AI AND THE TRUTH

Two facts,,

1. As of today, AI sometimes makes things up. It is called hallucinations -  incorrect or misleading results that AI models generate.

2. Humans will use this new and untraceable technology to create a narrative that benefits them, and goes against those who they consider to be their enemy.

I asked Chat GPT directly the following question and below you can read its answer.

Question - do you sometimes make things up when you don´t have the correct answer?

Chat GPT´s answer -

I don't intentionally make things up. However, if I encounter a question or topic for which I don't have sufficient information to provide an accurate response, I may generate a response based on patterns in the data I've been trained on. While I strive to provide helpful and relevant information, there may be instances where my response is speculative or not entirely accurate. In such cases, I recommend consulting additional sources or seeking clarification to ensure the information provided is reliable. It's important to approach any information generated by AI models with critical thinking and verification.

THE PAST

I grew up with newspapers, and magazines, and books of all kinds. I was lucky that my parents enjoyed and fostered a genuine desire for the written word. Later on, TV News became my source of information. Especially the kind that gave a deep focus on a story like PBS NewsHour, 60 Minutes, Frontline etc. I enjoyed watching expert discussions and balanced points of view from both sides of the political spectrum. These types of discussions informed me and allowed me to come up with my own conclusions.

THE INTERNET

Then, at the turn of the millennium, things started to change. The internet started to come into its own and fringe ideas and beliefs began to circulate and to take hold, little by little, within the American psyche. A large portion of the population began to listen and to accept ideas that went against the democratic ideals of the United States, at least what I learned about what America was when I arrived in NY in 1980: equality, fairness, civility, acceptance, freedom of speech. Ideals that allowed any citizen to challenge the way things were, right any wrongs (many historical ones), and bring about positive change.

About the last ideal in the list, suddenly freedom of speech became an acceptance of ´all´ speech. Even hateful speech started to gain ground. Insidiously it grew little by little. Then, after the first African American president was elected, all hell broke loose. The Republican party decided, from the get go, to block any efforts to fix a broken economy by the new democratic government. And the internet helped a lot in pushing a new paradigm of reality, a new life based on alternative facts. One that has become mainstream today.

THE FUTURE

Yes, AI is here. SORA just came out and the possibility of this technology to create fake news is all too probable. No one will be able to believe anything they read or see or hear anymore. It is the world´s new reality, and how it will affect us is still just being envisioned. As I mentioned on point 2, Humans will use this new and untraceable technology to create a narrative that benefits them, and goes against those who they consider to be their enemy. It´s inevitable. No one is going to win in the end. We, society, humanity - we are all going to lose.

Between Chat GPT and its hallucinations, and human capacity to create alternative facts for the benefit of their own clan, I do believe that our democratic institutions will be the first to collapse under the weight of all the lies and fake videos and uncertainties that will pile up in the months to come. The presidential election of 2024 will bring about the worst of humanity in the search for power. It is a sad reality. Although, I hope I am wrong.

Has truth died? Not yet, but it has certainly lost much of the power and meaning to achieve the good that it once had.

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas