Author: Peter Biles | Page 8

A woman having a good time talking with ai robot friend in cafe

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Peter Biles
Date
July 30, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness, Creativity, free will, friendship}

AI: The Future of Friendship?

_{Odd visions of dystopia keep popping up in real life in our current social moment.} _{Peter Biles
July 30, 2024

4

Artificial Intelligence}

Odd visions of dystopia keep popping up in real life in our current social moment. An upcoming device simply called “friend” is now being advertised. Per the product description, the “friend” is a Bluetooth disk that hangs around a person’s neck and “listens” to the user. It then has the capacity to make conversation by “texting” you at random times of the day, like a human friend might do. The website includes a “frequently asked questions” portion, which is where you can discover what the product is and what it can do. Here’s a bizarre response to the question: “what does ‘always listening’ mean”: When connected via bluetooth, your friend is always listening and forming their own internal thoughts. We Read More ›

Mars, the red planet with detailed surface features and craters in deep space. Blue Earth planet in outer space. mars and earth, concept

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Peter Biles
Date
July 26, 2024

Categorized
Technology

Tagged
Anxiety, Depression, Gen Z, Jonathan Haidt, mental health, religion, social media, Technology, the anxious generation}

Growing Up on the Internet is Like Growing Up on Mars

_{We need to come back to Earth} _{Peter Biles
July 26, 2024

3

Technology}

Not only is the online world making us angry and sad. It’s also causing our character to atrophy.

Incredible night view of Stellisee lake with Matterhorn Cervino peak in Swiss Alps. Millions of stars in the pre-bright sky. Zermatt resort location, Switzerland. Landscape astrophotography

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Peter Biles
Date
July 24, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, censorship, Culture, Elon Musk, Humanity, Jordan Peterson, religion, social media}

Musk Wants to Use AI to Understand the Universe. Will it Work?

_{Could AI ever aid our quest to fully understand the universe?} _{Peter Biles
July 24, 2024

2

Artificial Intelligence}

Jordan Peterson and Elon Musk sat down this week for an extensive conversation ranging from technology, AI, politics, and even religion and questions of the metaphysical. These two prominent figures are active on Musk’s X, and frequently call out infringements on free speech and other authoritarian measures they see as a danger. In one interesting point in the interview, Musk described how he diverged in his views from his friend Larry Page on AI safety. Page evidently believes that we will “upload our minds to the computer,” to which Peterson said, “There’s not much difference between that and the death of humanity.” Musk nonetheless is the developer of his own AI system and believes that AI can aid humanity’s perennial Read More ›

hand of woman holding pen with writing on paper report in office

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Peter Biles
Date
July 22, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, brain, ChatGPT, Focus, Handwriting, LLMs, Neuroscience, Technology, Writing}

Study: Writing by Hand is Good for the Brain. What Does that Say About ChatGPT?

_{Nothing can replace pen and paper} _{Peter Biles
July 22, 2024

2

Arts & Culture}

It might be time to get the pens and notebooks back out and shut off the keyboard for a while. Just pretend you’re back in the first grade and don’t have a minicomputer in your back pocket. Writing by hand can help stimulate the whole brain and stave off cognitive decline, according to a study by Van der Weel and Van der Meer (2024), as reported by Pamela B. Rutledge in Psychology Today. Using a more personal note, she writes, I’ve never been one to keep a journal, but I now wonder if the exclusive use of computers and the lack of handwriting practice is doing my brain a disservice by decreasing the activity of cortico-subcortical components of the writing Read More ›

Workplace of contemporary professional painter inside studio of arts

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Peter Biles
Date
July 19, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Books, Human exceptionalism, Movies and TV}

We Shouldn’t Let AI Steal Art and Entertainment

_{This is an opportunity for artists and writers to create excellent work that champions the uniqueness of human creativity} _{Peter Biles
July 19, 2024

3

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture}

It’s no secret that new forms of AI threaten the integrity of the arts and entertainment industry. Actors might be deep faked. Artists’ original work can be scraped by word prompts, and writers could be “replaced” by large language models that only seem to be getting more adept at copycatting human language. One of the reasons it’s tempting for Hollywood producers to use AI seems to go beyond simply cutting costs. It makes sense massive companies want to capitalize on a tool that will get them unpaid labor. But in a way, entertainment, including books and movies, have become apportioned to popular demand. Which means they tend to be more formulaic and geared towards marketability instead of genuine quality. I Read More ›

Augmented Reality Bookshelf on Smartphone

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Peter Biles
Date
July 16, 2024

Categorized
Education

Tagged
education, Gen Z, Jonathan Haidt, phones, Technology, the anxious generation}

Ban the Phones and Bring Back the Books

_{It's time for the book, a time-tested vehicle of delight and instruction, to make a comeback in the classroom} _{Peter Biles
July 16, 2024

5

Education}

This summer, several states have proposed banning smartphones in public schools or introducing programs that will limit kids’ phone use during school hours. So far New York, Indiana, Ohio, California, and Oklahoma have proposed bans or restrictions, showing rare bipartisan concern over the issue. The impetus for this movement came in May when Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders sent a letter to every fellow governor in the United States with a complimentary copy of The Anxious Generation, a new book by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. Haidt shows how starting in the early 2010s kids’ mental health steeply declined. The main culprit? The smartphone, which soon became an ensnaring substitute for “real life.” Gen Z, those born after 1995, were the first Read More ›

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Peter Biles
Date
July 12, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence}

AI is Becoming a Tool of Mass Persuasion

_{Some worry that AI could be a powerful tool used to wield influence over users} _{Peter Biles
July 12, 2024

3

Artificial Intelligence}

Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are more “conversational” technologies, directly addressing users, so their persuasive power is more overt.

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Peter Biles
Date
July 10, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, ChatGPT, Creativity, Stephen King, Writers, Writing}

“I’m Not There Yet”

_{Scott Galloway opens up about the writing process} _{Peter Biles
July 10, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

Scott Galloway is one of the most successful writers on the planet, at least by monetary metrics. He’s also a remarkably talented presenter and appears consistently on top channels to talk about business, masculinity, finance, and relationships. In a new interview with David Perell, who founded the writing organization “Write of Passage,” Galloway said that he thinks he’s a “good writer” but not a “great” one yet. It might surprise us given that Galloway is around sixty and is a successful author, but he went on to explain how practice is key when reaching any type of mastery of a skill. Writing is no different. He described his recent encounter with a Stephen King novel, admiring the vividness of the Read More ›

3d rendering, Scene of television cartoon mock up with blank empty space, setting on colorful room and lighting background.

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Peter Biles
Date
July 8, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Cinema, hollywood, Technology, The New Yorker}

Famous Actress Wonders About AI, TV Culture, and Humanity

_{AI isn't like the printing press, Rashida Jones laments} _{Peter Biles
July 8, 2024

4

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture}

We no longer talk about mainstream entertainment swallowing art. Now, distraction is swallowing both entertainment and art.

The Statue of Liberty over the Scene of New york cityscape river side which location is lower manhattan,Architecture and building with tourist concept

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Peter Biles
Date
July 4, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
America, freya india, Love, Smartphone, Tech}

Here Are Some Good Pieces to Read Over the Long Weekend

_{Reflections on love and freedom from two gifted writers} _{Peter Biles
July 4, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

Happy Independence Day to all the American readers, which, presumably, is most of you! Condolences and best wishes to our British friends as they deal with a large-scale election tomorrow. Many people will be enjoying a particularly long weekend full of hot dogs, fireworks, and summer heat, but one can always use the spare time to catch up on some reading. Here are just a couple of links that I’ve found worthwhile over the last couple days. The first comes from novelist Tara Isabella Burton, who writes a candid piece on overcoming smartphone addiction in Plough. Like many of us, Burton both wrestles with spending too much time on screens but has also made resolutions to overcome her dependency again Read More ›

A post-apocalyptic New York City with empty roads and bleak atmosphere. Generative AI

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Peter Biles
Date
July 1, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Arts and Culture, Beauty, Dystopian, Prayer, religion, transcendence}

A Quiet Place: Two Moments That Stick Out

_{Characters in the dystopian thriller find solace in the transcendent} _{Peter Biles
July 1, 2024

2

Arts & Culture}

Those who can connect with a source of meaning beyond the material pain of the world are the ones who will stay alive in body and spirit.

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Peter Biles
Date
June 28, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Coldplay, Culture}

Coldplay, Pop Music, and AI Mimicry

_{Musicians are being pressured into the pop music mania} _{Peter Biles
June 28, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

Coldplay is my favorite band. Some make fun of me for this, but their discography, ranging from the raw immediacy of Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) to the synthetic coldness of Ghost Stories (2014) is too wide ranging, beautifully rendered, and personally resonant for me to dismiss. That said, something’s happened to the music industry that has even alt-rockers in its grip, including Coldplay. The super-band’s latest single, “feelslikeimfallinginlove,” is a far cry from their roots. While some bands maturate with age, Coldplay has simplified and infantilized; frontman Chris Martin was writing much more interesting, compelling lyrics at age twenty-five than forty-five. The new single is a simple pop song, youthful, exuberant, without much musical complexity or the Read More ›

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Peter Biles
Date
June 26, 2024

Categorized
Philosophy

Tagged
AI, Computers, Creativity, Human exceptionalism, John Searle, Roger Scruton, uniqueness}

Roger Scruton on AI and the Human Soul

_{Is something missing in the discussion on AI and human exceptionalism? Back in the 1980s, Roger Scruton thought so} _{Peter Biles
June 26, 2024

3

Philosophy}

Will we start to regard each other as little more than complicated data centers if we lose the concept of the soul entirely?

Horizontal surreal magazine collage of young female look at giant hand hold phone addicted social media news fakes on creative background

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Peter Biles
Date
June 24, 2024

Categorized
Social Media

Tagged
addiction, Facebook, Frances Haugen, Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, mental health, Meta, New York Times, Screen addiction, social media, Vivek Murthy}

Zuck and Co Are Under Fire (Again)

_{Meta targeted teens, according to internal company emails} _{Peter Biles
June 24, 2024

3

Social Media}

Is there any company out there who has hurt young people more than Mark Zuckerberg’s gargantuan Meta empire? A host of lawsuits and a damning report from the New York Times tells us that the massive parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp willingly pursued its addictive business model despite the evident damage its products were doing to users, particularly kids. Who remembers when Facebook launched and its promises of a more connected world? Who remembers the optimists hailing the internet as the next step in human connectivity? A mere twenty years later and the technology lords are facing an overdue reckoning. Natasha Singer writes, The state lawsuits against Meta reflect mounting concerns that teenagers and children on social media Read More ›

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Peter Biles
Date
June 21, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Anxiety, film, Gen Z, Movies}

Inside Out 2: Anxiety Takes Over

_{New animated film explores the internal anxieties of a teenage girl} _{Peter Biles
June 21, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

It’s a fun and at times quite insightful and tender film, and its nod to banning phones is rare to see in modern cinema.

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Peter Biles
Date
June 20, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Christianity, internet, Meditation, Online, Paul Kingsnorth, Socrates, Technology, Twitter, Writing}

Kingsnorth: How to Stay Sane in the Deepfake World

_{A lesson for modern people from the desert monks of antiquity} _{Peter Biles
June 20, 2024

4

Arts & Culture}

We might have to get caught up in the online freneticism again at some point, but returning to physical and spiritual reality, is a good practice to cultivate.

Young beautiful caucasian purple grey hair woman outdoor in the city on the subway using smart phone hand hold - technology, social network, communication concept

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Peter Biles
Date
June 17, 2024

Tagged
addiction, freya india, Gen Z, New York Post, social media}

Ozempic: Weight Loss Drug or Supermodel Shortcut?

_{Social media fuels impossible body standards. So, Gen Z flocks to weight loss drugs.} _{Peter Biles
June 17, 2024

4}

Ozempic, the weight loss medication that diminishes one’s sense of hunger, has been used as a simple and yet effective treatment for obesity. There is debate on whether the use of drugs to combat weight gain is healthy, or should be pushed back against by simply eating better and engaging in regular exercise. Now, though, a certain brand of Ozempic users is complicating the discussion. People, particularly the young, are starting to use Ozempic to carve out the ideal beach bod. But the risks to this aren’t benign, according to a report by the New York Post. Using Ozempic or other weight loss drugs without a proper prescription can be dangerous. Per the Post: “Drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy should Read More ›

the young guy playing an acoustic guitar. Shooting backlit

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Peter Biles
Date
June 17, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture}

George Strait Breaks Concert Record

_{We still flock to what's good and real} _{Peter Biles
June 17, 2024

2

Arts & Culture}

“People have a hunger for live music made by real people — and it’s more than Taylor Swift,” tweeted music and culture critic Ted Gioia in response to the 110,000 souls who showed up for country music George Strait’s Saturday concert in College Station, Texas. Strait’s concert officially broke the record for total attendees at a U.S. concert, which is stunning, considering the phenomenon of Swift’s “Eras Tour” that has captured audiences around the globe and even perked up the U.S. economy. Gioia points out that, even (and perhaps especially) in our society in which listening to music seems to have become an individual, digitalized experience, filled with its fair share of computer-generated beats and bops, it’s obvious that people Read More ›

A robotic hand flawlessly scribing intricate algorithms, a fusion of precision and technology.

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Peter Biles
Date
June 12, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Work

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Blogging, Technology, Writers, Writing}

Writers Are Getting Fired for…Not Using ChatGPT?

_{AI detectors aren't totally accurate, and the cost is steep for the writing industry} _{Peter Biles
June 12, 2024

2

Artificial Intelligence, Work}

Even though writers wanted nothing to do with the chatbots, their work is still being flagged by detectors. And it’s literally costing them their jobs.

Charles Darwin portrait illustrating evolution theory and natural selection in a vintage style

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Peter Biles
Date
June 10, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Beauty, Charles Darwin, ChatGPT, Computers, Evolution}

This Darwin Quote Eerily Describes AI

_{Does a materialistic worldview lead us believe humans are simply advanced computing systems?} _{Peter Biles
June 10, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

I’ve been reading the modern classic The Brothers K by American writer David James Duncan. Not to be confused with The Brothers Karamazov, this novel creatively riffs off of Dostoevsky’s iconic novel while retaining its own unique flavor. Set in Washington state during the crazy 1960s, The Brothers K is about the Chances, a family with a father beaten down after a failed shot at pro baseball, and the four brothers who each respond differently to the rapidly changing culture of the United States. The Chances’ grandmother, who they affectionately call “Grandawma,” is a staunch Darwinist, while Mrs. Chance is a devout Seventh Day Adventist. The Chance children have to wade through the opposing worldviews they’re brought up in, and Read More ›