So, DeMille has been cranky. He claims it is the weather’s impact on his arthritis. Despite his still erect posture and residual military bearing, he wants to find an excuse promising things will get better. There is a case for optimism, after all. This day is starting well with bright blue sky, not a cloud to be seen. Temperature will be a little cool in morning but warming nicely for the brilliant artificial afternoon before the sun ducks behind the West Wing of the building.
So feelings were buoyant at the morning meeting despite the strange news. We discussed capitalizing the “S” and the “N” in those last two words but gave up. Since some of us had “information” as a warfare trade back in the day, we talk about the intensity and direction of the current narratives without much rancor. With the wonders of the digital age, it is useful to take a step back and try to understand what the streams of information are intended to accomplish.
You may (or may not) have heard much about the school shooting in Nashville. There is some horrific information flying around about it, including the sympathetic characterization of the perpetrator as a victim. Our assumption is that the story will be minimized in one of the operational narratives as inconvenient and blared in the other. There is more not yet disclosed, including a “manifesto” of motivation for the act, written by the shooter. We assume it will be handled with the same efficiency as other recent investigations in the news.
There are also some clinical questions that run directly into philosophic ones.
In the old Scientific Method, the impact of hormonal modification on behavior would have had a study before becoming a recommended course of treatment. There was one, five years ago, that suggested there could be negative outcomes. We have leapt beyond that, since the importance of “self validation” over biology is so essential that it superceedes medical ethics. In Latin, Primum non nocere, right?
“First Do No Harm” used to be part of the Hippocratic oath. But like many aspects of our new world colliding with the old, our new connectivity provides immersion in data and narrative. There was a blip on the flatscreen this morning about an effort to “ban” research on artificial intelligence. They were talking about a study over a limited amount of time so that experts could assess risks associated with new capabilities.
This is a curious but real thing. A memo flew around on the company internet a couple weeks ago warning us about a program called ChatGPT. It is said to be a labor saving algorithm that harnesses quantum computing to compile properly formatted text messages consistent in content with the desired effect. Without actual human intervention, except to turn it on.
Apparently the Experts are concerned that plausible irony, mild humor and simulated thought could enable society to have way too much time on their hands. With their machines. Things could get out of control.
We thought a small, controlled study should be done to see the effect of turning the “creative” side of our business
over to a program on DeMille’s laptop. We think someone should look at the long-term effects of turning creative jobs over to the boxes. We would be compensated for our idleness, of course, since we would back-up the machines. That might mean a lot of extra time to do other stuff. Naturally, we volunteered.
Copyright 2023 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Back in 2017 Forbes and what the regimin of hormones administered might d