This does indeed seem comically evil. While surely this may provide somewhat interesting insights in how our brain processes things, this seems squarely past the "should" part of "you scientists were so obsessed with whether you could you failed to consider whether you should"
And I have yet to see a single paper like this where a researcher bails out and publicly says they refuse to work on such projects. Not one.
The most benign interpretation of this observation is that science is filled with spineless opportunists who don’t care who they hurt with what they create. A slightly less benign interpretation might be that many of these people are doing this deliberately, and getting off on the sense of power it gives them.
I'd say we're already well past that point. Short-form "content" already exists and is messing with people's brains, this is the same thing just taken a few steps further. By the time the tech companies start using it, it will already be too late and we'll be left discussing whether the next man-made nightmare they come up with is the point where the tech industry must be stopped.
Also: one of the V3A animations reminds me loosely of things I saw when I was a kid, at night, shortly before I slept (though my experience then was more circular).
My understanding is that those who work with the mentally handicapped use bright lights and other stimuli to soothe and control them. It is also my understanding that the autistic are stimulated by vibrant colors (coughcoughMy Little Ponycoughcough).
Who is to say that the rest of us are not also vulnerable to such controlling stimuli?
Isn't there that one Harry Potter warning. I think it was the potion guy who said too much luck is dangerous. I guess that is somewhat of a parallel to this. Too much positive visual stimuli is dangerous or bad.
This is already happening at scale by the social media feed algorithms. We don't need generated content to accomplish this. In a sea of user created content, plenty of it is already at peak activation.
Apart from ethically bad and evil use cases of this application, can we use it to massage the parts of brain like we do it to our bones and muscles with the help of physiotherapists?
reason I am asking it could be some relief to our brains after tedious working day, especially after heavy AI usage
Will be interesting to see how strong the controlling forces can be - enough to make you miss things in direct perception like in the book, or only softer effects further up the cognition layer stack
"Prime Intellect, I would like you to begin stimulating the neurons of the pleasure center of my brain, one at a time, and remember the ones I report to you as being favorable."
If you read the techbique it reads like something far less remarkable being PR’d to sound like a big deal.
The fact it’s bucketing by making images of lighting and facial expressions, the fact it doesn’t natively do the video it does an image then video generates from it.
The results look really bad and samey. Doubt this would work for the actual thing they’re pitching it for.
I hope my brain is also different. I also have never spent hours scrolling through short-form videos on Instagram, TikTok, Facebok, etc. I never ever walk outside with my phone in my hand, instead enjoying the view.
I do enjoy watching YouTube videos at home, on the living-room flatscreen, on a variety of topics, but I select them manually, one at a time, from the vast selection The Algorithm(TM) offers me, plus my own searches.
My current theory is that these are similar to cigarettes. Nobody likes the first draft, it burns your lungs, your entire body wants to reject it. But the nicotine stimulates just the right receptors so that if you keep at it for just long enough, you'll be hooked and start disregarding the terrible taste, smell, tar in your lungs, and yellowing of your teeth.
All of this to say, if you subjected yourself to just enough TikTok scrolling on just the right topic, you might find yourself using it occasionally after that initial hump, then slightly more frequently, then daily.
You might still not "like" it, but the habit is what matters.
We are really getting to the point where the tech industry must be stopped if humanity is to continue at all, let alone thrive.
This does indeed seem comically evil. While surely this may provide somewhat interesting insights in how our brain processes things, this seems squarely past the "should" part of "you scientists were so obsessed with whether you could you failed to consider whether you should"
> This does indeed seem comically evil.
And I have yet to see a single paper like this where a researcher bails out and publicly says they refuse to work on such projects. Not one.
The most benign interpretation of this observation is that science is filled with spineless opportunists who don’t care who they hurt with what they create. A slightly less benign interpretation might be that many of these people are doing this deliberately, and getting off on the sense of power it gives them.
You can't say things like this on this website. On here, every new tech thing is a "progress" /s
Progress, but towards what?
Ads efficacy, of course.
Think of the shareholders and Capital. Money matters more than human, commie. /s
I'd say we're already well past that point. Short-form "content" already exists and is messing with people's brains, this is the same thing just taken a few steps further. By the time the tech companies start using it, it will already be too late and we'll be left discussing whether the next man-made nightmare they come up with is the point where the tech industry must be stopped.
As others on Telegram have said: automated search for visual superstimuli likely leads to bad outcomes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernormal_stimulus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLIT_(short_story)
Also: one of the V3A animations reminds me loosely of things I saw when I was a kid, at night, shortly before I slept (though my experience then was more circular).
Or as SCP calls them, cognitohazards.
Also relevant: <https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-math-theory-for-why-people-...>
My understanding is that those who work with the mentally handicapped use bright lights and other stimuli to soothe and control them. It is also my understanding that the autistic are stimulated by vibrant colors (coughcoughMy Little Ponycoughcough).
Who is to say that the rest of us are not also vulnerable to such controlling stimuli?
Bright lights in particular, I'm thinking: yes, normal people do find sunbathing relaxing.
Isn't there that one Harry Potter warning. I think it was the potion guy who said too much luck is dangerous. I guess that is somewhat of a parallel to this. Too much positive visual stimuli is dangerous or bad.
On telegram?
Others on Telegram? Some sort of a HN channel?
This is already happening at scale by the social media feed algorithms. We don't need generated content to accomplish this. In a sea of user created content, plenty of it is already at peak activation.
The plan is to get content producers out of the loop to reduce revenue share and boost profits.
Apart from ethically bad and evil use cases of this application, can we use it to massage the parts of brain like we do it to our bones and muscles with the help of physiotherapists?
reason I am asking it could be some relief to our brains after tedious working day, especially after heavy AI usage
Its also an interesting way to discover what that part of the brain is for, right.
What are these videos supposed to do? I watched few of them and it does nothing for me?
if it is targetting visual regions of brain and I have aphantasia (I cannot visualize anything in my mind) is that connected?
WOW! Cant wait to tell to future generations that we had voluntarily made these algorithms to manipulate and influence our own brains
I wonder what Meta could do with a similar technology…
But here we can start also the usual discussion about technology research for the sake of it vs calibration of possible side effects of new research
Personally i think we haven’t solve this problem and thus it’s just a matter of time until we’ll get in a non-going-back point
Reminds me of the parrot https://www.sfsfss.com/stories2/BLIT.htm
Wait, this is with a digital twin only? Not fMRI or webcam based?
How can one work on that and not consider that they're pure evil?
Think of the shareholders (it's time to start using physical force to stop people)
Straight out of Echopraxia.
Will be interesting to see how strong the controlling forces can be - enough to make you miss things in direct perception like in the book, or only softer effects further up the cognition layer stack
That's fascinating. I wish the demo videos were longer.
Am I the only one who is avoiding even clicking the link just in case?
No, you are not alone.
I can't wait until I see AI-generated gambling ads that are specifically created to stimulate my brain the most
"Prime Intellect, I would like you to begin stimulating the neurons of the pleasure center of my brain, one at a time, and remember the ones I report to you as being favorable."
these videos were disappointing and underwhelming
If you read the techbique it reads like something far less remarkable being PR’d to sound like a big deal.
The fact it’s bucketing by making images of lighting and facial expressions, the fact it doesn’t natively do the video it does an image then video generates from it.
The results look really bad and samey. Doubt this would work for the actual thing they’re pitching it for.
My brain never liked vertical video, shortform content and AI slop.
Is my brain different or am I just a grumpy millenial hipster?
I hope my brain is also different. I also have never spent hours scrolling through short-form videos on Instagram, TikTok, Facebok, etc. I never ever walk outside with my phone in my hand, instead enjoying the view.
I do enjoy watching YouTube videos at home, on the living-room flatscreen, on a variety of topics, but I select them manually, one at a time, from the vast selection The Algorithm(TM) offers me, plus my own searches.
My current theory is that these are similar to cigarettes. Nobody likes the first draft, it burns your lungs, your entire body wants to reject it. But the nicotine stimulates just the right receptors so that if you keep at it for just long enough, you'll be hooked and start disregarding the terrible taste, smell, tar in your lungs, and yellowing of your teeth.
All of this to say, if you subjected yourself to just enough TikTok scrolling on just the right topic, you might find yourself using it occasionally after that initial hump, then slightly more frequently, then daily.
You might still not "like" it, but the habit is what matters.
You're not alone!