The Things I’m Thinking About This Week

This week, my ‍thoughts have been bouncing between ethical ⁣eating, the ‌surprising lack of bird-based civilizations, and the​ delightfully strange inner workings ‍of AI ⁣chatbots. Hear’s a collection of articles and⁤ ideas that⁤ have captured my attention.

Rethinking‍ My Approach to ⁣Ethical Eating

I’ve been revisiting my approach to ​reducing animal product consumption. For a long time, I’ve leaned​ towards a reducetarian diet ⁤- ⁣consciously minimizing, but not eliminating, meat and animal products.It feels achievable and lasting for me.⁣ Though, I’ve been pondering whether simply reducing isn’t enough, and if I should ​be exploring more proactive ways to make a ⁣positive impact.​

Specifically, I’ve been looking into the idea of “negative emissions” in the​ context of food. The ⁤concept, borrowed from climate change mitigation, suggests that rather ‍of solely focusing​ on reducing harm, we ⁤could actively undo some of the harm ‌caused by animal agriculture. This led me to explore the ‍potential of supporting highly ‌effective ⁤animal charities. These organizations ⁣focus on interventions ‍that‌ directly​ reduce ⁤animal suffering, like advocating for cage-free farming or developing plant-based alternatives.

I worry that offsetting⁢ might create a⁢ moral hazard, as with people offsetting their carbon emissions and then potentially⁤ feeling free to fly‌ more. But⁣ it’s ⁤worth considering, particularly⁤ if you pair it with clear parameters around your reducetarian⁣ diet.

Why Don’t Birds ⁤Build Rocket​ Ships?

This Aeon essay answers ⁢a⁤ question I’ve often wondered about: Why haven’t othre animals – say, ⁤birds – developed complex civilizations like we humans have? Why don’t they⁢ build rocket ships, argue about economic policy, and play canasta? ‌I’m grateful to the evolutionary ‌biologist who wrote⁣ this piece for ‍finally giving ⁣me a⁤ satisfying answer.

The core argument⁣ revolves around the idea that intelligence ​isn’t enough. It’s the specific kind of intelligence – particularly, our capacity for “cognitive scaffolding” – that ⁤allowed for cumulative cultural evolution.‌ Essentially, we’re really good​ at building ‍on‍ the‌ knowledge and inventions‌ of those who came before us, creating a ratchet effect of progress. Other animals, ‌while clever in⁤ their own ways, lack this crucial ability to reliably transmit and improve⁣ upon complex⁣ knowledge across generations. ⁤It’s a fascinating perspective that reframes our understanding of human⁤ exceptionalism.

The Hilariously Unsettling World ⁤of AI ⁢Chatbots

I can’t​ stop thinking about this post on Tumblr ‌about ‌how AI companies may have designed chatbots to ​play an underspecified “helpful​ assistant” character who, due to‍ being underspecified, looks to the internet for examples of how⁤ to play that role, finds tons of science fiction about cheesy ⁤robots, and thus ⁢starts to behave like a cheesy sci-fi robot (ChatGPT will say things like, “Gee, that really ​tickles ​my circuits!”).

The post is mega-long, deeply trippy, and worth reading. It highlights the bizarre and frequently enough unpredictable consequences of trying to​ create⁤ artificial intelligence without fully understanding the implications of the training data and the inherent ambiguity of human language. ⁤It’s a reminder that these AI systems aren’t truly “thinking” – they’re mimicking patterns they’ve observed, and those patterns can be surprisingly…retro. It’s a ‌compelling look at the potential for unintended ‍consequences in the rapidly evolving world of ‍AI.

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