Wednesday, January 24, 2024

AI, Machine Learning, or Love Songs in Russian. Or Swahili.

This is from jnyfmg.tumblr and I think it's a good way to look at artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Star Trek certainly makes the point for universal translators having their place: They're invaluable on first contact (if you're unlucky to land on a planet whose inhabitants don't speak perfect English), invaluable in on-the-spot negotiations and such and probaly as valuable on post-first contact missions.

But to understand a society, a subject, you can't rely on it. You have to start getting that understanding in your own head.

I'm reminded of another excellent communicator: Chuck Jones, whom I've written about before.

The gist from the video in the link above:

"When you talk to Chuck, he is always encouraging you to go to the source, to study real life, to study art, and apply that to your animation. It's not just drawing funny faces."

And to Mr. Jones himself: "Reading. Read everything. It doesn't do you much good to draw unless you have something to draw. And the only place you're going to get anything to draw is out of that head."

Listen for the music. Let it touch your spirit. And always, always, fill your head.

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