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Gods and Computers

An Upgrade is Available for Your God(s)

The more I write about tech, artificial intelligence, and algorithms, the more I sound like I’m talking about religion. Humans Need to Know Why Like many folks in this era of podcasts, I have listened to far too many true crime stories to be healthy.  There is one thing I find extremely fascinating about the families of the victims. They’ve expressed a common feeling that’s surprising, when the full fate of their loved-one isn’t fully known. Say a person has gone missing, evidence indicates they were likely murdered, but their… Read More »An Upgrade is Available for Your God(s)

a cute illustration of a boy wearing a propeller hat hugging a robot with hearts around their heads

Am I a Fool for Loving Generative A.I.?

If Generative A.I. Is Wrong, I Don’t Want to be Right I don’t remember much about grade school, but I clearly recall a classmate’s kindness. In art class, this one kid made drawings that were always fantastic. Mine were always less than. Far less than. I asked him his secret, expecting him to keep such valuable knowledge to himself.  He shared generously and without hesitation. “When you fill in a shape, make sure you color in the same direction.”  During our next art class, I tried it. The result? My… Read More »Am I a Fool for Loving Generative A.I.?

Image created by Bing Copilot AI. Prompt: A professor stands before a room of computer screens. 

You’ve Been Drafted into the A.I. Training Corps!

Thank you for your service! You didn’t sign up to serve? Oh yes you did! You’re here, aren’t you? I found something interesting while browsing LinkedIn the other day. (I know, right? Who in history ever uttered that sentence?) What I blundered into was the news that LinkedIn was sending user data (profile info and posts, etc.) to use in training Generative A.I. models. (Story here.) To summarize: some LinkedIn users are default opted-in to train its generative AI model. Or, as the settings option says — to “work with partners” who… Read More »You’ve Been Drafted into the A.I. Training Corps!

Cute tiny little robots are working in a futuristic soap factory

How To Use Generative AI to be More Human

Early in my writing career, I had a debate with an editor after I told him my strategy to avoid clichés. It’s a simple trick: If I’ve heard the phrase before, I take it out. He considered the idea then rendered his judgment.  “I agree mostly,” he said. “But I don’t think you should limit yourself.” We left it at that. Decades ago. I’ve since come over to his view a little. Sometimes a cliché is the right move. When someone is grieving the death of a loved one, the… Read More »How To Use Generative AI to be More Human

Universal danger sign

Dangerous Doings During Design! (A Warning For Graphic Designers — and really anyone)

This is a cautionary tale for all you graphic designers out there. An anecdote and a solution. I was a graphic designer for a library. My first full-time job after I quit college. (That’s another story.) I was good with computers and had learned how to do graphics programs (anyone remember PageMaker and QuarkExpress?) so I landed a job printing pamphlets at a library for their events and whatnot. So, the time came when I had to design a pamphlet for a new garden atrium at the brand-new library. The… Read More »Dangerous Doings During Design! (A Warning For Graphic Designers — and really anyone)