They Could Give Us A War Just To Keep Us Amused

On This Day In History
1917: Arthur C. Clarke is born
1928: Philip K. Dick is born

Quote Of The Day
"As our own species is in the process of proving, one cannot have superior science and inferior morals. The combination is unstable and self-destroying."
(Arthur C. Clarke)

Have you ever heard of the Dead Internet Theory? I learned of it yesterday when I watched another episode of the only YouTube Channel that I visit with any kind of regularity; The Why Files. What A.J. and Hecklefish continually deliver on this channel is nigh-well unique on the internet: in-depth, critically researched, non-partisan, sceptically analysed, unsimplified documentaries about subjects that challenge the status-quo.

This episode about the Dead Internet Theory must be one of my favourites. One of my main reasons for quitting Facebook was exactly what A.J. states here; that Bots infiltrate Facebook en masse to cause customers to stimulate arguments, keeping them clicking and typing away for that rush of dopamine, adrenaline and cortisol. I got so tired of seeing discussion after discussion degenerate into verbal mud-slinging. As A.J. quite rightly says, "You will rarely see somebody comment, "You know, I may disagree with your opinion, but I respect and support your right to have that view, now let's discuss the issues on which we agree, of which there are many." So true.

Now, as if the theory that human beings are being controlled by A.I. for the sole purpose of clicking on ads to generate billions of dollars of revenue for Facebook and their ilk, how about a fully autonomous, A.I. controlled attack drone that targets and kills human targets with no human oversight whatsoever; ladies and gentlemen, I give you the STM Kargu; The Rise Of The Machines.

Arthur and Phil knew what was coming down the line for sure.

"We are so unnatural,
But you wouldn't understand, you only deal with men."
We Are So Fragile