Interconnected

1.

Crow Machine.

The goal of this project is to create a device that will autonomously train crows.

Once we’ve got system down for teaching coin collection we’ll move to seeing how flexibly they can learn other tasks, like collecting garbage, sorting through discarded electronics, or maybe even search and rescue.

The thing that gets me about this is that it’s automatic.

2.

Bruce Sterling on the Convergence of Humans and Machines.

Or not.

You never see a computer that is so young it cannot speak.

3.

Various translations of the first sentence of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.

One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed into a horrible vermin.

When Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into an monstrous cockroach in his bed.

Poor Gregor.

4.

Justin Long has automated Tinder using facial recognition.

using the facial recognition algorithm Eigenfaces I built a bot that learns when to swipe right (like a person) AND swipe left (dislike a person) AND start your conversations.

Starting the conversation:

Tinderbox’s pre-programmed chats include the opening:

“{name} are you a fan of avocados?”

And, following a positive reply:

“So if I asked you to have a guacamole party with me you’d do it?”

Only after all this does Tinderbox notify its human taskmaster that there’s a match ready to chat.

Turns out Tinderbots are quite a thing. Here’s something not real.

At 09:07 in the morning an Uber is automatically called for the female and 3 days later she will receive a heartfelt e-card / receipt. The algorithm will also wish her happy birthday on Facebook and like the top 20% of her Instagram photos as they are posted and start getting a lot of other likes. This continues until her Facebook relationship status switches away from single.

I wonder if you could automate a crow to Tinder for you.