The AI dooooooom thread

[Tonitrus]

I wonder though how many people buying gold are actually buying gold Ron Swanson style rather than gold as an asset - I imagine that would be just as worthless as anything else if things went to pot.

I agree that assets like stocks, bonds, property will be completely useless in a post apocalyptic society, but I do think gold will still be useful as the only effective currency left in such a world.

If you have gold, and I have shotgun...I just take your gold.  But only after I take your food. 

[Tonitrus]

I agree that assets like stocks, bonds, property will be completely useless in a post apocalyptic society, but I do think gold will still be useful as the only effective currency left in such a world.

Food, ammunition, and cigarettes.  Maybe pharmaceuticals.

And, of course, sex.



As was said earlier...better to avoid the apocalypse.

[Admiral Yi]

And, of course, sex.

The post WWII German experience suggests sex will not be bartered at a premium.  After all, an apocalypse would not interrupt the supply.

[Syt]

Something to look out for if you're using OneDrive (or other cloud storage, because let's face it, others will probably want to do it, too ):

https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/25/10/11/0238213/microsofts-onedrive-begins-testing-face-recognizing-ai-for-photos-for-some-preview-users

Microsoft's OneDrive Begins Testing Face-Recognizing AI for Photos (for Some Preview Users)

I uploaded a photo on my phone to Microsoft's "OneDrive" file-hosting app — and there was a surprise waiting under Privacy and Permissions. "OneDrive uses AI to recognize faces in your photos..."

And...

"You can only turn off this setting 3 times a year."

If I moved the slidebar for that setting to the left (for "No"), it moved back to the right, and said "Something went wrong while updating this setting." (Apparently it's not one of those three times of the year.)

The feature is already rolling out to a limited number of users in a preview, a Microsoft publicist confirmed to Slashdot. (For the record, I don't remember signing up for this face-recognizing "preview".) But there's a link at the bottom of the screen for a "Microsoft Privacy Statement" that leads to a Microsoft support page, which says instead that "This feature is coming soon and is yet to be released." And in the next sentence it's been saying "Stay tuned for more updates" for almost two years...

A Microsoft publicist agreed to answer Slashdot's questions...


Slashdot: What's the reason OneDrive tells users this setting can only be turned off 3 times a year? (And are those any three times — or does that mean three specific days, like Christmas, New Year's Day, etc.)

[Microsoft's publicist chose not to answer this question.]

Slashdot: If I move the slidebar to the left (for "No"), it moves back to the right, and says "Something went wrong while updating this setting." So is it correct to say that there's no way for users to select "No" now?

Microsoft: We haven't heard about the experience you are having with toggling, but our Microsoft contacts would like to investigate why this is happening for you. Can you share what type of device you are using, so we can put you in touch with the right team?

Slashdot: Is this feature really still "coming soon"? Can you give me more specific details on when "soon" will be?

Microsoft: This feature is currently rolling out to limited users in a preview so we can learn and improve. We have nothing more to share at this time.

Slashdot: I want to confirm something about how this feature is "yet to be released." Does this mean that currently OneDrive is not (and has never) used AI to "recognize" faces in photos?

Microsoft: Privacy is built into all Microsoft OneDrive experiences. Microsoft OneDrive services adhere to the Microsoft Privacy Statement and follow Microsoft's compliance with General Data Protection Regulation and the Microsoft EU Data Boundary.

Slashdot: Some privacy advocates prefer "opt-in" features, but it looks like here OneDrive is planning a (limited) opt-out feature. What is the reasoning for going with opt-out rather than opt-in?

Microsoft: Microsoft OneDrive inherits privacy features and settings from Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, where applicable.

Slashdot also spoke to EFF security/privacy activist Thorin Klosowski, who expressed concerns. "Any feature related to privacy really should be opt-in and companies should provide clear documentation so its users can understand the risks and benefits to make that choice for themselves."

Microsoft's "three times a year" policy also seemed limiting to Klosowski. "People should also be able to change those settings at-will whenever possible because we all encounter circumstances were we need to re-evaluate and possibly change our privacy settings."

(To our UK users - they host their screenshot image on imgur, you may need to use a VPN to view )

[Syt]

The Internet AI is for porn.

[crazy canuck]

Now that the corporate world has realized generative AI is, to be polite, sub-optimal a market needs to be developed.  And porn is the easy answer.

Spare a thought for the people earning their living making that content.

[Tonitrus]

Based on the many stories I have seen about the evidence collected against criminal suspects using "ChatGPT logs"...I am sure it will be a great idea to hand a powerful private entity a host of blackmail material.

But I predict it will still be popular.

[celedhring]

Rule 34 to achieve new ghastly levels.

[Jacob]

We are going to see so much celebrity porn, not to mention porn of specific individuals.

The creep with a crush on the cute barrista? Stalk her (or his) socials and get some AI generated porn that caters to the creep's fetishes featuring the barrista. And if the barrista somehow offends the creep, then it's easy to distribute the weird fetish porn to her (or his) social circles.

It's a big thing in South Korea already as I understand it, but if it becomes an easily accessible consumer level product... yeah, I expect we're going to see a lot of AI generated revenge porn.

[Valmy]

We are going to see so much celebrity porn, not to mention porn of specific individuals.

The creep with a crush on the cute barrista? Stalk her (or his) socials and get some AI generated porn that caters to the creep's fetishes featuring the barrista. And if the barrista somehow offends the creep, then it's easy to distribute the weird fetish porn to her (or his) social circles.

It's a big thing in South Korea already as I understand it, but if it becomes an easily accessible consumer level product... yeah, I expect we're going to see a lot of AI generated revenge porn.

Yeah I guess that is an obvious use for this. Fuck even with all my AI paranoia I had not even thought of that.

Fuck making AI porn of my wife would be a weird thing to do, much less people I know casually.

[Syt]

What could possibly go wrong?

https://www.businessinsider.com/even-top-generals-are-looking-to-ai-chatbots-for-answers-2025-10

Even top generals are looking to AI chatbots for answers

It's not just the civilian corporate executives and white-collar workers who are leaning into the generative AI boom at work. Military leaders are diving in too.

The top US Army commander in South Korea shared that he is experimenting with generative AI chatbots to sharpen his decision-making, not in the field, but in command and daily work.

He said "Chat and I" have become "really close lately."

"I'm asking to build, trying to build models to help all of us," said Maj. Gen. William 'Hank' Taylor, commanding general of the 8th Army, told reporters during a media roundtable at the annual Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, DC, on Monday.

Taylor said he's using the tech to explore how he makes military and personal decisions that affect not just him but the thousands of soldiers he oversees. While the tech is useful, though he acknowledged that keeping up with the pace of such rapidly developing technology is an enduring challenge.

"As a commander, I want to make better decisions," the general shared. "I want to make sure that I make decisions at the right time to give me the advantage."

AI in the military

Commanders like Taylor are focused on fast decision-making and how AI could provide an advantage because of a thought process popular with military leaders known as the "OODA Loop." The theory, developed by US fighter pilots during the Korean War, posits that troops who can move decisively before the enemy does — and observe, orient, decide, and act— often have the advantage on the battlefield.

The US military is embracing artificial intelligence with a recognition that decisions in future combat may need to be made faster than humans can make them.

The former Secretary of the Air Force said last year that he doesn't think the people saying that AI technology is "going to determine who's the winner in the next battlefield" are "all that far off." He also wrote that with the advancement of highly automated, highly autonomous kill chains, "response times to bring effects to bear are very short."

Predicting what future war will look like, he said that "we're going to be in a world where decisions will not be made at human speed. They're going to be made at machine speed."

AI is being integrated into drone tech, targeting, and data processing, among other capabilities — an AI algorithm has even piloted a modified F-16 through a simulated dogfight — but the military use of AI is not restricted to combat platforms.

Special Operations Forces, for instance, have sought to "reduce the cognitive burden of our operators" through the use of AI tools for paperwork, situation reports, concepts of operation, managing key supply and logistics demands, and other back-end work.

Operators have employed AI to analyze Pentagon doctrine, improve search functions, and make it easier for personnel who are transferring to a new location or position to catch up on the job and requirements quickly.

There are clear applications at the leadership level as well. Bianca Herlory, the Joint Staff AI lead, said at a panel event in April that "AI can significantly enhance the Joint Staff's ability to integrate and analyze global military operations, ultimately enabling better, faster decisions."

Using generative AI also comes with questions, especially in decisions at the command level. The Pentagon has urged caution as troops and leaders explore these tools, warning that generative AI can leak sensitive data. It can also produce deeply flawed answers if not adequately trained, and that could prove risky and even problematic if commanders use it to inform certain high-stakes decisions.

[DGuller]

What could possibly go wrong?

https://www.businessinsider.com/even-top-generals-are-looking-to-ai-chatbots-for-answers-2025-10

Even top generals are looking to AI chatbots for answers

It's not just the civilian corporate executives and white-collar workers who are leaning into the generative AI boom at work. Military leaders are diving in too.

The top US Army commander in South Korea shared that he is experimenting with generative AI chatbots to sharpen his decision-making, not in the field, but in command and daily work.

He said "Chat and I" have become "really close lately."

"I'm asking to build, trying to build models to help all of us," said Maj. Gen. William 'Hank' Taylor, commanding general of the 8th Army, told reporters during a media roundtable at the annual Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, DC, on Monday.

Taylor said he's using the tech to explore how he makes military and personal decisions that affect not just him but the thousands of soldiers he oversees. While the tech is useful, though he acknowledged that keeping up with the pace of such rapidly developing technology is an enduring challenge.

"As a commander, I want to make better decisions," the general shared. "I want to make sure that I make decisions at the right time to give me the advantage."

AI in the military

Commanders like Taylor are focused on fast decision-making and how AI could provide an advantage because of a thought process popular with military leaders known as the "OODA Loop." The theory, developed by US fighter pilots during the Korean War, posits that troops who can move decisively before the enemy does — and observe, orient, decide, and act— often have the advantage on the battlefield.

The US military is embracing artificial intelligence with a recognition that decisions in future combat may need to be made faster than humans can make them.

The former Secretary of the Air Force said last year that he doesn't think the people saying that AI technology is "going to determine who's the winner in the next battlefield" are "all that far off." He also wrote that with the advancement of highly automated, highly autonomous kill chains, "response times to bring effects to bear are very short."

Predicting what future war will look like, he said that "we're going to be in a world where decisions will not be made at human speed. They're going to be made at machine speed."

AI is being integrated into drone tech, targeting, and data processing, among other capabilities — an AI algorithm has even piloted a modified F-16 through a simulated dogfight — but the military use of AI is not restricted to combat platforms.

Special Operations Forces, for instance, have sought to "reduce the cognitive burden of our operators" through the use of AI tools for paperwork, situation reports, concepts of operation, managing key supply and logistics demands, and other back-end work.

Operators have employed AI to analyze Pentagon doctrine, improve search functions, and make it easier for personnel who are transferring to a new location or position to catch up on the job and requirements quickly.

There are clear applications at the leadership level as well. Bianca Herlory, the Joint Staff AI lead, said at a panel event in April that "AI can significantly enhance the Joint Staff's ability to integrate and analyze global military operations, ultimately enabling better, faster decisions."

Using generative AI also comes with questions, especially in decisions at the command level. The Pentagon has urged caution as troops and leaders explore these tools, warning that generative AI can leak sensitive data. It can also produce deeply flawed answers if not adequately trained, and that could prove risky and even problematic if commanders use it to inform certain high-stakes decisions.

Things can go wrong with everything, and I imagine even more so in the military than other places, given that rival countries are doing their best to make things go wrong for you.  That's not a reason enough to let your rivals be the first ones to try out revolutionary technologies.

[Tonitrus]

What could possibly go wrong?

https://www.businessinsider.com/even-top-generals-are-looking-to-ai-chatbots-for-answers-2025-10

Even top generals are looking to AI chatbots for answers

With a headline like that, I'd have expected more than one general (the Secretary of the USAF is a civilian).