Book Review: You Look Like a Thing and I Love You by Janelle Shane

You Look Like a Thing and I Love You by Janelle Shane

Computer artificial intelligence is an interesting topic because the possibilities seem full of endless promise. The actualities of AI are a lot more eye-opening in their successes and failures. Computer scientist Janelle Shane has written a book chronicling the past ten or fifteen years of work in the artificial intelligence field, focusing on how weird and unexpected things turn out.

The main challenge for computer AI is that it is designed by humans. Humans craft questions or challenges for a computer and the computer does its best to reply. If the question is not worded carefully enough, a solution is often inappropriate or unhelpful. The computer solves the problem of preventing people from choosing the left fork by killing all the people who try to take the left fork. Or another AI succeeded in never running into a wall by standing still. Often, AIs work in a simulation of reality designed by humans. The simulations often have flaws that the AI exploit in achieving a solution. Another AI was tasked design a body with arms, legs, torso, and head that could go from Point A to Point B. The AI stacked the body parts so that when the body fell at Point A the top end of it landed on Point B. That's a solution that works...in the simulation. Humans need to design questions, challenges, and environments carefully to get workable solutions.

Another problem for AIs is the sample data they are given. The author designed an AI to come up with pick-up lines (where she got the title for the book). The suggestions are hilarious because they look like a parody of real pick-up lines. She gave the computer lots of examples of pick-up lines and the data set led to some natural consequences (maybe pick-up lines are inherently ridiculous?). A more serious problem is found with AIs that screen employment applications--often they mimic the prejudices that go along with historical hiring practices. An application with "Harvard" or "Cambridge" on it will move up in the ranks; an application with an address from "the wrong side of the tracks" will move down. Computer scientists have recognized these flaws and tried to adjust with mixed results. Flawed data leads to flawed conclusions whether you are an AI or a human.

Computers are brilliant at working through hundreds and thousands of iterations to get better and better at performing tasks. The future is indeed full of possibilities; it's important to know what is actually possible.

Recommended.

Movie Review: Her (2013)

Her (2013) written and directed by Spike Jonze

In a not-too-distant future, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) works as a letter writer for couples. He has a cubicle in a corporate office and never sees the people to and for whom he is writing. He knows enough about them to use lots of personal details in the letters. His personal life is a shambles. He's getting divorced from his childhood sweetheart Catherine (Rooney Mara) but doesn't have the nerve to sign the papers. His friendly neighbors Amy (Amy Adams) and Charles (Matt Letscher) try to hang out with him and set him up on dates, but Theodore just isn't the fun guy that he used to be. Desperate for a relationship, he downloads a new operating system, OS1, that is advertised as "not just an operating system, it's a consciousness." After a few set-up questions, the OS1 starts talking (with the voice of Scarlett Johansson) and names itself Samantha. His relationship with Samantha grows more complicated and more romantic as the movie progresses.

Like most Spike Jonze films (Adaptation. and Being John Malkovich, for example), this is highly imaginative and unpredictable. Theodore struggles to make sense of his life and his growing affection for Samantha. He gets a mixture of reactions. A coworker is happy for him, his wife is scornful. The film manages to be non-judgmental about the situation, though it is hard not to draw the conclusion that modern attitudes toward sex are profoundly confused. Theodore tries a lot of things, hardly any of which work out well for him. His path of self-discovery is slow and meandering, ultimately putting him in the one predictable ending for his character. The trip is fascinating and heart-breaking, though the people in this movie need some breaking in order to find healing.

The movie is challenging and intriguing. Also, it is not for the under 18 crowd with some fairly explicit sexual dialogue and scenes.

The movie is discussed on A Good Story is Hard To Find Podcast #227. They also discuss Ex Machina, another near-future AI story, on Podcast #228. I reviewed it here. I am way behind in my podcast listening!

Recommended for people who like challenging, thinky films.

Movie Review: Ex Machina (2015)

Ex Machina (2015) written and directed by Alex Garland

Computer programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a lottery at work (the big internet search engine company, though of course it isn't called Google in the movie). The prize is to visit the reclusive founder and owner of the company (Oscar Isaac) on his remote estate for a special project. The owner's name is Nathan and his home is actually a research facility where he has been working on artificial intelligence. He's built an android named Ava and wants Caleb to give it the Turing Test (the one where a person has a conversation and has to determine whether the other conversant is a human or a robot). Something fishy is going on, because Ava is clearly a robot and Nathan is very casual and imprecise about the feedback he wants from Caleb. Nathan and Caleb have interesting discussions about consciousness, human attributes, and what the end result of the week-long experiment is supposed to be; Caleb and Ava have interesting conversations about their histories and what it means to know someone and care for them, both as a friend and with romantic intentions.

A lot of interesting issues and ideas are introduced in this movie. The pacing is slow and the photography is beautiful, giving the viewer plenty of time to think about what's going on and consider the contrast between the idyllic natural setting of the remote estate and the antiseptic artificial setting inside the research facility. The conversations and the narrative are always fascinating and left me with questions I really wanted answered. A lot of those questions were answered. But the end of the film is strangely ambivalent even while some highly dramatic events occur. It's as if the filmmakers themselves have a casual and imprecise grasp of what they want to say with this movie. Maybe they just intended to present an interesting story. If so, they were successful but I find myself unsatisfied after watching it. Repeat viewings could make it seem better or worse, I honestly don't know.

Parental warning--there's a lot of female nudity in the film, a little bit of sex and a few conversations about sex; some drinking and drunkenness; a bit of swearing and a few moments of bloody violence. With all the discussions about AI and what constitutes human behavior, I can't really see people under 15 enjoying the movie. I'd recommend late teens and up as appropriate for watching this, though I am not sure I'd recommend the movie itself as entertaining. It makes a better talking point for various issues and ideas.