Our New AI Overlords

There’s a fresh warning from technology leaders about the impending demise of mankind from AI. But on the other hand folks like Tyler Cowen believe that artificial intelligence will usher in a golden age of civilization. Both sides make good points. I’m not sure what to believe. The stakes are high and there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground in the discussions so far.

All that aside, but also AI-related, I’ve been using the new Photoshop AI generative fill feature. It is absolutely amazing on a technical level. But the implications for photography as we know it are massive. I won’t be using it for everyday processing, and if I do—for some sort of special project—I will label the image as altered by AI. But not everyone will do that. Who knows how it will all work out.

I suppose I could ask an expert, so that’s what I did; I asked ChatGPT. Here’s what it had to say on the subject:

Al-powered retouching has revolutionized the world of photography, offering enhanced efficiency, consistent results, and increased accessibility. However, the implications of using Al in photography retouching go beyond the technical aspects. It is vital for photographers to navigate the ethical considerations and preserve the authenticity of their work. By using Al responsibly and mindfully, photographers can leverage this technology to unlock new creative possibilities while maintaining the integrity of the art form.

Ok, then. Kind of upbeat, even considering the source. Let’s see how that ‘maintaining the integrity of the art form’ thing pans out over time.

Vulfpeck

I don’t do much concert photography but I did use the Q2 Monochrome for a cropped shot of Vulfpeck performing at the Levitate Festival last night.

He said, she said, he said

Tuesday. The day after Monday.

This is worth reading. It’s depressing… but it’s worth reading.

First the Globe refused to comment on allegations of misleading scientists quoted in a story sponsored by Phillip Morris. But then, after having time to get their defenses together, the paper retorted and now the scientists at the center of the story are unavailable for comment. Welcome to the era of sponsored content and post-journalistic journalism.

Francisco González, founding member of Los Lobos, has died.

The Cybertruck may be history but the DeLorean is rising from the ashes.

And Holi is always great for colorful photos. Taylor Coester doesn’t disappoint.

Good news bias

Saturday morning music: Something/Anything by Todd Rundgren.

St. Brendan’s was once a powerful center of Irish Catholic life in Dorchester. Today it’s hanging on by a thread. Lauren O’Brien makes an appeal to the Cardinal to keep it open.

Inflation. War. Oil anxiety. God forbid we should concentrate on some positive economic news.

Walgreen’s is moving towards having robots mix prescriptions. In Japan, robots will bring your food. Elon Musk’s says his most important project this year is the development of a humanoid robot. It’s happening…

One good thing to come out of the pandemic is better access to government through live streaming and remote access meetings. Let’s keep that going.

And anyone can be a great photographer. All it takes is a smart phone and lots of bad photos.

Invisible battles

Saturday. Today is the anniversary of the time zone.

Press Watch to the NYT over its editorial on free speech: Shut up.

In the invasion of Ukraine, cyber warfare has been conspicuous by its absence. Or has it? Thomas Rid: “Some of the most consequential computer network breaches may stay covert for years, even decades. Cyberwar is here, but we don’t always know who is launching the shots.”

Kyle Chayka wonders if the cameras on the newer iPhones are just a little too good… so good they’re bad.

Military analysts continue to be surprised at the ineffectiveness of the Russian military. Also, John Ismay writes about how Ukrainian soldiers are using shoulder fired missiles to great effect, notably the NLAW, a British weapon made in Sweden by SAAB.

And here’s how to stop. This is important to know.

A pivot from peace

It’s a snow-covered Sunday in March.

The Washington Post introduces us to this generation’s much nicer version of Zukerberg and Saverin at Harvard. (Remember when the Globe had the resources and network to source a story like this?)

Peace is something Europeans have been taking for granted. Until now. German Lopez on the EU’s new assertiveness.

Andrei Kolesnikov writes about life in Moscow as sanctions kick in. Many Russians are still in denial. Others blame the West. But it will be hard going back to a Soviet-era economy after decades of “merry global consumption.”

This was a good year to get the flu vaccine wrong.

And the Guardian highlights twenty war photos from this week. Amazing work in the worst imaginable conditions.

You break it, you own it

A sunny Tuesday. It’s Daniel Webster‘s birthday.

The electric car revolution is coming. But only 8% of the batteries needed for it are produced in the US. China is responsible for 76%. We seem to be at a slight disadvantage.

The Brookline Police Department is in crisis. Union leaders complain that they are being reformed into the ground and micromanaged by elected officials. Danny McDonald reports that a member of one of the two reform task forces promotes moving “toward not needing an armed police force,” which would be municipal malpractice. Meanwhile, criminologists grappling to explain the dramatic rise in murders nationwide are narrowing on three factors: Covid, more guns and policing. In Boston and Brookline murders are down, not up. We have Covid. The guns are out there. That leaves policing as the critical differentiator.

Everyone has a phone camera. But not everyone has a 90’s-era digicam. So if you want to stand out on Instagram, apparently you need to post low quality images taken with a crappy camera.

Getting unemployment benefits out the door when Covid hit was a huge and critical challenge and done mostly successfully. But $2.7 billion in overpayments is a big amount and it won’t be easy to get it all back.

And when it comes to Covid shots, third time’s a charm. Four… is too much.

Re-renegotiation

It’s New Year’s Eve Friday.

Evan Allen plays Clarice Starling to Anthony Pledger’s Hannibal Lecter in this strange but beautifully written Globe story.

They probably won’t win in the court of public opinion but public safety unions are pushing back at Mayor Wu’s vaccine mandate. Wu doesn’t appear to be backing down. This battle will likely set the tone for the administration’s upcoming labor negotiations with police and firefighters.

Axios and Google Trends provide a nice visualization of our collective attention span over the past year.

On the Covid front, the numbers are looking bad (21,137!) but there’s also some potentially good news. And this is also interesting: “For most people, an Omicron positive case will feel much more like the common cold, starting with a sore throat, runny nose and a headache,” said an epidemiologist at King’s College in London. Cross off lack of smell and taste from the list of characteristic symptoms.

And this is a nice introduction to computational photography. If your friends are foliage.