Artificial Intelligence - what could go wrong?

Subject: RE: Artificial Intelligence - what could go wrong?
From: Mr Red
Date: 13 Mar 26 - 04:05 AM

up to 10 minutes and counting!

Subject: RE: Artificial Intelligence - what could go wrong?
From: DaveRo
Date: 13 Mar 26 - 04:38 AM

Gemini (used by Google Search) confirmed that answer instantly. I find Google/Gemini useful for some queries, such as last night's: "why does only one of several hdmi sockets on a tv have arc?" (Translation: You're trying to do something it was not designed for!)

Copilot can be removed from Windows PCs, though I've read that it tends to reinstall itself.

Subject: RE: Artificial Intelligence - what could go wrong?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Mar 26 - 10:54 AM

I found it on Facebook but copying the first line and dropping into a non AI search brought up the source, so you can view the opinion of Cartoonist Mike Lynch on his site. Emphasis in bold is mine.

The AI Cartoon Trend: Not About Fun, It Was About Your Data

Let’s clear something up.
That AI cartoon trend didn’t explode because people suddenly discovered creativity. It blew up because it was a perfect data trap—simple, viral, voluntary, and massively profitable.
You didn’t just upload a picture and get a cartoon back.
You handed over:
Your face (biometric data)
Your expressions and features
Your behavior (what you click, how fast you comply)
Your habits and preferences
Your willingness to follow a trend without reading the fine print
That’s not “fun.”
That’s profiling.
This Is How Modern Data Harvesting Works
Nobody forces you anymore. They don’t need to.
They dress it up as:
A trend
A filter
A game
A joke
“Just for fun”
And people line up to participate.
When something is free, you are not the customer — you’re the product.
These apps aren’t built to entertain you. They’re built to collect, package, and sell behavioral data to advertisers, developers, political groups, and AI training models. Your cartoon wasn’t the end goal — it was the bait.
“People Are Just Having Fun”
That’s the lie people tell themselves to avoid thinking.
If you need an app to escape your life, that’s not harmless fun — that’s distraction. And distraction is the easiest state to manipulate.
The most valuable data isn’t stolen anymore.
It’s volunteered.
Smiling. Laughing. Clicking “I Agree.”
Why This Matters
Your face is permanent.
Your data footprint is permanent.
Your digital profile doesn’t disappear when the trend dies.
Once it’s collected, it’s:
Stored
Repurposed
Sold
Trained on
Cross-referenced
All without you ever seeing a dime.
This Isn’t Anti-Tech — It’s Pro-Awareness
Technology isn’t the enemy.
Blind compliance is.
Trends don’t happen by accident. They’re engineered. They’re tested. They’re launched for a reason.
And that reason is almost never you.
Final Thought
You didn’t make a cartoon.
You completed a profile.
Know the value of your data. Protect yourself. Question the trend.

Subject: RE: Artificial Intelligence - what could go wrong?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Mar 26 - 02:13 PM

BuzzFeed Nearing Bankruptcy After Disastrous Turn Toward AI

In January 2023, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti announced in a memo to staff that the company was making a hard pivot to AI — years before the word “slop” was added to the public lexicon.

In the memo, which was published roughly two months after OpenAI unveiled its groundbreaking ChatGPT chatbot, Peretti said BuzzFeed would be using the software to enhance the company’s infamous quizzes by generating personalized responses.

The company’s stock price jumped aggressively, from around $3 per share to north of $15. But longer-term, neither insiders nor the public were particularly compelled by the move. Nonetheless, Peretti doubled down, promising in May 2023 that AI will “replace the majority of static content” on the site, just a month after shutting down its Pulitzer Prize-winning BuzzFeed News division.

Reality soon set in. The AI quizzes were underwhelming, and the site was soon caught publishing entire AI-generated articles that were sloppy and repetitive. After the initial spike in enthusiasm, the company’s stock took a massive beating; as of this week, its shares are hovering around 70 cents.

Further down:

“Three years ago we had over $180 million in debt — we’ve reduced that by more than 65 percent,” he said. “While we’ve significantly reduced operating costs and real estate obligations, we’re still facing legacy commitments that are burdening the business.”

And no business at all of there are no readers, subscribers, or advertisers. Summarizing that phrase above, why would I bother to read (or work a puzzle) that someone else couldn't be bothered to write?

Subject: RE: Artificial Intelligence - what could go wrong?
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 15 Mar 26 - 12:50 PM

> Copilot can be removed from Windows PCs, though
> I've read that it tends to reinstall itself.

The best way to permanently remove Copilot (Coprolite?) from a computer is to defenestrate it :-) .

Subject: RE: Artificial Intelligence - what could go wrong?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Mar 26 - 12:59 PM

I pay a modest annual fee for the Microsoft suite of software but I don't use it online (what I'm paying $75 a year for is the 1 Terabyte of storage to upload photos and videos), I use the versions resident in the computer. The price went up about two years ago and Co-pilot was in every program. I turned it off at every opportunity, and finally found an answer - the cost went up because of Co-Pilot, so by unsubscribing and turning off autopay the company finally offered me the original lower cost without Co-Pilot. Yes, please! It still turns up in some search/help aspects of Microsoft programs, but is mostly out of sight.