We got my daughter her first iPhone sometime during seventh grade and we haven't seen her much since. My son was born during right around the the time the first iPhone was released, so he's hasn't really ever had my full attention. These same devices that often keep us apart also keep us together, and during the pandemic, phones and other connected devices enabled my kids to maintain their studies and social connections. That's how it is with technology; it comes with good and bad. In many ways, trying to nudge the insanely powerful technology known as artificial intelligence toward the right side of that good/bad equation is at the core of the now infamous OpenAI CEO firing debacle. With large language models like ChatGPT, the good/bad equation is often open for debate and involves subtle distinctions. (It's notable that the humans most worried about the power of their company's technology have nearly run that company into the ground.) Other uses of AI are less subtle. "The debate over the risks of artificial intelligence has drawn new attention in recent days with the battle over control of OpenAI, perhaps the world’s leading A.I. company, whose leaders appeared split over whether the firm is taking sufficient account over the dangers of the technology. And last week, officials from China and the United States discussed a related issue: potential limits on the use of A.I. in decisions about deploying nuclear weapons." (Well, that escalated quickly). NYT (Gift Article): As A.I.-Controlled Killer Drones Become Reality, Nations Debate Limits. "Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and the intense use of drones in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have combined to make the issue that much more urgent. So far, drones generally rely on human operators to carry out lethal missions, but software is being developed that soon will allow them to find and select targets more on their own." (It's only a matter of time before my kids want one of these...) 2Like a Good Neighbor"He did odd jobs for others, but rarely left town. Despite having taught driver’s ed to high schoolers, Holt had given up driving a car. He opted for a bicycle instead and finally the mower. His mobile home in the park was mostly empty of furniture -- no TV and no computer, either. The legs of the bed went through the floor." In other words, it seemed unlikely that Geoffrey Holt, the caretaker of a mobile home park in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, would be worth millions. But the story doesn't end there. New Hampshire man had no car and no furniture, but died with a big secret, leaving his town millions. 3With Allies Like These..."Now, as the war killing thousands extends deep into a second month, the man known as 'the Magician' for slipping out of political traps is trying to wriggle loose again by directly confronting the United States and, according to one former and one current U.S. official, angering the Biden administration." Noga Tarnopolsky: Bibi Bites Back. "To help himself at home, Israel’s deeply unpopular leader has begun openly defying Biden and the US." 4Window Shopping"It is the summer of 1960 and Gigli is in a rush. Demolition on the brownstones has already begun — that’s why there’s no glass in those windows — and the day after the shoot, the buildings will be razed. But the demolition supervisor has agreed to let Gigli commandeer the place for two hours during an extended lunch break, under one condition: The supervisor wants his wife in the picture. (She’s on the third floor, third from the left.)" The NYT (Gift Article) with an interesting look at how "Girls in the Windows" became so popular. Is This the World’s Highest Grossing Photograph? (It's a really cool photograph.) 5Extra, ExtraPhoto Finish: Groucho Marx supposedly said, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." That's the way I feel about end of the year photo collections. They're always interesting to look it, but it's probably bad news if you actually appear in any of the photos. Let's kick off the season with Time’s Top 100 Photos of 2023. 6Bottom of the News"For Hoffman, the feat came with a touch of redemption; she’d come tantalizingly close to pulling off the same FKT in 2019, but had to quit in Akron, Ohio, after tearing her right meniscus." This Woman Ran from San Francisco to New York in 47 Days. Get a copy of my 📕, Please Scream Inside Your Heart, or grab a 👕 in the Store.
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