Great summary Greg. I find the issue with the AI discourse is that it groups together a diverse set of technologies and processes under one brand that is vaguely ascribed magical properties that conveniently align with making capitalisn great again.
It feels like 21st century alchemy - a futile attempt to turn lead into gold.
Thanks Greg, great summary. The AI hype really is incredible. An absolute explosion, which has come almost from nowhere. With massive costs in resources and the prospect of massive societal harm. Yet as you so eloquently say, for what? WTF do these data centres actually do for us???
Note that the use of large data sets is of course helpful - not just in medicine - meteorology for example. But that is not AI. And that is orders of magnitude smaller than the incomprehensible activity taking place in the mushrooming data centres.
Some of the most dysfunctional men on the planet want data centres in Australia because this is a safe, stable place - so far with less pushback than in America. Has Albo has stopped even for a moment to wonder if this might not be "a good thing"?
I keep waiting for concrete examples of how a huge investment in AI and data centres will benefit us, but as Greg says, we've gotten nothing!
If AI or new technology is going to automate anything or take over some jobs, it should be jobs we don't want to do, or jobs that AI is uniquely placed to do. But why would we want it to take over our artistic and creative output? That's the most human thing we have and what more of us would do if given the time.
If we lived in a society with a great social safety net, a universal basic income, then sure, let AI take some jobs. But that is not the country (nay, the world) we live in. Encouraging AI to take over entire industries - which it will - will be catastrophic for workers who will get no support and be punished for being unemployed. We've been saying since the '70s that technology will reduce the time we spend working, and yet Australians now work longer hours than we ever have since that time. We just don't have the right public policy settings to withstand the techno-fascist steamrolling that the government is inviting.
Well said Maddy. Yes, where are the reduced working hours we were promised? Anyone remember the 35-hour week? In 1980 that was just around the corner...
Thanks Greg - forwarding this to anyone who’ll listen. If the promise was solving cancer - sure, there might be more social buy in, but so far it seems to be deep fakes at the cost of our environment and lower socioeconomic communities; recent grads and artists - the list of cons goes on and on.
Great article. Seems way more harm than good will come from these data centres being built. Don’t be fooled by Data Centres Australia CEO who when questioned is using spin and putting the responsibility back on government and consumers when answering questions about energy and water resources. Data Centre Australia is a lobby group with a board representing Data Centre organisations. It does not represent the interests of Australian citizens at all.
Thanks Greg. I started reading, then noticing the sharp analysis and clearly graphs, went back to check. Of course, Greg Jericho. My concern is how we fight this Automated Intelligence battle effectively. I’m also forwarding to anyone who might use it to resist.
Great summary Greg. I find the issue with the AI discourse is that it groups together a diverse set of technologies and processes under one brand that is vaguely ascribed magical properties that conveniently align with making capitalisn great again.
It feels like 21st century alchemy - a futile attempt to turn lead into gold.
Thanks Greg, great summary. The AI hype really is incredible. An absolute explosion, which has come almost from nowhere. With massive costs in resources and the prospect of massive societal harm. Yet as you so eloquently say, for what? WTF do these data centres actually do for us???
Note that the use of large data sets is of course helpful - not just in medicine - meteorology for example. But that is not AI. And that is orders of magnitude smaller than the incomprehensible activity taking place in the mushrooming data centres.
Some of the most dysfunctional men on the planet want data centres in Australia because this is a safe, stable place - so far with less pushback than in America. Has Albo has stopped even for a moment to wonder if this might not be "a good thing"?
I keep waiting for concrete examples of how a huge investment in AI and data centres will benefit us, but as Greg says, we've gotten nothing!
If AI or new technology is going to automate anything or take over some jobs, it should be jobs we don't want to do, or jobs that AI is uniquely placed to do. But why would we want it to take over our artistic and creative output? That's the most human thing we have and what more of us would do if given the time.
If we lived in a society with a great social safety net, a universal basic income, then sure, let AI take some jobs. But that is not the country (nay, the world) we live in. Encouraging AI to take over entire industries - which it will - will be catastrophic for workers who will get no support and be punished for being unemployed. We've been saying since the '70s that technology will reduce the time we spend working, and yet Australians now work longer hours than we ever have since that time. We just don't have the right public policy settings to withstand the techno-fascist steamrolling that the government is inviting.
Well said Maddy. Yes, where are the reduced working hours we were promised? Anyone remember the 35-hour week? In 1980 that was just around the corner...
Thanks Greg - forwarding this to anyone who’ll listen. If the promise was solving cancer - sure, there might be more social buy in, but so far it seems to be deep fakes at the cost of our environment and lower socioeconomic communities; recent grads and artists - the list of cons goes on and on.
Great article. Seems way more harm than good will come from these data centres being built. Don’t be fooled by Data Centres Australia CEO who when questioned is using spin and putting the responsibility back on government and consumers when answering questions about energy and water resources. Data Centre Australia is a lobby group with a board representing Data Centre organisations. It does not represent the interests of Australian citizens at all.
Thanks Greg. I started reading, then noticing the sharp analysis and clearly graphs, went back to check. Of course, Greg Jericho. My concern is how we fight this Automated Intelligence battle effectively. I’m also forwarding to anyone who might use it to resist.
So well said Greg, thank you. Yes, "show me one frickin' example" of how AI will improved learning.
I love how you tell it like it is!