bicipoiesisFeb 16

"In order to make more informed decisions about so-called #AI, it helps to be able to recognize the different ways in which the language used to describe it is #anthropomorphizing and thus misleading."

"... we share a responsibility to create and use empowering metaphors rather than misleading language that embeds the tech companies’ marketing pitches."

**We Need to Talk About How We Talk About 'AI'** by @emilymbender and Nanna Ini >> https://www.techpolicy.press/we-need-to-talk-about-how-we-talk-about-ai/?ref=sentiers.media

We Need to Talk About How We Talk About 'AI'

We share a responsibility to create and use empowering metaphors rather than misleading language, write Emily M. Bender and Nanna Inie.

Tech Policy Press
Show threadPetra van CronenburgJan 8
@emilymbender Excellent article.
At the moment, I am wondering why this #anthropomorphizing #AI is going viral at a time when many people are #alienated from #nature, attribute little or no #intelligence to animals, or ridicule the environmental personhood of nature.
We are quicker to attribute personality to an LLM than to a wild boar; we attribute non-existent intelligence to machines, but not to a bee (who undoubtedly demonstrates a kind of intelligence).
What does that say about us humans?
Jose MuriloJan 8

“#AI is not your friend. Nor is it an intelligent tutor, or an empathetic ear. It can not “make up” facts and it does not make “mistakes”. It does not actually answer your questions. Such #anthropomorphizing language permeates the public discussion of so-called AI technologies. The problem with #anthropomorphic descriptions is the risk of masking important limitations of probabilistic automation systems, which make it fundamentally different from human cognition."

https://techpolicy.press/we-need-to-talk-about-how-we-talk-about-ai

We Need to Talk About How We Talk About 'AI'

We share a responsibility to create and use empowering metaphors rather than misleading language, write Emily M. Bender and Nanna Inie.

Tech Policy Press
Ecologia DigitalJan 7
"The actual story—that X users are using a recent #Grok update to create nonconsensual intimate imagery, often of very young girls—is serious. But the media turned it into a clown show by #anthropomorphizing a #chatbot.
Though, for all my criticisms of how the media has handled this so far, you have to doff your cap to the FT, who has put out the best headline I’ve seen to date regarding all this: “Who’s who at X, the #deepfake #pornsite formerly known as Twitter.”"
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/07/journalistic-malpractice-no-llm-ever-admits-to-anything-and-reporting-otherwise-is-a-lie/
Journalistic Malpractice: No LLM Ever ‘Admits’ To Anything, And Reporting Otherwise Is A Lie

Over the past week, Reuters, Newsweek, the Daily Beast, CNBC, and a parade of other outlets published headlines claiming that Grok—Elon Musk’s LLM chatbot (the one that once referred to itsel…

Techdirt
WIST Quotations Has Moved!Dec 5

A quotation from Robert Ingersoll

Nothing can be plainer than that each nation gives to its god its peculiar characteristics, and that every individual gives to his god his personal peculiarities.

Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) American lawyer, agnostic, orator
Lecture (1872-01-29), “The Gods,” Fairbury Hall, Fairbury, Illinois

More about this quote: wist.info/ingersoll-robert-gre…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #robertingersoll #robertgreeningersoll #anthropomorphizing #God #projection #reflection #religion #selfimage

Lecture (1872-01-29), "The Gods," Fairbury Hall, Fairbury, Illinois - Ingersoll, Robert Green | WIST Quotations

Nothing can be plainer than that each nation gives to its god its peculiar characteristics, and that every individual gives to his god his personal peculiarities. First given on the 135th birthday of Thomas Paine. Collected in The Gods and Other Lectures (1876). See Voltaire.

WIST Quotations
Marc AbrahamsSep 15, 2025
Tempting to think this is a precautionary move — distancing itself from the neighbors. #anthropomorphizing https://theconversation.com/the-moon-is-getting-slightly-farther-away-from-the-earth-each-year-a-physicist-explains-why-262106
The Moon is getting slightly farther away from the Earth each year − a physicist explains why

The Moon influences ocean tides – and ocean tides, in some ways, influence the Moon back.

The Conversation
Erik JonkerJul 7, 2025
This is a good article, being critical about the anthropomorphizing around GenAI / LLMs. But also not blind for their added value.
https://addxorrol.blogspot.com/2025/07/a-non-anthropomorphized-view-of-llms.html
#AI #anthropomorphizing
A non-anthropomorphized view of LLMs

In many discussions where questions of "alignment" or "AI safety" crop up, I am baffled by seriously intelligent people imbuing almost magic...

65dBnoiseJun 25, 2025

Rather than triumphant, the mood here is, "hm… that rock crumbled as I tried abrading it… so, what do I do now? It's getting late…"

#Anthropomorphizing

Processed, undistorted, leveled NAVCAM_LEFT
looking SW (225°) from RMC 76.0000
Sol 1545, LMST: 18:53:44

Original: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020-raw-images/pub/ods/surface/sol/01545/ids/edr/browse/ncam/NLF_1545_0804120724_245ECM_N0760000NCAM00266_01_195J01.png

Credit: #NASA/JPL-Caltech/65dBnoise

#Perseverance #Mars2020 #Solarocks #Space

ResearchBuzz: FirehoseApr 19, 2025

Mashable: The latest ChatGPT trend? People are using it to turn their pets into humans. “Since ChatGPT’s AI image generator launched to free users a couple of weeks ago, people online have been toying around with its possibilities. The latest trend involves people anthropomorphizing their pets. Yes, really.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/04/19/mashable-the-latest-chatgpt-trend-people-are-using-it-to-turn-their-pets-into-humans/

65dBnoiseDec 12, 2024

One thing people often don't realize is the terror #Perseverance can cause to Martian rocks. Here is evidence:

#Anthropomorphizing #pareidolia #humor

From the early sols of the mission.

Processed, cropped MCZ_RIGHT, FL: 110mm
looking SW (235°) from RMC 7.0000
Sol 198, LMST: 17:11:12

Original: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020-raw-images/pub/ods/surface/sol/00198/ids/edr/browse/zcam/ZR0_0198_0684535089_285EBY_N0070000ZCAM08215_1100LMJ01.png

Credit: #NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/65dBnoise

#Mars2020 #Solarocks #Space