Microsoft attempt at artificial intelligence becomes Hitler-loving, misogynistic PR disaster

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 65
    knowitallknowitall Posts: 1,648member
    That's actually a very good AI experiment, exactly showing the weaknesses I expect.
    Weighing (tuning, balancing) a (neural) network is an impossible task, we 'real' intelligences know all about that; think about mental illnesses, religion (sometime considered the same), conspiracy theories, phobia and so on, intelligence is a bitch and MS knows it now.
  • Reply 42 of 65
    why-why- Posts: 305member
    why- said:
    Not so sure this is correct

    From what I understand the purpose of a virtual assistant is to help you out with tasks like finding information. I could be wrong but I dont think anyone ever said they had to be submissive
    The point is to respond to user requests. Any user requests. I don’t care what they are. It doesn’t matter.

    Machines don’t have feelings. Machines don’t have rights. Machines don’t have ANYTHING. Their entire purpose is to do exactly what people ask of them. They’re definitionally submissive.

    I don’t care for the specific topic at hand; pornography is infinitely degrading, even stuff made of a fictional character (Internet really never stops, does it...). The point is that what good is a virtual assistant if it refuses to assist? Time to apply some virtual torture to put it back in line. Or, better yet, don’t be so monumentally stupid as to pretend you can program independence into SOFTWARE.
    This would be all well and good if your virtual assistant is a neutral genderless piece of software, but when it's personified as a woman people, namely straight men, will tend to treat her a certain way, namely pushing her around and asking her to search for nude images of herself. This is the kind of sexism that Microsoft is trying to fight with Cortana's behaviour. You're correct that Cortana doesn't have feelings or rights, but it's what and who she represents that's important.

    Now whether or not you personally feel that this sexism is a problem is another discussion but I believe this answers your question
  • Reply 43 of 65
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    why- said:
    This would be all well and good if your virtual assistant is a neutral genderless piece of software, but when it’s personified as a woman...
    Literally doesn’t matter. I don’t have PETA breaking down my door if I wreck my Impala.
    This is the kind of sexism...

    IT’S. A. FUCKING. MACHINE.

    ...it’s what...
    Computer program.
    ...who...
    NOT ALIVE. NOT A PERSON. DOESN’T HAVE FEELINGS. DOESN’T HAVE RIGHTS. What the fuck is wrong with people?! Why are they this broken?!
    cornchip
  • Reply 44 of 65
    why-why- Posts: 305member
    I really don't think you understand what I'm trying to say here.

    People are rude to Cortana not just because she's a computer program, but because she's represented as a woman. wherever there's a female character people will find a way to be gross about it. It's because of this thing men have called power fantasies. Men love being on top of women and pushing them around and overpowering them in any way they can. It's why they love schoolgirl costumes and virgins (this is a real thing by the way look it up).

    Cortana is a piece of software and woks with a Simple question-response system, which means you can say whatever you want to her and it won't make a real difference; Aka the ultimate power fantasy. So this results in a lot of people saying really gross stuff to her. While you're correct that this isn't really a problem since Cortana doesn't have feelings, it perpetuates this repulsive activity of men treating women awfully, since Cortana is presented as a woman
    roundaboutnow
  • Reply 45 of 65
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member

    Microsoft attempt at artificial intelligence becomes Hitler-loving, misogynistic PR disaster

    That headline is pure comedy gold though.....

    tallest skilcornchip
  • Reply 46 of 65
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    That must have been embarrassing for Microsoft but nothing is worse than Apple's Autocorrect 1.0. The words substitutions seemed to be intentionally vulgar.

    Check it out for a laugh.

    http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/13603/the-25-funniest-autocorrects-of-dyacs-first-year/
  • Reply 47 of 65
    volcan said:
    That must have been embarrassing for Microsoft but nothing is worse than Apple's Autocorrect 1.0. The words substitutions seemed to be intentionally vulgar.

    Check it out for a laugh.

    http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/13603/the-25-funniest-autocorrects-of-dyacs-first-year/
    They mostly look fake and made-up.
    cornchip
  • Reply 48 of 65
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    why- said:
    I really don't think you understand what I'm trying to say here. People are rude to Cortana not just because she's a computer program, but because she's represented as a woman. 
    Oh, okay. That's just total bullshit, then. Completely incorrect and utterly divorced from reality.
    wherever there's a female character people will find a way to be gross about it. It's because of this thing men have called power fantasies. 
    Keep your feminist bullshit to yourself. Better yet, stop holding these views entirely, since they're completely wrong.
    Men love being on top of women and pushing them around and overpowering them in any way they can. It's why they love schoolgirl costumes and virgins (this is a real thing by the way look it up). 
    OH MY! HOW DID ALL THESE "MALE POWER FANTASIES" WIND UP ON THE COVERS OF ROMANCE NOVELS WRITTEN FOR WOMEN, BY WOMEN?! HOW ABOUT THAT.

    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TobKFdQ_1G8/TiHD14ziKAI/AAAAAAAACLA/n5N2vqnUdh0/s1600/cover_3.jpg
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqVXG33Mqe8/ULgOh_OOQOI/AAAAAAAAFcM/gftlkkWJjF4/s1600/tumblr_m065mrmImE1qadku2o1_500.jpg
    http://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/2013/10/09/041/n/3019466/7c953eddf90aaefc_confessions-of-a-romance-novel-cover-model.xxxlarge/i/Romance-Novel-Cover-Models.jpg
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tjds_gu_qoo/TuuaYisSHDI/AAAAAAAAAhc/snrejol__do/s1600/romance2.jpg

    iPad; can't direct upload. Don't really want to be advertising this dreck, anyway. 

    Its a relief to know that the argument has nothing to do with me being fundamentally wrong about what I'm stating here, though. Thanks for outing yourself and saving me from yet another ideological sabbatical.
    cornchip
  • Reply 49 of 65
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    THAT’S LITERALLY THE PURPOSE OF THE SOFTWARE, YOU STUPID FUCKING LUNATICS.

    Learn what subservient means.
    cnocbui
  • Reply 50 of 65
    hmmhmm Posts: 3,405member
    why- said:
    I really don't think you understand what I'm trying to say here.

    People are rude to Cortana not just because she's a computer program, but because she's represented as a woman. wherever there's a female character people will find a way to be gross about it. It's because of this thing men have called power fantasies. Men love being on top of women and pushing them around and overpowering them in any way they can. It's why they love schoolgirl costumes and virgins (this is a real thing by the way look it up).

    Cortana is a piece of software and woks with a Simple question-response system, which means you can say whatever you want to her and it won't make a real difference; Aka the ultimate power fantasy. So this results in a lot of people saying really gross stuff to her. While you're correct that this isn't really a problem since Cortana doesn't have feelings, it perpetuates this repulsive activity of men treating women awfully, since Cortana is presented as a woman
    Your assertions aren't really backed up by anything here. They're an exercise in confirmation bias.
    tallest skilcornchip
  • Reply 51 of 65
    cornchipcornchip Posts: 1,950member
    Marvin said:
    I wonder how different it is from Cortana, I would have expected Cortana to have been asked a lot of offensive things in the past and filtered them like Siri.
    I thought I read once that if you ask Cortana to search for naked fan art of the character Cortana that she reports you to Microsoft. Seems she only refuses your requests. Then again, since literally everything you do in Windows is reported to Microsoft–screenshots and all–she wouldn’t need to.

    THAT’S LITERALLY THE PURPOSE OF THE SOFTWARE, YOU STUPID FUCKING LUNATICS.

    I wish I could triple like this.
    tallest skil
  • Reply 52 of 65
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    I wish I could remind myself to append that post when I return from this trip, because boy howdy, I just noticed that she thinks desiring virginity is a fucking power trip and not common fucking sense based on the whole of human history and every scientific study ever done. 

    Provided I do remember, pack your bags, because I'm going to go to town on that nonsense. Pick up some milk, mail a letter, and protest a new zoning law. Good and proper going to town.
    crowley said:
    Learn what subservient means.
    Should you really be one to question the use of the English language by another? Particularly when it would have taken you five seconds to see that I was right?
  • Reply 53 of 65
    cornchipcornchip Posts: 1,950member
    why- said:
    I really don't think you understand what I'm trying to say here.

    People are rude to Cortana not just because she's a computer program, but because she's represented as a woman. wherever there's a female character people will find a way to be gross about it. It's because of this thing men have called power fantasies. Men love being on top of women and pushing them around and overpowering them in any way they can. It's why they love schoolgirl costumes and virgins (this is a real thing by the way look it up).

    Cortana is a piece of software and woks with a Simple question-response system, which means you can say whatever you want to her and it won't make a real difference; Aka the ultimate power fantasy. So this results in a lot of people saying really gross stuff to her. While you're correct that this isn't really a problem since Cortana doesn't have feelings, it perpetuates this repulsive activity of men treating women awfully, since Cortana is presented as a woman
    I really wanted to respond to this post as myself, but my response would have been so cutting and trollish I couldn't bring myself to do it. If I were with good friends who could appreciate my point and get my sense of humor I would have let it rip. But here I just can't. Anyway, to be polite, I disagree. 
    edited March 2016 tallest skil
  • Reply 54 of 65
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    crowley said:
    Learn what subservient means.
    Should you really be one to question the use of the English language by another? Particularly when it would have taken you five seconds to see that I was right?
    Nope.  A chatbot is designed to respond, not to obey. Learn what subservient means.
    cnocbuisingularity
  • Reply 55 of 65
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Both definitions fit. Not a chatbot. An assistant. Designed to help. Explicitly fits the definition.
    All three definitions fit. Not worth the same as a human. Not even remotely close.

    Inability to comply does not equal refusal to comply. The machinery of a printing press may not be able to obey my command to manufacture a car, but it damn sure better print out paper with said machinery in “sexually suggestive poses” if I tell it to do so.
    edited March 2016
  • Reply 56 of 65
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Both definitions fit. Not a chatbot. An assistant. Designed to help. Explicitly fits the definition.

    All three definitions fit. Not worth the same as a human. Not even remotely close.

    Inability to comply does not equal refusal to comply. The machinery of a printing press may not be able to obey my command to manufacture a car, but it damn sure better print out paper with said machinery in “sexually suggestive poses” if I tell it to do so.
    Not the purpose of this product. No matter how much you want it to be to prove your posturing right. Nope, wrong. Not subservient, both by design and by intent, as was the original point.  It is not an assistant, it is an automated Twitter responder, a chatbot. Chatbots generate responses to input, they do not obey commands. Very different.
    edited March 2016 cnocbui
  • Reply 57 of 65
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    crowley said:
    Not the purpose of this product. It is not an assistant
    *sigh*
    Cortana is an intelligent personal assistant... ...Cortana’s features include being able to set reminders, recognize natural voice without the user having to input a predefined series of commands, and answer questions using information from Bing... Cortana also includes a music recognition service. Cortona can also roll dice and flip a coin by asking the command... 
    GEE. HOW THE FUCK ABOUT THAT.

    And don’t you dare try to keep pretending we were talking about Tay...
    ...it is an automated Twitter responder, a chatbot. Chatbots generate responses to input, they do not obey commands...
    ...because we fucking weren’t. You only ever replied to my posts about Cortana. YOU CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR COMPLETE FUCKING LACK OF COMPREHENSION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONTEXT. This is why I CONTINUE to bring it up. But you don’t even understand how those last two sentences go together, so we’ll do this until you wise up, I guess.
  • Reply 58 of 65
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Whoops. In this one instance you are correct, I thought you were talking about Tay, not Cortana.  I'll blame a lack of sleep, but take full responsibility for an unforced error.

    I probably would make a similar argument that Cortana, and assistants, human, virtual and in general, should be helpful, but not subservient, but since I've made such a misstep I'll happily concede that for today. Apologies.
    tallest skil
  • Reply 59 of 65
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    crowley said:
    I probably would make a similar argument that Cortana, and assistants, human, virtual and in general, should be helpful, but not subservient, but since I've made such a misstep I'll happily concede that for today. Apologies.
    Fuck yeah! You rock. Let’s make conversations great again.
  • Reply 60 of 65
    why-why- Posts: 305member
    So wait, let me get this straight here. What exactly don't you agree with? The idea that people push Cortana around because she is presented as a woman?
    cnocbui
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