Author: Geek Planet

While LLMs may be “just math” and statistically choose the next word as “autocomplete on steroids,” they aren’t reliably connected to reality. They don’t know the meaning of anything. In fact, they know precisely nothing (Big Tech propaganda notwithstanding). So, the words they generate are not grounded in reality. It’s not just that they hallucinate: it’s that they confabulate, or “BS” And that’s before we consider the emotionally manipulative user interface (UI). The chatbot UI is deceptively created to feel helpful, supportive, encouraging, and intelligent, leading us into forming a relationship and building trust. Big Tech’s signature exploitative strategies optimize…

The festive shopping season is in full swing right now with deals and discounts on almost every storefront. And as usual, electronics gadgets are a hot commodity. Phones, hearables, and consoles are usually at the top of many wishlists, but one item, in particular, that I highly recommend is smart glasses.   I know. I know. The whole concept of putting on a pair of glasses that try hard to look like Ray-Bans, but still spook anyone nearby with conspicuous cameras, is something that many people are still uneasy with. But Meta isn’t the only label out there — with its…

Google is expected to launch its next Pixel A-series device soon, and recent leaks have already revealed quite a bit about the affordable phone. The Pixel 10a is said to bring minimal design changes and could reuse several components from its predecessor. While that may dampen expectations for those hoping for a bigger upgrade, a new leak gives fans something to look forward to. According to a recent post from tipster Arsène Lupin on X, Google could unveil the Pixel 10a on February 17. Leaked retail listings suggest that the device may come in two storage configurations: 128GB and 256GB.…

It started with a standing desk and a Beyoncé lip sync.That was the viral video Bashel Lewis posted to his TikTok account in April that got him thinking about leaving his full time marketing gig at Nielsen to become a content creator. “Everyone from Universal to Hulu to every brand you could think — Mama Tina [Tina Knowles], Gayle King, CBS posted this stuff,” said Lewis, a New York City based lifestyle and comedy content creator, referring to the people who engaged with the video.  That video has since racked up more than 7.3 million views on TikTok and Lewis…

I have shared many examples of the unreliability of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and other large language models (LLMs). Recent examples include evaluating a rotated tic-tac-toe grid, and labeling a possum’s body parts. Some correspondents have objected that no one is going to ask an LLM to evaluate an obviously pointless tic-tac-toe rotation or to identify a possum’s tail and snout. I should have been clearer. The many examples I’ve reported are not just “gotchas” meant to embarrass LLMs. They are intended to demonstrate in a clear and compelling way that LLMs are inherently unreliable. Going back to my Oxford…

After rolling out new Gemini-powered translation capabilities for Google Translate last month, Google now appears to be prepping a new feature that will let users ask for alternate translations. This feature could give users multiple translation choices instead of a single result, which would be useful in a variety of situations. The in-development feature was first spotted by Android Authority while digging through the latest build of Google Translate for Android (version 10.0.36.855137688.3-release). Although it’s not live for end users, the publication managed to enable it while attempting to surface another unreleased feature that would offer users contextual information and…

Leading up to Christmas, Coca Cola and McDonald’s, two of America’s biggest and most iconic brands, put out AI-generated commercials. When I first saw the Coca Cola one, I had to do a “double take,” but it soon became clear that those semi-trucks and that happy golden retriever had an unreal gloss added on. The McDonald’s ad got so much pushback that the fast-food giant opted to pull it from YouTube. Enter Porsche, the car company, and it’s contrasting advertisement showing the time-tested beauties of hand-drawn and CGI animation. It’s a beautiful ad, replete with vivid colors and crisp images,…

The European Union has published its Digital Omnibus proposal — a bundle of updates meant to simplify Europe’s digital rulebook and remove some of the complexity that has built up since the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and other tech laws came into force.The Nov. 19 update has been dubbed a “simplification package,” and includes fundamental changes that will affect how data can be used, how AI is trained, and how companies across advertising, media, and tech operate. “The Commission set a course to simplify EU rules to make the EU economy more competitive and more prosperous by making business in the…

The first two acts of 2001:  A Space Odyssey which we have been covering on recent Saturdays, function more as preludes. Act 3 is really where the story begins. In the opening, Dr. David Bowman and his partner, Dr. Frank Poole are flying to Jupiter on their ship, Discovery One. It is piloted by humanity’s newest AI, the HAL 9000. There are also three other scientists on the ship — in hibernation. The plan is to wake them up once the crew reaches Jupiter. So far, things seem to be going well, although HAL immediately comes off as arrogant, declaring…

Google’s NotebookLM is experimenting with a feature that could make studying feel a lot more like attending an actual class. A new Lecture mode can turn your uploaded notes, documents, and sources into long, spoken lectures (via Testing Catalog). It lets NotebookLM teach the material out loud instead of just summarizing it on screen. Instead of the shorter Audio Overviews users are already familiar with, this new mode is designed to produce a single, continuous lecture delivered by one AI narrator. When paired with the Long length option, the lecture can run for close to 30 minutes, mimicking the flow…