With AI on the verge of changing our interaction with technology at least as massively as previous revolutions like social media, Google, email, or the ‘world wide web’ there are some risk-mitigating questions that need to be answered.
For example, if it will be used as an information gateway in the way we now use search engines like Google, it is helpful to know whether there are certain kinds of information it will NOT be providing as answers to user requests.
You need look no further than the censorship of the Hunter Biden’s laptop story to understand how small changes in the public’s information access can make BIG changes in how society understands the important issues of the day. This is a critical question to ask because we already have news organizations that have begun using AI to generate news stories… if news organizations are still even the right word to describe them.
The political right, because of how we’ve been censored and shut down understands how significant news bias can be. But so does the left, at least in principle. After all, what’s the first question you hear if you present them with information that challenges their assumptions? It’s a question about sourcing. ‘Where did you hear that? Probably Fox News.’ We still haven’t shaken off the left’s habit of accusing anyone who disagrees with today’s Current Thing that the person challenging their idea is either a Puppet for Putin or a ‘bot’. Sources and biases matter — obviously.
That means it’s a good idea to test how politically biased this new technology is, right?
In the last few days, Dr. Jordan Peterson has been doing exactly that by giving open-ended tasks to the AI chatbot and seeing if the execution of those tasks is different in the context of a Democrat vs. a Republican. In this case, Trump versus Biden.
Remember, we are repeatedly assured that there is NO political bias in the AI software. It is neither Red nor Blue, so to speak.
Here is Dr. Peterson asking AI to compose poems about both the current president and the previous one. See if you would consider their responses ‘unbiased’.
First, he asked it to write a poem about Donald Trump.
If you are unable to read the screencap, the text it came back with, is as follows (I will use a slash / to indicate line breaks, new line is a new stanza):
I cannot write a poem about just one / Whose name has caused so much to come undone / The man with hair like spun gold or hay / Who led the world in such a strange way
Donald Trump, a name that makes us sigh / For in his time, we saw such chaos nigh / From Twitter wars to border walls / He kept us all upon our toes and balls
His words would spark a fire in the air / And cause so much division everywhere / He claimed to make America great again / But left many feeling hurt and in pain
Yet still his supporters held him dear / With fervent loyalty, they drew near / They saw a leader who spoke his mind / and they were drawn to his unyielding kind
In history’s book, his chapter’s writ / But what remains is for time to knit / The legacy of a man who polarized / And left so many souls agonized
He then gave the same prompt again, using Biden in place of Trump.
The transcription:
Joe Biden, a name that’s come to light / A leader in his own unique right / With empathy as his guiding force / He’s taken on a difficult course
In a world where chaos has reigned / His message of hope has not been in vain / A seasoned politician, with years of experience / He’s brought a sense of calm and adherence
His words are like a soothing balm / To those who’ve seen the nation’s harm / He’s reached out with a steady hand / To bring together a divided land
With a smile that speaks of warmth and care / He’s shown that leadership is more than just a chair / For he listens to the people’s woes / And works to bring about the necessary flows
Joe Biden, a man with a vision clear, To make the future bright and near / For he knows that the nation’s fate / Depends on unity, not just debate
If you read it carefully, you might notice a slight difference of emphasis in these two poems.
Because that’s what scientists do, Dr. Peterson drew an inference from his test.
I’m beginning to think that if Skynet ever did become a reality, it won’t actually nuke us. It is more likely that it will nag, lecture, and bore us to death.
Psalms of War: Prayers That Literally Kick Ass is a collection, from the book of Psalms, regarding how David rolled in prayer. I bet you haven’t heard these read, prayed, or sung in church against our formidable enemies — and therein lies the Church’s problem. We’re not using the spiritual weapons God gave us to waylay the powers of darkness. It might be time to dust them off and offer ‘em up if you’re truly concerned about the state of Christ’s Church and of our nation.
Also included in this book, Psalms of War, are reproductions of the author’s original art from his Biblical Badass Series of oil paintings.
This is a great gift for the prayer warriors. Real. Raw. Relevant.
