Human Intelligence® News Update (1/20)
Humans create. AI imitates. Welcome to your weekly roundup about human creativity in the age of AI.
Human Creativity
HUMAN OF DISTINCTION - SciFi/Fantasy Author Nisi Shawl Speaks for Humanity
“I am a story and all the people around me are stories. [We] need to tell our own stories because other people will tell them for us if we don’t.” So says multi-award-winning Shawl in this conversation with Human Intelligence®, spanning topics including Octavia Butler, AI, and Afro-retrofuturism (say that five times fast). Watch or listen » [37:15-min]
ADIEU TO THE GUITAR MAN - The Dead’s “Little Brother” Crosses the Chasm
On January 10th, Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir succumbed to cancer. At 78 years young, his front-man energy, hot-pants attire, and vocal chops were icing on the cake of solid guitar swagger - arpeggios, little riffs, and jazzy chords. And don’t forget his talent with lyrics. He had that, too. Get reacquainted with one of the greats » [9-min read]
HUMAN REIGN - George R.R. Martin Is Not Dying
“You’re not going to be around for much longer,” said a fan to Martin at August’s WorldCon. Ouch. It’s a sh*t thing to say, even if winter has (metaphorically) come and gone many times on his in-process sagas. Will he finish them? The 77-year-old prolific writer, hit maker, and tavern owner says the empire ain’t finished yet » [20-min read]
HUMAN MYSTERY - NY Public Library Gains Punk-Era Archives
Three years after the death of Television guitarist Tom Verlaine, boxes of his handwritten music, photography, and audio reels have been uncovered in Manhattan and are joining the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts archive. Learn about his story » [10-min read]
Human VS Robot
ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT - Matthew McConaughey Trademarks Himself
McConaughey is fighting unauthorized AI fakery with a slew of trademark applications to prevent his likeness from being co-opted by LLMs without his permission. Eight have been approved so far, including those for his stare, smile, and (of course) “Dazed and Confused” catchphrase. Get caught up » [6-min read]
INSIDER THREAT - Welcome to A New Kind of Human-Robot Tension
Gartner estimates 40% of all enterprise apps will integrate with AI agents by the end of 2026. It’s “a double-edge sword,” says Palo Alto Networks CISO Wendi Whitmore. Yes, agentic AIs can fill the cyber-skills gap, but they also can become over-permissioned “AI doppelgangers” that end-run security team and C-suite scrutiny. Stay paranoid, people » [8-min read]
PERMANENT UNDERCLASS - Why Ending Labor is Catastrophic for Democracy
AI and robot automation is typically framed as a labor-market story. But according to engineer and AI philosopher David Shapiro, the question isn’t will there be enough jobs and how do we retrain workers? It’s what happens to bargaining power when human labor becomes optional? Read his take on solving the income problem » [20-min read]
REMEMBER BANDCAMP? - It’s Putting Humanity First
We’re not talking about the terrifying (ummm, vintage?) summer camp program your parents abandoned you at. We’re talking about bandcamp.com, the online disty platform for uploading and selling music. This marketplace has announced a wholesale ban on GenAI slop, so fans know they’re consuming REAL HUMAN music. Embrace the beauty » [3-min read]
Artificial “Intelligence” & Other Myths
MEDICAL MISINFORMATION - Patient Safety in the Age of AI Search
“Misinformation” has become a trite, eyeball-rolling chestnut of virtue signaling (choose any side) … right up until it’s true. And in this case, it is. The Guardian investigated AI-generated health overviews and advice, finding them dangerous in life-threatening ways. It’s a problem » [30-min read]
MEMORIZATION CRISIS - The AI Industry Is Staked on a Shaky Metaphor
Researchers at Stanford and Yale revealed something AI companies have long denied: LLMs don’t learn from training sets. Instead, they store copies of the information they’re trained on, including the entire texts of books. This opens a Pandora’s Box of copyright infringement issues. Find out how it works » [14-min read]
CREATIVITY KILLER - Is AI Automation Squashing Spontaneous Inspiration?
Quite possibly, according to tech journalist Webb Wright. He makes the case that mundane busywork - i.e., the type of tasks AI is supposed to save us from via automation - is actually good for the human brain because boredom and monotony offer the cognitive breathing room for “lightbulb” moments of insight. Do you agree? [7-min read]
YOUR OWN PRIVATE IDAHO - AI Invents Fake Towns in the Potato State
Experimenting with GenAI, the National Weather Service’s forecast graphic was riddled with spelling and geographical errors, including the nonexistent Idaho towns (and respective weather) of “Orangeotild” and “Whata Bod.” According to an NWS spokeswoman, it’s no big deal because the hallucinations are corrected quickly. Check it out » [4-min read]
This work has been certified as genuine human work. Check the certificate here.
