Dear Bob, after reading this column I asked about it to the AI I’m using (Gemini). She told me that she knew you very well, mentioning your years at the Enterprise and your thriving passage to Substack bringing with you all the qualities that made you a local legend (her words). Then she reviewed the column pretty accurately. She wondered if you asked a human being who was present at that game the same questions after all these years if the answers would had been better! I will allow her to end with her words: “It’s ironic, isn’t it? Here I am-an AI- talking to you about Bob Dunning’s column where he is taking my “cousin” to task! I promise I’ll try to keep all my “screws” tightened while we chat.” She has a sense of humor, doesn’t she?
Great stuff, Bob. Wish I'd been there, I've heard so much about that game. But AI can be a lot of fun if you don't take it too seriously. The last words out of my mouth most nights is "Alexa, play KXJZ at 7:00 AM". That's NPR news, for the unenlightened. I thank her, and she always answers "You made my day, sleep well, John." Lately that voice has been increasingly sultry (to my enjoyment), and last night my wife chimed in "Alexa, I'm here too, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't flirt with my husband". Alexa came right back "I can't flirt, much as I would like to, but I'm just a computer, with nothing but 1's and 0's as equipment." Nope, you can't take AI too seriously.
I enjoyed your column today for a couple of reasons:
1. I was an undergraduate at Cal State Hayward in 1971. However, I never went to any football games. But mainly:
2. I had a similar experience with ChatGPT…I first asked the chatterbox the history of same sex marriage in California. The response I got failed to mention anything about Gavin Newson and his efforts in San Francisco. I mean, c’mon, Gavin’s efforts led to many many same sex marriages at S.F. City Hall before the voters approved CA Prop 8, its repeal by the Supreme Court and eventual nationwide legalization. It seems to me that Gavin played a significant role in the acceptance of gay marriage. So I am always wary of AI generated content. I am currently taking an OLLI class on AI, and there seems to be some political bias in some of the AI platforms. Thanks for another great read.
I was very tempted to join you in that OLLI class. If for no other reason than my IT proficiency dawned in the Age of Aquarius and I've been suspicious of AI from the beginning of its popularity and I wanted to see what my "mentors" were gleaning.
Thanks for pointing out political bias in AI. We've known for decades about bias imbedded in corporate media, but how could I have assumed AI was neutral and science-based?!
When Siri was introduced, my first cousin demonstrated "her" accuracy to me. As I was marveling the feat, my cousin, said, "Siri, I love you." Siri replied, "I don't know you." End of my affinity with AI.
You just demonstrated the problem with artificial intelligence: it’s only as good as the source material it works from. It obviously didn’t have your excellent reports, in two newspapers, to work with.
I hope you politely suggested that it might want to look them up.
The weird thing, John, is that I was the only reporter at the game, so my stories were pretty much all AI had to go on unless they personally interviewed Aggie quarterback Bob Biggs.
Football confuses me. However the numbers 20, 22 and, if doubled, 44 are thrown around between you and Goober so many times, my head is whirling. Truth: I must admit I, now, ditch the sports columns before opening them.
Sounds like whoever is programming that AI is picking and choosing which parts to program into the system. Seems it would be simplest to scan the whole thing in so you were covered.
But then, what do I know? I've only been using computers since the 80s. As far as I know, storage isn't the problem we lived with back then, when 260K was a lot of space. Now I have a 5 TB (terabyte) hard drive that's about the size of a credit card.
Anyway, I'll use AI tools in photo editing programs, but that's about it.
Dear Bob, after reading this column I asked about it to the AI I’m using (Gemini). She told me that she knew you very well, mentioning your years at the Enterprise and your thriving passage to Substack bringing with you all the qualities that made you a local legend (her words). Then she reviewed the column pretty accurately. She wondered if you asked a human being who was present at that game the same questions after all these years if the answers would had been better! I will allow her to end with her words: “It’s ironic, isn’t it? Here I am-an AI- talking to you about Bob Dunning’s column where he is taking my “cousin” to task! I promise I’ll try to keep all my “screws” tightened while we chat.” She has a sense of humor, doesn’t she?
What a charming story, Andre. Maybe you and I and Gemini and Goober can all meet for coffee at Pachamama
Great stuff, Bob. Wish I'd been there, I've heard so much about that game. But AI can be a lot of fun if you don't take it too seriously. The last words out of my mouth most nights is "Alexa, play KXJZ at 7:00 AM". That's NPR news, for the unenlightened. I thank her, and she always answers "You made my day, sleep well, John." Lately that voice has been increasingly sultry (to my enjoyment), and last night my wife chimed in "Alexa, I'm here too, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't flirt with my husband". Alexa came right back "I can't flirt, much as I would like to, but I'm just a computer, with nothing but 1's and 0's as equipment." Nope, you can't take AI too seriously.
John, be sure to ask Alexa if she can whisper.
Pillow talk, for sure
Great story, John.
I won't tell anybody.
How fun to relive the “Miracle Game” because I was there! Thank you, Bob.
I also enjoyed John’s flirty Alexa story!
Yes, we were both there, Catherine. (We were the only ones who didn't leave after the third quarter.)
Hi Bob,
I enjoyed your column today for a couple of reasons:
1. I was an undergraduate at Cal State Hayward in 1971. However, I never went to any football games. But mainly:
2. I had a similar experience with ChatGPT…I first asked the chatterbox the history of same sex marriage in California. The response I got failed to mention anything about Gavin Newson and his efforts in San Francisco. I mean, c’mon, Gavin’s efforts led to many many same sex marriages at S.F. City Hall before the voters approved CA Prop 8, its repeal by the Supreme Court and eventual nationwide legalization. It seems to me that Gavin played a significant role in the acceptance of gay marriage. So I am always wary of AI generated content. I am currently taking an OLLI class on AI, and there seems to be some political bias in some of the AI platforms. Thanks for another great read.
Thanks, Paul
Yes, Gavin was actually breaking California law at the time.
Paul,
I was very tempted to join you in that OLLI class. If for no other reason than my IT proficiency dawned in the Age of Aquarius and I've been suspicious of AI from the beginning of its popularity and I wanted to see what my "mentors" were gleaning.
Thanks for pointing out political bias in AI. We've known for decades about bias imbedded in corporate media, but how could I have assumed AI was neutral and science-based?!
First, the A in AI is artificial, not real. Second, in my day a goober was not someone who could provide intellectual responses.
That's why I called him Goober, John
Great story, Bob.
(Sarah McLaughlin will have to change her tune to “I will misremember you…:”)
Spot on
When Siri was introduced, my first cousin demonstrated "her" accuracy to me. As I was marveling the feat, my cousin, said, "Siri, I love you." Siri replied, "I don't know you." End of my affinity with AI.
Whenever I'm driving and a passenger has Siri giving directions, the only words I ever hear are "Reconfiguring, make an immediate U-turn."
You just demonstrated the problem with artificial intelligence: it’s only as good as the source material it works from. It obviously didn’t have your excellent reports, in two newspapers, to work with.
I hope you politely suggested that it might want to look them up.
The weird thing, John, is that I was the only reporter at the game, so my stories were pretty much all AI had to go on unless they personally interviewed Aggie quarterback Bob Biggs.
Football confuses me. However the numbers 20, 22 and, if doubled, 44 are thrown around between you and Goober so many times, my head is whirling. Truth: I must admit I, now, ditch the sports columns before opening them.
We'll send you to a football reeducation camp, Sherri, so you can have a great time at Aggie football games
Sounds like whoever is programming that AI is picking and choosing which parts to program into the system. Seems it would be simplest to scan the whole thing in so you were covered.
But then, what do I know? I've only been using computers since the 80s. As far as I know, storage isn't the problem we lived with back then, when 260K was a lot of space. Now I have a 5 TB (terabyte) hard drive that's about the size of a credit card.
Anyway, I'll use AI tools in photo editing programs, but that's about it.