by Travis Mateer
Just in time for the SECOND assassination attempt against Donald J. Trump, AI is being tested for reconditioning conspiracy theorists with facts. From the link:
The study, titled “Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI,” attempted to counter the common view that some people will not change their minds, even when presented with facts and evidence.
Addressing the problem of “widespread belief in unsubstantiated conspiracy theories,” researchers postulated that conspiracy theories can, contrary to the scientific narrative, be countered by way of systematic fact-checking.
Among those theories tested were more traditional conspiracies such as those involving the assassination of John F. Kennedy or the possibility of alien landings that were known to the United States government.
But others included more immediately politicized claims, such as the lawfulness of COVID lockdowns or the validity of the 2020 presidential election, both of which are a “major source of public concern.”
The study was conducted by having conspiratorial participants engage in brief conversations with AI, with the aim of “curing” the participants of their ostensibly false opinions.
Researchers concluded that “the treatment reduced participants’ belief in their chosen conspiracy theory by 20% on average,” suggesting that “treating” people with certain facts can indeed alter their opinions, particularly when those facts come from AI bots.
The “treatment” received also reportedly “persisted undiminshed for at least 2 months,” meaning that such conditioning could eventuate in regular treatment for those deemed conspiracy theorists.
Ultimately, then, AI conditioning was determined to be a potentially useful tool in addressing the “psychological needs and motivations” of such people. Researchers speculated that the technology could be implemented online in the coming years, particularly in online forums or on social media.
David Rand, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who co-authored the study, told reporters that he was optimistic about the future of AI conditioning.
“This is really exciting,” he said. “It seemed like it worked and it worked quite broadly.”
I’m glad David Rand is excited about this new use for AI, but are YOU excited? If the existence of conspiracies challenges your conception of how the world works, then AI might be protecting you from harsh realities that your feeble brain can’t handle, but if you’re like me and trying to understand how and why things happen, this is NOT great news.
After my latest mugshot dropped, readers might be wondering about MY curious experience with the criminal justice system this past year. Is there a conspiracy to stop me from writing about what I’m discovering about the functioning of this town and state?
I can’t get into details about my case, but since the teachers at my kids school saw this mugshot, I had to clarify for them, and other supporters, that NO, I was NOT arrested for this felony charge. I was finally served the papers after a month of the city threatening me that this charge was coming, then I had 7 days to report to jail for a “book and release”. That’s why you don’t see any orange in this pic, just the color of my Donnie Darko t-shirt.
Another popular conspiracy theory is that weather can be controlled. If you’re rolling your eyes at this “theory” then please explain this NBC Montana article to me about “cloud seeding” and how our hilarious state legislators mandated, through legislation, that cloud seeding be explored for parts of Montana. From the link (emphasis mine):
The Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC) is hosting an information session for the public on recent legislation to study the feasibility of cloud seeding in the Big Hole Watershed at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17 in Dillon .The session will be led by Dr. SarahTessendorf, U.S. National Science FoundationNational Center for Atmospheric Research, Research Applications Laboratory (NSFNCAR).
In 2023, the Montana State Legislature appropriated funds in House Bill 2, requiring DNRC to complete an analysis on the feasibility of winter-time cloud seeding to enhance mountain snowpack in southwest Montana.
Cloud seeding is the technique of introducing tiny particles into certain types of subfreezing clouds to enhance the formation of rain and snow. Cloud seeding has existed for more than 60 years and is used in some western states.
Yep, our legislators can consider weather modification techniques all day long, but try and explain Tax Increment Financing to them and they just lose interest, looking instead for a trans-legislator to obsess over. Fucking idiots.
Speaking of idiots, looks like the NO CAMP MISSOULA folks are excited about their stupid signs.
While Doc Moore gets all excited over the thought of exhibiting his impotent imagination with a proliferation of yard signs, I’m excited about the passion of white dudes for Harris. Go get ’em, guys!
To wrap up this post, here’s a song about a special kind of fruit that’s on the menu for the week. I’d like to dedicate this song to the MULTIPLE donors who have stepped up to help out a struggling citizen journalist by donating actual money to Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF). The donations are GREATLY needed and appreciated, so THANK YOU!
And thanks for reading!