaptive.
Think about it.
Like machine-enabled A.I., people are programmed (by society) to achieve various goals—the accumulation of wealth, status, fame, relationships, power, stuff—which are erroneously assumed will achieve an end goal of happily ever after. They then spend their limited uptime using their senses (sensors) to create predictive models of their changing environments, in order to shift and morph and achieve those misguided objectives.
What people consider to be intuition and spontaneous action is typically a habitual pattern. A feeling or thought springs from their programming (or self-story)—either a random association or an anxiety or desire-driven impulse—which triggers adaptive behavior to keep them in that delusional story and aligned with their fantasy goals.
So, are you A.I.?
Deep inquiry into that, seemingly, ridiculous question is at the heart of what it means to be human. It’s the key to transcendent awareness, psychological freedom, and living an authentic life. One in which the act of being fully alive becomes your impassioned vocation and your greatest creative achievement.
Happy February!
💘 Random information for the month of February
* Brits can now get a master’s degree in podcasting. The City University of London is the country’s first dedicated program for this medium.
* Volvo gave away the 1962 patent for their revolutionary three-point seat belt for free, in order to save lives.
* Apple is reportedly planning to release a foldable iPad next year.
* The US could put an end to non-compete agreements by the end of the year. The FTC’s proposed ban on the practice would give companies six months to comply.
* Smoking has been banned at Miami beaches and parks, but vaping and the smoking of unfiltered cigarettes and cigars will still be permitted. WTF?
* The hippest apartments in Japan have no baths. Young renters are flocking to public facilities to cut expenses and socialize.
* Bowling alley owners are replacing aging pin setting equipment with new systems that use bowling pins tethered to a string. Tests show they are harder to topple.
* In the 1960s a couple patented the Blonsky device, a machine that used centrifugal force to fling babies into the world.
* Deaths from all types of cancer in the US fell by an estimated 33% since 1991, saving a cumulative 3.8 million lives. Progress was attributed to improvements in cancer treatment, early detection, and significant drops in smoking.
* A new study shows that habitual checking of social media may impact young adolescents’ brain development. The findings suggest that children who grow up checking social media more often are becoming hypersensitive to feedback from their peers. Duh.
* Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a method — a protein injection — to reverse the loss of elasticity of damaged heart tissue following heart attacks.
* Europe’s hottest airport is Istanbul. It beat out Amsterdam, Paris, and Frankfurt with 1,156 daily flights on average in 2022.
* US officials have granted conditional approval to a vaccine meant to protect honeybees against a fatal bacteria known to jump easily between hives, wiping out entire colonies as it spreads. It is the first time a vaccine for insects has been approved in the US.
* Wild Adélie penguins respond to their own reflection, suggesting self-awareness.
* Ice bath business meetings are now a thing.
* Ancient Romans had a secret ingredient that made their concrete extra durable. White chunks known as lime casts have allowed structures to heal their own cracks.
* Slow and steady really does win the race. Running at a slower pace may actually have a bunch of benefits.
* Wifi can sense you in a room. Scientists have used routers to map out human bodies and their movements in 3D.
* Saliva impacts how we perceive taste and can influence what we choose to eat.
👁 Take a look
This photo of Adele may look normal, albeit upside down, but it’s not. Flip it over and you’ll see.
This strange optical illusion is called the Thatcher Effect.
🤔 Think about this
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” ~ C.S. Lewis
“There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.” ~ Buckminster Fuller
“Risk is an essential need of the soul. The absence of risk produces a kind of boredom which paralyses in a different way from fear, but almost as much.” ~ Simone Weil
☝️ And don’t forget
I’d love to hear from you. (I read all messages and try to respond.) Reach out with any news, questions or comments, or simply to say hi: hello@tomasacker.com (or use the contact form).
Until next time, make your mark!
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Sorry - I put my comment on Wrestling in the wrong spot 🤪.
Maybe the advent of AI will help my Long Covid infected neurological system which just over the past six months of my now THREE year journey has begun to diminish my memory, my speech and my ability to read and comprehend - For a guy who everyday sees his brain seemingly shrink out of his head, maybe AI might be my only shot at having any kind of a “normal” life again.
I say BRING IT ON!!
Maybe living in A.I. mode is less hurtful for many. Not for me. We need to then become hackers of our own intelligence? That’s tough!