Recently it has come to pass that a lot of large news outlets including the ABC and the New Zealand Herald have turned to AI to write some of their stories. And being the curious bugger I am, I put the tech to the test.

I put in the words Pothole, Hepburn Shire Council, Grumpy Old Man and Winter and in less than half a second it spat out the following. And apologies in advance to the shire.

On a chilly winter morning in Hepburn Shire, a grumpy old man named Harold found himself behind the wheel of his rusted old truck, navigating the winding country roads that were all too familiar to him.

The frost had settled on the ground overnight, and as the sun struggled to peek through the dense clouds, he grumbled to himself about the state of the roads.

“Every year it’s the same story,” he muttered, his voice a gravelly rasp.

“Hepburn Shire Council promises to fix the potholes, but here I am, dodging craters like I’m in some kind of obstacle course. It’s a wonder I haven’t lost a tyre yet!”

Harold had lived in Hepburn Shire for over fifty years and had seen the town change dramatically. The once-bustling community was now a quiet shadow of its former self, with many younger families moving away for better opportunities.

He often lamented the loss of the vibrancy that once filled the streets and shops. The winter’s chill only seemed to deepen his melancholy, making him feel more like a relic of the past.

As he drove, Harold’s thoughts drifted to the various council meetings he had attended over the years. He had often voiced his concerns about the roads, but each time he left feeling more frustrated than before.

The council members, in their polished suits and polished speeches, rarely seemed to understand the plight of the everyday resident. They promised improvements, but the potholes remained, a constant reminder of their empty words.

Suddenly, as he turned a corner, he spotted a particularly large pothole right in the middle of the road. “There it is!” he yelled, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

He swerved to avoid it, narrowly missing the edge of the road. The truck jolted violently, and he felt a wave of anger wash over him.

“I swear, if someone gets hurt because of this, I’ll march right into that council office and give them a piece of my mind!”

As he continued driving, a memory resurfaced of a winter festival held in the town square when he was a young man. Families would gather around the fire, children would build snowmen, and laughter would fill the air.

Now, it seemed like the only sound was the crunch of gravel under his tyres and the occasional rustle of wind through the trees.

Harold’s thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a young couple walking hand in hand along the road. They waved cheerfully, and Harold managed a small smile in return, despite his sour mood.

“At least some things haven’t changed,” he thought, but the smile faded as he recalled how long it had been since he felt a sense of community.

He continued driving, his mind racing with ideas for how to bring the town together again. Maybe he could organise a winter clean-up day, rallying the community to fix the potholes and spruce up the town.

If the council wouldn’t take action, perhaps the residents could come together to make a difference. As he pulled into his driveway, a sense of resolve washed over him.

Harold might be a grumpy old man, but he wasn’t ready to give up on Hepburn Shire. With a little effort and a lot of determination, he believed they could transform their town back into the vibrant community he once knew.

After all, winter was just a season, and spring was always just around the corner. AI rant over…

Today, almost 25 percent of Australians are digitally excluded. This means they miss out on the social, educational and economic benefits that online connectivity enables.

In the face of this ongoing “digital divide”, countries are now talking about a future of inclusive artificial intelligence (AI).

However, if we don’t learn from current problems with digital exclusion, it will likely spill over into people’s future experiences with AI. That’s the conclusion from new research published in the journal AI and Ethics.

Reserchers say decades of research has provided a rich understanding of who is most at risk. In Australia, older people, those living in remote areas, people on lower incomes and First Nations peoples are most likely to find themselves digitally excluded.

Zooming out, they say show that one-third of the world’s population – representing the poorest countries – remains offline. Globally, the digital gender divide also still exists: women, particularly in low and middle-income countries, face substantially more barriers to digital connectivity.

During the COVID pandemic, the impacts of digital inequity became much more obvious. As large swathes of the world’s population had to “shelter in place”– unable to go outside, visit shops, or seek face-to-face contact – anyone without digital access was severely at risk.

Consequences ranged from social isolation to reduced employment opportunities, as well as a lack of access to vital health information. 

The UN Secretary-General stated in 2020 that “the digital divide is now a matter of life and death”.

Words & Image: CSIRO

RECENTLY we got ChatGPT to write up a piece of editorial, which it quite frankly penned from its electronic anus. See below.
The horse has bolted out of the stable gates and spilt the milk which was in the bottle with the genie – who just won’t get back in. I am talking about artificial intelligence (AI) and its role within our society.
This stuff is here to stay. There is no pulling the plug and it is likely to become self-aware within the next decade or so. In terms of medical breakthroughs it will be nothing short of a Godsend, of that I am sure, however when it, AI, no longer needs us to keep its battery topped up and feed it information, what happens then?
Right now, here at little old TL HQ we get paid a small fee by the tech giant Google to put up four stories a day onto Google News Showcase, 365 days a year and we are a small community newspaper. Imagine all the other newsrooms and sites that are getting paid by Google to do the same but on a massive scale of seven or more stories a day per organisation year round.
Think about the massive scale of information that is feeding the monster and the frightening part is that started last year and will now go on almost indefinitely or until we are no longer required. So in a manner of speaking it’s like the AI baby is in the high chair and we (the news organisations) are feeding it with lots of yummy news to grow up to be a nice and strong cyborg.
Apparently, one of the new AI applications we should see rolled out shortly is the lack of pricing on the shelves at the supermarket as we hurtle towards “smart pricing” (SP). SP will determine how often you buy a product or if you rely on a certain product, and will price it accordingly. There will be no visible pricing, just a barcode you can scan, and the pricing is decided for you along with stock and availability.
The way forward for me is to legislate against the corruption of power from the people that own the tech (our future masters and commanders). To pass laws on what is coming will take years to implement and argue about, and we do have time, but we need to start now. Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to the “I” part, that is the intelligence bit of it, because that part of the human brain seems to be
diminishing into the phones, tablets and TVs that deliver our entertainment. Please young’uns, get off your phones and enjoy the world as it is. Look at that young fella who rescued the bus driver and all the kids onboard in America as he was the only one not staring at a phone. Hold this guy up as your saviour of the future, the Kyle Reese of your generation – think human enemy of terminator from the
future goes back to save himself dude. The end is nigh rant over

200 words on Kyle Barnes in Glenlyon, Victoria please…

Kyle Barnes had always loved living in Glenlyon, a small town in Victoria, Australia. He had grown up here, playing with his friends in the local park and exploring the nearby forests.
As he got older, he became a familiar face in the community, known for his friendly nature and willingness to lend a hand to anyone who needed it.
One summer day, Kyle decided to take a hike in the nearby mountains. He packed a backpack with some water, snacks, and a first aid kit, and set off early in the morning. As he climbed higher and higher, he marvelled at the stunning views of the surrounding landscape. But as he reached the summit, he heard a faint cry for help coming from a nearby cliff.
Without hesitation, he rushed over to see a hiker who had slipped and fallen injuring her leg. Kyle quickly assessed the situation and used his first aid skills to help the woman, making sure she was stable and comfortable before calling for help.
Thanks to Kyle’s quick thinking and bravery, the hiker was rescued and taken to the hospital for further treatment.
Kyle received numerous accolades from the community and was hailed as a hero for his selfless act. But for Kyle, he was just doing what came naturally – helping someone in need.
Words: ChatGPT (Ed’s note: “Friendly nature?” Talk about fabrication.)