Yes. Vox and (the other) Paul Graham make some interesting observations about Artificial Idiocy and the real thing.

“I’m usually reluctant to make predictions about technology, but I feel fairly confident about this one: in a couple decades there won’t be many people who can write,” Graham said.

It’s common for skills to disappear as technologies replace them; after all, “there aren’t many blacksmiths left, and it doesn’t seem to be a problem,” he admitted. But people being unable to write is “bad,” he insisted.

“A world divided into writes and write-nots is more dangerous than it sounds. It will be a world of thinks and think-nots,” Graham believes.

We already live in a world that is mostly inhabited by think-nots. Hence MPAI. And there is no reason to fear AI writing, since very few writers produce anything worth reading anyhow. Between Twitter and Facebook, we know that all the erudite theories about “unlocking human potential” were groundless fantasies, since we have conclusive evidence that most people have absolutely nothing to say.

I did a trial test of one AI program and found it so unremarkable that I haven’t mentioned it or thought about it since. So in a way, it is like the ordinary moron, I suppose.

Speaking of writing, things have been a tad light here and with columns for a few reasons. High among them is an onslaught of new fiction! More, later.

PS: Happy Guy Fawkes day!