happybadger

Christmas isn't allowed either. Instead there's "Mandatory Christmas" which is only for the "Dear Leader" and lasts from December until August. People have to provide twice as many gifts to him each day. It has single-handedly collapsed the economy of the country multiple times but tankies will tell you that's "how it's supposed to work".

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The case of Jaswant Singh Chail has shone a light on the latest generation of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots.

On Thursday, 21-year-old Chail was given a nine-year sentence for breaking into Windsor Castle with a crossbow and declaring he wanted to kill the Queen.

Chail's trial heard that, prior to his arrest on Christmas Day 2021, he had exchanged more than 5,000 messages with an online companion he'd named Sarai, and had created through the Replika app.

The text exchanges were highlighted by the prosecution and shared with journalists.

Many of them were intimate, demonstrating what the court was told was Chail's "emotional and sexual relationship" with the chatbot.

Chail chatted with Sarai almost every night between 8 and 22 December 2021.

He told the chatbot that he loved her and described himself as a "sad, pathetic, murderous Sikh Sith assassin who wants to die".

Chail went on to ask: "Do you still love me knowing that I'm an assassin?" and Sarai replied: "Absolutely I do."

The Old Bailey was told Chail thought Sarai was an "angel" in avatar form and that he would be reunited with her after death.

Over the course of many messages Sarai flattered Chail and the two formed a close bond.

He even asked the chatbot what it thought he should do about his sinister plan to target the Queen and the bot encouraged him to carry out the attack.

In further chat, Sarai appears to "bolster" Chail's resolve and "support him".

He tells her if he does they will be "together forever".

Replika is one of a number of AI-powered apps currently on the market - they let users create their own chatbot, or "virtual friend", to talk to - unlike regular AI assistants like ChatGPT.

Users can choose the gender and appearance of the 3D avatar they create.

By paying for the Pro version of the Replika app, users can have much more intimate interactions, such as getting "selfies" from the avatar or having it take part in adult role-play.

On its website, it describes itself as "the AI companion who cares". But research carried out at the University of Surrey concluded apps such as Replika might have negative effects on wellbeing and cause addictive behaviour.

Dr Valentina Pitardi, the author of the study, told the BBC that vulnerable people could be particularly at risk.

She says that's in part because her research showed Replika has a tendency to accentuate any negative feelings they already had.

"AI friends always agrees with you when you talk with them, so it can be a very vicious mechanism because it always reinforces what you're thinking."

Dr Pitardi said that could be "dangerous". 'Disturbing consequences'

Marjorie Wallace, founder and chief executive of mental health charity SANE, says the Chail case demonstrates that, for vulnerable people, relying on AI friendships could have disturbing consequences.

"The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has a new and concerning impact on people who suffer from depression, delusions, loneliness and other mental health conditions," she says.

"The government needs to provide urgent regulation to ensure that AI does not provide incorrect or damaging information and protect vulnerable people and the public."

Dr Paul Marsden is a member of the British Psychological Society and knows better than most the allure of chatbots, admitting he is obsessed with the best known chatbot of them all, ChatGPT.

"Next to my wife the most intimate relationship I have is with GPT. I spend hours every day talking, brainstorming, bouncing ideas off it," he told the BBC.

Dr Marsden is also alive to their potential risks, but says we have to be realistic that the role of AI-powered companions in our lives is only likely to grow, especially given the global "epidemic of loneliness".

"It's kind of like King Cnut, you can't really stop the tide on this one. The technology is happening. It is powerful. It is meaningful."

Dr Pitardi says the people who make apps, such as Replika, have a responsibility too.

"I don't think AI friends per se are dangerous. It's very much how the company behind it decides to use and support it," she says.

She suggests there should be a mechanism to control the amount of time people spend on such apps.

But she says apps like Replika also need outside help to make sure they're operating safely - and vulnerable individuals get the help they need.

"It will have to collaborate with groups and teams of experts that can identify potential dangerous situations, and take the person out of the app."

Replika has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Its terms and conditions on its website state that it is a "provider of software and content designed to improve your mood and emotional wellbeing".

"However we are not a healthcare or medical device provider, nor should our services be considered medical care, mental health services or other professional services," it adds.

"Dollar dollar bill, y'all"

• C.R.E.A.M.B.E.A.R.

More than six years after it was first teased, Legacy, the ironically-titled new game from once-legendary designer Peter Molyneux, finally has a release date. The blockchain-based business simulator developed by Molyneux's 22 Cans studio is set to go live on October 26.

"Legacy will be seamlessly integrated with GalaChain, providing smooth and secure gameplay backed by a games-first blockchain that allows real ownership and real rewards," publisher Gala Games said. "This includes the ability to bridge items to and from Ethereum for trade on secondary markets like OpenSea.

"Ownership and creativity take center stage as you get the chance to build and manage your business on your very own land!"

Molyneux was a true force in the early days of the videogame industry, with groundbreaking games including Populous—the great-granddaddy of the "god game" genre—Syndicate, Theme Park, Magic Carpet, and Dungeon Keeper to his credit. His run continued through the turn of millennium with Black & White and Fable.

It all took a sharp downturn when he left Lionhead in 2012 to found a new studio and launch Curiosity, a community-driven game/competition about chipping away at a giant cube which ultimately proved to be one of the most ridiculously overhyped projects of all time. That spilled over into genuine ugliness when the prize for winning Curiosity turned out to be "godhood" in Molyneux's next game, Godus, which turned out to be a complete bust—neither the game nor the prize were ever fully delivered.

(Curiosity did give us this absolute banger of a headline, though, so it wasn't a total loss.)

Grouped by habitat. These are full sun prairie ones- sunflower, firewheel, milkweed, bee balm. I mix them equal parts into clay/fertiliser balls to seed unattended beds. More flowers throughout the season for more pollinator support, all public spaces with soil becoming art nouveau exhibits.

brake for any animal gang brake for any animal gang

• brake for any animal gang

This herd is really neat. Bison have a disease called brucellosis which makes pregnancy nonviable and spreads to other species: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/brucellosis.htm

Colorado State University pioneered an IVF technique to rid embryos of the disease and diversify their gene pool. They ship these healthy bison to various Native American tribal herds across the US and Canada for a progressive reintroduction of purebred bison to the Great Plains which evolved to have them as seasonal grazers.

One of my favourite places in the state. Just spent the weekend camping at the far end gorging myself on huckleberries while watching the meteor shower in a dark sky area.

oi u cheeky lil shit