BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[Pinno718]

But there are undoubtably benefits of some uses of AI. We need to restricted the frivolous use to generate images, write your Uni dissertation for you etc. and concentrate the resource where it is beneficial e.g. assisting in medicl diagnosis and treatment.

That 'frivolous' use is simply a side effect of a much more insidious purpose: Musk et all, use media to spread their message, to control the narrative. The frivolous use is convenient distraction form the real agenda which is control; to track your actions and spending habits.
A commentator said that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to start a small business in the face of Mega Corps like Amazon, Star Bucks, Costa and retail outlets are reserved only for those who can afford big online purchase and ordering facility or the resources to pay the rates.
To add to that, big corps register HQ's in foreign lands with beneficial banking and tax rates whereas local businesses pay full whack and get little or no tax breaks. AI for me is mainly about monopolising markets, industry and profit and worse... government because Democratic process may curb profit and hegemony. We can go back to DOGE where Musk awarded himself govt. contracts, extracted millions of records of personal data whilst stripping agencies of accountability under a veil of cutting bureaucracy and waste. It's dystopian and it's not the figment of the imagination anymore.

Peter Thiel does not believe in Democracy for example. He believes in technocracy. He preaches the merits of Technocracy up and down the US in well frequented venues. Autistic tech nerds lack empathy; they do not see the benefits of society and they exist out with it in a bubble.

 

[Ian H]

In science there is the argument that seemingly frivolous experiments have led to useful, important results. Might the same be true within the weird world of AI?

 

[briantrumpet]

How does anyone let this happen? https://www.france24.com/en/france/...lf-of-france-bakes-under-highest-heat-warning

FFS. I'd not normally advocate prosecuting grieving parents, but that is just obscenely ignorant.

 

[Pinno718]

In science there is the argument that seemingly frivolous experiments have led to useful, important results. Might the same be true within the weird world of AI?

I don't think anyone is arguing that.
The main motive for developing AI is commercial.

It's a bit like Freidman economics - if you make big profits, there will be a trickle down effect.
(Which has since been disproved).
If we develop AI, then there will be a trickle down effect...

 

[Pinno718]

1) I didn’t realise that BT had to confirm reading posts.
2) I was simply reiterating that data centres which are coming to the UK will have a direct negative impact.

1) FTFY
2) They will.

 

[briantrumpet]

I'm going to have to ponder this thought.

 

[briantrumpet]

Musk loses about $150bn, but is still (on paper) the richest person on the planet with ~$1tn. It's just obscene, and is, IMHO, a good argument against capitalism as a force for good, especially if it allows this kind of hoarding with no-one able to challenge it.

But yeah, trickle-down economics, mustn't upset the billionaires.

 

[Pblakeney]

Musk loses about $150bn, but is still (on paper) the richest person on the planet with ~$1tn. It's just obscene, and is, IMHO, a good argument against capitalism as a force for good, especially if it allows this kind of hoarding with no-one able to challenge it.

But yeah, trickle-down economics, mustn't upset the billionaires.

View attachment 15921

Yeah. There is meme about those hoarding that much money while there are starving children.
(C)see you next Tuesday.

 

[C R]

Musk loses about $150bn, but is still (on paper) the richest person on the planet with ~$1tn. It's just obscene, and is, IMHO, a good argument against capitalism as a force for good, especially if it allows this kind of hoarding with no-one able to challenge it.

But yeah, trickle-down economics, mustn't upset the billionaires.

View attachment 15921

I really have no sympathy for any investors losing money on this. Anyone paying attention would know that space x is vapourware.

 

[briantrumpet]

I really have no sympathy for any investors losing money on this. Anyone paying attention would know that space x is vapourware.

Oh, I've got none at all either. But the broader point remains that this kind of gross distortion isn't a good advert for capitalism as it's working in 2026. In contrast, the Industrial Revolution often managed it far better, with the rich businesses investing in schemes that not only made their businesses more profitable, but (in the better examples) did that by improving the lot of the workers, with social housing, libraries, brass bands and choral societies etc. 'Late stage capitalism' seems to be predicated on utterly screwing everyone else for every $ (e.g. Amazon workers having to claim all sorts of benefits just to survive).

 

[Pinno718]

'brass bands and choral societies' ROFL.

Yeah, those lace doilies that kept flies off your sugar pot were a revolution.

 

[C R]

Oh, I've got none at all either. But the broader point remains that this kind of gross distortion isn't a good advert for capitalism as it's working in 2026. In contrast, the Industrial Revolution often managed it far better, with the rich businesses investing in schemes that not only made their businesses more profitable, but (in the better examples) did that by improving the lot of the workers, with social housing, libraries, brass bands and choral societies etc. 'Late stage capitalism' seems to be predicated on utterly screwing everyone else for every $ (e.g. Amazon workers having to claim all sorts of benefits just to survive).

I suggest you have an overly rosy view of the lot of the workers during the industrial revolution.

 

[briantrumpet]

'brass bands and choral societies' ROFL.

Yeah, those lace doilies that kept flies off your sugar pot were a revolution.

You ought to read up about them. There's a good reason that there are so many famous ones in heavily industrial areas, and virtually none in agricultural ones.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_brass_band#United_Kingdom

https://etheses.durham.ac.uk/id/eprint/6887/

 

[spen666]

Surprised that no one on here wants to discuss the recent Court of Appeal decision ruling the proscription of Palestine Action was lawful.

There is an interesting opinion piece by Joshua Rozenburg in the Law Society Gazette today about the judgement

Law Society Gazette Column


Judgement

 

[briantrumpet]

I suggest you have an overly rosy view of the lot of the workers during the industrial revolution.

I put in qualifiers there for that reason. I'm not making out that the entire industrial revolution was lacy doilies and glee clubs.
But look at Bourneville, Fry's etc, and then show me the modern day equivalents. Sure, they weren't doing it for completely altruistic reasons, rather to keep the workers productive (and sober), but show me a modern-day equivalent of those sorts of efforts (obviously an immediate cost to the shareholders), and maybe I'll be less harsh on today's capitalism.