Q:
How might Lord Vetinari control the use of internal combustion engines?
---
ChatGPT:

Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett's
Discworld series, is a master of subtlety, manipulation, and efficient
governance. If faced with the introduction of internal combustion
engines in Ankh-Morpork, he would likely approach their control with his
characteristic blend of pragmatism, cunning, and understanding of human
nature. Here's a possible scenario:

Regulation and Licensing: Lord Vetinari would establish a rigorous
system of licensing for individuals and entities wishing to operate
internal combustion engines within the city. Licenses would come with
strict regulations governing usage, maintenance, and safety standards.
This would ensure that only responsible and competent individuals are
allowed to operate such potentially disruptive devices.

Environmental Considerations: Vetinari, known for his interest in
maintaining a livable city, would mandate the development of efficient
and environmentally friendly technologies for internal combustion
engines. He might task the Unseen University with conducting research
into cleaner fuels, emissions control, and noise reduction,
demonstrating his commitment to the city's well-being.

Public Education: The Patrician understands the importance of
controlling public opinion. He would initiate a comprehensive public
education campaign to inform citizens about the benefits and potential
risks of internal combustion engines. By fostering an informed populace,
he could gain support for his policies and reduce resistance to change.

Taxation: Vetinari could impose taxes on internal combustion engines and
related activities, such as fuel consumption and vehicle manufacturing.
These taxes would serve multiple purposes: generating revenue for the
city, incentivizing efficient engine designs, and discouraging frivolous
or excessive use of the technology.

Guild Involvement: Lord Vetinari might collaborate with existing guilds,
such as the Guild of Engineers, to establish industry standards and
codes of conduct for internal combustion engine manufacturing and
maintenance. This would ensure that the technology is introduced in a
controlled and organized manner.

Surveillance and Enforcement: Utilizing the City Watch and his vast
network of informants, Vetinari would enforce the regulations
surrounding internal combustion engines. Surprise inspections, fines,
and even temporary confiscation of engines could be used to maintain
compliance and deter misuse.

Innovation and Progress: Recognizing the potential benefits of internal
combustion engines, Vetinari would encourage inventors and entrepreneurs
to harness the technology for the city's advancement. He might offer
grants, resources, and incentives for those who develop innovative and
beneficial applications, further solidifying his control over the
technology's evolution.

Strategic Leverage: Vetinari would likely gather information on the
external powers and factions interested in the technology's spread. He
could then use this knowledge to negotiate advantageous trade
agreements, alliances, or other arrangements that benefit Ankh-Morpork
and strengthen his position on the global stage.

In essence, Lord Vetinari's control over internal combustion engines
would involve a combination of regulation, education, taxation,
collaboration, and manipulation, all orchestrated with his signature
blend of subtlety and authority.

--
^Ï^. – Sn!pe – <https://youtu.be/_kqytf31a8E>

My pet rock Gordon just is.

Sn!pe coaxed out of chatGPT:
> Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett's
> Discworld series, is a master of subtlety, manipulation, and efficient
> governance.

That feels like it's trying too hard to prove it's got an imagination ...

Tease'n'Seize said:
> Sn!pe coaxed out of chatGPT:
>> Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett's
>> Discworld series, is a master of subtlety, manipulation, and efficient
>> governance.
>
> That feels like it's trying too hard to prove it's got an imagination ...

Or c&p'ed from someone who was.

--
Richard Robinson
"The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes" - S. Lem

My email address is at http://qualmograph.org.uk/contact.html

Richard Robinson said:
> Tease'n'Seize said:
>> Sn!pe coaxed out of chatGPT:
>>> Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett's
>>> Discworld series, is a master of subtlety, manipulation, and efficient
>>> governance.
>>
>> That feels like it's trying too hard to prove it's got an imagination ...
>
> Or c&p'ed from someone who was.

I think one of the major problems we have with this is the difficulty of
not anthropomorphising somethings that's called 'intelligent'.

Is an AI actually capable of imagining imagination ?

--
Richard Robinson
"The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes" - S. Lem

My email address is at http://qualmograph.org.uk/contact.html

It sounds a bit like our current Mayor of London though.
Brian

--

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"Tease'n'Seize" <tease-and-seize@invalid> wrote in message
news:9dWdnU8QUuA4xkb5nZ2dnZfqn_SdnZ2d@brightview.co.uk...
> Sn!pe coaxed out of chatGPT:
>> Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork in Terry Pratchett's
>> Discworld series, is a master of subtlety, manipulation, and efficient
>> governance.
>
> That feels like it's trying too hard to prove it's got an imagination ...
>

On Tue, 15 Aug 2023 11:32:53 -0000 (UTC)
Richard Robinson <richard@qualmograph.org.uk> wrote:

> I think one of the major problems we have with this is the difficulty of
> not anthropomorphising somethings that's called 'intelligent'.

Quite so.

> Is an AI actually capable of imagining imagination ?

Nope - the current crop are symbol manipulators with language
models. They're pretty good at creating text and that's it.

--
Steve O'Hara-Smith
Odds and Ends at http://www.sohara.org/
Host: Beautiful Theory meet Inconvenient Fact
Obit: Beautiful Theory died today of factual inconsistency

Ahem A Rivet's Shot said:
> On Tue, 15 Aug 2023 11:32:53 -0000 (UTC)
> Richard Robinson <richard@qualmograph.org.uk> wrote:
>
>> I think one of the major problems we have with this is the difficulty of
>> not anthropomorphising somethings that's called 'intelligent'.
>
> Quite so.
>
>> Is an AI actually capable of imagining imagination ?
>
> Nope - the current crop are symbol manipulators with language
> models. They're pretty good at creating text and that's it.

Yes (it was a rhetorical question, of course).

"Stochastic parrot" is a good phrase. You get something like what
it heard without comprehending, best of 3.

--
Richard Robinson
"The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes" - S. Lem

My email address is at http://qualmograph.org.uk/contact.html

Richard Robinson <richard@qualmograph.org.uk> writes:

> "Stochastic parrot" is a good phrase. You get something like what
> it heard without comprehending, best of 3.

()()()() Excellent phrase. Unlike the older, pre-neural net approach
to AI (which has a name I forget) that attempted to archive squillions
of facts and access them all, on demand, on the fly with carefully
crafted "reasoners".

Doug Lenat's Cyc project comes to mind. Had its own problems. Q.g.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada