Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 37, No. 185.
        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
                      Hosted by DH-Cologne
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        Date: 2023-08-29 20:13:41+00:00
        From: Tim Smithers <tim.smithers@cantab.net>
        Subject: Re: [Humanist] 37.172: the AI bubble, again

Hello.

I tend to think there's about as much "truth-spread" on
marketing insights as I think there is on horoscopes.  Mostly
very thin.

This short piece from Gartner does, however, offer an
interesting, and different, reflexion on the state of
Generative AI now.

    Gartner Says Generative AI is at the Peak of Inflated
    Expectations for Revenue and Sales Technology
    <https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-08-17-gartner-says-
generative-ai-is-at-the-peak-of-inflated-expectations-for-revenue-and-sales-
technology>

The Gartner Hype Cycle is usefully explained here
<https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/gartner-hype-cycle>

It's also interesting, I think, to see where other
technologies are placed on the hype cycle diagram in this
(first) piece.

-- Tim



> On 22 Aug 2023, at 09:54, Humanist <humanist@dhhumanist.org> wrote:
>
>
>              Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 37, No. 172.
>        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
>                      Hosted by DH-Cologne
>                       www.dhhumanist.org
>                Submit to: humanist@dhhumanist.org
>
>
>
>
>        Date: 2023-08-21 08:16:33+00:00
>        From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty@mccarty.org.uk>
>        Subject: the AI bubble, again
>
> This is in reference to Gabor Toth's posting about generative AI with a
> link to Gary Marcus' sceptical piece (at
> https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/what-if-generative-ai-turned-out).
>
> What strikes me about it is that anyone aware of the history of AI
> should be surprised at the sandy foundations of this new promise-threat,
> or indeed be taken in by the great fuss over the dangers to life, limb,
> mind and everything else posed by generative AI.
>
> It's not that there is no danger. What bothers me is that few if any are
> suspicious of the motives involved in raising the alarm. Should we not be
> asking the lawyers' useful question, cui bono?, regarding the regulatory
> meetings over how generative AI should be controlled. Who profits from
> the massive attention bestowed on the major players? Might they be eager
> to be in the limelight? Is there not a long history of manipulation of the
> public so that the flow of cash keeps flowing?
>
> I recommend a look at Edward Bernays, Propaganda (1928), whose
> argument is summarised at <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_(book)>.
>
>
> Comments?
>
> Yours,
> WM
> --
> Willard McCarty,
> Professor emeritus, King's College London;
> Editor, Interdisciplinary Science Reviews;  Humanist
> www.mccarty.org.uk



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