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Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: Staff_Inflection on 29 May 2018, 23:22

Title: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Staff_Inflection on 29 May 2018, 23:22
So when Clinton got high with his mother and talked about "cock-blocking" him and he was all "OMG I CAN HEAR THE QUOTATIONS"

And obviously we learned that Faye can hear the quotations when Bubbles says something in quotes and given that this seems to be an exclusively AI trait.....

IS MRS AUGUSTUS THE SECRET AI OVERLORD? :-o :-o :-o :-o :-o

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: BenRG on 29 May 2018, 23:26
Actually, I've opinioned at length about why I think Emily is an experimental 'daughter' AI in a bio-mimetic chassis.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Staff_Inflection on 29 May 2018, 23:36
Actually, I've opinioned at length about why I think Emily is an experimental 'daughter' AI in a bio-mimetic chassis.

I like the way you think. This would explain how her classroom experiments tend to get the government involved
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: sniktchtherat on 30 May 2018, 01:44
....the more I think about Emily, the more I wonder.  We know she has parents - Marigold met them on-panel after the beach house party.  She COULD just be one of those people who's so terrifyingly intelligent that nominal social interactions are at best tertiary concerns...but I still wonder.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: awgiedawgie on 30 May 2018, 09:57
....the more I think about Emily, the more I wonder.  We know she has parents - Marigold met them on-panel after the beach house party.  She COULD just be one of those people who's so terrifyingly intelligent that nominal social interactions are at best tertiary concerns...but I still wonder.
My brother is highly intelligent. I mean, I have an IQ of 160, and he makes me feel stupid by comparison. I don't know if his IQ is over 200, but it's pretty damn close. As a result, he does not tend to interact well socially. His brain can do laps around normal people, but he doesn't know how to talk to them. Emily does a far better job of that, considering how smart she is.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: OldGoat on 30 May 2018, 10:02
Actually, I've opinioned at length about why I think Emily is an experimental 'daughter' AI in a bio-mimetic chassis.
Naw, I know a few people in real life people like Emily, and I very much doubt I'm alone in that.  If any of them are AIs the technology is far more advanced than that in the QCverse.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: awgiedawgie on 30 May 2018, 10:03
So when Clinton got high with his mother and talked about "cock-blocking" him and he was all "OMG I CAN HEAR THE QUOTATIONS"

And obviously we learned that Faye can hear the quotations when Bubbles says something in quotes and given that this seems to be an exclusively AI trait.....
Listen to a human talk when they are using quotes in their speech. Bubbles said she uses millisecond pauses around words to indicate them. That's exactly how any human does it (there also tends to be a slight change in pitch). It's not by any means an exclusively AI trait.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Storel on 31 May 2018, 13:13
So when Clinton got high with his mother and talked about "cock-blocking" him and he was all "OMG I CAN HEAR THE QUOTATIONS"

And obviously we learned that Faye can hear the quotations when Bubbles says something in quotes and given that this seems to be an exclusively AI trait.....
Listen to a human talk when they are using quotes in their speech. Bubbles said she uses millisecond pauses around words to indicate them. That's exactly how any human does it (there also tends to be a slight change in pitch). It's not by any means an exclusively AI trait.

Most humans need to do "air quotes" with their fingers to make it completely clear. The advantage AIs have is being able to modulate their voice controllers so precisely that air quotes are unnecessary. Must be nice...
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Tova on 31 May 2018, 14:29
They don't need to, really.

Which is why some find it grating.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 31 May 2018, 16:52
....the more I think about Emily, the more I wonder.  We know she has parents - Marigold met them on-panel after the beach house party.  She COULD just be one of those people who's so terrifyingly intelligent that nominal social interactions are at best tertiary concerns...but I still wonder.
My brother is highly intelligent. I mean, I have an IQ of 160, and he makes me feel stupid by comparison. I don't know if his IQ is over 200, but it's pretty damn close. As a result, he does not tend to interact well socially. His brain can do laps around normal people, but he doesn't know how to talk to them. Emily does a far better job of that, considering how smart she is.

There is some research indicating that communication tends to break down with more than a 30-point IQ gap. There are ways to compensate and talking to people is a teachable skill. Emily may have chosen not to invest the time and effort.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Zebediah on 31 May 2018, 17:23
Nobody in the cast is secretly an AI.

One in four is secretly a beetle (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2490), however.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: awgiedawgie on 31 May 2018, 20:08
So when Clinton got high with his mother and talked about "cock-blocking" him and he was all "OMG I CAN HEAR THE QUOTATIONS"

And obviously we learned that Faye can hear the quotations when Bubbles says something in quotes and given that this seems to be an exclusively AI trait.....
Listen to a human talk when they are using quotes in their speech. Bubbles said she uses millisecond pauses around words to indicate them. That's exactly how any human does it (there also tends to be a slight change in pitch). It's not by any means an exclusively AI trait.

Most humans need to do "air quotes" with their fingers to make it completely clear. The advantage AIs have is being able to modulate their voice controllers so precisely that air quotes are unnecessary. Must be nice...
Humans don't need to do air quotes. That's nothing but a visual aid. If you're listening to someone talking on the phone, you can hear them naturally pause around phrases that they intend quotes around. And even when someone does use air quotes, if you listen, you'll notice that they still pause around the words. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 31 May 2018, 22:16
If Mrs. Augustus is a secret robot then Faye and Bubbles are not breaking new ground. She's had quite a few organic sex partners.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Dandi Andi on 31 May 2018, 22:44
Humans don't need to do air quotes. That's nothing but a visual aid. If you're listening to someone talking on the phone, you can hear them naturally pause around phrases that they intend quotes around. And even when someone does use air quotes, if you listen, you'll notice that they still pause around the words. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't.

That and the tone of the comment changes, usually to indicate the speaker's feelings about the quotation. Just like printed quotation marks imply a different voice to that of the author, speakers adopt a different voice when using verbal quotes.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: keithcurtis on 01 Jun 2018, 22:25
I interpreted this to mean that Bubbles' mode of speech is different from a humans (indicated by square word balloons). Many cast members have remarked upon it (doing Bubbles impressions). Possibly, she speaks in more of a monotone. Faye wanted to know, given those restrictions, how Bubbles was able to do the human speech trick of indicating air quotes by voice alone.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: A small perverse otter on 01 Jun 2018, 22:35
Whenever you say something about "most humans" and speech, remember that your perceptions are shaped by your own language. Languages are incredibly complicated things and what works in yours may not work in any other. Mannerisms like 'verbal quoting' are even more idiosyncratic: I suspect that there are a great many different ways to put verbal quotation marks around a phrase, even within a single dialect.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: mgrayson3 on 02 Jun 2018, 10:30
Actually, I've opinioned at length about why I think Emily is an experimental 'daughter' AI in a bio-mimetic chassis.

I'm not sure if you mentioned this, but Emily sees the same thing when smelling Assam that Roko does, and Hanners implies that only their AI customers sniff tea for the imagery.

I'm now with you that she at least has strong AI components.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: TheEvilDog on 02 Jun 2018, 10:41
Nobody in the cast is secretly an AI.

One in four is secretly a beetle (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2490), however.

Probably the sanest response in this thread. Thank you.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: awgiedawgie on 02 Jun 2018, 18:50
I'm not sure if you mentioned this, but Emily sees the same thing when smelling Assam that Roko does, and Hanners implies that only their AI customers sniff tea for the imagery.
Hanners did not imply that only their AI customers sniff the tea for the imagery. Hanners merely implied that the AI customers order the tea only to smell it. That implies nothing whatsoever about why their human customers order or sniff the tea.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: traroth on 02 Jun 2018, 19:01
So when Clinton got high with his mother and talked about "cock-blocking" him and he was all "OMG I CAN HEAR THE QUOTATIONS"

And obviously we learned that Faye can hear the quotations when Bubbles says something in quotes and given that this seems to be an exclusively AI trait.....

IS MRS AUGUSTUS THE SECRET AI OVERLORD? :-o :-o :-o :-o :-o

(click to show/hide)

If Mrs Augustus is secretly an AI, what are Claire and Clinton?
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 02 Jun 2018, 19:18
Adopted?
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: cesium133 on 02 Jun 2018, 19:40
Well, we know Clinton is at least part AI...
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 02 Jun 2018, 21:37
If Clinton and Claire have a family resemblance I don't see it.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: jwhouk on 02 Jun 2018, 21:43
If Clinton and Claire have a family resemblance I don't see it.

...not sure if sarcastic or missing the obvious...
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: awgiedawgie on 03 Jun 2018, 08:34
Adopted?
Ooh! Ooh! Maybe Clinton and Claire were orphaned, and they're actually twins, and someone fashioned Mrs. A to look like their mother so they wouldn't know she was gone!


Ok, yes, that's total crap, because I don't believe any of this nonsense.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Storel on 03 Jun 2018, 12:21
....the more I think about Emily, the more I wonder.  We know she has parents - Marigold met them on-panel after the beach house party.  She COULD just be one of those people who's so terrifyingly intelligent that nominal social interactions are at best tertiary concerns...but I still wonder.
My brother is highly intelligent. I mean, I have an IQ of 160, and he makes me feel stupid by comparison. I don't know if his IQ is over 200, but it's pretty damn close. As a result, he does not tend to interact well socially. His brain can do laps around normal people, but he doesn't know how to talk to them. Emily does a far better job of that, considering how smart she is.

There is some research indicating that communication tends to break down with more than a 30-point IQ gap. There are ways to compensate and talking to people is a teachable skill. Emily may have chosen not to invest the time and effort.

Or she may not have run across anyone capable of teaching that particular skill.

I'm not sure if you mentioned this, but Emily sees the same thing when smelling Assam that Roko does...

A) If I recall correctly, Emily didn't say she sees anything, she just said that Assam smells like a hunky unicorn guy to her.

B) The strip that showed what Roko sees when sniffing Assam was a guest strip, wasn't it? Guest strips are usually assumed to be non-canon. Then again, the strip that mentioned Emily's impressions of Assam was by Jeph, so that may imply he has canonized that particular guest strip...
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: cesium133 on 03 Jun 2018, 12:26
That one (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3427) wasn't a guest strip. You may be thinking of this little gem... (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3556)
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: awgiedawgie on 03 Jun 2018, 12:30
That one (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3427) wasn't a guest strip. You may be thinking of this little gem... (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3556)
I must be getting slow. You beat me to it.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Storel on 03 Jun 2018, 13:29
That one (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3427) wasn't a guest strip. You may be thinking of this little gem... (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3556)

So I was. Thank you!
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: brasca on 03 Jun 2018, 14:47
Actually, I've opinioned at length about why I think Emily is an experimental 'daughter' AI in a bio-mimetic chassis.

That might explain why Spookybot chose her to go into Bubbles mind.  Perhaps they knew Emily is more that what she appears, but didn't want to out her. 
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: mgrayson3 on 03 Jun 2018, 17:00


A) If I recall correctly, Emily didn't say she sees anything, she just said that Assam smells like a hunky unicorn guy to her.


And Hanners never said ONLY AI have visions of unicorns. Fine.

Buts sexy unicorn man is a fairly unusual term. If you think it's a complete accident and doesn't suggest a similarity to Roko in nature, I won't argue. Our sample size is small.

It could just be Jeph messing with us.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: awgiedawgie on 03 Jun 2018, 19:31
Buts sexy unicorn man is a fairly unusual term. <- No argument there. If you think it's a complete accident and doesn't suggest a similarity to Roko in nature, I won't argue. Our sample size is small.

It could just be Jeph messing with us.
Smelling one specific kind of tea is also a fairly narrow gauge for judging one's similarity to another. When I smell an oil well, I think of home (yeah, even my Dad thought that was weird). But you wouldn't say I'm similar to anyone else based solely on that one fact. I also dream in code. Does that make me similar to a computer?

Here's another angle to mull over in your mind...

Roko is ticklish and also faints at the sight of her internal parts, both human traits. So when comparing Emily and Roko, how do you know which one is similar to which? Is Emily similar to an AI, or is Roko similar to humans?

And I have no doubt Jeph is messing with us. Like how he keeps promising to show Steve eating cereal.....
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: Dandi Andi on 03 Jun 2018, 21:10
Sometimes, we just need to remember that, while this is a slice of life comic, it is also a comedy. Sometimes, things really are just about the  rule of funny (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Ruleoffunny).

*Edit*
Dagnabbit! Fixed the link.
This is why I don't usually post from my phone.
Title: Re: Wait a second is one of the cast a SECRET AI??
Post by: awgiedawgie on 03 Jun 2018, 21:25
Sometimes, we just need to remember that, while this is a slice of life comic, it is also a comedy. Sometimes, things really are just about the  rule of funny (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Rule of funny).
I think it's awesome that the example image they chose for that page (the link for which (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFunny) does not have any spaces in it, BTW) is from the webcomic "Narbonic (http://www.narbonic.com/)".