I have quite an appetite (almost a hungering need) for horror. And so I watch horror movies. And I watch a LOT of horror :) And by horror, I don't just mean run-of-the-mill ghost-in-the-attic stories; I mean anything and everything non-human. That includes all the apocalyptic disasters, alien invasions, or strange entities that show up on Earth to eat people. (Yes, all of it encompasses horror.) So today I was watching Sanda Bullock's Bird Box. For those of you who haven't watched it yet, here's a short premise of the movie (without any spoilers, of course).
There is an unseen mysterious force that sweeps across the globe. Nobody knows exactly what these things are. But looking at them is a very bad idea. If any human stares accidentally outside in their direction, the sight drives them to violent insanity, and they eventually commit suicide. To survive, people must stay indoors with the windows completely blocked or wear thick blindfolds whenever they venture outside.
Now I am not going to go into the details of how Sandra Bullock manages to survive (you would need to watch the movie for that). What I was wondering, in fact, is if I were in her situation (and presumably of sound mind), how would I survive?
Well, it turns out I wouldn't.
Unless
I somehow have a gadget that guides me without me actually seeing anything! What if I see the world indirectly (through a camera or CCTV)?
Welp, around 30 mins into the movie, I realized that one guy smart enough to try this killed himself (Spoiler 1) because apparently these creatures can "propagate" their "sight" indirectly through the video camera as well.
Sighs...unless!
I realized that I don't need to actually “see” to navigate outside the house. What if I have customized AI-powered glasses with a super black cover that completely blocks my view but a camera attached to the outside? The camera captures what's in front of me, the AI processes those video frames, and it gives me directions through its voice. I just follow them. It should also have a mic so that I can tell it what to do and where I want to go. Maybe I want to go to the supermarket to restock my supplies. It could help me find the route, read the signs, and identify what I need! Of course, I'm assuming the AI can look at these creatures without being affected and that its directions don't somehow pass the effect on to me. But if those assumptions hold, this could be a pretty useful tool for surviving outside.
This sounds amazing, doesn't it? Can I make it?
YES. At least, I can build a prototype.
Sandra Bullock in 2018 (that's when Bird Box was released) probably wouldn't be able to make it. But today, I, a simple guy with an AI coding assistant and some hardware, can try putting together a custom version. (Although getting it running and trusting it with my life would be two separate achievements, admittedly.)
And that got me thinking: how many other fictional disasters could we learn to navigate if we had the right AI tools? Here are a few films and the things I'd try building. Please suggest more!
Film
Obstacle
What we can make
Bird Box Barcelona
People cannot safely look at the entities outside.
Same headset, but adapted for urban tasks. Can also share recorded route information between devices
Blindness
Widespread blindness that disrupts access to information and everyday activities.
A visual assistant available through glasses that reads text, describes surroundings, finds requested objects, etc.
Embers
An epidemic leaves survivors unable to recall the past or form new memories.
AI that maintains a personal record, retrieves relevant records, and gives repeated reminders
Pontypool
Language carries an infection
Creating a new intermediate language that doesn't carry the infection
The Last Days / Los últimos días (2013)
A worldwide epidemic makes going into open spaces fatal, trapping people indoors.
AI-controlled robots can navigate through open spaces. (Let the machine make the supermarket trip.)
This post isn't about movies (nor is it about Sandra Bullock). It's about optimism. Optimism towards AI in a world where AI is causing people paranoia about their daily life, job security, and the eventual future. I think AI is our best bet against intergalactic threats.
There is also a real-world complication worth including. AI can itself be misled by images designed to give incorrect interpretations. Which brings me to the fact that it's more than important to ensure that AI is aligned towards us and not them. A misaligned AI could actually consider these threats as a way to "purify" the earth, much like those fanatics who hunt the survivors in Bird Box and forcefully open their eyes (Spoiler 2). If the AI starts hallucinating, it could steer us straight off a cliff all the while telling my blind ass that the path is completely clear. AI can definitely save us from eldritch creatures, but only if we solve alignment first.
So until some straight-out-of-a-movie entity attacks us, let's make sure we have our most powerful weapon on our side.
I have quite an appetite (almost a hungering need) for horror. And so I watch horror movies.
And I watch a LOT of horror :)
And by horror, I don't just mean run-of-the-mill ghost-in-the-attic stories; I mean anything and everything non-human. That includes all the apocalyptic disasters, alien invasions, or strange entities that show up on Earth to eat people. (Yes, all of it encompasses horror.)
So today I was watching Sanda Bullock's Bird Box. For those of you who haven't watched it yet, here's a short premise of the movie (without any spoilers, of course).
Now I am not going to go into the details of how Sandra Bullock manages to survive (you would need to watch the movie for that). What I was wondering, in fact, is if I were in her situation (and presumably of sound mind), how would I survive?
Well, it turns out I wouldn't.
Unless
I somehow have a gadget that guides me without me actually seeing anything! What if I see the world indirectly (through a camera or CCTV)?
Welp, around 30 mins into the movie, I realized that one guy smart enough to try this killed himself (Spoiler 1) because apparently these creatures can "propagate" their "sight" indirectly through the video camera as well.
Sighs...unless!
I realized that I don't need to actually “see” to navigate outside the house. What if I have customized AI-powered glasses with a super black cover that completely blocks my view but a camera attached to the outside? The camera captures what's in front of me, the AI processes those video frames, and it gives me directions through its voice. I just follow them. It should also have a mic so that I can tell it what to do and where I want to go. Maybe I want to go to the supermarket to restock my supplies. It could help me find the route, read the signs, and identify what I need! Of course, I'm assuming the AI can look at these creatures without being affected and that its directions don't somehow pass the effect on to me. But if those assumptions hold, this could be a pretty useful tool for surviving outside.
This sounds amazing, doesn't it? Can I make it?
YES. At least, I can build a prototype.
Sandra Bullock in 2018 (that's when Bird Box was released) probably wouldn't be able to make it. But today, I, a simple guy with an AI coding assistant and some hardware, can try putting together a custom version. (Although getting it running and trusting it with my life would be two separate achievements, admittedly.)
And that got me thinking: how many other fictional disasters could we learn to navigate if we had the right AI tools? Here are a few films and the things I'd try building. Please suggest more!
Film
Obstacle
What we can make
Bird Box Barcelona
People cannot safely look at the entities outside.
Same headset, but adapted for urban tasks. Can also share recorded route information between devices
Blindness
Widespread blindness that disrupts access to information and everyday activities.
A visual assistant available through glasses that reads text, describes surroundings, finds requested objects, etc.
Embers
An epidemic leaves survivors unable to recall the past or form new memories.
AI that maintains a personal record, retrieves relevant records, and gives repeated reminders
Pontypool
Language carries an infection
Creating a new intermediate language that doesn't carry the infection
The Last Days / Los últimos días (2013)
A worldwide epidemic makes going into open spaces fatal, trapping people indoors.
AI-controlled robots can navigate through open spaces. (Let the machine make the supermarket trip.)
This post isn't about movies (nor is it about Sandra Bullock). It's about optimism. Optimism towards AI in a world where AI is causing people paranoia about their daily life, job security, and the eventual future. I think AI is our best bet against intergalactic threats.
There is also a real-world complication worth including. AI can itself be misled by images designed to give incorrect interpretations. Which brings me to the fact that it's more than important to ensure that AI is aligned towards us and not them. A misaligned AI could actually consider these threats as a way to "purify" the earth, much like those fanatics who hunt the survivors in Bird Box and forcefully open their eyes (Spoiler 2). If the AI starts hallucinating, it could steer us straight off a cliff all the while telling my blind ass that the path is completely clear. AI can definitely save us from eldritch creatures, but only if we solve alignment first.
So until some straight-out-of-a-movie entity attacks us, let's make sure we have our most powerful weapon on our side.