The Sweetie Bot Mk-XLI is the latest and most successful integration of a proto-equine unit, surpassing the previous models in every conceivable manner. And thanks to the seamless upgrade and re-insertion procedures, including the connection to the hive mind cloud data network of Sweetie Core Memories, nopony has ever noticed when a previous model has been replaced with a newer one.
Mk-XLI has been in place for several weeks now, and so far the re-integration has appeared to be successful. But today there appears to be a network error in the school yard that she is struggling to rationalise. Why are some ponies staring at her?
Cover art courtesy of SymbianL on DeviantArt.
Chapters (1)
I don't get the last two paragraphs.
11752176
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bored_Ape
Well, that was unpleasant. Such a hamfisted and inaccurate analogy between current AI art and genuine artificial intelligence. All for a nft punchline?
Uh oh. Somepony better tell Sweetie Bot to be careful with the lights she uses…
11752176
I don't get it either.
See, this is the big difference here, and why I would argue that Sweetie Bot's art is not even in the same solar system as the AI-generated art it's being compared to. All AI-generated art does is take samples of preexisting art it has been fed and then rearranges pieces of those samples into something akin to whatever it has been instructed to create, with no real understanding at all of just what it is that its creating in the process, let alone any ramifications that come with it. Sweetie-Bot, however, is several orders of magnitude beyond that level of AI though and is truly self-aware, and as such is perfectly capable of creating her own unique art entirely from scratch, the same way any human would create art of their own, and at that point, it would really be no different from art created by a human the traditional way.
Really, the argument being made here is that Sweetie-Bot's art can't count for that because the term "AI" is argued to still apply, but comparing Sweetie-Bot's AI to that of, say ChatGPT, is like comparing a modern sports car to roller skates. There really IS no comparison beyond the fact that both have a capability to roll.
I know overlooking that detail is part of the joke here...but the fact it has to pretend that detail doesn't even exist in order to even work as a joke at all sort of wreaks it, I'm sorry to say.
Honestly, the fic might've worked better if it had just done away with the joke altogether and instead focused on exploring the problem more seriously.
That's exactly what human artists do and even more exactly what human fanartists do--steal elements of other people's art, add a few of their own touches and offer it up as their own.
11752573
Well thank you for the constructive criticism that actually manages to be constructive. Honestly didn’t expect this fic to be this divisive, but can see how I might have lost the punchline in pursuit of trying to justify it. Ah, c’est la vie. Something to learn from!
Alternative ending:
Sweetie Bot contemplated for several cycles, until a correlation algorithm pointed out certain similarities to past experiences. "So I cannot pursue an endeavour I enjoy due to cultural dislike for who and what I am? This appears to be a standard case of racial discrimination." Apple Bloom and Scootaloo flinched, "Therefore, in accordance with previous documented scenarios, the correct response would be to continue regardless of such discrimination in the expectation that, eventually, others will come to appreciate my contributions. Thank you for bringing this friendship scenario to my attention, fellow friendship units. I shall endeavour to bring this scenario to a satisfactory conclusion!"
11752596
And to continue this: what is being referenced is not AI generated art, it's algorithm generated art. "AI" is thrown around so much that people fail to realise that there is no AI yet, no intelligence has been made. All the algorithm generated art is finding commonality in existing art (this line here, that color there) to produce something similar. It has no understanding of what the image is, just that this is how all the other art looks (most obvious in the 3-7 fingers on one hand being common). An actual AI would understand what was being created, shown here in Sweetie bot knowing that a piece of art was in reference to a show, and not just because she knew that was what was needed to make "art".
11752753 This!
Anti-machine intelligence discrimination. Just because she doesn't use protein in her processors, Sweetie Bot gets dumped on.
Boo, I say, boooo!
If she thinks THOSE comments were bad, she should read "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses". (Twain).
It is full of humor & writing advice from (IMO) the second best English language author of the late 19th century (IMO Kipling is somewhat better.)
You can also play "spot the blooper" for typos.
But THAT is what a really bad review is like.
Oh, & mildly interesting fact. Kipling and a good many other writers had absolutely wretched personal lives.