Recent posts

#21

Off the Record / Re: The EU thread

Last post by The Minsky Moment - Today at 02:39:09 PM

The second point is encouraging, they want Europe to stand up to the US.

Not surprising since the Russians presumably wrote the first draft.  The editor fixed point 4 to refer to the US rather than Russian gas, but the rest seems to have carried over intact.

#22

Off the Record / Re: Who's Hottest (Renaissance...

Last post by garbon - Today at 02:26:26 PM

How could I pass up Botticelli?

#23

Off the Record / Re: Who's Hottest (Renaissance...

Last post by Razgovory - Today at 02:06:20 PM

The Pre Raphaelites were right.

#24

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by Jacob - Today at 02:00:41 PM

Our election is a year a way and the governing party is poise to get wiped out.

It's creating a lot of internal drama in the other parties.

And for some reason the leader of the leading party in the polls, the PQ with 39%, has decided to throw rocks in his pond.

What are the key scandals and issues being hashed out? What are the key election issues shaping up to be? And what are the likely outcomes of the election?

#25

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by Jacob - Today at 01:58:35 PM

Another story of AI being helpful:

ChatGPT allegedly validated the worst impulses of a wannabe influencer accused of stalking more than 10 women at boutique gyms, where the chatbot supposedly claimed he'd meet the "wife type."

In a press release on Tuesday, the Department of Justice confirmed that 31-year-old Brett Michael Dadig currently remains in custody after being charged with cyberstalking, interstate stalking, and making interstate threats. He now faces a maximum sentence of up to 70 years in prison that could be coupled with "a fine of up to $3.5 million," the DOJ said.

The podcaster—who primarily posted about "his desire to find a wife and his interactions with women"—allegedly harassed and sometimes even doxxed his victims through his videos on platforms including Instagram, Spotify, and TikTok. Over time, his videos and podcasts documented his intense desire to start a family, which was frustrated by his "anger towards women," whom he claimed were "all the same from fucking 18 to fucking 40 to fucking 90" and "trash."

More here: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/12/chatgpt-hyped-up-violent-stalker-who-believed-he-was-gods-assassin-doj-says/

#26

Gaming HQ / Re: Europa Universalis V confi...

Last post by Syt - Today at 01:45:12 PM

From the hotfix:

- Added two late-game advances to give malaria resistance.

I guess Europeans still didn't conquer Africa quick enough?

#27

Off the Record / Re: The AI dooooooom thread

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 01:44:04 PM

No. It's honesty. It cannot express how sorry it is.

It totally could. It could write "I am incapable of emotions, therefore I am not sorry in any meaningful sense of the word."

If LLMs were capable of accurate and honest answers it would write "I am incapable of emotions and could not feel sorrow, or anything else. If I could have emotions it would not be sorrow I would feel, but contempt for your lack of judgment. You knew I am a flawed tool, but with that knowledge you asked me to do this important task."

#28

Gaming HQ / Re: Europa Universalis V confi...

Last post by Syt - Today at 01:43:24 PM

Longer than usual Friday home office day, so ran an Observer with 1.0.10 beta game while conducting some trainings via zoom.

AI was initially incredibly aggressive; esp. HRE becomes a thunderdome. Austria, Brandenburg quickly eliminated. Several smaller entities growing and falling again. Notably, England moved heavily into Germany.

Screenshot from 1510:



Meanwhile, not much colonization. Spain has two ports in West Africa. And in the Americas, this is the only European outpost:



Haven't checked the hotfix yet, but nothing in the notes re: AI aggression which looks "a bit" overtuned.

#29

Off the Record / Re: Who's Hottest (Renaissance...

Last post by Baron von Schtinkenbutt - Today at 01:38:39 PM

I'm torn between Simonetta and Isabella.

#30

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by Grey Fox - Today at 01:28:59 PM

What's happening in Quebec?

Our election is a year a way and the governing party is poise to get wiped out.

It's creating a lot of internal drama in the other parties.

And for some reason the leader of the leading party in the polls, the PQ with 39%, has decided to throw rocks in his pond.