Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

CategoryArts & Culture

back-view-of-man-looking-at-alien-invasion-ufo-flying-in-the-sky-concept-of-evidence-and-sighting-retro-illustration-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
Back view of man looking at alien invasion, UFO flying in the sky, concept of evidence and sighting, retro illustration. Generative AI

Arrival Review, Part 1

Nobody behaves like they should for the first ten minutes. They act, dare I say, alien.

Arrival is an interesting movie. It’s well-shot, well-acted, and well-written. The trouble is the script makes some strange choices in the beginning and I just wasn’t persuaded by the movie’s twist at the end. The story starts out with a montage where Louise is raising her daughter, but the child tragically dies of some unknown illness, presumably cancer. The viewer is led to conclude that this is a flashback, but if one listens to the monologue Louise delivers, she says plainly that she’s explaining when the child’s story begins, if there are beginning at all, which is something she no longer believes. This basically means that the entire movie is a flashback, but the viewer is not supposed to notice Read More ›

the-young-guy-playing-an-acoustic-guitar-shooting-backlit-stockpack-adobe-stock
the young guy playing an acoustic guitar. Shooting backlit

Oliver Anthony, Music, and Human Exceptionalism

Honest music speaks to the heart and brings us closer together.

If you’ve been online at all for the last few weeks, chances are you’ve come across headlines about the folk/country singer Oliver Anthony, whose song “Rich Men North of Richmond” went viral in August. The song, a broad critique of elite power in Washington D.C., (Democrat and Republican) has gained both applause and fierce critique, but for the most part, seems to have deeply resonated with the general American public. Psychologist Jordan B. Peterson recently had Anthony on his podcast, discussing music, entrepreneurship, and virality. One thing is clear about Anthony’s songs: they’re honest, and people are attracted to that. Peterson noted in their conversation that authenticity is a sign of brilliance in artists, and how that sort of honesty Read More ›

tourists-at-prague-old-town-square-large-group-of-people-gathered-at-the-street-looking-up-towards-the-camera-stockpack-adobe-stock
Tourists at Prague Old Town Square, large group of people gathered at the street looking up towards the camera.

The Life We’re Looking For: A Book Review

Andy Crouch's book on technology and human flourishing calls us to resist the urge to control and open ourselves up to deep relationships
Every so often a book comes along that puts a finger on the cultural moment in a way that directs, elucidates, convicts, and encourages. Read More ›
a-robot-or-a-woman-half-a-robot-with-mechanical-technological-body-parts-and-upgrades-transhumanism-cyborg-and-artificial-intelligence-stockpack-adobe-stock
a robot or a woman half a robot with mechanical technological body parts and upgrades, transhumanism cyborg and artificial intelligence,

Wrapping Up the Westworld Series

Ultimately, the moral of the story is transhumanism

The first time I watched Westworld, I remember enjoying it, but upon revisiting the series, my opinion of it has dropped a great deal. There are a variety of problems. First, it’s a bait and switch. It teases the idea of showing how robots can come to life, and it plays with your expectations for most of the series. It even goes as far as to discuss theories like The Bicameral Mind, and The Turing Test. Then, in the last episode, it confirms what the viewer has been slowly growing to suspect. The robots had been coming to life the entire time, and Ford had been wiping their memories. The show says that Ford programmed the robots to experience everything Read More ›

feuer-und-eis-adam-und-gott-stockpack-adobe-stock
Feuer und Eis Adam und Gott

Westworld Episode 10 Review (Part Two)

Welcome to the dark end of the journey

Last time, Teddy had just finished saving Dolores from the Man in Black, who turned out to be William all along. He takes her to the coast because that was where he promised to take her when they were performing their pre-programmed loop. However, the coast is apparently not very far because as Dolores dies in his arms, Teddy starts reciting a campy monologue, and then shuts down while the board applauds the speech. Even when they’re trying to escape their loop, the robots still, somehow, find themselves trapped in yet another one of Dr. Ford’s narratives. Dr. Ford appears, addresses the crowd, then orders for Teddy to be cleaned up, and for Dolores to be taken to a nearby Read More ›

nuclear-war-concept-explosion-of-nuclear-bomb-creative-artwork-decoration-in-dark-stockpack-adobe-stock
Nuclear war concept. Explosion of nuclear bomb. Creative artwork decoration in dark.

What Oppenheimer Teaches Us About Today’s Cultural Moment

Let us hope we have the wisdom to take heed of the messages the movie communicates.
No one gained from Oppenheimer’s fall. Not only was the scientist’s career destroyed and life ruined, but also the country was deprived of benefiting from his intelligence. Read More ›
humanoid-robot-artist-painting-a-portrait-on-a-canvas-in-an-artist-studio-showing-the-concept-of-science-and-artificial-intelligence-technology-computer-generative-ai-stock-illustration-image-stockpack-adobe-stock
Humanoid robot artist painting a portrait on a canvas in an artist studio showing the concept of science and artificial intelligence technology, computer Generative AI stock illustration image

AI “Art” Can’t Be Copyrighted, Judge Rules

Copyright entails original, human creation, which AI images don't reflect

A federal judge has ruled that AI-generated artwork can’t legally be attributed to the person who prompted the work, according to The Verge. AI-generated artwork systems like DALL-E and Midjourney, despite their impressive capabilities, have sparked debate and legal controversies regarding the rights of artists and whether AI images should be treated as independent and original creations. For United States District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell, AI art isn’t original and therefore can not be copyrighted. (RELATED: Will Stability AI Go Down in Court? | Mind Matters) In justifying her decision, Howell said that copyright always involves a human hand. Wes Davis reports, In her decision, Judge Howell wrote that copyright has never been granted to work that was “absent Read More ›

black-labyrinth-background-with-dof-focus-stockpack-adobe-stock
Black labyrinth background with dof focus

Westworld Episode 10 Review (Part One)

The maze isn't the only thing that's hard to navigate in this episode.

I’ll start out with the most irrelevant plot first because almost no screen time is devoted to it, and it amounts to nothing in the end anyway. Hale successfully convinces the Board to fire Ford, not that he really cares. But Hale has been convinced this entire time that Ford is going to delete the park’s data out of spite. So, after Theresa is killed, she enlists Sizemore, a jaded writer who works for the park, to smuggle the data out through one of the decommissioned robots. This plan doesn’t work; however, because all the robots wake up by the end of the episode, and the data is lost in the vengeful horde. So, it’s a plot point that goes Read More ›

travelers-together-around-the-campfire-enjoying-the-fresh-air-near-the-tent-under-the-milky-way-in-the-evening-silhouettes-of-two-adventurous-people-camping-in-the-mountains-under-the-starry-sky-stockpack-adobe-stock
Travelers together around the campfire, enjoying the fresh air near the tent under the Milky Way in the evening. Silhouettes of two adventurous people camping in the mountains under the starry sky.

Literature and Personal Consciousness: Why AI Can’t Speak to You

AI can never intend meaning like a human author can
One non-computable aspect of great literature is evident: a personal consciousness was responsible for creating it. Read More ›
pig-farm-industry-farming-hog-barn-pork-stockpack-adobe-stock
pig farm industry farming hog barn pork

A Warning From the Unpublished Preface to Orwell’s Animal Farm

Only discovered in 1971, the Preface offers George Orwell’s critical but neglected insights into the nature of censorship in a free society
Orwell noted that the intellectual censorship he encountered was spontaneous — not a campaign or conspiracy — just a sense that people shouldn’t read his work. Read More ›
the-flow-of-time-a-close-up-portrait-of-an-incomplete-humanoid-android-covered-in-white-porcelain-skin-blue-eyes-and-glowing-internal-parts-stockpack-adobe-stock
The Flow of Time: A Close-Up Portrait of an Incomplete Humanoid Android Covered in White Porcelain Skin, Blue Eyes, and Glowing Internal Parts.

Westworld Episode 9 Review

Bernard learns the truth
Episode nine is fast paced, but if you’re paying attention, the grand twist is obvious, and I found it a little irritating. In the next review, we’ll discuss the conclusion of Westworld.  Read More ›
odessa-ukraine-july-26-2023-barbie-doll-and-barbie-doll-accessories-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
ODESSA, UKRAINE - JULY 26, 2023: Barbie doll and barbie doll accessories concept

Barbie: A Subtle Critique of Transhumanism?

Reviews for the new "Barbie" movie abound. But have most of them missed the point?

Since its release in July, Barbie has proved as controversial as it has popular. Its joint release alongside Oppenheimer has had movie theaters across the country teeming with “Barbenheimer” fans, those zealous people who watched both movies on the same day in an unprecedented feat of pink glitz and existential dread. But what is Barbie about? Is it a takedown of the patriarchy, a gentle comedy, or something a bit more subtle and powerful? The reviews have ranged between harsh critique and lavish praise. With the flood of commentary, though, have most people missed a central and yet subtle point? Elayne Allen, writing for Public Discourse, offers an alternative interpretation of the movie which might have bypassed the imaginations of Read More ›

internet-broadband-and-multimedia-streaming-entertainment-stockpack-adobe-stock
Internet broadband and multimedia streaming entertainment

Infinite Jest Revisited

The 1996 book by David Foster Wallace saw the Internet explosion, and its effects, approaching fast
If Aldous Huxley were born a few decades later, he and Wallace probably would have exchanged numbers. Read More ›
atomic-weapon-after-the-us-bomber-enola-gay-dropped-the-atomic-bomb-on-hiroshima-japan-in-1945-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
Atomic weapon. After the US bomber Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. Generative AI

American Prometheus: Destroyer of Worlds

Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" meets the hype and illustrates just how world-changing the atomic bomb was

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” So goes a line from the Hindu sacred text Bhagavad Gita, quoted by none other than J. Robert Oppenheimer, the quantum physicist who headed up the development of the first atomic bomb during World War II. Christopher Nolan’s new film Oppenheimer hit theaters on July 21 and has given audiences a taste of why the “father of the atomic bomb” entertained that haunting, little phrase. Nolan hit this movie out of the park. With a star-studded cast, a juxtaposed and non-linear storytelling mode, and a beautiful soundtrack to boot, some critics are calling it the most important movie of the century. That might be because the production of the atom bomb Read More ›

female-robot-face-artificial-intelligence-concept-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
Female robot face, Artificial intelligence concept. Generative AI

Westworld: Episode 7 Review

In which Theresa makes a terrible discovery
This episode begins with Bernard having a flashback of his son. It’s a very sad scene that turns out to be a dream sequence. After that, we follow Theresa to Hale’s apartment. Read More ›
modern-creative-artwork-design-contemporary-art-collage-of-young-man-playing-drums-isolated-over-colorful-background-concept-of-music-lifestyle-jazz-rock-rock-n-roll-creativity-imagination-stockpack-adobe-stock
Modern creative artwork, design. Contemporary art collage of young man playing drums isolated over colorful background. Concept of music lifestyle, jazz, rock, rock n roll, creativity, imagination

Inside the Mind of a Rock ‘n’ Roll Drummer

Delving into the thrilling, demanding world of professional drumming and the mind-body communication it requires
Real drumming means non-stop, real-time, dynamic decisions and actions using complex information deployed via physical sticks and targets. Read More ›
milky-way-in-utah-over-the-green-river-from-swaseys-beach-stockpack-adobe-stock
Milky way in Utah over the Green River from Swasey's Beach.

Westworld: Episode 6 Review

Maeve and the audience get some answers
In short, because the writers aren’t exactly sure how to explain the evolution of robot sentience, the viewers get mixed messages. Read More ›
cyborg-head-using-artificial-intelligence-to-create-digital-interface-3d-rendering-stockpack-adobe-stock
Cyborg head using artificial intelligence to create digital interface 3D rendering

Mission Impossible: Don’t Bother Me With Facts

The Tom Cruise action movie is built on faulty AI assumptions, but it's still entertaining

Ever watch a movie with a movie-talker? That’s someone who ruins a show by talking out loud over the audio. More than once, my wife has asked me, “What did he just say?” I usually have no idea because I didn’t understand either. But her question talks over the next few lines of the movie so the interval of me not hearing the audio is prolonged. I occasionally watch a movie with a good friend Lou, a former police officer. Lou’s a movie-talker, especially when we watch police movies. He’ll interrupt the movie with nit-picky comments like: “That’s not a real shotgun. A real shotgun would kick back, and the barrel would angle up after each shot. There was no Read More ›

defensive-wall-of-the-ancient-holy-jerusalem-stockpack-adobe-stock
Defensive wall of the ancient holy Jerusalem

“The Chosen” Will Continue Despite Hollywood Strike

The show about the life of Jesus will get back to business

Despite the actors’ strike, which was announced last Thursday, “The Chosen” series applied for a waiver and was granted quick approval. The show, which details the historical account of Jesus Christ and his band of disciples in ancient Israel, will resume filming this week. The news comes amid massive pushback against Hollywood. Actors, producers, and stunt-performers are joining the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and critiquing the movie industry for unfair wages and for failing to duly reckon with the threat of artificial intelligence (AI). Many blockbuster TV franchises will shut down production, after already being majorly delayed from the initial WGA strike, which began in early May. The cast for “Oppenheimer” left the film’s London premiere early in apparent Read More ›