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.
DeleteWe received a German Shepherd pup as a wedding present. No that was NOT on our gift registry! Note to gift givers: never gift anyone with a pet they didn't ask for. We were poor newlyweds who didn't have money for vet bills or high end dog food. He was a sweet dog and we did the best we could for 4 years, but ended up re-homing him with a farm family where he could run around. A rambunctious high energy dog doesn't fit in well with a baby, even though they loved each other. Why didn't I just say "no thanks" to begin with? I should have, except the dog was from my mother in law's best friend, and my husband "always thought German Shepherds were cool". Sigh..
DeleteALL dogs are cool. Just not for all families. People who give pets as presents are usually too daffy to think through whether it's a good match for the giftee.
Delete[Joke]
DeleteA fortune teller told me that in 12 years' time, I'd suffer terrible heartbreak.
So, to cheer myself up, I bought a puppy.
I'm laughing, but that's dark!
DeleteWhenever I use Google nowadays to look up information (as opposed to direct me to a site), it defaults to having Gemini provide the answer. Sometimes, it's reliable, sometimes now.
ReplyDeleteA month or so ago, I was using Google on my cell phone to research vacation details - what airport to fly into, what flights to take, hotel prices etc. Googe Gemini asked me if I would like it to plan our itinerary for us. I said, Sure, why not? It put together an amazing itinerary. It clearly knows my preferences well and tailored the proposed experience accordingly. But then, when it came time to actually make reservations, it turns out that its fabulous itinerary was riddled with factual errors. E.g. fly out on a flight that doesn't exist; see a show that is not performing on the date it recommended; book a room in a hotel that is fully booked already (even though one of my explicit instructions was, "recommend hotels with [the number of stars we wanted] that have vacancies on the dates we're staying."
Some how, the AI engine's balance between "please the master" and "only present what is true" is out of whack.
If I want a salesperson to lie to me, I can find any number of humans.
DeleteJim, lol, me too!
DeleteWe have used Google Maps sometimes. But if I followed its direction all the time, it would put me where I didn't want to be, such as a six lane interstate going through Omaha at rush hour. There is more than one way to get somewhere, and the shortest or most direct route isn't always the best (my sons would argue about that !)
Katherine, I use Google Maps all the time to see traffic and figure out the best routes. The map usually shows me at least two, usually three alternate routes with estimates of the time for each. I use a local toll road frequently to avoid the Washington Beltway so I had to change the default from No tolls to tolls ok.
DeleteWe use the version that talks to you. Which is convenient, except when it isn't!
DeleteI can set mine to talk also. But I get the directions first and look,at the alternatives.Then I pick one but don’t turn on the voice until I’m in unknown territory. It starts from my house and tells-me the turns to get to whatever main road I need but I don’t need those directions. Once we’re close to a destination I turn on the voice directions. We go to Baltimore fairly often to Johns Hopkins. Going through downtown Baltimore can be tricky and the Google gps often directs us different ways to the medical center. So I turn the voice on as we’re approaching the downtown area.
DeleteGoogle Maps does have some settings like avoid tolls and avoid highways. There is even one to avoid ferries, which I've never had an occasion to use, although there is a US highway in Michigan that includes a ferry crossing of Lake Michigan to Wisconsin, where the highway picks up again.
DeleteMine prioritizes the greenest route (i.e. the route that would expend the least fuel). I didn't ask for that; it just defaults to it. I don't think it's ever cost me more than 1-2 minutes.
One plus of Google maps is it takes us on routes that we'd never otherwise have even considered, or even have known about, to reach reach our destination. So we get to see things we've never seen before.
A couple of things it does that are kind of pet peeves of mine: it will direct us to take side streets that end in stop signs at very busy roads and direct us to make a left turn. I usually prefer to go a few blocks out of my way to use a traffic light for those kinds of left turns. It also has no qualms about having us do U turns on busy roads. Maybe there are settings to filter kinds of things out, but I haven't figured them out yet.
Free Gemini isn't worth much except for gathering information you can check. It is wrong regularly, but I'm not willing to pay for the professiona version. A few minutes ago I was looking up courses online for Franciscan Spirituality. It's given me ideas but I don't know if any will pan out. It suggested Washington Theological Union which did have an entire certificate program in Franciscan Spirituality (also Jesuit, Augustinian and, I think, Dominican). I took a course there years ago and knew that WTU had closed many years ago. It also linked to one at the CAC site of Richard Rohr - a course taught in 2024 It had a link to Steubenville, but believe me, I have NO interest in that, assuming the course is even still available. I have found many, many problems and occasionally only use it as a starting point. I would never let it plan anything for me!
ReplyDeleteWhere are you going on vacation?
We were going to do Yosemite and Napa Valley, hence our need to figure out which airport is the right one (seems San Francisco would be the cheapest flights for that part of California). But I wimped out: I have sore knees, and flying economy class for 4-5 hour flights with my knees wedged against the seat in front of me is pretty much torture for me. So we're doing another driving vacation, to Canada. We will be in hostile territory, I guess, although my Canadian coworkers tell me we should be just fine as long as we don't wear any MAGA gear. That's not likely (at all) for us, so not too worried.
DeleteI will say for Gemini that it diagnosed the issue with one of my knees more accurately than the nurse practicioner and the PA I saw on visits to the urgent-care facility when the knee was really acting up.
DeleteOn the other hand, I asked it to explain the ending of an Albert Campion mystery which had left me unsatisfied, and Gemini's explanation of the closing pages of the book was, factually speaking, completely wrong. It described plot points that simply weren't in the book. Although, when I challenged its explanation, it apologized profusely, conceded I was right about how the book ends, and then gave a credible-sounding explanation for it.
I point out gemini’s errors all the time. It always apologizes. I think we’re training it when we do that.
DeleteIf we could still travel easily, we would head to Canada this year as a show of solidarity. I have a baseball cap that says Gulf of Mexico, established 1550. I’m going to get one for Lake Ontario too. I’ve looked up some Canadian exports to the US and plan to buy a few things online directly from the exporter, like Canadian maple syrup. I have no need for hockey gear! Or Canadian whiskey. I would love to go to Montreal, Banff or Nova Scotia. We had been tentatively planning a summer Nova Scotia trip before my husband’s fall from the ladder. We’ve been to Vancouver and Victoria Island. I’m looking into scenic train trips, but doubt we can pull it off. Road trips were our favorite way to travel when they were still easy to do.
Back to Jack's question: How do people go about finding out about their legal responsibilities before doing things?
ReplyDeleteWhen I was given some of my uncle's ashes several years ago, I called the Michigan DNR about scattering them in his trout stream. They said, OK, but don't make a habit of it.
Like I had dozens of uncles who needed scattering such that it formed a habit.
Would not do it now given the toxins in human remains.
Jean, "don't make a habit of it!" I had to laugh at that.
DeletePersonally I would prefer ashes be interred in a grave with a marker, or in a columbarium. My reasons are that there would then be a tangible permanent record that they had lived, dates of birth and death. So much historical and family research is carried out through cemetery records.
As far as learning one's legal responsibilities, I would think either official websites of things such as parks, or asking the people in charge there, if anyone like that still exists post DOGE
Yeah, the fish cop at the DNR was pretty laconic about it. I know my uncle would have laughed his head off over it.
DeleteIt's a sin to scatter ashes, according to the local priest. They have to be buried or put in a columbarium. So I guess I racked up more black marks in my heavenly ledger.
A lot of people seem to like to keep ashes of family on their dressers or in closets. My niece found ashes of her grandparents, brother, and dad after her mom died. So five sets of remains to contend with. Fortunately they were sealed in urns and labeled. But she had to buy cemetery plots and headstones, and that wasn't cheap.
One of my sisters passed away, quite suddenly, a couple of weeks ago. She lived in California. My parents are having her cremated there and then the cremains will be shipped to them in Illinois. They're trying to figure out if the cremains can be buried in one of their burial plots, without their having to purchase an entirely separate plot; I believe there are none available that are adjacent to their plots.
DeleteJim, I’m so sorry. Losing a sibling, even if you hadn’t been close in recent years due to distance, is a real hard kick in the stomach. My older brother died when he was 47 and I was 45. My older sister when she was 81 and I was 76. Both were sudden, and both were devastating to me, even though the ages were very different. It’s hard no matter when. Prayers ascending for your parents, you, and the whole family.
DeleteEternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Jim, I'm sorry to hear about your sister. If your folks are working with a local funeral home, they can help them figure things out. They may even be able to help them exchange their current plots for new ones that will allow your sister to be buried next to them.
DeleteJim, I am so sorry to hear that. Sending prayers for her and for you and the family. Hopefully like Jean said, a local funeral home can help figure things out for burial. An urn doesn't occupy that much space, it seems like they should be able to have your sisters burial without buying a separate plot? But different places have different rules.
DeleteIn Michigan, you can put two urns in a single plot meant for a coffin. There's actually room for three or four urns in one plot, but two is the general rule here. You also cannot have an urn of human or pet ashes put in a regular coffin. But this all varies by state and how active the mortician's lobby is.
DeleteBetty's daughter's cremains were shipped here. Saint Mary's Parish where she grew up and where Betty lived most of her life has an old cemetery which was mostly filled up except for a new area of columbaria, arranged around a paved area with benches which is very suitable for gatherings.
DeleteThe caretaker for the cemetery has been very creative in finding additional places for inground burial. One of these was next to the path to the paved area for the columbaria. It could be used for one person or four cremains. We chose that for Betty, her daughter, her son and myself. The tombstone side facing the in-ground urns, each covered with a square marker will have the names of Betty's and her children's, while the side facing the paved area will have my name.
I have a plot back in Pennsylvania next to my parents. There is little reason to take my body back there for viewing and a funeral service. Those will take place here. So why not be buried here with Betty and her children? The major portion of my life was with spent serving the mental ill here.
Spiritually I also see being cremated as being preferable. I like the idea of going up in flames like a holocaust rather than rotting in the ground. I particularly like being buried right next to an area where the Hours could be celebrated regularly. It was perfect for the funeral of Betty's daughter. People could easily gather around my ipad and sing along with chanted Morning Prayer.
I think rather than continuing in-ground cemeteries we should be building cloisters around our churches which would house the columbaria. Hopefully the cloisters would provide shelter from both the summer's extreme heat and the winter's extreme cold and would be suitable for processions during much of the year.
Processions were a great part of medieval church life, much preserved by Anglicans. Why not begin our masses with a procession around the cloister, inviting the children. Why not have the offertory procession around the cloister, again inviting the children? We could even have a dismissal procession around the cloister! Just think how much youthful energy all that would absorb. Kids might even like going to church and be exhausted when they get home! Full active participation!!!