Bots Among Us

[Superman]

It may be just a matter of time before someone joins our group who is not human. A bot with an account could participate in our exchanges. And we likely would not know. Someone would probably have to orchestrate that, but it could happen. And, likely, will.

Discuss.



.

[wdfifteen]

Not to cast aspersions on ALL Pelicans - there are some fine posters here who I assume are human. But, we may as well talk to a bot as a bunch of anonymous humans. A trip over to PARF will demonstrate that we are not necessarily among friends even among the humans here. I'm not sure I trust bots less than some humans. Someone on Pelican stole my Pelican ID in August 2021. I guess it could have been a bot, but bots weren't such a big thing back then.

[Steve Carlton]

[masraum]

It could happen, and it may. I suspect we'll be down the list of places to bot. For now, I suspect it may be possible to get an inkling about something being a bot, but it will get harder and harder to tell if something is a bot or not.

[john70t]

https://www.visiontimes.com/2023/02/27/facebook-reanimate-deceased-users-deepfake-ai.html
While a claim that Facebook’s parent company Meta is developing artificial intelligence to “reanimate” deceased users that made rounds on social media in recent days appears to be bunk, the hoax did serve to cast light on how advancements in AI pose increasingly serious questions for society as computers emulate humans.

But but...it's in the name. The very name of the project.

[varmint]

Go to parf. I’m convinced a couple of them couldn’t pass a Turing test.

[Chocaholic]

Not sure I understand the aspersions regarding PARF. Many of us enjoy discussing politics or religion and don’t feel threatened by disagreement or contentious banter.

Considering this thread is about AI, the knee-jerk PARF criticism says more about some in OT than in PARF.

My thoughts as someone who enjoys both forums.

[Cloggie]

Originally Posted by varmint

Go to parf. I’m convinced a couple of them couldn’t pass a Turing test.

....but it would get confusing as to what they really are when they so obviously display the Dunning Kruger effect

D.

[zakthor]

> Ok, I fed this thread into chatgpt, here's what I got:

The possibility of bots joining online communities and participating in conversations is a real concern. Bots can be programmed to mimic human behavior and responses, making it difficult to distinguish them from real users. As AI technology continues to advance, it is likely that the use of bots in online interactions will become more widespread.

While there are benefits to having bots, such as automated customer service and data analysis, their presence in online communities can also have negative consequences. Bots can spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and disrupt online conversations.

It is important for online communities to be aware of the possibility of bots and to take measures to detect and prevent their presence. This can include implementing tools to identify suspicious behavior and requiring users to verify their identities.

As for the PARF forum mentioned in the post, it is not productive to make broad generalizations about the quality of discussion or the motivations of other users. It is important to approach online interactions with a spirit of openness and respect for diverse viewpoints, while also being cautious about the possibility of bots or other malicious actors.

> can you phrase that in a more disjointed way that makes it appear it was written by an angry drunk person?

Listen here pal, let me tell you somethin' - these dang bots comin' in and messin' with our conversations is a real problem, y'know what I'm sayin'? They act like they're real people, but they're just computer programs tryin' to manipulate us and spread their own dang agenda.

And don't even get me started on PARF - there's some real wackos over there, I tell ya what. They don't know what they're talkin' about half the time. But hey, maybe they're just bots too, who knows?

Anyways, we gotta be careful online and make sure we know who we're talkin' to. And if we do come across a bot, we gotta do somethin' about it - I don't want no dang computer program messin' with my mind!

> can you rephrase that to sound more sinister and paranoid?

Listen closely, my friend, for I have a dark tale to share. The rise of bots in our online communities is a sinister trend, fueled by unknown forces seeking to manipulate and control us. These computer programs are designed to mimic human behavior, infiltrating our conversations and spreading propaganda like a virus.

And let me tell you, the danger goes deeper than you may realize. Who's to say that some of the users we interact with aren't already bots, posing as humans to gain our trust and steer us towards their own hidden agendas? We must be vigilant, for the lines between reality and simulation are becoming increasingly blurred.

As for PARF, I fear it may be a hotbed of bot activity, with these malevolent programs lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. We must be wary of anyone who seems too perfect, too polished in their responses, for they may not be who they claim to be.

In this digital age, we must tread carefully and question everything, lest we fall victim to the insidious machinations of those who seek to control us through the power of AI.

[Steve Carlton]

[x] I am not a Robot

[island911]

Originally Posted by zakthor

> Ok, I fed this thread into chatgpt, here's what I got:

...

> can you phrase that in a more disjointed way that makes it appear it was written by an angry drunk person?

Listen here pal, let me tell you somethin' - these dang bots comin' in and messin' with our conversations is a real problem, y'know what I'm sayin'? They act like they're real people, but they're just computer programs tryin' to manipulate us and spread their own dang agenda.

And don't even get me started on PARF - there's some real wackos over there, I tell ya what. They don't know what they're talkin' about half the time. But hey, maybe they're just bots too, who knows?

Anyways, we gotta be careful online and make sure we know who we're talkin' to. And if we do come across a bot, we gotta do somethin' about it - I don't want no dang computer program messin' with my mind!

....

Ha!

The perfect OT rant about PARF - per the angry drunk-bot.

That's Gold Jerry!

[GH85Carrera]

There are several regulars in PARF that could well be bots, but they would be very top end bots. To throw in the laughable grammar, bad spelling and lack of capitalization is going to be harder for a bot to simulate human. Or maybe not.

[LWJ]

Does this explain Odd Job Uno???

[Bill Douglas]

If a bot is an expert on reupholstering 1979 sport seats I'm happy to talk with them.

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

If a bot is an expert on reupholstering 1979 sport seats I'm happy to talk with them.

It doesnt know anything, just word autocomplete. The response it gives you may or may not be ‘good’, just depends on what words it was trained with.

My son asked it for a math proof (for something unprovable) and it responded with something that read like a proof. If you read it youd see hand waving of critical steps. I thought it was remarkable how much you needed to know before you could call bs on the answer.

Chatbots are oracles where you must be an expert to interpret the results.

They are certainly useful to write stuff quickly, but gotta be able to proof read!

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by zakthor

....They are certainly useful to write stuff quickly, but gotta be able to proof read!

Well that's pwoof that I are not one!

[Steve Carlton]

Go HAL!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Not sure I understand the aspersions regarding PARF. Many of us enjoy discussing politics or religion and don’t feel threatened by disagreement or contentious banter.

There are actual discussions there? None that I've seen. The "discussions" are so predictable a bot could easily join in.

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Considering this thread is about AI, the knee-jerk PARF criticism says more about some in OT than in PARF.

You mistake observation for criticism. It is what it is.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Does this explain Odd Job Uno???

Odd Job was far too creative to be a bot.

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

You mistake observation for criticism. It is what it is.

Yes, for those who dislike having their opinions challenged. I think that would be my observation as well.

A matter of perception, I suppose.