source : the age
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Hopeful signs
The government’s proposed and already legislated actions against AI and social media platforms have been powerfully vindicated by two developments. First, Bill Gates, while acknowledging the enormous potential of AI (“Gates warns global leaders on risks of AI to humanity”, 28/8), identifies many potential dangers due to its “mind blowing” rate of advance. He acts as an industry whistleblower declaring that big business will actively resist government actions to slow or rein in its advance, due to “economic incentives”. He also suggests some innovative guard rails: preserve certain jobs and responsibilities for humans and taxing the “tokens and robots” that replace humans.
Second, the financial penalty agreed to by Meta (“Meta to pay $24b in addiction case”, 28/8) and the controls it now says it can and will build into its platforms to protect teenagers and limit their usage, justifies the government’s social media controls. Both developments strengthen its negotiating position with big business.
Peter Thomson, Brunswick
Energy necessity
The only requirement the government needs to make of new data centres is that they choose the most cost effective source of energy and that they supply themselves with that in the fastest possible time. That’s it. Let’s see what then emerges.
Carolyn Ingvarson, Canterbury
Robot peril
The proper response to the Chinese robot games is not laughter or ridicule but fear. Remember ″tank man″ near Tiananmen Square? Robots, with suitable improvements in control, will soon be out on the streets in countries with authoritarian governments (realistically all governments, because the temptation will be too great to resist) and used for crowd control.
No tanks or armoured vehicles will be needed. Armed or not, humanoid robots will be unstoppable and capable of causing great harm to people, including killing us. If they are stopped, they can immediately be replaced. No morality or conscience will be involved in their actions. At the current pace of development of robots (and data centres) I fear they will be used within a few years and, given the lack of resistance by us humans to the other humans who are responsible for what is happening, I don’t see much of a future for the majority of us. I weep for my grandkids.
Don Jordan, Mount Waverley
White board for Hanson
I think it might be time to get out the whiteboard at One Nation headquarters and in big, bold letters put down a definition, and differences between, net overseas migration (NOM), true NOM, net zero migration, net negative migration, the different categories of visas and permanent residency. After 30 years in politics Pauline Hanson is struggling, as witnessed by her answers at the Bush Summit.
Invite all their current MP’s and senators along, together with candidates for election because the vilification of migrants is the attraction of many of One Nation’s supporters. Surely they must want to know who the migrants are, where they come from, and how many they are blaming for all woes. Maybe not, as it’s easier to use a broad brush and blame all migrants without answering questions on future numbers or categories.
Doug Shaw, Sunbury
Glad to be out of it
Melbourne a megacity of 10 million – are we totally mad? (″Megacity, how will it cope?″, 28/8). Where is the water coming from? The food? The emergency services when the hyperfires of 2050, fed by 3-5 degrees of global warming, burn deep into the sprawling outer suburbs? The bayside suburbs forced to move uphill when sealevel rises half a metre or more? The police to try to quell the periodic uprisings of the out-of-work and the never-worked, squeezed out of society and the economy by AI? Now 75, living in the lotus land of the bush and not having to go to this nightmare city any more, I am glad I will miss all this.
Mick Webster, Chiltern
Show some humanity
Imagine if the boot was on the other foot and Australia suffered a disaster or a war and other countries said, ″Sorry, we have a limit on the number of refugees.″ We would be crying out in disgust at the complete lack of humanity.Would we graciously accept being told, ″Go back to where you came from.″ We would argue that we are people too, with feelings and the need to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of the colour of our skin, our religious beliefs, our ethnicity and even of our gender.
If we can’t see the need to help others who are suffering, why should we expect others to see the need if we are suffering? There will be some who play the system, but stats don’t show that is a very low number. Policy makers, if you have any humanity, then put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
Greg Tuck, Warragul
Very little sense
The federal government will provide $5 million in humanitarian assistance to Nepal. That’s 18 cents per Australian.
Peter Seligman, Brunswick West
Rein in lobbyists
While I support the push to increase the transparency of the interactions between decision makers and lobbyists, why don’t we also restrict the access of lobbyists for non-corporate interests to ministers? Corporate interests should be restricted to engaging with the public service and public servants should be banned for at least five years from lobbying roles or representing corporate interests to government.
Rosemary Marcon, Hawthorn
Drew a picture of world
Cathy Wilcox had the unerring skill with a brushstroke to eviscerate and expose the hypocrisy, evil, narcissism, self-importance and sadness in the world to make us pause and nod collectively in a way words alone never could.
Peter Russo, West Brunswick
Annual calendar, please
I had to re-read Cathy Wilcox’s commentary a few times to fully realise what “taking a break” really meant, and it made me sad. Wilcox has always been so refreshingly insightful, intelligent and direct without any hint of malice or meanness. Could she be invited to consider preparing a yearly calendar for us to buy? I would love to continue to enjoy her work as each new month arrives.
Helen Clements, Mount Waverley
As good as it gets
To your correspondent (Letters, 29/8) we all need to face the fact that Australia is incapable of building roads. Built for price, on the cheap and a ″she’ll-be right″ attitude, this is as good as it gets.
Gregory Head, Ararat
The kids are all right
Recently on the train I saw and heard a group of teens talking and laughing with each other. Not a device in sight. Still annoying, but fun watching them interacting with each other instead of heads down looking at phones.
James Lane, Hampton East
Great start to finals
I was not a fan of the AFL finals 10 with wildcard rounds. The Bulldogs v Collingwood game changed my opinion. An edge-of-the-seat match that delivered a fantastic game to start the finals.
Ross Kroger, Barwon Heads
… for some
Pies lose with a kick on the siren. Pendlebury leaves for the Suns. A total eclipse of the heart!
Glenda Johnston, Queenscliff
… solace, of sorts
Q. Why do Collingwood supporters never end up in hell? A. Because they have received more than enough punishment here on Earth!
Philip Anthony, Hawthorn East
