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Lynn Means's avatar

Did you hear the latest triumph of AI? It's being used as a tool by quite a lot of police departments, apparently, to scan millions of faces and find suspects for crimes, in this instance using a false card to withdraw money from bank accounts in North Dakota, bank fraud. AI located a 50 year-old woman living in Tennessee, based on its scanning program and she was arrested, expedited to North Dakota and spent 5 months in jail before the police did some actual work and found it was not her. She was released and is planning to sue. I think this is both terrible, that she spent time in jail while totally innocent and wonderful in that she might get some of those millions invested in AI for herself, an ordinary person. The boondoggle of the computer geniuses continues......

carolyn semiglasow's avatar

Well Jim, guess that should be expected cause they have more dollars than sense.

clinton & susanne hollister's avatar

Jim, it looks like we will have to fight for our very lives. But humanity is far from finished. We will not be extinguished so easily. Hats off to those two great organizations, and to Clayton Tucker. We need more pols like him!

Ian Ogard's avatar

Why do I wonder if the losses of all the goofy, avaricious, egomaniacal billionaires that hopped onboard the metaverse bandwagon will be bailed out by ordinary taxpayers like me and you?

Linda Leee E E's avatar

If their corporation goes bankrupt l wouldn't be surprised if we have to pay.

Ian Ogard's avatar

Too big to fail is too big, period.

“Incorporated companies, with proper limitations and guards, may in particular cases, be useful, but they are at best a necessary evil only. Monopolies and perpetuities are objects of just abhorrence. The former are unjust to the existing, the latter usurpations on the rights of future generations.”

- James Madison

“We must especially beware of that small group of selfish men who would clip the wing of the American Eagle in order to feather their own nests.”

- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Patricia DeVea's avatar

You seem...SMART! (In the real, old fashioned sense.)

Ian Ogard's avatar

Patricia, I'm not sure if you were commenting about me, but in case you were, thanks for the kind words.

Patricia DeVea's avatar

Yes, I meant smart in the way we used that word before "smart" phones. Like, your intelligence. And you're welcome!

Patricia DeVea's avatar

Oh yeah. Of course.

edith fusillo's avatar

These disgusting megabillionaries choose small towns that they believe will be thrilled with the prospect of a DATACENTER! that will bring jobs and prosperity to their communities. But here in Georgia, the two small towns they have chosen (with property paid for by the federal government, as I understand) have not the infrastructure--water, sewers, etc.--to support them. And Georgia Power plans for the ratepayers, not the data center owners, to pay the bill for the electricity they will need. Yet another scam to make the little guy pay the bill for the big guys. Sorry. Not buying it. But I will have to pay for it.

clinton & susanne hollister's avatar

Edith, you are so right. And we largely have to thank our globetrotting, big money loving

governor (looking at you, Mr Kemp) for all this mess. At least he has not been able to sell off the Okefenokee Swamp! A lot of Georgians are not buying it, but with the state government we have, it looks like we are stuck with it. Praying for relief after the midterms!!

Paul thomas's avatar

Thank God they pulled the plug on the metaverse ,the matrixverse is safe again.

Rafi Simonton's avatar

For a great analysis of Earth based reality v. techno-b.s. read /Technofeudalism/ by Yanis Varoufakis. It's in actual human language, not EconSpeak. Although he does have the abstract stuff as appendices.

The system has morphed into something quite different from the realm of traditional capitalists. He calls the techno-entitled "cloudalists." The vast majority of tech workers are poorly paid with few, if any, rights; he calls them "techno-proles." Practically everyone else on the planet is a de facto "techno-serf"--people who provide for free the immense mounds of data through which the cloudalists rake in such ridiculous profits.

IMHO, they're fervent believers in the doctrine of one $, one vote, therefore entitled to rule the world. They've already purchased the major U.S., Euro, and Australian parties. They plan to escape the accelerating eco-crises on their megayachts and private islands. We surviving inferiors (or our descendants) can work as actual serfs on their neo-feudal estates.

PS--a big shout-out to the work of E.F.F.!

Neil Rankins's avatar

It's always seemingly been the next flashy thing by the currently trendy, flashy personality that repeatedly dupes people. I've been around long enough to immediately react with a large amount of skepticism coupled with a couple tablespoons of cynicism and scorn. I guess that's why I am where I am, having never chased a dollar or the bleeding edge of anything that hard. But, I feel reasonably secure in what I view as a modest financial position.

Julie Putney's avatar

I feel like I'm getting too old for all this shit from the tech bros

Linda Leee E E's avatar

What if the obsolete space program equipment combined with the failed Metaverse to form an outer space amusement park? Think that might bring customers? Make it child friendly and accept education vouchers for pay?

Linda Leee E E's avatar

It seems like such a waste of resources to dump the obsolete space program equipment. Like Walt Disney did with his visions created in Disneyland and he made it financially and has had lots of customers over the years. Call it Outer Space Landing, make it educational, accept education vouchers and create a new accounting system for it while enhancing Public Education with hands on experiences

David Balfour's avatar

When you call an AI corporate entity,you enter a groundhog day universe where it's virtually impossible to speak to a human being.The intention is to discourage you from calling and keeping you as removed from them as possible.Google is a perfect example of the intentional disconnect with their customer base. The attitude is ....just pay your bills and don't bother us.

Gary J Snyder's avatar

My comment about AI is to wake up. How long do you think it will be before Social Security and Medicare die an early death because AI is taking thousands of jobs away every day? I believe that these companies should pay into Social Security and Medicare for every job they take away. If not, say goodbye to Social Security and Medicare way before 2032. It's not like they won't be making money by replacing workers with robots. Think about it, no salary, no sick leave, no breaks, no vacations, no health or life insurance, no disability pay, etc. These companies can and should pay into Social Security and Medicare for future generations. The individuals working now should not be left holding an empty bag when they retire. If they want to take away jobs, then they should pay the price for doing so. This is something that should be addressed now because it is happening now. This can not wait!

Pat Smith's avatar

Just read 1984 and recognize these data centers are there to in prison US. THey will be the eye watching everything we do. Keeping tabs on us just like our car, refrigerator and other appliances _TV! El Paso will be surrounded - 1 in Santa Teresa, northeast El Paso, and Fort Bliss.

thank you