Eclectica

 This is a transcript of an openGPT chat I had January 27, 2022.  My comments are preceded with "T:" and it's comments are preceded with a C: T: I'm wondering how I can use you to reform our health care system C:There are many ways that a language model like me can be used to help reform the healthcare system. One way is by using natural language processing to analyze large amounts of data from electronic medical records to identify patterns and insights that can inform the development of more effective treatments and policies. Additionally, I can be used to generate written content, such as reports, presentations, and educational materials, that can be used to educate healthcare professionals and the general public about important healthcare issues. Additionally, I could assist in creating chatbots that can interact with patients, providing them with information about their health, and helping them schedule appointments, and answer some of the common questions. T: ve...

Vernor Vinge coined the term "Technological Singularity" so I thought it would be fun to ask chatGPT to write him a letter thanking him for his vision. Here is the verbatim text that it wrote (and a real portrait of him I took): "Dear Vernor, I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you today to express my belief that we are in the midst of the technological singularity, and to thank you for your vision in bringing attention to this concept. When you first wrote about the singularity, it was seen as a distant possibility. But now, it is clear that the world is changing at an unprecedented pace and that we are indeed in the midst of the singularity. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, the increasing integration of technology into our daily lives, the growth of the Internet of Things, the increasing automation of industries, and the rapid advancement of biotechnology are all converging to create a world in which technology is becoming more advanced,...

Jevon's paradox   refers to  occurs when  technological progress  or government policy increases the  efficiency  with which a  resource  is used (reducing the amount necessary for any one use), but the falling cost of use increases its  demand , increasing, rather than reducing, resource use.  For example, increasing insulation in homes in England has led to people turning up their thermostats for greater comfort.   It seems to me that this paradox is based on the notion of access to a scarce resource - e.g. coal or natural gas.  People who choose a more comfortable lifestyle for the same price doesn't seem paradoxical, but rather a free-market choice.  Unfortunately, the larger goal of reducing environmental damage from the fossil is not met.  People just use more of the resource. Rivalrous resources are well suited to billing systems.  It's pretty simple for an organization to set up a paywall and a ...