The more AI companies demand more data to build AI models, the more obvious it becomes that there is no actual intelligence behind their AI.

It is just algorithms that are either spinning input to create the illusion that its output is new or making predictions about what word should come next based on the textual data input into it.  (Or photos, art, etc., but for just focusing on text here.)

And it may pick up on patterns we might not notice (especially where "AI" is used for problem solving situations) and thus it might seem intelligent but there's no intelligence.

If there is no intelligence, there is no learning comparable to how humans learn.

Which means that arguments that it is okay to use copyrighted material without permission or compensation for the copyright holders does not hold water because it is not learning from the material in the same or similar way to how humans learn.

Because there is no intelligence behind AI.

There is no there there.

If there were actual intelligence, you could feed the AI school textbooks in order and it would learn the material and understand the material and be able to read and write and understand and all that.

It would not need to scan hundreds of thousands of articles and books and whatnot to be functionally literate.

But there is no intelligence there.  Machine "learning" may be a form of training, but the machine never actually learns anything.  It may be trained to perform a function, but it did not learn.  It does not understand.  It may mimic learning and it may mimic understanding but that does not mean it has accomplished either.

Which means AI companies should not use material that isn't public domain or hasn't been properly licensed from the copyright holder.

AI could be an existential threat to publishers – that’s why Mumsnet is fighting back
Justine Roberts/CEO Mumsnet   Guardian   28 Sep 2024

Google is “pushing to overhaul UK copyright law in a way that would allow it to freely mine other publishers’ content for commercial gain without compensation….it’s not as if these tech giants can’t afford to properly compensate publishers. OpenAI is currently fundraising to the tune of $6.5bn, the single largest venture capital round of all time, valuing the enterprise at a cool $150bn….Google’s proposal to change our laws would allow billion-dollar companies to waltz untrammelled over any notion of a fair value exchange in the name of rapid ‘development’…[even though] there’s more than enough money flooding into AI companies for everyone to be fairly and sustainably rewarded for their contribution….”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/28/mumsnet-ai-google-openai-publishing-copyright

Lake Lure Dam is in danger of failing.   

Flooding in the mountains has been pretty epic.

Lakes along the Catawba River are expected to hit record levels soon if not already.

St. Petersburg, Florida had to shut down one of its sewage plants:

https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/09/27/st--pete-officials-say-northeast-sewer-treatment-taken-offline

No draining water or flushing toilets for a couple of days.  That place could get post-apocalyptic fast.

Well, luckily, this thing blew through pretty fast.  I was afraid it would be like Tropical Storm Alberto from 1994 and just park itself over the state and dump rain for what seems like forever, so I'm relieved that's not the case.

There are a few limbs down in the yard, but that's it.  No damage that I've seen yet, though I'll take another look around a little later.  I live closer to the top of the hill than the bottom of it, so flooding from the nearest creek rising isn't a concern for me.

The sky is cloudy, but the sun is already trying to peek out.  We should have blue skies and lots of shine again in a matter of hours.

Vijaya, I'm glad you made it through okay.  I saw all the tornado warnings for your neck of the woods.  It got a little wild down there on the plain for a while.   

All told, things could have been much worse.  It was a strong storm that killed some folks and did a lot of damage, but it fortunately raced through.

Just an update thread for anyone who's interested...

It's been raining here for about the past 28 hours now.  The ground here in Georgia is already completely water-logged from these outer rain bands, so when the main body of the hurricane arrives, I expect widespread flooding, especially down on the coastal plain.

Not much wind here yet.  Enough to tip over a potted plant yesterday, but that's it so far.

At this time, Helene is a cat-4 and is still in the gulf and heading towards Florida's Big Bend coast.  New tornado warning just issued for Savannah.

If anyone in Florida or the Carolinas wants to chime in, please do so.


EDIT: I've added Hurricane Milton to the thread title so as to include it in the conversation.  Anyone who wants to chime in about Milton is encouraged to do so.