Since 2022 and the release of generative AI like Stable Diffusion, AI-generated images have been a novelty above all else. As some have pointed out online, modern AI seems at times like a solution in search of a problem. Now, a couple years into this AI boom (or bubble), some patterns of usage have emerged….
Tag: technology
Weird old people on the internet
The inexperience of many elderly people with computers and the internet creates an interesting and often humorous phenomenon. Retirees also have a lot of time on their hands and may be more susceptible to conspiracy theories. The result is that one occasionally comes across an individual on the internet who has a tenuous grasp on…
AI as an archive of human language
This is a fascinating example of an application of AI. The current discourse around AI can be pretty negative as many of the downsides are apparent and widespread. However, AI has many good uses as well. Like any technology, its effect on the world depends on its user. We are in a period of mass…
How compression works and why JPEG artifacts look like that
Do I look like I know what a JPEG is? In a computer, all information is represented as bits, strings of zeros and ones. However, bits can more or less be interpreted as generic numerical data written in base 2 instead of as decimals. In other words, in a computer, all information is represented as…
Stories in the history of written language (part 4)
In this part, we will look at some of the uses that writing and words have had over time, as well as some of the technology that has facilitated writing. Seals, stamps, and signatures Writing has long been used for more than literal communication and artistic calligraphy. From very early on, certain acts of writing…
Who is Neuro-sama?
Neuro-sama (aka Neuro Sama or Neurosama) is a female-presenting AI vtuber (virtual YouTuber) created by Vedal987. In late December 2022, Neuro debuted on Twitch playing the rhythm game osu! and interacting with the live chat using text-to-speech and an anime girl avatar. The avatar was one that was included with the Live2D software used to…
Stories in ludology & narratology (part 1)
Ludology and narratology are the two sides of the coin that is the study of games (in the non-mathematical sense). Ludology is the study of game mechanics and rules, and narratology is the study of story and setting. Ludology is closer to math, while narratology is closer to literary analysis. Narratology of games is particularly…
“AI ‘art’ is bad” is a bad argument
There are many good reasons to oppose AI generated images being disseminated or put forward as art. Nevertheless, one argument I see with surprising frequency is that the images generated by AI look bad. The biggest reason I think this is a bad argument is because it’s contingent upon current technological limitations. AI image generation…
The imperfect Chinese room (a note on the conditions for AI consciousness)
First, a note about the obvious racism: western philosophy has long used China as the prototypical example of the foreign. In the Chinese room thought experiment, the Chinese language is used because it is not understood by the person. Ultimately, Chinese is being likened to machine code, notoriously unreadable by humans. This is not the…
AI image generation using Stable Diffusion explained
This is a non-technical introduction intended for people who are unfamiliar with the topic. Stable Diffusion is an image generation process that begins with a seed number (usually randomly generated) that is used to create an image of random-looking noise. This image is then iteratively modified by a neural network according to a set of…
thoughts on mind 