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Computer, Respond to This Email

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Re: Computer, Respond to This Email

#2
I just started reading Avogadro Corp (http://www.amazon.com/Avogadro-Corp-Singularity-Closer-Appea...) this weekend, and this reminds me quite a lot of the emergent AI that figures heavily in the story (ELOPe). A quick synopsis: developers build a system to "improve" responses from emails. The system at some point is given the ability to send emails on its own, and a poorly issued directive. It's been an engaging read so far, and fairly hilarious since the corporation in the book is very obviously based on Google.

Re: Computer, Respond to This Email

#4
While the technology is very cool, this pushes me that much closer to a "dumber" email service. It's always a conflict for me as I love shiny new things, but I'd rather we let AI loose on someone else's email, especially when the AI's revenue stream is advertising (a business predicated on knowing as much as possible about your audience).

Re: Computer, Respond to This Email

#6
post #3

Finally! This will dispel all those rumours that Google reads all your email.

Why do you care if a computer reads through your email? Its not like Larry Page is looking through your search history. AI seems to just be data expressed in some way, ei me and you are a physical expression of years of gigabit streams of data. This will only become more strongly felt as we get closer to serious AI.

Sadly I think its something you either get used to or go live in the woods.

Re: Computer, Respond to This Email

#7
post #6
post #3

Finally! This will dispel all those rumours that Google reads all your email.

Why do you care if a computer reads through your email? Its not like Larry Page is looking through your search history. AI seems to just be data expressed in some way, ei me and you are a physical expression of years of gigabit streams of data. This will only become more strongly felt as we get closer to serious AI. Sadly I think its something you either get used to or go live in the woods.

The most obvious answer for me is that the computer could tell people to take interest if the email matches some criteria. So it isn't the intrusive one, but it could automate finding people to intrude on.

Re: Computer, Respond to This Email

#8
post #3

Finally! This will dispel all those rumours that Google reads all your email.

I think you have it backwards, before it read your email to scan for keyword advertising tags, now it actually interprets the email and can provide a coherent response. Next up, auto responding to pharma spam with orders because you complained to a friend in one previous email about your love life :-) Its just the computer trying to help out, it knows you want have a better life :-)

The worrisome thing is that it while it used to be the privileged who insulated themselves from the "real" world by having staff answer their email, this would let everyone do that, and that might give everyone more tunnel vision.

Re: Computer, Respond to This Email

#10
post #7
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you care if a computer reads through your email? Its not like Larry Page is looking through your search history. AI seems to just be data expressed in some way, ei me and you are a physical expression of years of gigabit streams of data. This will only become more strongly felt as we get closer to serious AI. Sadly I think its something you either get used to or go live in the woods.

The most obvious answer for me is that the computer could tell people to take interest if the email matches some criteria. So it isn't the intrusive one, but it could automate finding people to intrude on.

Do you think that this hasn't been happening? As someone posting on tech site, you should be aware that they scan emails for keywords, probably google and certainly the NSA.

Furthermore, training LSTM networks on emails has nothing to do with what you are concerned about.

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