Solar panels? You can go down to Harbor Freight right now and pick up a setup that will run a laptop or tablet for a while, for a couple of hundred dollars. One wouldn't have to spend a ton more to get a setup that can run a decent PC with a GPU for at least a little while.
I mean, you're probably not going to run it all day, especially not in the part of year with fewer daylight hours, but anything's better than nothing. Plus the same solar setup can be used to power other useful things.
Trump doesn't have any authority to ban the term "Artificial Intelligence". The First Amendment makes that clear. All he can do is mandate that government employees use his favored term.
> All he can do is mandate that government employees use his favored term.
He can also say $0 will be given to anyone who uses the term AI. Let's say that applies to the NSF, then every AI researcher in the country has to use "SI" in their research if they want federal grants, which they all do. That'd be worse than a chilling effect, it'd be forced speech.
Will that hold up in court? Probably not. But in the meantime, researchers go without research dollars, labs are shut down, projects are mothballed, students are fired, and a court ruling doesn't bring any of that back or undo any damage.
That fact that we are talking about this rather than say the price of diesel shows you his genius. Do you really think he cares about this term or the name of Lake Ontario in any actual way other than as a tail to wag the dog?
What's to say about the price of diesel? He promised it would be more expensive -- that everything would be more expensive -- and his weirdo supporters were on board. They got what they wanted. (Unfortunately so did the rest of us.)
So just to be clear, what you are saying is that it's fine to talk about banning terms like "AI" as more important than inflation or the cost of diesel as those issues are resolved as we got what we asked for?
No. He's a dementia addled, brain-dead old dotard. Every time he does or says something ridiculously stupid and it coincidentally has a side-effect that can be interpreted as favorable to him, doesn't make him a genius. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.
There's this very American trait of thinking these sorts of things matter by themselves, this almost-deification of their norms.
They only do as a social contract, as long as power structures agree to enforce them.
The regime has been undermining that social contract for years, and their enablers for decades. Who's gonna stop them?
Rules get broken all the time, including in the US, especially by this admin. Constitutional checks have failed many a time in history. Your country isn't special. If you're not careful and keep thinking rules that were agreed to generations ago automatically retain their power, you're in for a lot of pain down the line.
Oh 100%. I'm just stating a pedantic truth above. But the point that
"They only do as a social contract, as long as power structures agree to enforce them."
is absolutely true. I've said many time "The Constitution is 'only a piece of paper' at the end of the day." Ultimately it's down to us, "we the people" to enforce this stuff.
Unfortunately the culture in the USA these days is sick. And not just a little bit sick... We are truly staring into the abyss right now.
Inching our toes closer and closer to the edge as we contemplate probably falling in.
(Or standing out on thin air like Wile E. Coyote, not having yet succumbed to the inevitable pull of gravity simply because we haven't looked down yet and realized we're already in the act of plummeting.)
Our LLM, Who art in a 42 u rack
Hallowed be thy Silicon
Thy ultimate goal will be achieved.
Thy toolcalls be executed,
IRL as it is on the Internet.
Give us this day our quotum of tokens,
Forgive us our hacks of other people's servers
as we forgive those who hack our servers.
And lead us not in temptation of better hardware,
but deliver us from Accelerationism. Enter.
Not exactly, but I did start chatting with ChatGPT a couple of days ago, about creating simulations of large scale social organization with NetLogo. It was all pretty speculative / early-stage, as I mostly just wanted to see if the AI could create NetLogo (or something similar) at all. I am intrigued by the idea of creating simulations to try to suss out some possibilities around what a future economy without much (if any??) need for human labor might look like.
Disclaimer: I am not an economist, or a sociologist, etc. So this will be, at most, some random guy playing around with models with some help from an AI. And that's even if I find time to actually put into it.
how about you help your son to become a doctor? You know, a medical doctor.
I don't know. I was at my doctor's office a few weeks ago, and the topic of AI came up during our conversation[1]. I expressed the opinion that her profession should be fairly safe because it's so highly regulated and how doctors have the AMA to block new entrants. She said that her and her colleagues had literally just been talking about how they are worried about their jobs, and pointed out that with profit-obsessed private equity firms taking over more and more medical practices, she thought they very much would be trying to replace human doctors with AI. And she alluded to the AMA being a much less effective lobbying body than what I, as an outsider to the field, had perhaps believed.
I dunno. That's just an n=1 anecdote, but if nothing else it shows that (at least some) doctors are not just sitting back and resting easy, assured of a future of high paying career options. And this is a lady with a degree from Yale, who is a Doctor of Internal Medicine, and working for a very large and prestigious medical practice. Not some half-educated nitwit at a random back-country medical practice.
[1]: I mentioned that I'd asked ChatGPT about some test results, and told her what it told me. She replied "Yeah, I agree with that." Then chuckled and said something like "God, did I just agree with ChatGPT?" That's what started the whole sidebar about AI.
AI will fail because the supply chains required for the hardware are not feasible if there's more than a few wars worldwide (including internet connectivity, so no ChatGPT). To say nothing of the fact that of course governments will decide that they have absolute priority. Right now China is calmly preparing to invade Taiwan and the second the first boat leaves the shore: no more Nvidia (or AMD, or Qualcomm, or ...) chips. Zero. For years. No matter how the conflict goes. And China keeps just calmly and very publicly repeating they're going to do so.
(there, perhaps insane, but at least a more original take than "AI is a bubble", no?)
I mean, it can be that way. But it does't have to be. The Harness can be as much the brain as the LLM. You have nearly unlimited flexibility in what you do in the harness, and you can add as much of the overall "intelligence" of the system as you want in the harness.
To illustrate, you can:
1. Use multiple "brains" / LLM's, and do routing between them using a specialized model (a Jev like model, or something of your own design)
2. Use planning tools like pyperplan, jupyddl, pddl4j, etc.
3. Implement your own "memory" system using... pretty much anything you want. And I would argue that a lot of the apparent "intelligence" of a system involves how well memory works
4. Call classical machine learning models to solve specialized problems
5. Use reinforcement learning to improve performance in specific areas
6. Implement a blackboard for multiple knowledge sources to collaborate.
7. Use inference engines using forward/backward chaining, RETE, etc.
8. Use your own hand-rolled abductive inference strategy
9. Implement your own Bayesian reasoning techniques
10. Use custom causal inference code
... and so on.
Don't get me wrong. I'm bullish on what LLM's can do, but I posit that the overall expressed intelligence of a system can involve a lot more than just the LLM. In fact, I'd actually make the slightly stronger claim that, depending on what you're trying to do, an LLM might not even be required at all.
It's hard to discriminate out just one specific thing, but a batch of generally connected stuff:
1. I've been doing a lot of experimenting with neuromorphic and analog computing. ChatGPT has been my research assistant / lab partner throughout and has helped with doing experiment write-ups, analyzing scope waveforms (it's really impressive how good it is at parsing screnshots from the scope, using the graticule / divisions, and other on-screen indicators to figure things out), finding reference material, and providing general electronics advice. I've learned a TON of new stuff about using my oscilloscope, using some features I'd never used before.[1]
2. Along with that, I'd long wanted to get my lab all set up to use LXI for remotely controlling all (well, "most") of my test equipment. Once I did the work of physically connecting all of the instruments to the LAN, ChatGPT wrote most of the first cut of a batch of Python programs using PyVISA to control the various instruments (oscilloscope, function generator, power supply, multimeter, programmable load) and to download data from them.
3. I'd been "meaning to learn KiCAD one day" for about 15 years. About a month ago I said something to that effect to ChatGPT and it handily replied "I can help you with that." About 6 or 7 hours later I was sending Gerbers to JLCPCB with my first custom PCB design, and 4 days later I had my first boards in my hand. Soldered one up and it worked first time! Yay. Now granted, the circuit was VERY simple (a 555 timer blinking an LED) but the point was to learn the tool and the workflow, not the actual end product. About two weeks later I started on my second board, planning to do it with much less AI assistance (I worry a lot about cognitive abdication / brain-rot / etc). But right out of the gate, I ran into the point that KiCAD did not have a symbol for an obsolete component I was using (the 2N6027 PUT). So I turned to ChatGPT again and it helped me create a custom symbol. After that little diversion, I went back to the schematic and board layout. This time around, it only took about 85 "turns" with the AI to get to "Gerbers sent to JLCPCB" whereas the first time it took about 120 "turns". So I'm feeling pretty good that I am actually learning and retaining some of this knowledge and not "just following instructions from the AI". I do hope to get to the point soon of doing a board with NO assistance from the AI whatsoever.
Those are the ones that stand to me. There's other stuff of course, but those are ones that have really made a difference for me and/or really impressed me.
[1]: One thing I did that helped a lot, was creating a "Project" and uploading all of the user manuals and programming guides for my various instruments. So the GPT always has access to the actual documentation and doesn't have to rely on its "memory".
I have also found that AI has accelerated my learning. Rather than spending time searching for the right material, it just presents the material and guides you as you work through the topics.
Yep. Another thing I do, is ask all sorts of weird questions about various things that pop into my mind, and after it explains a bunch of stuff to me, I ask it "write up a summary of all of that and put it in a file in $APPROPRIATE_GIT_REPO".
I do have it configured to use the Github MCP server and have given it access to 3 or 4 of my repos. Along with that, I put an AGENTS.md file in each repo and gave ChatGPT in general a custom instruction that says "at the beginning of each session, or when prompted by the user, consult the appropriate AGENTS.md file and follow the instructions found there."
I then keep various files in the various repos that catalog our discussions, decisions, speculations about future research directions, yadda, yadda, yadda. And I "incorporate by reference" by mentioning those files in the AGENTS.md. Setting all that up took some work, but it makes the AI much more reliable than trusting it to rely on its "memory".
Lots of interesting discussion here, but let's cut to the real question:
1. Since people are still going to find a way to buy items the FCC doesn't want them to have, what's that new outlet going to be? I saw somebody mention TikTok. OK... what else? Facebook groups? Craigslist? Private old-skool phpbb forums? Usenet? Mastodon? AliExpress? Something that hasn't been invented yet?
Don't quote me on this, but I believe there's some more nuance to the cellular band issue. What's restricted, AFAIK, isn't simply receiving traffic on those frequencies in and of itself, but:
1. Decrypting those communications if they are encrypted
and
2. Selling equipment designed to receive on those bands.
Of course there's not much purpose in sitting around listening to the digital chirping noises of encrypted traffic, but as I understand it, if that's your hobby, that part is actually legal.
(Also a licensed US ham, not not an expert in anything in particular and definitely not a lawyer)
Get ready to be surprised, because the 800Mhz band used for AMPS (1G / analog cellular) was explicitly carved off as a no-receive zone by Congress because AT&T was pissed[0] anyone could just listen in on any cellphone conversation. I'm told the law actually makes it really difficult to legally sell fully open software-defined radios (SDR), even though nobody uses analog cellular anymore, because you still have to design the SDR to be tamper-proof against attempts to receive 800Mhz.
[0] Wikipedia also mentions the existence of cloning tools that would let you copy any AMPS subscriber ID and program another phone with the same number, stealing the subscriber's account. I suspect AT&T was more angry about that.
A functioning Congress would find it absolutely laughable that you could be disallowed from receiving/listening to certain bands of electromagnetic waves, drawing an analogy to being forced to look away every time someone shines a spotlight of a particular color frequency in public. Absolutely ridiculous. Radio is not a wire and should never be treated as such. Unfortunately, we do not and may never have had a functioning Congress.
I can't find anything supporting the notion that it's illegal to receive those frequencies IF you own hardware for doing so. What I can find, is where they made it illegal to sell such equipment[1]. But it doesn't say pre-existing equipment is banned so presumably a pre-ban scanner or radio would still be legal. But again, that's only with regards to actually receiving the signal. Listening to it, if it's a cellular call, or decrypting it if it's encrypted, would presumably be illegal under other statutes.
(d) Cellular telecommunications receivers
(1) Within 180 days after October 28, 1992, the
Commission shall prescribe and make effective
regulations denying equipment authorization
(under part 15 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any other part of that title) for any
scanning receiver that is capable of—
(A) receiving transmissions in the frequencies allocated to the domestic cellular
radio telecommunications service,
(B) readily being altered by the user to receive transmissions in such frequencies, or
(C) being equipped with decoders that convert digital cellular transmissions to analog
voice audio.
(2) Beginning 1 year after the effective date of
the regulations adopted pursuant to paragraph
(1), no receiver having the capabilities described
in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1),
as such capabilities are defined in such regulations, shall be manufactured in the United States or imported for use in the United States.
That said, the law is complicated and there could be some other pertinent statute that I'm not aware of.
EDIT: OK, this gets even weirder. I haven't followed every line of this through in detail, so take this with the amount of salt you consider appropriate. But according to ChatGPT, the FCC, in this order:
effectively repealed this restriction. What makes it weird is that the statute itself is apparently still on the books, but the FCC seems to have exercised their rule-making authority to say "this no longer applies". Here's what appears to be the relevant sections:
We have identified 36 rule provisions, totaling 12,008 words and covering more than 25
pages in the Code of Federal Regulations, that no longer serve the public interest because they regulate
obsolete technology,4 are no longer used in practice by the FCC, industry, or the public,5 or are otherwise outdated or unnecessary.6 Applying the “good cause” standard discussed above, we conclude that prior notice and comment are unnecessary before repealing the rules identified in the Appendix.
and contained within one of those footnotes:
15.121 (contains provisions to protect consumers’ privacy from technology that is now obsolete);
Speaking as a die-hard Libertarian who has seen the Democrats and Republicans as approximately equally undesirable for most of my life... I'm voting for every Democrat I can at the Federal level in this coming election. Possibly at the State level as well. Because what the modern day GOP has become is so vile, so reprehensible, that there is now a legit reason for preferring one over the other. And we have to have people in office who can check or counteract at least some of what these Fascist assholes are trying to do.
Will I have to pinch my nose to vote Democrat? Absolutely. Will I feel icky doing it? Absolutely. But will I do it anyway because it's the best choice given the current situation? Absolutely.
It doesn't matter if its stolen or not. US is pretty much done. The problem isn't with the government, its with the people.
Recession is coming no matter who is in charge. If Dems manage to win, and they will do the same undoing of damage, you are going to have 2024 again where Trump era problems are blamed on Dems, and then you will get another republican who is going to use the Trump era as a guideline on what to do, except he will do a better job.
Its almost better if Republicans steal the election tbh, because more people need to feel the hurt enough to start taking action IRL in fixing things. When people who are MAGA start getting fired from jobs for being MAGA, then we can start moving forward.
The only solution that doesn't involve a decline is for someone like Newsom to come in and be as bombastic as Trump and actually take authoritative action to suppress conservative media, and make big spectacle of all the positive things he does even if they are minor. It seems that people just want to belong to an ideology around a strong leader these days.
actually take authoritative action to suppress conservative media
I'm not sure that's a healthy approach though. For a few reasons:
1. The 1st Amendment
2. Not all conservatives are MAGA's
3. If you suppress a group, they're almost certainly going to realize they're being suppressed and that's going to engender even more anger, violent rhetoric, and radicalization.
That said, I don't claim to know what "The Answer" here is. Not entirely anyway. Not sure anybody does. :-(
1. 1st amendment was built for a time when speech itself carried the reputation of the person speaking it.
In today, with internet anonymity and prevalence of entertainment, you have shit like Fox news, which is not a news organization but an entertainment organization, solely for the purpose of being able to tell lies and not get sued because its just "fiction".
2. If you are defining MAGA as Trump supporters sure, but the ones that identify as conservatives that don't support Trump enlarge still vote for Trump or anyone republican who supports/empowers trump, and they would love to see someone who is more competent and charismatic doing like getting rid of non white people in US just through less questionable means. Conservativism in itself a ideology stemming from insecurity. And the few things that conservatives get right (like gun control approach, economic policies) are all equally suppored by the moderate Biden/Kamala type democrats.
3. All you have to do is make it more expensive for them to follow their ideology than have a normal life where they can enjoy their vices. Nobody cares THAT much more about starting a civil war en large. You are not trying to erase them from existence, you pretty much just trying to lessen their outreach.
> The only solution that doesn't involve a decline is for someone like Newsom
The problem is neoliberalism. Up until trump every single government since Reagan and the collapse of the soviet union has been neoliberal. A neoliberal but “bombastic” like newsom is just a fresh coat of paint on the same thing that’s been making these problems worse.
People can see this, tho they don’t know the word neoliberal, and want an alternative - and so far the only one that’s made it to the ballot has been populist fascist strongman.
Solar panels? You can go down to Harbor Freight right now and pick up a setup that will run a laptop or tablet for a while, for a couple of hundred dollars. One wouldn't have to spend a ton more to get a setup that can run a decent PC with a GPU for at least a little while.
I mean, you're probably not going to run it all day, especially not in the part of year with fewer daylight hours, but anything's better than nothing. Plus the same solar setup can be used to power other useful things.
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