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AI Technoloygy Artificial Intelligence H.S. Eglund Podcast TTT Season 5

Season 5 Episode 22: Eglund on The Emergence of AI Technology

“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” 

Marcus Aurelius

Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia.

Thank you for listening in.

I am your host, Rebecca Budd, and I look forward to sharing this moment with you.

The future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic of debate among experts in the field. AI has been around for decades, but recent advances in technology have allowed for rapid development in the field. As AI continues to evolve, it will become increasingly integrated into our lives and businesses.

Should we fear the emergence of AI technology? Will AI control our lives and take away our jobs and careers?  Will AI be used to create malicious software?  Will AI replace human creativity and knowledge?

HS Eglund, Writer, Publicist

To discuss these questions, I am travelling virtually over 7900 kilometers to Berlin, Germany to meet up with my friend, Eglund, journalist and writer. Eglund is an engineer and publicist. He worked as a science journalist and reporter in Africa for several German newspapers.  Since 2005, his focus has been on the environmental initiatives. As a specialist journalist for renewable energies, he works within media related to the ecological energy transition, first of all about solar energy.  Eglund has in-depth experience with AI in optimizing the efficiency of solar energy systems.  As a journalist and writer, he has insight into how AI will impact on creative endeavours.

I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation.

Eglund on the Emergence of AI Technology – Tea. Toast. & Trivia.

Thank you to you, Eglund, for sharing your insights on Artificial Intelligence.  We are living in a complex world that demands our highest participation.  It is heartening to know that we can all make a difference.

Dear listeners, thank you for joining Eglund and me on Tea Toast & Trivia.  Stay tuned for another stimulating conversation with Eglund. 

Until next time, safe travels wherever your adventures lead you.

By Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

32 replies on “Season 5 Episode 22: Eglund on The Emergence of AI Technology”

Excellent episode. I like Eglund’s perspective on AI. I’ve been using ChatGPT and various AI image generators for a year now. Chat is really great a helping me write computer programs, and it can summarize information very well it you give it the correct perimeters. And that’s the key. Otherwise, it will make stuff up. When I asked ChatGPT to give me sources for a paper Laurie was working on, it came back with spot on sources for articles on a difficult topic. The problem was, none of the articles or authors existed. Chat had made it all up.

I find AI generated images are disappointing so far. Then there is the issue with copyrights of the images AI uses. Copyright is a big issue with AI generated music, also. Most free AI music sites I found generate short snippets of music from a few words or a phrase I found a site that allowed me to put in complete lyrics, and add some parameters. The AI tool generated complete songs from my lyrics. The music is as bizarre as the images I got based on my lyrics. Hmmm! Maybe I write bizarre lyrics.

As noted, AI has been around for a long time. And we use AI all the time and don’t think of it as AI in the same way as Chat, Bing, Brad, etc. based on how they are marketed. Sites like ChatGPT can help with a lot of mundane, and often difficult to solve problems in programming, math and writing, but I found I still have to correct things in the programs and formulas AI writes for me to make them work properly. It uses everything humans have made available, and it takes human interaction to add the finishing touches in my experience with AI.

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Thank you for listening in, Tim and for adding to this conversation. I have been following your foray into the field of AI with great interest. I have read that as AI continues to advance and become more prevalent in various industries, the question of who owns the intellectual property created by AI systems will be hotly debated. Right now, copyright laws generally attribute ownership to human creators, but with AI generating original works, such as art or music, it becomes unclear who should be considered the creator and rightful owner. (I never saw that coming).

What I did recognize immediately was the ability of AI algorithms to generate content that mimics existing works. I have read articles that prominent authors are proposing a class action lawsuit against OpenAI and ChatGPT. )https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Technology/authors-lawsuit-openai-fundamentally-reshape-artificial-intelligence-experts/story?id=103379209)

I was shocked that ChatGPT came back with sources that didn’t exist. YIKES!!! I agree wholeheartedly with you final comment: “it takes human interaction to add the finishing touches….”

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One can argue that AI does not create anything original since it relies on content, art and music that already exists, putting it together in ways that can have the appearance of being original . But then again, that is how most people do things, intentionally or unintentionally. Coming up with completely new and original content, art and music is not an easy task. Even when you think you have created something new and original, you are almost always borrowing from something you have read, seen or heard that is buried deep in your subconscious.

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That is the best description of how we build on the advances of others, even though it may be purely unintentional, Tim. Thank you. It is very easy to think that we have come up with an original idea. It is more difficult to recognize that our ideas are often built upon the advances and ideas of others. How can we not be influenced by the books we read, the conversations in which participate, and the experiences that come our way. I believe that we do have the capacity for original thought, but (and it is a big but) our “original” thought is often intertwined with the influences and advancements of others.

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Hi Rebecca Hi Eglund, this is a very interesting discussion. I agree with Eglund’s comments that AI is another tool to help humans operate better. I think for mundane and repetitive tasks that have been performed by people, it is a threat, as those jobs will, and already are, being taken over by bots and machinery. However, hopefully those people will be trained to do a different job that will help them grow and learn. From an art perspective, AI helps with digital art but it cannot paint in oils or create by hand. The exclusive realms of higher creativity that take humans time and require talent and dedication are completely safe as stated by Eglund. A fantastic discussion both, very thought provoking.

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I agree wholeheartedly, Robbie. I believe that AI can greatly enhance our creative endeavors in the field of art. I understand that AI automates repetitive tasks such as color correction or image enhancement. Artists are able to spend more time on the conceptualization and execution of their ideas. This not only speeds up the creative process, but also allows for greater experimentation and exploration. The fusion of human creativity and AI’s computational capabilities has the potential to revolutionize the art world, opening up new possibilities. The question will be whether we embrace Ai with authenticity and move on in our creative journey.

I was interested in Tim’s comment on AI generated images and music. We are just in the beginning of the next iteration of AI. It will be interesting to see how we evolve along with technology. Consider how the Spinning Jenny revolutionized the textile industry with its remarkable impact: increased productivity and reduced labour costs. Along with there was concerns about the impact of traditional spinning methods, but the Spinning Jenny prevailed.

I appreciated your thoughts on people being retrained to counteract loss of employment.

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Hi Rebecca, I do agree that AI will open new doors and everything will change slowly. Retraining people is vital to avoid a decline in the economy and greater unemployment. There is no point in having lots of amazing AI generated or assisted products with no market to purchase them.

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Thanks for having this discussion with Eglund, Rebecca. There is so much chatter about AI these days. i think hes right about the marketing aspect associated with AI and who s behind it. I don’t mind having AI in my life, but I don’t fear its capability to create vs. mine.

What I do fear is a wider adoption on AI that has been “improperly” trained. What was left out of the data the AI engine studied? What’s missing from the knowledge base it can draw on? I worry that once AI is accepted as a valid source (it may already be) that the problems of a flawed source will be accepted, too. I also worry about the way in which AI gathers information that is (or should be) protected. Protecting copyrighted material needs to be addressed, but the technology is moving much faster than the regulators.

I love the quote you worked into this discussion, and I loved Eglund’s response.

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I agree, Dan. How is data collected? What is left out? How do we verify? For example, Tim’s citings that never existed. With technology moving so quickly, how can we know for certain that the information is correct? If we use AI technology, are we certain that we haven’t infringed copyrighted material. The rapid progress of AI is overwhelming, but I believe that we cannot be passive and think this is a passing phase. Humanity’s need for progress has been an underlying factor that has guided us through the centuries – so we have crossed the Rubicon. Like you, I don’t fear AI, but I know that there are caveats along the way.

Many thanks, Dan, for adding your insights to this conversation.

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So pleasant to hear a sensible discussion on AI. Every new tool has its challenges, its benefits and its downsides but we don’t need to fear those tools. Did you see that one of the most important words this year relates to AI? Hallucinate is the dictionary.com word of the year. https://content.dictionary.com/word-of-the-year-2023/ Recently AI gave me a delightful hallucination about one of my ancestors. Thankfully I knew the information I was given couldn’t possibly be factual but it was a great story; perhaps I could have read it as a new type of tall story the likes of which some of my ancestors did actually tell!

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Thank you, Mandy for listening in and for your comments. I did not know about the dictionary.com 2023 word of the year was “hallucinate”!!! How appropriate. When I visited my grandparents as a child, every evening after dinner, stories would be told. Most of them were family legends that had evolved into mythologies through the telling and retelling, undergoing embellishments, exaggerations, and reinterpretations. I believe these stories are an invaluable part of a family’s history.

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What a refreshing and logical look at AI. Thanks, Eglund and Roberta. I refuse to look at it as if the sky is falling. I tend to look at the future with a somewhat cautious optimism. Most of the things we were afraid of in the past have never happened. Take ebooks for example, it was feared no one would buy print books anymore. Guess what, they still do. Now they have a choice.

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I am delighted that you listened in, Darlene. You reminded me of Mark Twain’s quote that I keep handy to read when I feel angst. “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” Mark Twain

I am so pleased you mentioned books vs e-books. This past year, my long term read was The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. I chose an audiobook to accompany a hard covered book, which had been waiting for me to open it some 20 years. What I found was that the act of physically turning the pages and visually tracking my progress enhanced the sense of immersion in the story. While e-books and audiobooks offer convenience and portability, they lack the tactile and sensory elements that make reading a physical book or paperback a unique and cherished experience.

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A great discussion with Eglund, Rebecca. I’m always fascinated by conversations and opinions about A.I., but I don’t like it. I do believe A.I. is beneficial for many artistic creative endeavors, but I know there are just too many evils out in the world to use it for greater purposes, and not always good. Taking information and reconstructing it to new information originally taken from where? A human. I enjoyed listening to the conversation, but I am oh so skeptical. 🙂 ❤

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I especially appreciated your use of the word, “skeptical” Debby! AI has made significant advancements in recent years. While AI has the potential to revolutionize various industries, from healthcare to transportation, I believe it is essential to approach AI with a healthy dose of skepticism. While AI can offer numerous benefits, such as increased efficiency and improved decision-making, it is not without its limitations and risks, such as bias or job displacements. I appreciate Eglund’s thought that we must not lose our compass.

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I think you’re expressing a healthy skepticism, Debby. Just ’cause the computer says it doesn’t make it necessarily true. (How many times have we been down this road in the workplace? Reports are generated; decisions are made based on the days; consequences are disastrous. How come? The data was pulled from the wrong field.

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I am so glad you enjoyed this conversation, Dave. I have been thinking about how the transitions that happened during the Industrial Revolution is very much like what we are experiencing with the AI revolution of today. Both revolutions have led to increased productivity, economic growth, and improved living standards, but they have also raised concerns about job displacement and the need for new skills and education. We live in constant change, don’t we? We like certainty, but I have a feeling that we do our best work within uncertainty.

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Thank you, Eglund and Rebecca, for the insightful conversation. AI has exploded in very little time (it seems), and educating ourselves is vital. I like the way that Eglund qualifies AI as a machine, albeit the next level, which simply and effectively draws on existing information.

The ongoing danger, aside from technology being used for destructive purposes, is the challenge of “garbage in/garbage out.” That’s nothing new. And what an interesting comment that the hype about AI is more about marketing! That’s quite reassuring.

I’m not surprised that AI still hasn’t mastered the complexities of human emotion, and even mimicking it seems a long way off. That’s good for artists since so much of art is emotionally evocative. I appreciated the discussion about the human things that AI can’t do – like collaboration and brainstorming.

I do use AI for graphics and find that what once took me 8 hours, I can now do in 2 minutes. That leaves me with almost 8 hours of extra time for writing – being creative!

Thank you both, again, for the fascinating discussion.

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Thanks for an interesting topic and discussion, Rebecca.
AI is just one more thing that could go wrong. How many of those have we faced where people had the same fears? The automobile, Y2K, the Internet, social media, robotics… I often think we’re a race of Chicken Littles. Like any of the other “scary new things” it will have to be handled mindfully. Hugs on the wing. Even chicken wings. LOL.

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I laughed out loud when I came to “a race of Chicken Littles”, Teagan. And yet, how well said. We are a race of Chicken Littles. Experts say that throughout our evolutionary history, humans have developed a strong survival instinct. This instinct has helped us identify and respond to potential dangers in our environment. But it can also lead to an exaggerated perception of threats. We also have a vivid imagination similar to Chicken Little.

A few years ago, I placed this quote by Helen Keller on my computer: “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

It is so easy to be risk-adverse so I take a deep breath and repeat, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing”. Friends like you add vibrancy to my adventure. Thank you.

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