Artificial Intelligence vs. Authentic Stupidity

WE HUMANS, ESPECIALLY those of us of the American persuasion, have developed a remarkable propensity for freaking out.

We freak out over a watered down beer’s marketing blunders with a modern day Corporal Klinger. en, we jump to worstcase assumptions over the latest topic of media hyper-hype, arti cial intelligence. Endof-world threats come from every direction and in every form, from the absurd to the eerily plausible. It almost seems as if none of us are happy unless none of us are happy.

at second example, arti cial intelligence (AI) has suddenly gained widespread a ention and has set freak-out senses on edge everywhere, most notably in all corners of mainstream and social media.

It is an appropriate subject here, because we have, ourselves, begun dabbling in the dark arts of AI

More on that in a bit.

Progress in the development of this technology is advancing at an exponential pace, now that engineers are using AI to design AI e more immediate concern—as is o en the case with breakthrough technology—is how humans can, and will, use the technology with dishonest and evil intentions. “Deep Fakes” have already become commonplace online, and the ability to identify falsi ed images, audio, and video eludes the toughest scrutiny, including that of law enforcement. e quality of these fakes will only get be er and will increase faster than the same technology can be used to police it.

We remember si ing in a presentation at a publishing technology conference while shopping for our rst MacIntosh computers (8K ram and two oppy disk drives... $4,200!) and hearing our rst real world discussion about Arti cial Intelligence. is was in 1986, just two years a er e Terminator came out, with its plot suggesting that teaching machines to think might not be a good idea. It was interesting to learn that research in AI, by scientists and not science ction writers, was actually moving forward, and that someday computers would be capable of managing a wide range of tasks in every industry, and everyday life.

Four decades later, “thinking” machines have become a reality. Now that AI is here, so is a lot of hyperbolic hand wringing over potential threats... from the plausible cultural and economic disruptions, to the borderline absurd: Matrix-like takeovers, or war against time-traveling robots with Austrian accents.

But most of the progress that gives such platforms as ChatGPT the ability to emulate human-like conversation, writing, and problem solving is not based on replicating human brain function, but on using the brute-force of computing power to examine countless variations and outcomes to produce the impressive results that are being heralded by researchers. AI might run convincing programs, but it’s still just a big, number-crunching virtual machine.

Existential threat? Doubtful, at least as long as the so ware acts more like Rain Man than a T-800 model Terminator.

Arti cial Intelligence is like any other tool. A hammer in the hands of a skilled cra sman can be used to build works of great carpentry. A hammer in the hands of a psychopath, or an incompetent moron, can create mayhem. Despite the bad potential that AI brings with it, the odds are be er than even that it will produce more good, and make more of a positive di erence in our lives than the harm this tool—in the wrong hands—might in ict. is relative comfort helped encourage us to take our rst tentative steps into the AI workshop.

THE WAY FISH & GAME IS EXPLOR-

ing this new technology is by using it to produce audio versions of our print articles. It wouldn’t be practical to a empt recording live voice overs for all the content in each issue. But with AI driven so ware, we found a way to quickly turn our wri en words into spoken audio. e result may not be perfect... but it’s perfect enough.

See for yourself. Just scan the QR Code below with your phone and give this article a listen.

e possibilities this opens are tremendous. Now, for the rst time, you can listen to virtually an entire issue while driving, or while you’re on your boat or in your deer blind. Audiobooks and podcasts are growing faster than just about any other form of media. at alone serves as the motivation to move into the mobile/audio arena with our content. e available technology makes it possible.

Again, it’s not perfect, but it is perfectly acceptable, for now. And the technology is only going to get be er—and probably quite soon.

is initial foray into AI generated voices will hopefully branch out into other ways we can use this technology to improve what we do to help you enjoy the outdoors... Imagine what brute-force computing could do with the endless variations and potential outcomes that face anglers before every trip, every tackle choice, every cast.

So, give our li le step into the world of AI a shot. Listen and nd out if it sounds like it might not be a great alternative or at least another option for you to consume our content.

Hopefully, Arti cial Intelligence is a smart move for Fish &Game, and for the world.

ere’s a lot of Authentic Stupid out there. Using technology to shine light on ignorance seems like a good way to sti e our inherent Freak-Out re exes.

Speckled Trout Hybrids

I READ THE ARTICLE ON SPECKLED trout hybrids in the May/June issue with great fascination. I did some research on the orangemouth corvina they crossed the trout with and would love to catch one. Do you think there is a chance of the state ever stocking these hybrids again?

TERRY LINK

Editor: No, I do not think there will ever be speckled trout/corvina hybrids stocked again. In the article I mentioned how coastal o cials were worried about corvina somehow ge ing into bay or Gulf waters and breeding with speckled trout and om what I have seen that is what killed the program. ere were corvina stockings and also corvina/speck stockings. It’s not because they are not a native sh. We stock striped bass in numerous lakes and have an active rainbow trout stocking program and neither of them are native, but I think any kind of corvina stocking is a thing of the past.

:: by TF&G READERS

The Brady Buck

RECENTLY I DROVE THROUGH Brady and now when you enter the city, they have a big iron cut-out of the famous Brady Buck. You never hear about that buck anymore and growing up it was a really big deal. Why do you now not really know about the big bucks of Texas past like that? anks.

CONRAD ANDERSON

Editor: It is because of the prevalence of bucks larger than that one on highfenced deer ranches. Do an Internet search of Texas trophy deer and you will see buck a er buck that are absolutely massive and they were created by selective breeding, protein feeding etc. And that’s perfectly ne, but it has made many forget about bucks that naturally get big. You don’t hear about the “hole in the horn” buck or the massive typi- cal “Jordan buck” either. And that’s a shame because all of these deer are true marvels of nature.

Cattle Mutilations

CHESTER, I LISTENED TO YOUR podcast on the ca le mutilations and appreciated you and your guests looking at potential human-causes. Have you ever heard of a toxicology report on those ca le?

MARIAH HENDERSON

Editor: ank you very much. I never did hear about any toxicology report and could not get an o cial statement om law enforcement other than the press release that got the whole story out there. Neither could ABC news so I don’t feel too bad. ere are some strange things going on with livestock in Texas right now as we have also covered horse killings that now seem to be spreading.

:: by CHESTER MOORE, JR. TF&G Editor-in-Chief

about these unexpected inhabitants of its wilde following is from TPWD.

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