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Watch out, hallucinating Humphrey’s about in Whitehall Watch out, hallucinating Humphrey’s about in Whitehall
(2 days later)
Government AI tool | Management euphemisms | Unreliable LLMs | The unplugging test | Double checking | ‘To bot’Government AI tool | Management euphemisms | Unreliable LLMs | The unplugging test | Double checking | ‘To bot’
I doubt that government officials consulted their AI tool, Humphrey, on what it should be called (UK government rollout of Humphrey AI tool raises fears about reliance on big tech, 15 June). It could have advised that in the 1970s the name was used for a milk marketing campaign: “Watch out, there’s a Humphrey about.” That line will now have a whole new meaning. Having spent the last few weeks voting in the Lords to try, in vain, to achieve protections for the creative industries from AI abuse, that meaning might be prophetic. On a personal level, my husband is angry that his name is being stolen again. I doubt that government officials consulted their AI tool, Humphrey, on what it should be called (UK government rollout of Humphrey AI tool raises fears about reliance on big tech, 15 June). It could have advised that in the 1970s the name was used for a milk marketing campaign: “Watch out, there’s a Humphrey about.” That line will now have a whole new meaning. Having spent the last few weeks voting in the Lords to try, in vain, to achieve protections for the creative industries from AI abuse, that meaning might be prophetic. On a personal level, my husband is angry that his name is being stolen again.Sue MillerLiberal Democrat, House of Lords
Your report (The ‘death of creativity’? AI job fears stalk advertising industry, 9 June) quotes the chief executive of a big ad agency saying “AI will disintermediate a large number of jobs”. I asked an AI tool to put this into plain English. Ten minutes later, it’s still thinking about it. Perhaps absurd management euphemisms is one area where the human brain can still cut through the crap more effectively than AI?Neil ColeHemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
Sue Miller Heather Stewart says large language models, while destroying creative jobs and careers, “remain prone to casually making things up” (Policymakers who think AI can help rescue flagging UK economy should take heed, 15 June). Could her article spur MPs into taking meaningful legislative action to protect their own positions?Jonathan J RossSheffield
Re Heather Stewart’s article, I’m not a specialist, but has anyone tried unplugging AI, going for a walk and then going back to check what’s happened? If the door’s locked, we’ve had it.Gavin GreenwoodBrighton
Liberal Democrat, House of Lords To check one AI’s “hallucination” flaws, can we not use another AI to check what the first AI has produced, and possibly made up?Alan WorsleyHull
Your report (The ‘death of creativity’? AI job fears stalk advertising industry, 9 June) quotes the chief executive of a big ad agency saying “AI will disintermediate a large number of jobs”. I asked an AI tool to put this into plain English. Ten minutes later, it’s still thinking about it. Perhaps absurd management euphemisms is one area where the human brain can still cut through the crap more effectively than AI? As the English language still seems to lack a verb meaning “to generate something via AI”, might I suggest “to bot”? This would provide a quick means of asking whether someone really did the work themselves or just botted it.Edmund DoraghSchwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
Neil Cole
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
Heather Stewart says large language models, while destroying creative jobs and careers, “remain prone to casually making things up” (Policymakers who think AI can help rescue flagging UK economy should take heed, 15 June). Could her article spur MPs into taking meaningful legislative action to protect their own positions?
Jonathan J Ross
Sheffield
Re Heather Stewart’s article, I’m not a specialist, but has anyone tried unplugging AI, going for a walk and then going back to check what’s happened? If the door’s locked, we’ve had it.
Gavin Greenwood
Brighton
To check one AI’s “hallucination” flaws, can we not use another AI to check what the first AI has produced, and possibly made up?
Alan Worsley
Hull
As the English language still seems to lack a verb meaning “to generate something via AI”, might I suggest “to bot”? This would provide a quick means of asking whether someone really did the work themselves or just botted it.
Edmund Doragh
Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
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