Arclayn's Take
About Artificial Intelligence

Hey Arclayn... You studied computer science, so talk to us about Artificial Intelligence.

🤨😒

Uhh...  Please?

Oh fine...  What about it?

Is GLaDOS, HK-47, The Geth, or maybe a depressed Delamain Taxi coming to kill us all?

No.  🙄

I was kidding.  But someone is feeling touchy.

Yup.

A serious question, then...
We gamers have referred to AI as "Artificial Idiocy" because our computer controlled opponents are not particularly clever.  They get fast and accurate, but never smart.  Heck, our strategy game opponents need a handicap to be able to win.  So how does something like ChatGPT or Dall-E seem so... intelligent?

If you don't mind, I'm going to skip over the technical talk.  Computer science tech talk often triggers a deer-in-headlights response followed by everyone leaving the room.  Are you still there?  😏

Haha, yes.  Is there going to be cake?  😥

Nope.  Dark chocolate.  Or chai.

Anyways, most of our computer opponents are not really artificial intelligence in a scientific sense.  Some are simplistic behaviors like an attack pattern that an end level boss may employ, and once you learn the pattern, victory comes swift.  Others can be reactionary behaviors such as pulling the trigger and the minion you shot at manages to take cover in response.  The better designed behaviors can feel more immersive, which is good for gaming.  But actual Artificial Intelligence like ChatGPT or Dall-E is something else.

That something else, I believe, is best described as a pattern analyzer.  That is, artificial intelligence is really really good at working with patterns.

That... is awfully vague.  What kinds of patterns?

All kinds.  Any kind.  Like ChatGPT is working with language, and language is comprised of rules and patterns.  Dall-E is working with pictures, which also conform to patterns.  Even Watson (the AI overlord of Jeopardy) is constrained to patterns referencing trivia.