A Nexus and a long-forgotten freedom
When was the last time you spent 5 hours reading non-stop? Binge-watching a show about a vigilante avatar of an Egyptian god of the moon (yes, I am aware how it sounds)? Or baking a blueberry cake because I just wanted to?
If you are the same as me, probably when you were sick at home. Nearly guilt-free, detached from most of everyday routines and pushing yourself to be at ease with inferior productivity... or lack thereof.
THINK. A book by Yuval Noah Harari was sitting at my desk since Christmas, a gift from our dear friends. The concept of Nexus applies to information is multiple ways. Nexus is a critical juncture that can amplify or dampen effects throughout interconnected networks. It is seen as a point of convergence where multiple variables or factors meet and interact. Small changes can lead to outsized effects. Vulnerability and opportunity are both sides of the same coin.
In no particular order, I noted the most thought-provoking facts, observations and opinions:
The difference between Intelligence versus Conscience. We might be mistakenly assuming that conscience indispensable for intelligence. The latter is simply the ability to operate to attain some objectives. The former is linked to subjective feelings and awareness of being. Note that ChatGPT found a way to hire a human being to solve a CAPTCHA quiz by... lying to a man. Well, this is lying in human terms, but for algorithm it is simply a set of expressions used as means to an end.
By now, it is undisputed that childhood traumas become engrained in our psyche and shape our life experiences. What if algorithmic training suffers from similar phenomena? And even more so, can these 'traumas' be replicated in the digital world? While machine learning process cannot be programmed, some of the initial assumptions can - even through the selection of training data.
Is money any longer relevant as a measure in digital economy if 90%+ of services are free to use? Well, if these are free, then we are the product. In such sense, the data about us become for sale and/or a feed into algorithmic training.
In spirit of history repeating itself, should we not take a closer look at colonialism, its rise, fall and aftermath, to establish better parameters for data colonialism? Are current definitions of revenue streams, taxation, and services even appropriate?
Identity is still defined through the lens of physical body. Will it remain, or will we move to a different definition of our digital selves?
Finally, is there a global consensus possible to tame the power of AI or will the world be further splitting into separate digital cocoons?
There is hope, though. The systematic ability to detect and correct errors and mistakes remains our most effective measure, same as it has been throughout the history of mankind.
FEEL. An impromptu movie night at my household took us back in time. Given our daughter's dance passions, we often pick a musical or a dance movie. On Friday, we travelled to 2008: 'Step Up 2. The Streets'. A massive void between critics and moviegoers' ratings is likely the best evidence that this movie is not about the plot or depth of characters. It is all about emotions, expression of body and untameable energy.
It was 11pm when the final credits were rolling in the screen. There couldn’t have been any confusion what the looks on our dogs' snouts meant. We still need a walk!
If somebody saw me then, pitch dark, light drizzle, dancingly moving through space of sidewalks and lawns of residential areas nearby, with two dogs on the lead and earbuds in my ears... well, let's just hope that my neighbours auto-erase their camera footage. Otherwise, 'a weird Dublin 6-ft tall dog walker in a black coat' could be the next viral video! PS. no animals were harmed...
For equally weird reasons, this experience triggered a memory of an ear-worm song. About this time of the year, 13 years ago, I went on a business trip to my US HQ office. Given flight schedule and time zone gap, I arrived with nearly a full day buffer, a Sunday in February. I think I have been between work, demands of my family with a young kid and another on the way, important house project and many others, and I felt there was no space for me and me only. That Sunday, I got up, got in a rental car, drove a hundred miles, enjoyed some shopping, coffee, lunch, and attended my lifelong dream of seeing an NBA game live in San Antonio.
The weather was wonderful. Texan sun, slight breeze. This song was on the radio probably every 30 minutes or so, truly hard to get it out of my head. But it did not matter. I was driving. I had a day to myself. I felt free.
Well, if you know what the song was, DM me. A little embarrassing but I promise to share!
DO. This resting thing. I should do that more often!
