We continue to await the return of Newspoll for the year, which I imagine might be forthcoming ahead of the return of parliament next week. With Essential Research having an off week in the fortnightly cycle, this leaves me with nothing to report on the poll front. Two bits of electoral news worth noting are that the Liberals won the supplementary election for the Victorian state seat of Narracan as expected on Saturday, confirming lower house numbers of 56 for Labor, 19 for the Liberals, nine for the Nationals and four for the Greens; and that Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has announced that the by-election for the seat of Arafura, following the death of Labor member Lawrence Costa on December 17, will be held on March 18. With that, over to you.
Is Hartcher worried his job is on the line? Let me think:
ChatGPT>> “Write a story X about the Albo government, with a sycophantic bent towards the LNP”
Shit every churnalist in Australia job is on the line 😯
The world is at a “seatbelt moment” with machine learning as it was when the basic safety device was imposed on the car industry in the 1960s and 70s, but so far, no one is installing the seat belts, writes Peter Hartcher who is concerned that time is running out to subdue AI’s overwhelming power
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/time-is-running-out-to-subdue-ai-s-overwhelming-power-20230130-p5cgdf.html
“Player One says:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 8:54 am
…Sadly, after a bit of political grandstanding, I expect the COALition will decide it is in their financial backer’s best interests to roll over and let the legislation through.”
But, but had the legislation been exactly what the COALition wants, they would have not hesitated a nanosecond to enthusiastically support it…. But that’s not the case. Hence, the legislation is not the COALition ideal!… If they finally accept it under ALP pressure, it’s an obvious victory for commonsense and the ALP and a loss for both the Coalition…. and the Greens.
After that, both Dutton and Bandt will have to go back to square one… Tomorrow is another day.
[‘Premier Dominic Perrottet has blasted claims that his religious beliefs have affected his stance on poker machine reform and said comments made by the boss of ClubsNSW were offensive to people of faith across the state.
A key independent MP has also called on ClubsNSW chief executive Josh Landis to resign, saying his comments were “untenable and it’s time for him to go”.
Landis on Monday said the NSW premier did not understand the complexities of poker machine reform and that his proposed changes came from “his conservative Catholic gut rather than based on evidence”.
“He’s going to struggle because he can’t satisfy everybody,” Landis told this masthead ahead of an impending debate within cabinet over Perrottet’s proposal.
“I think it’s fair to say that the premier has very little understanding of this issue.”
But speaking on 2GB on Tuesday morning, Perrottet said Landis’ comments about his religious beliefs were “untrue” and, if they had been made about any other religion, Landis would be resigning before he “got to work this morning”.]
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/offensive-perrottet-blasts-clubsnsw-catholic-gut-comments-20230131-p5cgo5.html
I think Landis is becoming somewhat desperate.
It is no accident that ChatGPT is disruptive in the same way as internet search has been disruptive, and just as fraught with distinguishing fact from fiction. It was designed as Microsoft’s answer to Google Search. It is a tool to be used and commercialised.
But I think we may discover additional issues beyond use by students to “cheat”. (We may accommodate fair use of ChatGPT.) One potential issue is how AI generated knowledge might infiltrate popular understanding of a topic and either take us down a path that isn’t our own (like a statistical random walk) or lose us in a forest of misinformation.
[‘Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations’]:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2
A family member has it and it has really knocked him around.
Are we heading for a sectarian election in NSW?
2 attacks on Perrottet’s religion in 2 days seems odd
So LNP and Greens have virtually joined hands on 2 issues
1. Preventing the implementation of Carbon credit scheme
2. to list Iran’s brutal Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
So Rex, P1, FFS and nath
Don’t tell me that LNP and Greens don’t work together cooperatively.
”
C@tmommasays:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 7:18 am
Sceptic,
The Defence Minister, despite ignorant comments here to the contrary, has been an exceptional planner of the nation’s defence capabilities going forward.
”
As long as he supports AUKUS deal fully without alterations then he is not.
Late Riser @ #54 Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 – 9:09 am
ChatGPT is “Clippy 2.0”. And with a bit of luck will suffer the same fate.
Mostly Interested
The problem with your analysis. It is a proxy war. Russia is not being bombed by the west and the actions of Ukraine are restricted because the west is supply the arms. Russia’s risk it that changes.
Late Riser at 9:09 am
Also dangerous is the GIGO factor in AI . After all it has been ‘trained’ on what was fed to it. One example below. But who knows what subtle but possibly ‘fatal’ flaws might also be generated. Flaws that may be looked upon as a ‘feature’ by the few who will control AI.
.
“These robots were trained on AI. They became racist and sexist.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/07/16/racist-robots-ai/
With Protestantism a spent force, except for the evangelicals, we are witnessing the final battle between Catholicism and the Enlightenment. Just as Manning Clark predicted.
Reality … it gets you every time …
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-31/australia-adding-renewable-energy-less-than-half-speed-needed/101907914
I support Perrottets attacks on the pokies totally…
However isn’t a bit hypocritical that a deeply religious leader can campaign for the religious vote, make speeches to parliament how their religious beliefs guide all their decisions, brand their non-religious opposition as amoral, BUT when their religion is brought up in a debate they go running for the hills….
Anglicanism may be a spent force but as the last government showed Evangelicalism means that Protestantism is not a spent force.
The 3 determinants of Australian society remain in conflict. Remarkably secularism (rather than the enlightenment) remains under threat.
(I wonder where Clark would have placed Islam in Australian society)
He has hardly gone running for the hills rather he has strongly defended his religion.
“It is not a crime to be a Catholic”
https://www.smh.com.au/national/not-a-crime-to-be-catholic-perrottet-defends-faith-as-former-school-comes-under-fire-20230130-p5cgkd.html
(Perhaps nothing has changed in 100 years. One of the more interesting NSW elections was in 1922 which was fought over the mass murder“Lemonade” Ley’s proposed legislation to criminalise adherence to Ne Temere , the Catholic doctrine of valid marriage. Priests were to be jailed if they refused to marry divorcees)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ne_Temere
Just wait until the next version (GPT-4) is integrated into Microsoft Office.
Toxic content is an issue, yet is considered surmountable.
UK Cartoons:
Morten Morland on #ToryParty #RishiSunak
Guy Venables on #doctorslivesmatter #NursesStrike #doctorstrike
Steve Bell on #NadhimZahawi getting the sack over his tax affairs
Peter Schrank on #InflationReductionAct is a slightly misleading term. It describes the protectionist measures that the #JoeBiden administration takes to subsidise the #GreenEconomy in the US
Patrick Blower on #NadhimZahawi #RishiSunak #Tories
Christian Adams on@DesignMuseum #aiweiwei #NadhimZahawi #RishiSunak #Tories
Brighty: TREVOR KAVANAGH Is Britain really ready for a Prime Minister who cannot utter the unalterable truth that women are adult female humans? #KeirStarmer
Ella Baron on #ToryParty #BorisJohnson #RishiSunak #MattHancock #ZahawiSacked
Griff at 9:39 am
The “exciting” bit is who gets to control what is classed as “toxic’ or ‘unacceptable’ ?
”
Mavissays:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 9:04 am
[‘Premier Dominic Perrottet has blasted claims that his religious beliefs have affected his stance on poker machine reform and said comments made by the boss of ClubsNSW were offensive to people of faith across the state.
A key independent MP has also called on ClubsNSW chief executive Josh Landis to resign, saying his comments were “untenable and it’s time for him to go”.
Landis on Monday said the NSW premier did not understand the complexities of poker machine reform and that his proposed changes came from “his conservative Catholic gut rather than based on evidence”.
“He’s going to struggle because he can’t satisfy everybody,” Landis told this masthead ahead of an impending debate within cabinet over Perrottet’s proposal.
“I think it’s fair to say that the premier has very little understanding of this issue.”
But speaking on 2GB on Tuesday morning, Perrottet said Landis’ comments about his religious beliefs were “untrue” and, if they had been made about any other religion, Landis would be resigning before he “got to work this morning”.]
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/offensive-perrottet-blasts-clubsnsw-catholic-gut-comments-20230131-p5cgo5.html
I think Landis is becoming somewhat desperate.
”
I don’t think Landis is desperate.
Here is my theory. ClubsNSW is sort of attacking DoPe (not NSW LNP government) before the election to increase his and NSW LNP favourability in the eyes of NSW voters.
Once NSW LNP is re-elected to government, the attacks will cease and it is back to normal business which exists now.
Why I am saying this?
Show me the policy NSW LNP cabinet agreeing to DoPe Pronouncements. Zilch, nothing nada.
poroti @ Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 9:45 am
“Griff at 9:39 am
The “exciting” bit is who gets to control what is classed as “toxic’ or ‘unacceptable’ ?”
“The same as it ever was.” David Byrne.
Ven,
I think you could be onto something there. I mean, the Liberals did just pre-select the former head of Clubs NSW to run in Wakehurst, after all.
Ven @ #58 Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 – 9:17 am
What do you mean?
poroti @ #61 Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 – 8:22 am
Agreed. Perhaps the forest is a swamp, locking in Orwellian truths.
Griff @ #67 Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 – 8:39 am
Bring back Clippy!
Frednk
says:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 9:20 am
The problem with your analysis. It is a proxy war. Russia is not being bombed by the west and the actions of Ukraine are restricted because the west is supply the arms. Russia’s risk it that changes.
_____________<_
It certainly isn't a topic that can be covered in short forum posts for sure, so apologies that mine doesnt delve as deeply as it deserves. I've been mulling the concept of it being a proxy war.
Lawrence Freedman wrote an excellent piece on exactly this topic. I'm leaning towards the camp of it not being a proxy war. Ukraine wasn't at the time part of the EU or NATO, it wasn't a satellite state of the USA, basically not a client nation where proxy wars are usually fought.
I'd suggest that the defence agaisnt an illegal invasion has its own definition. My subconscious has been grasping for the right word to define it, just a bit slow at the moment.
Here's Freedmans article of proxy v puppet.
https://samf.substack.com/p/proxies-and-puppets?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
“Broadening voice referendum to include migrants is a ‘distraction’: ethnic communities chair”…
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2023/jan/31/australia-news-live-marles-and-wong-hail-defence-deal-with-france-adani-shares-on-the-slide-again?filterKeyEvents=false
Well, it’s not just a “distraction”, it’s more than that. It’s a stupid plan to desperately try to attract migrant communities to the NO vote. Only two Liberal party stooges such as Mundine and Johns could come up with such an idea. The strategy, of course, is grounded in the usual Liberal party assumption that the targeted audience are mainly a bunch of Voting Morons. The Liberals were proven wrong in 2022… they will be proven wrong at the Voice referendum too!
Alpo,
The thing about Labor Rats, like Mundine and Johns, is that they think they know how Labor works. But all they know is how it used to work. So they base their attacks on Labor on that outdated information (I wouldn’t even call it knowledge).
The other point to make is that Australia’s migrant communities remember who has repeatedly villified them for political gain when it suited their political purpose. The Liberals. Also, who defended them from attack. Labor.
“Landis said Perrottet was acting from his “conservative Catholic gut” as he pushes for gambling reform in the state.”
Perrottet’s gut is not just full of Catholicism. It’s, above all, full of Opus Dei Catholicism…. That’s NOT the same thing. Although all Opus Dei are Catholics, not all Catholics are Opus Dei.
The most popular religion in Australia is no religion at all. Long may it reign. 😐
When was Toby Williams the head of Clubs NSW?
He has not included this in his on-line profile but he is a director of Dee Why RSL and on the state council of Clubs NSW
Bingo. Buzzfeed just laid off half its workforce of click-bait writers, who will be replaced by ChatGPT. Many Australian journalists are just as replaceable as these Buzzfeed writers if not moreso. But journalists are far from the only profession that is going to automated away overnight. It’s coming for professional and creative jobs at all skill levels. The world is about to face a tsunami of redundancy and without any plan for how to deal with it.
Remember that shitty “learn to code” advice and retraining programs that we try to give laid-off manufacturing workers? Forget about that. Now the coders will join them in the dole queues. The ranks of the hopeless jobless are going to swell massively.
C@t once again with the inaccuracies and assertions.
AI
From Peter Hatcher’s article,
“Weinstein says that “it’s obviously a revolution” and
“the world is going to be completely different”.
Mostly Interested @ 8.54am (in response to Cronus)
“you’re right, its a massive disruption”
Weinstein is correct of course, denying AI or attempting to curtail AI, has as much significance as denying cars using ICE one hundred years ago, denying the use of plastics in the last hundred years, denying children access to TV seventy years or so ago, denying the use of computer technology in all aspects of life or or denying the Iron Age.
The multitude of applications in and around AI has only just started.
Just consider your thoughts about “mobile phones” in the 1950’s ?
Aaron Newton, I believe uses technology.
Robodebt was a failed attempt to use technology and applications by dodgy public servants and politicians.
‘Mostly Interested’ didn’t use technology stating “its a massive disruption”.
However his point was just as relevant without technology.
Do all of today’s students need to be able to write ?
The workplace has already been “turned inside out” and “upside down” by technology.
Some schools continue to attempt to maintain control over mobile phones !
These schools have failed and will continue to fail!
The advantages of paying huge school fees to have rich kids attend private schools is diluted by changing technology and AI.
Many of the comments on PB have been written by the dependence on the written word, for both education and the workplace. It’s over!
The best example has been the need to work from home during Covid and the reluctance by many workers to continue to work from home.
The owners of businesses have realised the cost savings of having workers at home.
Journalism, Commentary and Opinion pieces have been made obsolete by technology and newer applications and platforms.
Where is that rocket telescope at the moment ?
Peter Hatcher, because of technology and AI has all the relevance of a Melbourne tram conductor.
‘Mostly Interested’ and Professor “Weinstein’ are “both on the money’.
(eliminating money laundering and problem gambling ain’t).
Is technology and AI the way forward for FA peoples ? Discuss.
Macca RB says:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 8:52 am
watermelon @ 8.45
Education will readily adapt to the use of ChatGPT, as they have done with, out-sourced ‘essay writers’.
Alas, students may experience a huge fall when they are confronted with assessment tasks and examinations where devices aren’t allowed and the wi-fi is disconnected.
Receiving a near class load of identikit essays or papers would never be considered suspicious, would it?
As another poster observed, most teachers would be well aware of the writing styles and abilities of most of their direct students and those in their year level.
—————————————————————————————-
Is it possible then that this might be more of a problem for universities than schools?
I do wonder too if there is a need for adaption in the educational sector, prohibition rarely succeeds, there’s always a workaround.
Late Riser @ #75 Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 – 9:25 am
The Jar Jar Binks of word processing.
”
C@tmommasays:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 9:53 am
Ven @ #58 Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 – 9:17 am
”
C@tmommasays:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 7:18 am
Sceptic,
The Defence Minister, despite ignorant comments here to the contrary, has been an exceptional planner of the nation’s defence capabilities going forward.
”
As long as he supports AUKUS deal fully without alterations then he is not.
What do you mean?
”
As of now many people with knowledge have established that we will not get any Nuclear powered Subs before 2040 if implement AUKUS deal
Second of all we have established on PB and quite a few ‘respected’ journalist, opinion writers and influencers agreed AUKUS was devised to wedge ALP.
Third of all Marles did not demonstrate anything to show he is an exceptional planner
Fourth of all it will prove he is planner and negotiator only when he can make US and UK to agree to alterations to AUKUS which will benefit Australia.
Ven,
It might be wise to wait for the Subs announcement and the release of the Defence Posture Review before you jump to the sort of conclusions you have today about Richard Marles. Unless, of course, your perspective has been coloured by those here who have an ingrained and unshiftable dislike of the man.
“French President Emmanuel Macron said on Jan. 30 that he does not rule out sending fighter jets to Ukraine. However, he said multiple conditions must be met before doing so.
Macron said that among those conditions is the assurance that such equipment will not lead to an escalation of tensions or be used to “touch Russian soil.” He added that the provision of fighter jets to Ukraine must also not “weaken the capacities of the French army.”
https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/macron-does-not-rule-out-sending-fighter-jets-to-ukraine
This looks like weasel words to me.
“… not lead to an escalation of tensions …” seems to mean “won’t be unwelcome to Russia”. I don’t see how a French provision of fighter jets to Ukraine could possibly fail to be unwelcome to Russia.
Not to “be used to touch Russian soil.” is such an unreasonable restriction upon permitted Ukrainian use as to be a prima facie case of a bad faith offer. All Russian attacks from their own soil can’t be touched by Ukraine using fighter jets??
Macron needs to move a lot further than this if he wants France to be pulling its weight in helping Ukraine resist Russia’s completely indefensible genocidal aggression.
“C@tmomma says:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 10:08 am
The most popular religion in Australia is no religion at all. Long may it reign. ”
Is C@tmomma right or wrong?…. She is BOTH!
“Religious affiliation in 2021
In 2021, more people opted to answer the Census religion question than in 2016. In 2021, the number of people who answered the religion question was 93.1% of the population, an increase from 90.9% in 2016.
In 2021 the most common religions were:
Christianity (43.9%)
No religion (38.9%)
Islam (3.2%)
Hinduism (2.7%)
Buddhism (2.4%)”
So, there are more “Christians” than “non-religious” people, but the Christians are NOT a unitary religious group. They are diverse and sometimes in fierce disagreement with each other, even to the point of going to war/civil-war on religious grounds (surely nobody here needs examples!). If you take the Christian groups separately (even using the basic subdivision of Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestants) then C@tmomma is right and the No-religion group is strongest.
”Bring back Clippy!
The Jar Jar Binks of word processing.”
I had long forgotten about both characters.
And will now do do again.
Oh dear, should I get one of those Catholic whipping items and flail myself because I got it a tiny bit wrong about Toby Williams? I’m sooo sorry, he hasn’t quite risen to the heights I imagined:
Toby Williams, a member of staff of NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, … president of ClubsNSW Northern Metropolitan Region.
The effect of having him in the Liberal Party as the Member for Wakehurst will be exactly the same, that no amount of hair splitting can overlook. And THAT was the point.
Cat
One more thing on Marles, defence and French vs UK vs US subs. There is a day of reckoning coming regarding timing.
When AUKUS saw the cancellation of the French sub contract in 2021 Adelaide was one year away from actual sub construction jobs (promised since 2013 by Chris Pyne) beginning to start. They would have reached 2000 construction jobs by 2025.
In the short term 250 people in the Adelaide Naval office and 400 workers on the ASC upgrade project LOST their jobs. Despite Morrison promises of work for ASC on the Collins LOTE project, most have moved on. The Collins LOTE work has also not started, often requires different skills, and people can’t sit around waiting for years for a job to start. The only AUKUS employment has been the 300 people in the AUKUS task force in defense in Canberra.
By my calculation the earliest US or UK SSN construction could commence in Adelaide would be 2028 or later. The French SSN construction could have started around 2024, since it was an existing design.
So ASC/Adelaide workers will have been waiting 7 to 10 years from AUKUS announcement for any SSN construction jobs. That is 4 to 7 years longer than they would have waited if Marles had switched to the French SSN. By then all the Collins sub builders will have retired.
The day somebody (Marles) has to explain this will not be fun. I hope nobody in Labor is expecting a political win out of this if we go with the UK or US subs. Once people understand how far away the jobs are, the gig will be up for all those promising jobs form AUKUS.
I’m still pondering Ven’s argument that Landis’ attack on Perottet is a false flag operation.
Jesuitical in its deviousness
The problem is you just make stuff up to suit yourself c@t.
You’ve also clearly got a vendetta going with A-E over submarines – your posts aren’t about the merits but continuing that particular flame war.
Alpo
“Well, it’s not just a “distraction”, it’s more than that. It’s a stupid plan to desperately try to attract migrant communities to the NO vote.
____________________________________
It shows the lack of intellectual capacity among conservatives. As soon as you ask the question “who is a migrant?” and the associated question of “what about the children of migrants?” and then “how many generations of Australian born from migrant background?” and the whole thing falls apart.
I believe the government is waiting for the opportune time to change the question from the irrelevant (because it is not part of the referendum “How will the Voice be constructed and operate?” to the correct question of “why does this nation need to ensure that indigenous people have a permanent voice?”.
It is the latter issue that will sway voters when they have to make up their minds and when they see the referendum question.
“C@tmomma says:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 10:35 am
Oh dear, should I get one of those Catholic whipping items and flail myself…”
That’s the “discipline whip”, used to straighten up those who have lost their way…. I wonder why all those Catholic Liberals aren’t flagellating themselves all the time, in spite of their countless sins. Do they take their religion seriously or not?
Oakeshott Country says:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 10:40 am
I’m still pondering Ven’s argument that Landis’ attack on Perottet is a false flag operation.
Jesuitical in its deviousness
______________________________
Yes, that made me think too.
”
C@tmommasays:
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 10:32 am
Ven,
It might be wise to wait for the Subs announcement and the release of the Defence Posture Review before you jump to the sort of conclusions you have today about Richard Marles. Unless, of course, your perspective has been coloured by those here who have an ingrained and unshiftable dislike of the man.
”
C@tmomma
I don’t dislike Marles.
A day after AUKUS deal announcement, I am the first one on this site and much before A-E or Socrates said anything about it, to post that AUKUS deal is Fraud on Australian people and I didn’t change my opinion till now.
I am only criticising Marles because he is trying to implement AUKUS deal as is.
As you said let us wait and see what his official announcement is.
I will be happy to be proven wrong.
One thing about the Oddies compared to the Js is that the Oddies will tell you that you are going to hell to your face while the Js will stab you in the back