speculations

‘We’ll just keep an eye on her’: Inside Britain’s retail centres where facial recognition cameras now spy on shoplifters

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/29/well-just-keep-an-eye-on-her-inside-britains-retail-centres-where-facial-recognition-cameras-now-spy-on-shoplifters I’m not really needed TBH. I’m like those drivers on automatic trains. Maybe opening a door every now and then but more a sign of reassurance, human oversight. So I sit behind a window looking at the monitors. “Watching the watchers,” I say. The hard work is all done… Read the rest

Here’s How AI Can Predict Hit Songs With Frightening Accuracy

https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/heres-how-ai-can-predict-hit-songs-with-frightening-accuracy/ People sometimes call us Lennon and McCartney. Flattering but not inaccurate. We’re not as naturally talented perhaps but we do have an instinctive relationship. My Lennon knows me so well. Maybe the Gallagher brothers is nearer the mark though. We have a “stormy” relationship. Inevitable really. We have our… Read the rest

Nicki Minaj will be a playable character in Call of Duty

https://www.engadget.com/nicki-minaj-will-be-a-playable-character-in-call-of-duty-051544179.html He remembered coding characters in the old days. There was sculpting the look but the thing he enjoyed most was building the persona, giving the character its behaviours, language, attitudes. Of course things got automated but he could still tinker with the AI. Even working with celebs had been… Read the rest

This new tool could protect your pictures from AI manipulation

https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/07/26/1076764/this-new-tool-could-protect-your-pictures-from-ai-manipulation/ Look, we know kids do it. They get up to things. We did when we were their age. Alright we didn’t have all this tech, but we did stuff! Teenagers will be teenagers. Maybe we’re lilly-livered liberals but we don’t want to stop them being kids. We just want… Read the rest

These Xbox Controllers Blast Your Face With the Scent of New York ‘Za’

https://gizmodo.com/xbox-pizza-controllers-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-1850670083 She put the controller down and stretched. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before the next round started. She liked to think her mindful moment centered her, prepared her for the battle to come. Maybe so, maybe not but it was a habit now. She focused… Read the rest

5 Ways ChatGPT Can Improve, Not Replace, Your Writing

https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-writing-tips/ Her therapist had recommended it. “Think of it a bit like your teenage diary,” he’d said. “A friend to talk to. A confidante.” She’d never kept a diary but she smiled and nodded. She had to admit, after a few weeks, she did see herself reflected back. It did… Read the rest

What Happened to Chicago Portfolio School? Students and Staff Want to Know

https://www.adweek.com/agencies/what-happened-to-chicago-portfolio-school-students-and-staff-want-to-know/ He could have worked from home obviously but heh, the chance to get out of this town… Seeing as the sponsor was paying for life in The Smoke… His northern tones and dropped ‘aitches were gold. As an Insight Intern his job was to feed thick data into the… Read the rest

OpenAI’s trust and safety lead is leaving the company

https://www.engadget.com/openais-trust-and-safety-lead-is-leaving-the-company-190049987.html We need to double down on trust and safety. We clearly have a more nuanced view of the “dangers” of our technology than the catastrophists, but we are in an information war and need to be seen to be ahead of this. And then there are the politicians seeking… Read the rest