The intelligent horoscope
Would you like to hear what a theoretical physicist with a penchant for exploring the intricacies of quantum phenomena, who believes in the power of science and culture to transcend even the darkest human conflicts, thinks about Artificial Intelligence? I am your man, at least according to the latter:
Grok—the 𝕏 AI—now proposes a short description of the social media platform's users based on their tweets and its ability to machine-learn from them. The one above is how the machine sees me, according to tweets such as this one.
This is the modern equivalent of horoscopes, the data-age version of cosmobiology.
By what I mean that this is something largely fake and artificial, but that is given a flavour which can easily seduce and conquer people's heart, and make them feel this has valuable and trustful information.
One can read everything in one's horoscope, and relate vague descriptions to specifics of one's life. When this comes with lauding qualities of one's character, it is easy to recognize oneself. Here is a typical description of my zodiac sign:
Libra (September 23 - October 22) is an air sign represented by the scales (interestingly, the only inanimate object of the zodiac), an association that reflects Libra's fixation on balance and harmony. Libra is obsessed with symmetry and strives to create equilibrium in all areas of life. These air signs are the aesthetes of the zodiac: Ruled by Venus, the planet that governs love, beauty, and money, Libras adore high art, intellectualism, and connoisseurship. Suave Libras need to surround themselves with stunning objects and create environments that reflect their exquisite tastes. Accordingly, these air signs make excellent designers, decorators, art critics, and stylists.
This you? asks the astrologer. I indeed struggle for balance and harmony, and adore art, products of the human mind and expertise. I describe myself somewhere as a collector of collections. I would not say the above is the opposite of me.
This, however, has little, if any, relevance to the actual me. I would not disregard completely the possibility that there is some correlation between when I was born, and my character, and that astrology is entirely rubbish (remember the 'balance' side of me). Some people I admire, such as Kary Mullis, were ardent practicers and proponents of astrology, with arguments—scientific arguments—to substantiate the practice. I would not even toss down completely its paranormal dimension. That would be a broken balance.
Now most, so-called "rational" people, scientists and the like, would scoff at something like astrology, which is an expletive to them. One of the jokes you can make to earn yourself the sympathy and from a group of scientists, is to tell them an anecdote of someone confused on campus who once asked you for the direction of the department of physics and astrology. That never fails to create immediate bonds of fraternal superiority from people who regard themselves as holders of a greater good: science, knowledge, intelligence.
These people are, of course, usually equally stupid, irrational, dogmatic and ... than the rest of us.
How many of them, indeed, will succumb to the essentially equivalent sleight of hand played by the AI to concoct a XXX picture of you?
Like astrology (at least as understood by Mullis), there might be elements of truth, factual , that make the output not completely random and capturing aspects of their subject.
But I think this remains overall a scam for the brain,
Here is a random selection of such Grok descriptions of some famous (to everybody) and less famous (famous to me) people on 𝕏.
It will become, obviously, common practice for people to inform themselves on others through such tools. This will be the modern equivalent of judging someone from their zodiac sign: beyond ridiculous, stupid.
It will not take long before we see patent examples of such modern idiocracy, even from the most sophisticated and clever people out there.