Our Ever-Advancing A.I.

Last week’s reading discussed how, in recent history, humans have been able to create what is known as artificial intelligence, or A.I. for short, through the implementation of various algorithms. These algorithms are made up of several intricate instructions that much of our modern-day technology is built with the intention of following. However, as said algorithms begin to grow in their capabilities and overall complexity, more and more people have begun to fear the potential outcomes that could arise from this ever-advancing artificial intelligence. Even renowned scientific figures such as Stephen Hawking have become weary of A.I. advancements that are expected to come in the near future. As their limitations become increasingly refined, many are left wondering how soon we can expect to see A.I.s that exceed the capabilities of their human creators. We have already witnessed basic machinery replacing a multitude of jobs previously undergone by humans; therefore, it is not too unreasonable to fear that the same might happen, but to a greater extent.

Source: Flickr
By Global Panorama

Is Civil Inattention Possible Online?

In today’s reading about online content, I was introduced to the term “civil inattention.” This refers to a common societal norm in which people know not to interrupt or get involved in a conversation if they are not directly invited to do so by one of the original participants. The questioned posed, however, is whether or not this can be applicable or let alone possible online. Personally, I feel that it depends on how an online platform is being used, as there are several means of online communication that vary in terms of the privacy that they offer. For example, I feel that a significant portion of social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter promote public communication over privacy, as a majority of user’s posts are being made public and can be seen and/or interacted with by other users. In this sense, it is hard for civil invitation to apply. However, these same sites also offer a range of settings that make certain posts available exclusively to select users. If one wishes to receive even further privacy, they can even use direct messages to prevent anybody besides the recipient(s) from seeing their conversation. In the end, I feel that it is up the communicators themselves on whether or not they wish to make civil invitation applicable to their conversation; it all depends on which approach they decide to communicate with.

By EFF-Graphics (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 us (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons