Rescued Climbers Relied Too Much on AI
Political Issue: should we have clear signs and policies about behavior on public land. Recently I went down to Headlands Beach which has an annual sand sculpture display. This year there was a sign warning that defacing public artwork was a 5th degree felony and could face a $2500. In all the previous years the art displays had been almost totally destroyed probably by kids who think that half the fun of building sand sculpture is destroying them after wards.
We need to have clear signs and policies about things like camping and hiking on public land. They probably need to have some legal consequences if people are going to pay attention to them. Otherwise, many people may assume that getting into trouble doing these things is all part of the fun of doing them.
And of course, we also need to have clear signs and policies about the use of AI. Otherwise blaming misadventures on AI will also become a part of the whole experience.
Legal Issue: How do people go about finding out about their legal responsibilities before doing things? Especially given the myriad of possibilities: situations, laws, policies, etc.
From the linked article: “We relied too much on AI rather than our own critical thinking,” the group said following the rescue. The climbers had not consulted the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center website."
ReplyDeleteWell there you go. Seems like kind of a "duh" moment. One can consult AI for information, but is it reliable info? Who knows. The advice to follow would be the people with boots on the ground, responsible for the Avalanche Center website. And one's own critical thinking; if something doesn't seem like a good idea, it probably isn't.
We still need physical signs about hunting and camping on public land. Don't most sites like that post warnings about legal consequences for not following the rules?
AI might be useful for researching places one might want to explore. But you still need to pay attention to the information at the visitor centers and ranger stations. Unless Doge fired everyone who worked there, in which case you're at your own risk.
DOGE fired a significant portion of staff of national parks etc. They also fired a lot of people whose jobs included spotting wildfires in the early stages. Fire season is upon us now. What will the next few months bring in the way of disasters?
DeleteUnrelated rabbit story. There are a lot of little wild cottontail rabbits around here, all the time. That is unremarkable. But lately I have encountered some tame rabbits. One day by our front step was a large gray floppy eared bunny. Cute as the dickens. I ignored him and pretty soon he hopped away. The next day I was out walking, and I looked down; there was a little black rabbit following by my feet. I said, "Go home, bunny!" He did. A couple days later the gray floppy eared rabbit was back, laying in the shade by our front step. This time he didn't look so perky, but he was eating leaves. I waited until afternoon. He was still there, sleeping. I had been texting with my sister, and she said, "It looks like you're destined to have a bunny!" Um, no. I might have been tempted if it had been a cat. But I know nothing about rabbits. I did ask some people in the neighborhood if anyone was missing a rabbit. But no luck. I ended up calling animal control. An officer came over with a carrier, I hoped it would be big enough. The rabbit looked at least 15 pounds. But she got him into it. They will check him out, and take him to the no-kill shelter if he seems healthy. Hopefully the owner will call there to see if he had been picked up. Otherwise he'd make someone a nice pet. Just not me
ReplyDeleteYears ago I heard a weak mewing under an azalea bush. It was a kitten. She looked in bad shape so I took her to a vet. After he patched her up I started looking for someone to adopt her. I am allergic to cats, so I couldn’t keep her. She was a beautiful lilac point Siamese. I found a home with a co- worker and passed her off. Sometime later my co- worker told me her beautiful lilac point kitten had just become a mother. So my colleague was now looking for kitten adopters. The vet never told me that cat was pregnant but I don’t think my coworker believed me.
DeleteSo many good Samaritans for the animals! I am glad they all have happy endings! Our neighbor dog, Otis, was fascinated with our cats. He would slip his leash and bark thru our screen door. Like that was gonna lure out the cats. I was always having to lug him back hom, but I usually kept him on the porch for biscuits and a chat first. He was a terrier. You can't do anything with them. They're smart but real self-directed.
DeleteTerriers are nuts, My oldest son had a shelter dog of indeterminant heritage. I took him to a vet friend who said he was Heinz 57. But I know he had a lot of terrier in him - he was nuts, and could really jump, but he was totally lovable. I was sad when our son moved out and took the dog with him. I cried all day years later when they told me he had too much pain from cancer and they were going to have to put him to sleep. We all still miss him. The whole family loved him - all the brothers, their friends, - everyone who knew him.
DeleteMy friend Dirk got an airedale for his mom after his dad died. Harpo. Jumped on counters and the stove. Like he had little springs on his feet. They finally had to find a family with a fenced yard and some zippy kids to take him. Mom got an elderly little poodle instead. Better match.
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