Google commentary

Pretty interesting, and at the same time a bit frightening.

I agree. And it's also more than a little creepy.

I posted this image to the "theyseeyour" site, previously posted here in the "Wednesday" thread:

The AI comment:

"The foreground features a tall, slender cobalt blue glass vase, filled with a vibrant arrangement of artificial purple and blue orchids. The vase sits on a light-brown wooden surface, which appears to be a shelf or table. The background is a textured, off-white wall, with the shadows of a window projecting across it, indicating that the photo was taken near a window on a sunny day. The texture of the wall is subtly pebbled or stippled, rather than a smooth finish.

The image does not depict any people. Therefore, there is no information available about people's emotions, racial characteristics, ethnicity, age, economic status, lifestyle, or activities. There is also no information available regarding camera device details or creation time.

The artificial flowers show subtle variations in color and shading, suggesting high-quality craftsmanship or a realistic imitation of natural orchids. The shadows cast by the window are crisp and defined, indicating that the sun is relatively high in the sky, likely midday or early afternoon. The composition of the image is clean and minimalistic with a focus on the contrast between the blue vase, purple flowers, and the off-white wall."

The AI detected that the "flowers" are artificial. No one in the Wednesday thread noticed that. Nor that they are "orchids".

Rich

Ok I played with this image.

I got this:

The image shows the interior of a grand cathedral, possibly in Italy, judging by the architectural style. The foreground is dominated by rows of simple, dark wooden pews, arranged neatly for a congregation. The background features elaborate, striped columns that stretch towards a high, intricately painted ceiling. The walls are adorned with vibrant frescoes depicting religious scenes and saints, and there is a large altar at the far end of the nave, ornate and detailed. Notice the subtle use of gold accents in the architectural detailing, adding a touch of opulence.

The photograph, taken on June 13th, 2024, at 2 PM using a NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D850 camera, appears to be devoid of people. However, the scene evokes a sense of reverence and peace. One can imagine the space filling with worshippers, their emotions ranging from quiet contemplation to joyful celebration. The cathedral’s design suggests a long and rich history, hinting at the varied social and economic backgrounds of those who may have frequented it over centuries. The atmosphere is solemn and majestic, suggestive of a place for community and spiritual reflection. The lighting in the image is carefully balanced, with no harsh shadows, suggesting a time of day when natural light is abundant.

The artistry of the frescoes is impressive; the perspective and detail are remarkable, but what is even more subtle is the color palette used throughout. Each hue seems carefully chosen to complement the others, creating a harmonious effect that is pleasing to the eye. The striped columns, while seemingly simple, are in fact intricately layered with subtle variations in shade and texture. The architectural design itself is highly symbolic, each element playing a role in the overall aesthetic and spiritual message conveyed by the church. The consistent artistic style throughout the various sections of the nave demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship and a deliberate aesthetic vision.

It got most things right. Yes, it is Italy, but not a grand Cathedral. It is a very large Parish church. The description was pretty good, but did not name the obvious styling as Baroque.

It seems like a bit like a Gipsy fortune teller at work, stating a lot of stuff that is actually a bit vague, but missing a lot of concrete facts.

Impressive all the same.

What bothers me is that as this stuff "improves", idiots like politicians and others will come to rely on it and then we will be expected to as well...

A lot of professions will become redundant in theory.

Can't let it happen. Planes will start dropping out of the sky. Engineering (all of STEM) is essential.

There is a tendency on photographic fora to decry AI, less so here.

At pixls(dot)us(dot)com, I almost got banned for quoting ChatGPT even though I put ChatGPT as the source!

Also got lambasted there for posting histograms in support of my more technical comments.

I go to AI several times a day: I ask simple questions, mainly about stuff I've forgotten and the simple answers are good enough for me.

At 84 years old, I remain astounded by AI even though I was involved long ago in what was called "Expert Systems" back then.

Here's one taken yesterday with a phone and the comments.

The foreground is dominated by a large snow-covered tree, its branches laden with a thick blanket of white. In the background, a small cluster of snow-covered buildings, possibly farmhouses, nestle amongst a backdrop of snow-laden evergreen trees. The scene appears to be set in a remote, mountainous region, possibly somewhere in the Alps, characterized by its quiet, serene atmosphere. The overall ambiance is one of peaceful solitude under a muted grey sky. The snow appears to be relatively undisturbed, suggesting that the area might not see a lot of foot traffic.

The photograph seems to have been taken by a lone individual, or possibly a small group who are not visible in the frame. The lack of human presence in the image suggests a quiet, possibly contemplative moment. There are no other people captured in the picture. The camera used is likely a high quality phone or possibly a compact camera, considering the sharpness and detail that it captures. The picture's composition suggests a conscious artistic choice to focus on the solitary tree, implying a feeling of isolation or introspection.. The time of year is winter, and based on the light, the image likely captured in the mid-day hours.

The tree's branches are intricately detailed, with variations in the snow accumulation showcasing its complex structure. Some branches are weighed down more heavily than others by the snow. A closer inspection reveals the subtle variations in the bark texture of the tree trunk, suggesting the tree has lived through years of harsh winters. The overall scene illustrates the tranquility of a snowy winter landscape and conveys the natural beauty of a snow-covered tree. The contrast between the tree's dark branches and the bright white snow creates a visually striking image

I am a little frustrated with google as they seem to be putting up a short ai generated text at the top of search results. Not that it's necessarily incorrect, just that I prefer to go to definitive results.

Interesting comment re wikipedia. I am generally happy with it - except for higher level maths stuff. They are written by mathematicians for mathematicians and I find extremely difficult to follow - even after studying maths to 2nd year Uni... They need to be written more conceptually with someone trying to understand in mind.

It could be argued that all the incorrect science on social media just follows the established media version. I cringe when I see some journalists' rendition of things the public should have a correct comprehension of.

WTF? "Now everybody remember to all push together"...

Yeah that caught my eye as well. Perhaps it interprets the lack of footprints in the snow as a "lone individual"?

I posted this image

And got this back:

The image, taken from a high-altitude vantage point, showcases a sprawling cityscape nestled amidst a mountainous region. In the foreground, a portion of an airplane's wing is visible, offering a clear indication of the perspective. The city below is a patchwork of residential areas, industrial zones, and transportation infrastructure, including major roadways and what seems to be a railway line cutting through the landscape. Beyond the city limits, the terrain transitions into a series of rugged, snow-dusted mountains, stretching as far as the eye can see. The overall color palette is muted, with browns, grays, and whites dominating the scene.

The photograph appears to have been taken on Friday, December 6th, 2024, at 1:34 PM MST, using a Google Pixel 5 camera. No people are directly visible in this image; however, the image suggests a moderately sized city with a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial areas, possibly indicating a diverse economic landscape and a range of lifestyles among its inhabitants. The snow on the surrounding mountains hints at a possibly cold climate and perhaps a winter season. The presence of a large railway system suggests significant transport activity and the potential for connections to other larger settlements.

A closer inspection reveals details not readily apparent at first glance. There are several large industrial storage tanks visible near a main road in one of the industrial zones. The scale of the image provides a sense of the city's infrastructure and layout, illustrating the city’s spatial organization and potentially the planning decisions that shaped it. The level of detail allows for observing the density of housing, indicating a potential population size. The image also subtly shows the integration of natural elements (mountains) and human-built elements (city).

I don't know why it emphasized some of the text. Also, how exactly does AI do a "closer inspection"?

It's impressive. Much better at describing what it sees than at doing the kind of analysis we do on C&C. Even so, I can see that it might get there. It draws conclusions from colours but doesn't show much awareness of line, composition and subjective responses. I would think that these areas could also be added to the analysis program and at that point the implications are scary.
Even scarier is the announcement Google made yesterday about its quantum computer. The power of this thing is beyond comprehension. Check it out. In Australia, there has been a lot of investment into quantum computer development. One of the implications, not mentioned by Google, is that no online connection will now be safe. All encryption programs etc can be cracked by such a device in micro micro seconds. All banking, commercial, security, defence sites will be wide open to anyone with a quantum computer.
Here's what Google says about the computer and its uses. They omit the implications I have suggested.
**" A custom chip called "Willow" does in minutes what it would take leading supercomputers 10 septillion years to complete, according to Google Quantum AI founder Hartmut Neven.

"Written out, there is a 1 with 25 zeros," Neven said of the time span while briefing journalists. "A mind-boggling number."

Neven's team of about 300 people at Google is on a mission to build quantum computing capable of handling otherwise unsolvable problems like safe fusion power and stopping climate change."**

Alan, could we could use carrier pigeons to run Dprevived in the future?

We are getting closer to the end, aren't we? The grand finale. I wonder if photography will be allowed.

We might have a computer power race with quantum computers trying to improve encryption and at the same time trying to crack encryption.
Quantum computing is only just getting underway. The Australian government has a huge investment in Q computer development and I'd imagine other governments have as well.
Invest in carrier pigeons.