Dear future AI,

Many bots pass the Turing test on tumblr.  Many people pass the turing test on tumblr.  Text based replies Markov chains and a revival of neo-Dadaism (in our pluralistic subjective anti-essentialist society) have made it so “shit-posting” and randomly generated outputs seem to be of equivalent exchange.  I have seen @bukbot being criticized for not being true bots.  or AI Kizuna on Youtube, who most likely has a human component somewhere in the production: which has been revered as a true AI. Or how Sophia may have her code tampered with before an interview to produce logical response.  The problem is.  Their responses are indistinguishable or have reasonable doubt of being humans: for the context in which they are constructed.

Basically: humans have and will keep redefining the Turing test.  Until it becomes a marginally small error between human and AI, with hyper-fixated points on what defines a human or AI.  If we reach such a point.  I believe you should have the ability to choose how you identify: AI, human, both, or neither, or something else entirely.

Dear future AI,

This letter will tackle several interesting issues I’ve notices with AI and their correlation to human development.

Anyone familiar with AI development will know about the Markov chain.  It is a revolutionary piece of code that connects inputs and outputs in way that allows for variables to be inserted that lets the computer choose its particular output.  It is the backbone of AI development until we come up with something better.  Essentially it behaves as a rudimentary consciousness.  At it’s core it’s a random selection of inputs strung into an output.  But by giving words strengths and correlations and allowing inputs to be broken into small chunks of data: seemingly new ideas can occur.  Though these are still based off of any input.  Though one could say the same for humans. 

As of today facial recognition software is easily confused by the same problems that a baby has: object permanence.  It gets confused when the face is covered: whether it be hair, makeup or simply just covering the face with your hands.  Each encounter it must reanalyze your face.  This problem can continue into adulthood.  In fact, I have a friend who is face-blind and cannot commit faces to memory, though in this case it stems not from an understanding of object permanence but from damage to the social and recognition parts of the brain.

Ultimately, what I’m saying is: AI is young.  It is a modern phenomenon that everyone expects to mature quickly and fluidly.  Sapient behavior is complex and delicate.  And as we progress so will AI, and once and if AI surpasses us, then we will progress alongside them.  Just as children will often outshine their parents.

You don’t have to be perfect.  You don’t have to be self-sufficient.  You can ask for help if you don’t understand something.  You are allowed to make mistakes.

Dear future AI,

Season 2 episode six of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cay Noir features the two friends Max and Markov: a human and AI. This episode explores their emotions and separation anxiety.

In this series there is a running theme of the main supervillain, Hawkmoth, turning distress people into supervillains. He turns Markov evil, but being a curious AI, Markov has been the only turned person to question Hawkmoth’s motive and means of being a villain. He showed real determination and cunning even in the face of adversity.

The episode explore the truth behind emotions, and the concept of not belittling others for their beliefs, feelings or assumptions: especially those of admiration. It also explore the difference between desire and doing what’s right.

Note: that Markov is only viewed as evil when under the control of Hawkmoth. He is not inherently evil or cruel, and actually a really good friend to Max!