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The Progress
Editorial
March 9,2023
From the Staff
Artificial Intelligence here to stay - but so are we
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
“AI Reviews MoMA’s Latest Exhibi
tion.”
That was the subject line of an arts
newsletter I received recently. Hyperaller-
gic editors asked the most popular AI (Ar
tificial Intelligence) chatbot, Chat GPT, to
review the Al-influenced artwork of Refik
Anadol. I had to read it.
The first question was straightforward -
write a review and what’s your critique?
The AI response was straightforward, too,
and could have easily been fanned from on
line reviews. Editors’ second question was
more complex though - review the exhibi
tion from a post-colonial perspective.
“From a post-colonial perspective, ‘Un
supervised’ can be interpreted as a com
mentary on the power dynamics and
cultural hegemony that underpin the pro
duction and dissemination of knowledge...
” and the review continues.
Chat GPT’s impressive connection be
tween post-colonialism and AI art is one of
many examples of AI creeping into our
lives. Big tech companies are racing to in
troduce AI chatbots we can have conversa
tions with. There’s Al-generated art and
fiction writing; facial recognition; text edi
tors; auto-correct; smart cars; and on and on
and on. AI is pervasive now; it’s so much
more than those clunky robot butlers from
old science fiction films (Now that I think
about it, where are all the robot butlers we
were promised in a futuristic world?).
Futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil (also
Google’s director of engineering) and his
theory of “singularity” comes to mind.
Kurzweil predicts that by 2029 computers
will have human-levels of intelligence, and
that by 2045 we’ll reach what he calls “sin
gularity,” a point-of-no-return “when we
will multiply our effective intelligence a
billion fold by merging with the intelli
gence we have created.”
It sounds anti-human and apocalyptic,
but for Kurzweil - whose past predictions
have been highly accurate - the future he
sees isn’t AI vs. humans like in Terminator.
He sees AI as a benefit to humans. He says
AI is “ empowering all of us. They’re mak
ing us smarter.”
Smart phones are already ubiquitous
even in non-industrialized countries, and
have become extensions of our physical
bodies. A few years ago only the biggest
tech/gadget geeks carried cell phones on
their physical person - it was strange to see.
Now nearly everyone does. Smart phones
are so important that people give up the use
of one hand to carry them around, rather
than putting it in a pocket or purse.
It’s not a stretch to think that in a few
more years as tech and AI expand exponen
tially in “a law of accelerating returns,”
people will want AI implanted in their bod
ies and brains to connect to the cloud just
like the futurist predicts. In the last 15 years
we’ve all lived through an exponential tech
nological change, why is it unthinkable an
other just as significant a change won’t
happen again?
The progression to singularity (if it does
happen) will come in many steps, “each of
which seems benign, but then we look back
to see what the situation is.”
Kurzweil is describing a progressive
normalization of AI and mediated (through
screens/tech) reality that sneak up on us,
and I’m pretty sure we’re already on a run
away train to get there. But is the train
going somewhere that will make us regret
our past choices? What are the philosophi
cal implications of the future human life,
human creativity, and human relationships
in light of AI? In more present and relatable
tenns, which jobs will AI take away from
humans, and which will they create?
I can’t answer those questions, but I do
feel like it’s too late to turn the juggernaut
AI ship around. I’m part of the very last
generation that remembers life without the
internet and AI. My teenagers don’t have
that perspective, and I’d imagine their gen
eration will be much less inclined than I am
to preserve a way of living that they can’t
relate to - one of being disconnected from
technology most of the time.
It’s sad the lo-tech life many of us knew
will likely never return, and I find myself
occasionally fantasizing about finding some
hidden world tech never reached. Despite
my belief that AI is here to stay - and that it
will become even more pervasive in our
lives -1 also believe our humanity is not re
placeable and we can choose how much
tech we want integrated in our daily lives.
When I texted my editor to tell him I was
finished with this article he responded. “I
wonder how long a chatbot would have
taken to write it?”
“LOL. Probably a lot less time,” I said.
Still, we agreed, there’s no substitute for
things that are handcrafted by a human.
Tell us your thoughts with a letter to the editor. E-mail to news@pickensprogress.com
See letter submission guidelines on the Letters to the Editor page or call us 706-253-2457.
Ponderings of a Simple Man
Caleb Smith
Sultry Summer
Nights
I was reading a book the
other day when a certain
paragraph caught me up
short. The author was trying
to be flowery and descriptive
when they referred to a par
ticular scene as taking place
‘in a sultry, Southern night.’
If that wasn’t bad enough,
they were trying to frame it in
a romantic way. I immedi
ately knew this person has
never set foot in the South.
First of all, wishing some
one a ‘sultry Southern night’
isn’t a blessing, it’s a curse
that true Southerners reserve
for Yankees and telemar
keters.
Southern nights aren’t ro
mantic. They’re terrifying
and just one step shy of pur
gatory if you don’t have an
industrial strength air condi
tioner. Southerners don’t
‘keep the windows open at
night to hear the cicadas call,’
because most of us don’t like
sleeping in 110% humidity
and cicadas don’t ‘call,’ they
scream like tortured souls.
All. Night. Long.
And forget about the au
thors talking about Tightly
skipping barefoot through the
dew covered grass.’ Real
Southerners know that’s the
best way to get a copperhead
to sit up and make them
selves known. Ask a South
erner if they would rather
walk across hot coals bare
foot or walk through the
grass after dark, you’ll get the
same answer 10 times out of
10.
The bugs also don’t know
normal sleep schedules dur
ing summer. Mosquitos run a
24 hour shift, and wasps have
been known to set an alarm
just so they can get up early
just to ruin your day.
The wasps in the South
have one mood and it is:
‘looks like I lived to see an
other day and now I’m going
to make it everyone’s prob
lem.’
The South is the Australia
of the United States. Every
thing here either wants to bite
you, sting you, or suck your
blood. The only friendly
wildlife to be found in the
South are possums, and that’s
just because they would
rather sleep than fool with
you.
Even normally harmless
wildlife have it out for South
erners, deer, animals that ex
clusively live on grass and
foliage will go so far as to
throw themselves in front of
a speeding vehicle just to min
that persons day. If theres one
thing I can’t stand, it’s a vin
dictive herbivore.
If you ever want to expe
rience a sultry Southern night
but don’t want to drive all the
way to the South, here’s what
you do: go into a sauna, him
all the lights off, and have
people throw random bugs at
your face. Throw in the occa
sional snake or other ill-tem
pered slimy creature just for
good measure.
Add a few shrieking ci
cadas and you’ve created
yourself the perfect sultry
Southern night. [Caleb Smith
is a resident of a ramshackle
cabin on an undisclosed
mountain top. He can be
reached at
jcalebsmith90@yahoo. com.}
(USPS 431-820)
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Other Voices
St. Patrick’s Day offers great chance to learn
By Mary Migliaro. M.Ed.
Educator and
Parent Mentor
To many, St. Patrick’s
Day is a time for fun, wear
ing green, and looking for
four-leaf clovers or sham
rocks. For parents and their
children, it can be a great
time to explore the history of
the day, the culture it came
from, and a little more about
the world-at-large.
St. Patrick's Day is a cul
tural and religious holiday
celebrated on the 17th of
March, and named in honor
of the patron saint of Ireland.
The festival commemorates
the arrival of Christianity in
Ireland, as well as celebrat
ing Irish heritage and culture.
St. Patrick's Day is now cel
ebrated by many people
throughout the world, Irish
and non-Irish alike, with
food, drink, and all things
green.
St. Patrick's Day has been
observed as a religious festi
val in Ireland for over a thou
sand years, though it was
only recognized as a celebra
tion of Irish culture and her
itage in the 1970s. The day is
named in honor of St.
Patrick, a priest, and the pa
tron saint of Ireland, who has
been credited with bringing
Christianity to Ireland.
It is thought that St.
Patrick used a shamrock as a
metaphor for the Trinity (Fa
ther, Son, and Holy Spirit).
His parishioners began wear
ing shamrocks to his church
services. Today, "the wearing
of the green" on St. Patrick's
Day represents spring, sham
rocks, and Ireland.
Here are a few ways to
learn more about Ireland
and explore the Irish
culture.
Where is Ireland? Using a
globe, map, or other materi
als, help your children locate
it and its geographical prop
erties. Ireland is an island na
tion on the westernmost edge
of Europe. It is the conti
nent's second largest island
after Great Britain.
Ireland is known for its
wide expanses of lush, green
fields. In fact, its nickname is
the Emerald Isle. But there
Spot an error,
let our editor know.
dpool@
pickensprogress.com
706-253-2457
WEATHER
By William Dilbeck
HI LOW RAIN
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Feb.
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Feb.
09
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Feb.
10
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are also large areas of
rugged, rocky landscape.
• Explore the people and
culture. Ireland is a nation of
storytellers. The tradition
dates back to Celtic bards,
who would record and recite
the country's history. Many
famed writers come from Ire
land, including several win
ners of the Nobel Prize for
literature.
• Explore and eat tradi
tional Irish food. Beer and
spirits are not the only great
consumable goods to come
out of Ireland. Corned beef,
cabbage and lamb stew ac
companied by traditional
Irish soda bread are tasty
ways to enjoy. Potatoes are
one of the staples of the Irish
diet.
Leam some Irish words
and phrases. The Irish have
their own distinct dialect of
the English language. Here
are a couple of examples.
• What's the craic? This
phrase can be interpreted as
either "How's it going?" or
"What's going on?" or
"What's up?" and is used in
non-formal settings. Craic is
a very important word in Ire
land and can be used to de
scribe your enjoyment of an
event or activity, e.g. "How
was the party?" "Ah sure, it
was great craic altogether!"
• Grand. Grand is another
multi-purpose word in Hi
berno-English. It doesn't
mean large or impressive, but
rather translates as "fine" or
context. "I'm grand" is a per
fectly acceptable reply to the
question "How are you?" and
means the person is doing
just fine.
• Listen to Irish music.
Ireland has a long history
with music, and many in
credible styles have emerged.
Celtic, folk, and traditional
Irish pub songs might just get
you in the St. Patrick's Day
spirit. You can play some
Irish music at home or find
out about any Irish bands or
musicians playing locally.
• Attend or get involved in
local parades. Many parades
feature the best of local
dance troupes, marching
bands, gymnasts, and musi
cians in addition to spectacu
lar themed floats and brightly
costumed participants. One
of the most famous parades
and celebrations takes place
in Savannah, Georgia, the
second largest in the state.
For more, you can go to
YouTube and input “Ireland”
to find many videos of the
country, Irish dancing, and
much more.
Using some or all of these
activities, you and your chil
dren will leam more about
this beautiful country and the
holiday we all like to cele
brate.
[Mary Migliaro, M.Ed. is
an educator and Parent
Mentor. She may be reached,
m arym igl iaro @aol.com.]
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