ChatGPT, and GPT-4, and AI in our futures.

msfry · Post by **msfry** » April 5th, 2023, 8:29 am

On the topic of ChatGPT, and GPT-4, I found this podcast the other day. Not just computer generated voices reading books, webpages, and online articles, but how else will AI eventually take over and control us? It's a 2.5 hour podcast but well worth the listen to get the straight scoop right from the AI guru's mouth.

Sam Altman: OpenAI CEO on GPT-4, ChatGPT, and the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #367

DACSoft · Post by **DACSoft** » April 5th, 2023, 10:33 am

I'm certainly not a fan of computer-generated voices; I'll stick with actually listening to humans. Nor am I a fan AI in general (the "artificial" in AI says it all). For example, I do not want my auto making decisions for me while I'm driving, and automated call centers drive me bonkers.

Kind of related: The newest car stealing prevention device is the (old style) manual tranmission (gear shift). I saw a news video clip a few days ago where some car-jackers were trying to steal a car from a gas station, while the driver was filling it with gas. The problem was that the jackers couldn't figure out how to work the clutch and gear shift, so ran away ... to be quickly caught by law enforcement.

FWIW,

msfry · Post by **msfry** » April 5th, 2023, 11:21 am

DACSoft wrote: ↑April 5th, 2023, 10:33 am The newest car stealing prevention device is the (old style) manual tranmission (gear shift). I saw a news video clip a few days ago where some car-jackers were trying to steal a car from a gas station, while the driver was filling it with gas. The problem was that the jackers couldn't figure out how to work the clutch and gear shift, so ran away ... to be quickly caught by law enforcement.

Ha, ha. My Dad wouldn't let me get a drivers license until I could drive a standard (stick shift). I needed that for my VW, and even today on our 1999 Toyota Tacoma truck. Even with automatics, though, the simple solution is . . . "don't leave the keys in the ignition"!

Penumbra · Post by **Penumbra** » April 5th, 2023, 12:21 pm

I know an AI guy whose sister once said "Artificial intelligence? Oh, you mean false thinking."

msfry · Post by **msfry** » April 5th, 2023, 12:47 pm

DACSoft wrote: ↑April 5th, 2023, 10:33 am I'm certainly not a fan of computer-generated voices; I'll stick with actually listening to humans.

But one day, computer generated voices will sound natural, and varied, and may be assigned unique names, and gain a following. I can imagine a search: "Show me a list of anything read by Monica Marie Lonsdale, a computer generated voice." AI voices can be trained to convey emotion, are much more likely to scan material ahead of time to ascertain the piece's mood and personalities. But you won't ever feel a live reader's presence -- or will you. That might bother people, depending upon how in need of human companionship they are feeling at the time. Others may revel in the cleverness of man to invent machines that can do all this. Imagine inventing an AI voice of your own, and hiring it out just as human voice artists do today. One thing for certain, the world is a-changing and we can't stop the geeks from moving forward with AI.

Post by **TriciaG** » April 5th, 2023, 1:56 pm

This reminds me of a recent episode of the sitcom, American Auto. A couple of the executives bet each other that the corporate lawyer would catch that a certain "online interviewee" was AI.

He chatted with "her" for days.

"But didn't you ask her about her hobbies? About herself?" No....just talked about neutral stuff. She was so knowledgeable! Ha ha!

OK, so it was totally unrealistic, but it was fun.

(Since this thread is only tangentially related to LV, I'm moving it to Off Topic.)

msfry · Post by **msfry** » April 5th, 2023, 3:25 pm

TriciaG wrote: ↑April 5th, 2023, 1:56 pm (Since this thread is only tangentially related to LV, I'm moving it to Off Topic.)

I linked to this topic in a few other posts. Will that link still work or should I change it now?
I had to look up "tangentially". I thought it meant something like how an arm is related to a torso.

Post by **TriciaG** » April 5th, 2023, 3:26 pm

Yes, any links posted still work fine.

Post by **annise** » April 5th, 2023, 4:12 pm

I think there are many more things to worry about in the near future than more realistic voices reading books. How about discovering an alien race or an alien race discovering us? History shows that we either attack them or they attack us. Or closer to hand someone decided to use nuclear weapons ? Or germ warfare? Or the sea level rises so high we all need to move to Mount Everest ( after wiping out the "natives" of course) .

Anne

Post by **redrun** » April 5th, 2023, 4:24 pm

True enough - aliens, fellow humans, and perhaps, eventually technology-using programs can cause much more trouble than reading audio books or creating art as well as or better than humans. But since we're humans who read audio books, and "AI" voice software is making audible progress at improving, it's particularly topical, and fun to observe.

msfry · Post by **msfry** » April 5th, 2023, 4:48 pm

annise wrote: ↑April 5th, 2023, 4:12 pm I think there are many more things to worry about in the near future than more realistic voices reading books. How about discovering an alien race or an alien race discovering us? History shows that we either attack them or they attack us. Or closer to hand someone decided to use nuclear weapons ? Or germ warfare? Or the sea level rises so high we all need to move to Mount Everest ( after wiping out the "natives" of course) .

Anne

Acknowledging but not worrying about things I can do nothing about, keeps me sane. Gotta keep people busy and feeling too good about the future to do bad things. Reading books and learning stuff keeps people happy, a worthy goal to follow. Sucking the joy out of everything with worry, nay saying, and fear mongering just makes people want to give up, blow each other up . . . or eat too much.

lightcrystal · Post by **lightcrystal** » April 5th, 2023, 5:19 pm

It's worth reminding everyone at this point that Google has taken all LV recordings up to 2 years ago and uses them as a database to generate AI voices. Of course since it's public domain Google is doing nothing wrong. Somewhere in the world your voice could be doing something in a Google product...

Post by **annise** » April 5th, 2023, 5:58 pm

what is even more interesting is the possibility of very fake news. Take someone who makes many speeches - train one of these solely on that material - take someone like the Pope for example (just because I have seen a fake image of him in a spray jacket and because there are so many images of him speaking from that balcony). It would then be possible to easily make a news item of him supporting anything and be quite convincing.

So LV is a hobby - we do it cos we want to, and the results are there for others to listen to if they want to, and many people do. And AI has the possibilty to help many disabled people live a happier and more productive life.

Viva LibriVox.

Viva AI

Anne

KevinS · Post by **KevinS** » April 18th, 2023, 12:58 pm

For my part, I am glad that my lifespan is limited as I don't think I can easily adapt to our future. (Or should I say 'futures'? Already many are facing the challenges which will come to all.)

msfry · Post by **msfry** » April 18th, 2023, 3:06 pm

annise wrote: ↑April 5th, 2023, 5:58 pm So LV is a hobby - we do it cos we want to, and the results are there for others to listen to if they want to, and many people do. And AI has the possibilty to help many disabled people live a happier and more productive life.

Viva LibriVox. Viva AI

Anne

To me, it's a mission more than a hobby. one I can get behind and support wholeheartedly for purposes other than just entertainment or "personal relevance". We are preserving a literature that the next few generations might not find interesting or relevant in their fast-paced lives, and they may not be drawn to record it with all the other stuff going on in their lives, need to make a living, etc. But as we look back to the Greeks, Romans, aborigines of every land, early explorers and early Americans, to find our roots, mistakes we've made, and how far we've come, so will they do and marvel at someday. So, to me, it's definitely a mission -- not a hobby.

And as to everything we read being PD, that's true and does not bother me, but why we have to advertise it so loudly, almost screaming "come and get it" every 5 minutes, I don't quite get. I suppose it's to remind readers that they can't complain about how the material is re-distributed . . . but that is not the issue.

My voice is mine. Are there no legal protections about copying voices? And attributing fake speeches to someone who didn't say it? That's one place where AI will get into big trouble, and keep lawyers fat and happy.