I’m not sure that checks out. I mean, fair, I do think that someone being habitually cruel toward AI might not be the greatest indicator of their disposition in general, though I’d hesitate to make a hasty judgement on that. But if we take AI’s presentation as a person as fictional, does that extend to other fictional contexts? Would you consider an evil play-through in a video game to indicate an issue? Playing a hostile character in a roleplay setting? Writing horror fiction?

It seems to me that there are many contexts where exhibiting or creating simulated behavior in a fictional environment isn’t really equivalent to doing so with genuine individuals in non-imaginary circumstances. AI isn’t quite the same as a fictional setting, but it’s potentially closer to that than it is to dealing with a real person.

By the same token, if not being polite to an AI is problematic, is it equally problematic to repeatedly say things like “human” and “operator” to an automated phone system until you get a response? Both mimic human speech, while neither ostensibly have a legitimate understanding of what’s being said by either party.

Where does the line get drawn? Is it wrong to curse at fully inanimate objects that don’t even pretend to be people? Is verbally condemning a malfunctioning phone, refrigerator, or toaster equivalent to berating a hallucinating AI?

Neither does he deserve them.

I mean, I love Black Mirror. I would watch 1000 seasons of it. Even the mediocre ones, but Severance is once in a lifetime.

Beehaw is somewhat closed off, but it’s decent. It definitely seems to run into issues with its all feed occasionally only showing beehaw posts, and what I see there is a bit more defeatist and down-beat than what I see on some other instances. I’ve been using slrpnk more lately to have a less depressing front page, but they’re both decent jumping off points.

Part of using the fediverse, to me, is looking at it from different angles. I don’t see any reason to stick to just one account.

I know that when I’m playing cards in a dress that’s melted into my skin, with my favorite half-bracelet draped over my wrist, I love to intimidate my opponent by flashing them two face cards. Who wouldn’t be shaken by the Kinmb of Back of Card and the Quing of 21s? Especially when I’ve already played my oversized red card.

Do you think we’re past the point of reboots having to do cell phone jokes? I hope so. They stink.

I’ve honestly had the same thought, but then I look at the attitudes of the people involved and their implementation of what they’re doing and it’s hard to assume anything other than stupidity and malice. I don’t think Trump or Elon are capable of that sort of strategy, and if they are they’re two of the best actors on the planet. I really don’t think they’re nearly that intelligent or talented at actual deception. They’re certainly reckless enough, but I don’t buy that they’re anything other than dangerously stupid.

I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if that’s been the motivation for some of their supporters, though. There may well be people in the world who feel that pulling the pendulum as far into a shitstorm as it will go will create enough of a counter-swing to be worth the immediate results, and that may well have affected their voting. It seems like a pretty foolish gambit for anyone who has to live through it, though, and pretty heartless to boot.

If, on the other hand, the acceleration and counterbalancing is just a natural occurrence? A way to get from point A to point B with the least possible action? That doesn’t sound totally crazy to me at all.

But, like, there doesn’t need to be someone sneakily manipulating politics and capitalism for that to happen. Hopefully we do learn from what’s happening and what’s already happened enough to make some of the same sort of societal improvements much of Western Europe and the United States saw after WWII, preferably sooner than they did with a lot less damage in the mean time.

We do seem to be in a similar situation and have a similar opportunity to change things as a result once people actually get the ball moving. Assuming we do actually get the ball moving.

Literally installed Flash 8 today because it’s the comfiest way to animate for me.