Orientation in Turbulent Times
/0 Comments/by Jörg LehmannCultural heritage institutions such as galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs) currently find themselves in a difficult situation: Generative AI models have fundamentally changed the meaning of the term “openness”. Until recently, the open provision of digital cultural heritage was an absolute ideal, as was the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). There is a […]
Large Language Models and their WEIRD Consequences
/0 Comments/by Jörg LehmannIn his book “The Weirdest People in the World“, evolutionary psychologist Joseph Henrich focuses on a particular species that he calls “WEIRD people”. This play on words can be resolved because WEIRD stands for “white, educated, industrialised, rich, democratic”. Henrich wonders how it was possible for a small section of the population, most of whom […]
Power Hungry Magic
/0 Comments/by Jörg Lehmann“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”, Arthur C. Clarke already knew, and it is part of the magic of new technologies that their downsides are systematically concealed. This is also the case with the energy consumption of large language models (LLMs): As with the schnitzel that ends up on consumers’ plates and makes […]