AI and Orcas
09/02/23 03:45
After I wrote my journal entry about artificial intelligence yesterday, I have to note the big AI mistake that became public yesterday. Google released a promotion for its bot, Bard, on Twitter on Monday in which the bot is asked about what to tell a nine-year-old about discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope. The answer, that it was the first telescope to take pictures of a planet outside the earth’s solar system, was factually wrong. That milestone was achieved by the European Very Large Telescope in 2004. Astronomers quickly noted the mistake. Pundits made fun of the bot and the company.
I’ve been tempted to make fun of the company’s choice of names for the bot. Calling it Bard, is, I assume, supposed to evoke thoughts of Shakespeare. The author of fictional dramas may have been a genius and his contributions to literature are significant, but I wouldn’t hold him up as an example of complete fact checking. I guess Google’s bot isn’t too good at fact checking, either.
Share in Google’s parent company Alphabet dropped more than 7% yesterday. That is a $100 billion drop in the market value of the company. I may not always get my facts straight, but I’ve never even lost a million dollars in a single day, let alone $100 billion.
So much for jokes about artificial intelligence. I’ve been intrigued by a study scientists are doing that reveals natural intelligence. Here in the pacific northwest, Orcas, also known as killer whales, are a dramatic part of life and culture. Ten years ago, before we had decided to move to this part of the country, we celebrated a wedding anniversary by gathering our family for a boat tour to view the orcas. They are magnificent animals and we were not disappointed. Orcas are featured in a lot of art in this region, including indigenous paintings and totems that are centuries old. There are images of orcas all around the region and they are a favorite symbol of life in this region.
People are drawn to the orcas in part because of the animals’ strong family ties. Researchers have identified individuals and follow their families closely. When a new calf is born, it is news that shows up in local papers and broadcasts. Orca calves remain near their mothers for a long time and the sight of the pairs is thrilling. The Center for Whale Research has been tracking the orcas in the waters between Vancouver and Seattle, where we live, for more than 40 years. They have maintained a complete census and regularly publish information that explains killer whale family life.
Previously the center had published a study that showed that male calves have a higher chance of survival if their mother is nearby. Whereas female calves become independent and can hunt their own food at an early age, male calves remain dependent with their mothers sharing food with them well into their adulthood. Evolution has favored large and strong males that go on to sire an entire generation of new calves, and the way those males grow so large and strong is that their mothers have sacrificed their health and future reproduction abilities to feed those males, giving them extra calories above what they would be able to harvest on their own.
The orcas favorite food is salmon and the degradation of salmon spawning areas has combined with over fishing in certain regions to cause a decline in the population of the fish, thus impacting the orca population. There are currently only 73 animals in the southern resident killer whale census, meaning that they remain threatened.
We humans are drawn to the orcas in part because we see so many similarities between our family structures and those of the killer whales. Biologists have learned that killer whale females cease reproduction part way through their lives like humans. And, like humans, grandmothers play a vital role in the raising of young and the preservation of the species. It appears from their studies that some male killer whales simply don’t have to become independent because their mother remains by their side and continues to provide food for them.
Unlike the killer whale mothers, our daughter in law is determined that her sons learn to cook and feed themselves. Our oldest grandson turns 12 today and he already has taken responsibility for cooking an entire meal for the family. It appears that he will emerge into adulthood with the ability to cook and feed himself. He already knows his way around an Insta-pot.
Whereas human females might be less attracted to a mama’s boy, no such stigma is attached to male orcas who remain dependent upon their mothers. That dependent relationship results in more growth and dominance for a healthy male orca and the biggest males are the ones who mate the most often.
Life, however, requires balance. If too many females sacrifice their reproductive health to promote the health of their sons, the population can decline. In order for the family system to succeed, young females need to become independent and health as quickly as possible, which distinguishes them from their male counterparts.
There is much about the lives of the animals in our world that we do not understand and we continue to be fascinated by new discoveries and learning. Some of these discoveries come from decades-long studies that have involved hours and hours of dedicated observation. Observers may make mistakes by projecting human qualities and traits upon the animals they observe, but they are quick to catch and correct the mistakes of their colleagues. That ability to correct and to receive correction seems to be absent from the current generation of artificial intelligence. I don’t think human biologists and whale watchers need to fear being replaced by AI anytime soon.
And I’m observing not only the orcas, but also the strong and independent women in our family. They are fierce protectors and providers for the young - male and female - of our family. I’ll leave the bots and billions to the tech companies.
After all, there is no artificial intelligence that would think to combine AI and orcas in the same journal entry. My role is secure.
I’ve been tempted to make fun of the company’s choice of names for the bot. Calling it Bard, is, I assume, supposed to evoke thoughts of Shakespeare. The author of fictional dramas may have been a genius and his contributions to literature are significant, but I wouldn’t hold him up as an example of complete fact checking. I guess Google’s bot isn’t too good at fact checking, either.
Share in Google’s parent company Alphabet dropped more than 7% yesterday. That is a $100 billion drop in the market value of the company. I may not always get my facts straight, but I’ve never even lost a million dollars in a single day, let alone $100 billion.
So much for jokes about artificial intelligence. I’ve been intrigued by a study scientists are doing that reveals natural intelligence. Here in the pacific northwest, Orcas, also known as killer whales, are a dramatic part of life and culture. Ten years ago, before we had decided to move to this part of the country, we celebrated a wedding anniversary by gathering our family for a boat tour to view the orcas. They are magnificent animals and we were not disappointed. Orcas are featured in a lot of art in this region, including indigenous paintings and totems that are centuries old. There are images of orcas all around the region and they are a favorite symbol of life in this region.
People are drawn to the orcas in part because of the animals’ strong family ties. Researchers have identified individuals and follow their families closely. When a new calf is born, it is news that shows up in local papers and broadcasts. Orca calves remain near their mothers for a long time and the sight of the pairs is thrilling. The Center for Whale Research has been tracking the orcas in the waters between Vancouver and Seattle, where we live, for more than 40 years. They have maintained a complete census and regularly publish information that explains killer whale family life.
Previously the center had published a study that showed that male calves have a higher chance of survival if their mother is nearby. Whereas female calves become independent and can hunt their own food at an early age, male calves remain dependent with their mothers sharing food with them well into their adulthood. Evolution has favored large and strong males that go on to sire an entire generation of new calves, and the way those males grow so large and strong is that their mothers have sacrificed their health and future reproduction abilities to feed those males, giving them extra calories above what they would be able to harvest on their own.
The orcas favorite food is salmon and the degradation of salmon spawning areas has combined with over fishing in certain regions to cause a decline in the population of the fish, thus impacting the orca population. There are currently only 73 animals in the southern resident killer whale census, meaning that they remain threatened.
We humans are drawn to the orcas in part because we see so many similarities between our family structures and those of the killer whales. Biologists have learned that killer whale females cease reproduction part way through their lives like humans. And, like humans, grandmothers play a vital role in the raising of young and the preservation of the species. It appears from their studies that some male killer whales simply don’t have to become independent because their mother remains by their side and continues to provide food for them.
Unlike the killer whale mothers, our daughter in law is determined that her sons learn to cook and feed themselves. Our oldest grandson turns 12 today and he already has taken responsibility for cooking an entire meal for the family. It appears that he will emerge into adulthood with the ability to cook and feed himself. He already knows his way around an Insta-pot.
Whereas human females might be less attracted to a mama’s boy, no such stigma is attached to male orcas who remain dependent upon their mothers. That dependent relationship results in more growth and dominance for a healthy male orca and the biggest males are the ones who mate the most often.
Life, however, requires balance. If too many females sacrifice their reproductive health to promote the health of their sons, the population can decline. In order for the family system to succeed, young females need to become independent and health as quickly as possible, which distinguishes them from their male counterparts.
There is much about the lives of the animals in our world that we do not understand and we continue to be fascinated by new discoveries and learning. Some of these discoveries come from decades-long studies that have involved hours and hours of dedicated observation. Observers may make mistakes by projecting human qualities and traits upon the animals they observe, but they are quick to catch and correct the mistakes of their colleagues. That ability to correct and to receive correction seems to be absent from the current generation of artificial intelligence. I don’t think human biologists and whale watchers need to fear being replaced by AI anytime soon.
And I’m observing not only the orcas, but also the strong and independent women in our family. They are fierce protectors and providers for the young - male and female - of our family. I’ll leave the bots and billions to the tech companies.
After all, there is no artificial intelligence that would think to combine AI and orcas in the same journal entry. My role is secure.
