Technology

The AI Mirror Test

Posted on by Stian

Introducing the AI Mirror Test, which very smart people keep failing – Great article from The Verge on AI and our tendency to anthropomorphize machines that mimic human behavior, even when we’re fully aware we’re talking to a machine, also known as the ELIZA effect.

AI chatbots like Bing and ChatGPT are entrancing users, but they’re just autocomplete systems trained on our own stories about superintelligent AI. That makes them software — not sentient.

A monkey looking into a mirror at its own reflection

Who’s that in the mirror?

Just like humans, these new AI chatbots at times seem very intelligent, and sometimes just outright stupid – but we should not forget these are just algorithmic responses and not a sign of any sentience. We are still a very long way from that point – if it ever will happen.

Source: Introducing the AI Mirror Test, which very smart people keep failing

This Person Does Not Exist

Posted on by Stian

This person does not exist – a random gallery of computer-generated faces, created with machine-learning algorithms called GANs. The technology to create these is very impressive, considering how realistic a lot of these look — and at the same kind of scary.

Computer-generated face

Computer-generated face

Of course scammers and other internet lowlifes have been using stolen or stock-image faces for a long time to add authenticity to fake social media profiles, this basically means that now they can just create random faces that will be very convincing, at least in most cases.

There are, at least for now, various ways to recognize fake AI-generated images by subtle hints, but the algorithms can only get better at this over time. Maybe recognizing these faces will be a necessary skill to have in times to come?

Related: Which face is real?

Bitcoin: A Stock Photo Cryptocurrency Primer

Posted on by Stian

Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, blockchain—these things are huge, right? Still unsure if you should invest your time or money? Don’t know the difference between a Satoshi and a gigahash? Well, stock photography is here to help give us a sense of the inner workings, background, and the dos and don’ts of the bitcoin ecosystem.

Bitcoins are not for consumption!

Bitcoins are not for consumption!

Source: Bitcoin: A Stock Photo Cryptocurrency Primer – The Atlantic

Internet Archive – The Malware Museum

Posted on by Stian

The Internet Archive is always a source of awesome retro-computing goodies.

The Malware Museum is a collection of malware programs, usually viruses, that were distributed in the 1980s and 1990s on home computers. Once they infected a system, they would sometimes show animation or messages that you had been infected. Through the use of emulations, and additionally removing any destructive routines within the viruses, this collection allows you to experience virus infection of decades ago with safety.

Malware Example: KUKU.COM

Source: The Malware Museum : Free Software : Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

In Noisy Digital Era, ‘Elegant’ Internet Still Thrives

Posted on by Stian

A couple of years old – but a very interesting story on NPR about the SDF community, where my site is hosted.

Before Facebook and MySpace transformed how we interact online, there was another kind of Internet: the SDF network, made up of users connecting via phone lines and code. Around the world, 30,000 computing enthusiasts still use that network today.

Source: In Noisy Digital Era, ‘Elegant’ Internet Still Thrives : NPR

Handsfree Hacking

Posted on by Stian

My new Nokia 6230 came with a handsfree set with earbuds who were not as good as I had hoped, and I wanted to be able to use my own when listening to mp3 and radio. So I decided to do a little hack and install a standard 3.5mm headphone jack.

(Click on the image for a larger version)

(Click on the image for a larger version)

First I tried to do it on my own, but my skills with a soldering iron is not good at all, so I got a guy at a shop to do it cheap (100,- kr) for me. I think the result is great, and now I can use my nice Koss headphones with my mobile.

Gadget Lust

Posted on by Stian

I’m usually not much of a gadget freak, but occasionally a product comes along that just immediately makes me want it real bad, and the Asono Sound Hub is one of those.

It has almost a perfect feature set for this kind of device, even including an option to record from FM radio. It’s not out for a few weeks, and will sell for about 3500 kroner, which is too expensive for me at the moment … but I can always dream, can’t I?