Friday, March 29, 2024

Science Fiction #1

Science fiction is based upon the belief that the world is changing, that the way we live is changing, and that humanity will adjust to it, or will adjust change to humanity, or will perish.

- James Gunn

Saturday, March 23, 2024

AI #3

Not only are we unable to predict which specific AI capabilities will emerge at higher levels of scale, but we also lack the means by which to assess an existing AI system’s full range of capabilities.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

AI #2

Conversations with researchers at large U.S. technology companies have suggested that their companies’ decisions to develop or release new breakthrough models, or to invest more heavily in their safety, are heavily influenced by concerns over public sentiment. This extends particularly to anticipated government or regulatory 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

AI #1

These models [LLM AI] could begin to automate large portions of the economy. We believe that companies that train the best 2025/26 models will be too far ahead for anyone to catch up in subsequent cycles. - Anthropic

Friday, March 8, 2024

Science Fiction Writers - Frank Herbert

In an interview in the book Four Science Fiction Masters with Frank Martin, the author Frank Herbert said: "We change our past by what we learn. If a person began reading the trilogy [Dune] by reading Children of Dune, then read the other two [Dune and Dune Messiah], it would change them. They'd be different books.

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Science Fiction Writers - Algis Budrys

Algis Budrys had this to say about science fiction to Charles Platt author of Dream Makers:

"I think that all forms of fiction and art are actually survival mechanisms. Far from being frills and decorations on the face of some kind of practical world, they are just about the most practical thing there is. They consist of a series of affirmations or