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Total Members Voted: 30

Voting closed: 12 Dec 2021, 16:54

[Mr_Rose]

Wasn't it established a while back that their speech bubbles are rounded, almost like human speech bubbles?  Implying that their speech is more organic sounding?

It was also established a long time ago that Jeph struggles to remember details like this.

Pretty sure Yay can switch between vocal styles at will, to “create the right impression” as it were. They have just been hanging around with people that already know they’re robots.

[Tova]

Sounds good.

[Gyrre]

At that time (and still now, I guess) the QC world of robots was still a work in progress.  Complete consistency is not really to be expected, as it would hamper further developments.

Late to the game here, but it was my understanding that there d be forms of A.I. prior to The Singularity, and The Singularity would just bring about more A.I.? Maybe I'm just tired?

I know what vid I'm watching on first break tonight though.

[oddtail]

For some reason, I like the fact that suddenly waking up is as distressing to AIs as it is to humans.

I mean, there's no absolute reason it NEEDS to be. But it is, and that says something about their minds.

[sitnspin]

There's no reason it needs to be for humans, but it is. Nothing "needs" to be the way it is, that's just how it turned out.

[oddtail]

There's no reason it needs to be for humans, but it is. Nothing "needs" to be the way it is, that's just how it turned out.

Yeah, but I think it has to do with the fact that things that wake us up violently are things that might physically hurt us. So being stirred from sleep instantly puts your body in overdrive for a second.

AI don't have hormonal systems and a heart regulated by adrenaline and things like that, so it's kinda neat that in the comic they wake up similarly to how a human might, in a way that mimics our biology.

[hedgie]

Having physical access to a device is the best way to take it over, and do whatever to it.  So their non-sapient ancestors are like ours in that regard.

[Tova]

Re the singularity comic.

I always assumed that everyone was taking a typical Jeph throwaway gag with undue seriousness (I know, nothing new here).

But the singularity is supposed to be the inflection point that begins unfathomable technological growth.

"The singularity happened, but no-one noticed anything different" is inherently contradictory. It makes no sense whatsoever.

And yes, I'm completely aware that I've now explained the joke.

So maybe the singularity hasn't actually happened in the QC world. I know it's difficult to accept when the alternative is to believe that something The Internet said turned out to be a lie, even the QC Internet; but it's just crazy enough that it might be so.

[baronvonfritz]

Wasn't it established a while back that their speech bubbles are rounded, almost like human speech bubbles?  Implying that their speech is more organic sounding?

It was also established a long time ago that Jeph struggles to remember details like this.

Pretty sure Yay can switch between vocal styles at will, to “create the right impression” as it were. They have just been hanging around with people that already know they’re robots.

The mental gymnastics I make myself perform is to consider that Yay is multibodied, some of those bodies are older, which may or may not have joint seams, and older vocalization technology.  This is to give the comic the benefit of the doubt so I don't get lost in the minutia of inconsistencies and just enjoy the story.  Like the fast jump from Auriela's house to Roko's is as simple as popping a Yay body out of the charging bay in Roko/Melon/Elliott's building and go ask Roko a really important (to Yay) question, leading to the inevitable conversation about the difference between knowledge and wisdom. (I consider emotional maturity as just another branch of wisdom)

Hey speaking of getting lost in minutia! Do robots feel comfort? Roko is usually seen laying on the couch to charge (save for one night of breading).  Bubbles, Momo, Millie, May, etc. all seem to just sit in a corner to charge, unmoving and in some sort of robo-dream state.  Wondering why Roko always charges on the couch, and why she would put her hands on her tum.  Also wondering why Roko's arm flopped off, assuming she put that hand on her tum like the other one, they don't twitch like humans do when sleeping, they also don't seem to get a sore butt from lack of blood circulation, a charging pod seems just as acceptable as the floor, or a big comfy bed with a big comfy Faye.  Mostly just wondering about the notion of Robo-comfort.

[Mr_Rose]

The AI “singularity” is supposed to start when the first AI capable of modifying itself to be smarter comes into existence, allowing for exponential growth of a pure intellect, in theory. No-one ever said that it would be instant or that the AI in question would necessarily have to increase its own intellectual capacity or be guaranteed to take over and either destroy or bottle humanity.

Indeed, a very smart individual who wanted to preserve humans would definitely hold back on releasing incredible new technology at an impossible pace, to avoid economic chaos and mass destruction.

That said, we do have signs; we have emu-portable cloaking devices that appear to be the size of a Walkman, a multi-instanced network-ai…

[Farideh]

New comic.

I like how the font in Roko's last speech bubble changed, you can almost hear the toneless drawl.

Who's Lois?

[Tova]

The AI “singularity” is supposed to start when the first AI capable of modifying itself to be smarter comes into existence, allowing for exponential growth of a pure intellect, in theory.

I think you've got it the wrong way around. The singularity is the start of the exponential growth, that's what defines it. The idea that the first AI capable of modifying itself would be the cause of it is the theoretical part of it. What the actual cause of it ends up being is up is anyone's guess, really.

[Sorflakne]

New comic.

I like how the font in Roko's last speech bubble changed, you can almost hear the toneless drawl.

Who's Lois?

My first thought was it was a Family Guy reference, since the comic bottom text sounds like something Peter would say right before a cutscene.

[Gyrre]

The AI “singularity” is supposed to start when the first AI capable of modifying itself to be smarter comes into existence, allowing for exponential growth of a pure intellect, in theory.

I think you've got it the wrong way around. The singularity is the start of the exponential growth, that's what defines it. The idea that the first AI capable of modifying itself would be the cause of it is the theoretical part of it. What the actual cause of it ends up being is up is anyone's guess, really.

Perhaps that AI is aware of the potential for exponential growth along with the potential chaos that can ensue and has taken strps to mitigate that chaos? The US Congress all but admitted they didn't understand how the internet worked beyond email (and presumably p0rn) a year or two ago, and they've been causing all manner of issues with it alongside megacorps and other governing bodies (sideeyes the EU parliament for being the record industry's bitches instead of enacting 'safe harbor' laws). So if the AI is hyper intelligent, it would (hopefully) follow that it'd be aware of such failures.

[shanejayell]

That was odder then usual...

[ihaveavoice]

Can someone explain how the content of the strip referenced or was similar to one of Seth MacFarlane's shows? I get who he is and who Lois is, I'd just like to know what's in the comic itself that's meant to trigger Family Guy memories or something, since both the title and flavor text imply that it should.

[oddtail]

Can someone explain how the content of the strip referenced or was similar to one of Seth MacFarlane's shows? I get who he is and who Lois is, I'd just like to know what's in the comic itself that's meant to trigger Family Guy memories or something, since both the title and flavor text imply that it should.

Oh, that's what it references. Thanks! I never watched Family Guy, other than an odd clip on Youtube on occasion (which I'm told is not *that* dissimilar from watching the show itself, with the cutaway gags and whatnot).

[Torlek]

Can someone explain how the content of the strip referenced or was similar to one of Seth MacFarlane's shows? I get who he is and who Lois is, I'd just like to know what's in the comic itself that's meant to trigger Family Guy memories or something, since both the title and flavor text imply that it should.

Closest thing I can come up with is that I could see Brian (Roko) and Stewie (Yay) having this exchange. Or Jeph could just be trolling us.

[ischaemia]

why does Roko speak in Comic Sans at the end...?

[Farideh]

I think it's her 'deadpan voice' font

[Mr_Rose]

I think it's her 'deadpan voice' font

Or it’s related to the deactivated facial myomers that Yay mentioned. Lips and such are remarkably important for natural speech in humans, and the best synthetic voices almost certainly work the same way.

[Farideh]

Good point!