Generative AI is new, but being a human being isn’t. Join me for 2 minutes on 2 times we’ve been fooled.
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I’ve never really been a history person, but one of the things I’ve found most comforting in the last few years is actually history. Specifically: learning how many of the things we’re all freaked out about have actually happened before. Often many times before.
As an iconic example of this, and you’ve probably heard this before, but back in 1938, when people were still figuring out what was the deal was with the radio, a one-hour segment of a radio show made some people genuinely believe that martians were invading the earth. This was the segment The War of the Worlds, which was intended to be fictional. Very understandably, for people who were new to the medium of radio, they thought it might be real.
So let’s fast-forward to 1999, this is my last example, and something that you probably experienced yourself. A movie came out in theaters, with some additional information available online, that made some people genuinely believe that three students had died in the woods while trying to track down a murderer. This was the movie The Blair Witch Project and the various associated websites that seemed to corroborate its fictional story. Very understandably, for people who were new to the internet, they thought it might be real.
So the point that I’m making here is this: it’s 2024. We’re in the era of generative AI. And some people have genuinely believed fictional things that were created with AI. Very understandably, for people who are new to AI.
Now I don’t think this is great, it’s not a fun moment. But, I do find it comforting that we can easily look back a hundred years or more and see how what we think is real has been challenged by our own technology again and again.
We’ve found a way through it, every time. I think we will again. The question in my mind is, what can we do to get through this faster and better together? Thanks for listening.