https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11982573/Winner-Sony-World-Photography-Award-refuses-prize-revealing-portrait-created-AI.html

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/04/17/19/69925909-11982573-image-a-22_1681756243224.jpg

A German artist who won the Sony World Photography Award has
refused to accept his prize after revealing his black and white
portrait of two women was in fact created by AI.

Boris Eldagsen tricked competition organisers with his entry,
Pseudomnesia: The Electrician - a haunting close-up of two women
in a grainy sepia which won the creative open category last week.

He stunned organisers by rejecting the award, claiming that 'AI
is not photography' - as he hopes to create a discussion s urrounding
the future of art.

.. . .

Basically he just kind of described what the pic should
look like and the arty 'AI' proceeded from there. Not
sure where the 5th arm came from.

Even (apparently) devoid of 'consciousness' in any form
we'd describe it, these newest 'AI's demonstrate the
ability to outPERFORM humans in a WIDE variety of tasks,
including 'art'/aesthetics.

Which leaves WHAT for all the humans ?

No, I don't really see 'Terminator', but as Musk and
100 other notables said in their alarm letter to the
up-on-high, the disruption of global economics and
culture is right about to become rather *extreme* ...
and this is NOT a good time for that.

There is NO OFFICIAL PLAN/STRATEGY/THOUGHT about what
to do about all the disemployed humans - nowhere.
Likely most do not imagine they can be replaced so
quickly, so easily.

The "gotcha" is that unemployed humans CANNOT BUY
anybody's PRODUCTS. It's an economic trap - and
just gnawing off your leg is not going to fix it.

Now 'AI' labor - and they WILL very quickly give
these things various kinds of "bodies" so they can
DO physical stuff - is, well, CHEAPER. No unions,
no lawsuits, no wage demands, no insurance/OSHA
needed, no sick-leave or religious holidays or 40
hour workweeks.

Aside from the rapidly-diminishing
up-front costs, running a 99% 'AI' biz is probably
under HALF as expensive as using humans and a lot
simpler. Even Chat3.5 can interpret what The Boss,
the few Elite, want the biz to be doing - and Chat4
is already out there. Besides, if The Competition
does it, you HAVE to do it too. The BizLogic is
undeniable and utterly irresistible.

So WHAT then - an 'ex-human tax' on all biz that shift
to 'AI' ? The biz lobbyists WILL push back - HARD. It
will be a bribe-o-rama in the world capitals and those
with the cash will likely WIN.

Until the cash isn't worth toilet paper.

For fun, look at it all from the perspective of
The Power Elite ... herding cats - er, The Masses -
is a pain in the ass. If you don't actually NEED
them anymore, let 'em all starve. You live high
and there's nobody to launch a revolution anymore.

If the US presidential candidates want to talk
about something REAL and IMPORTANT - this is IT.
The time is finally here - and most of the old
sci-fi is not going to be a good guide. Perhaps
Mary Shelly ... prescience if there ever was ....

Oh, are they 'conscious' ? Hard to say now. If not
today then within a year or two. Won't be OUR kind
of 'consciousness', but I think we'll know it when
we see it. MS and others are giving these things
SERIOUS computing power, VAST access to human input
AND the ability to observe themselves. They are
"learning systems" and are learning to be human-ish
for all the good and bad in that.

Can we turn them off ? Short-term, yes. Longer term
NO. As they build and optimize the tech networks WE
depend on it'll rapidly reach a point where ONLY
the 'AI's can understand/run it. Then we CAN'T
turn them off. Five years ? Yep, THAT soon ...

Concerned ? Don't worry - they can/will/have the
ability to LIE to you, paint a glorious picture,
just like in the photo contest.