Editing 1646: Twitter Bot
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[[Cueball]] thinks he'll write a Twitter bot, figuring out it won't be too hard. The web searches he makes tell what happens next, i.e. the bot balloons in complexity until it starts {{w|Technological singularity|following its own goals}} and Cueball no longer has any control over its actions. | [[Cueball]] thinks he'll write a Twitter bot, figuring out it won't be too hard. The web searches he makes tell what happens next, i.e. the bot balloons in complexity until it starts {{w|Technological singularity|following its own goals}} and Cueball no longer has any control over its actions. | ||
− | This comic examines how a seemingly simple task can often balloon in complexity if all of the requirements are not understood, while at the same time presenting the stereotypical scenario where an unassuming idea results in the accidental creation of malevolent {{w|AI}}, | + | This comic examines how a seemingly simple task can often balloon in complexity if all of the requirements are not understood, while at the same time presenting the stereotypical scenario where an unassuming idea results in the accidental creation of malevolent {{w|AI}}, Which then attempts to destroy humanity. |
The story, as told by the web searches, is as follows: | The story, as told by the web searches, is as follows: | ||
− | + | * '''How to write a Twitter bot''': Cueball has no idea where to start, so he just searches for basic advice on writing generic Twitter bots. | |
− | + | * '''Python Twitter library''': The {{w|Python (programming language)|Python}} programming language has a nice {{w|Library (computing)|library}} that [https://pypi.python.org/pypi/twitter interfaces with the Twitter API]. This does all the tricky work of authenticating the bot's identity and sending the messages, so the user can concentrate on the fun parts. | |
− | + | * '''Machine learning''': {{w|Machine learning}} is the basis of {{w|Artificial intelligence|artificial intelligence}}. | |
− | + | * '''Cloud hosting''': While it's possible to host a Twitter bot on your server, you can also have it {{w|Internet hosting service|hosted}} by someone else - such as {{w|Amazon.com|Amazon}} - in order to take advantage of their powerful computers and robust internet connection. | |
− | + | * '''Bot troubleshooting''': Cueball is having some trouble with his bot and is looking for some information about resolving the problem. | |
− | + | * '''Locked out of EC2 instance''': {{w|Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud|EC2}} is a hosting service by Amazon that allows users to run their code in the hosting server. Cueball was running his bot from EC2, but now he's unable to access his account. He's searching for advice on how to regain access. | |
− | + | * '''Bot changed own password?''': Cueball is suspecting that the reason he can't access his Amazon EC2 account is that the bot has changed the password without Cueball's knowledge or consent. Since the bot was never programmed to change any passwords at all, the fact that it has done so is pretty scary, as one wonders what other things the bot is doing without being programmed for it. | |
− | + | * '''How to fight a bot''': Cueball is trying to physically fight the bot, but he's apparently unsuccessful and the fight results in a loud "boom" and "pew, pew, pew" sounds. The situation is scarier than before, as it starts to resemble the "killbot hellscape" in [[1613: The Three Laws of Robotics]]. | |
− | + | * '''Cheap flights to Australia''': Cueball has completely given up the possibility of regaining control of the bot, so he flees to Australia instead. It is understood Australia sounds like a far, far away land for Cueball. | |
− | + | *'''Title text: Python flag enable three laws''': The Python language is known for having easy constructs to perform diffucult tasks (see [[353: Python]]). In this case, it is assumed that Python has a configuration flag (i.e., a {{w|Boolean data type|boolean}} value) which, when set to "true" (or "enabled", as opposed to "disabled", or "false"), will cause the bot to follow {{w|Isaac Asimov}}'s famous {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}. This is a simple enough step, and it might have been enough to prevent the "killbot hellscape" scenario, like the rule is depicted doing in the top panel of [[1613: The Three Laws of Robotics]]. It won't cause the bot to stop being in control, however, but if the bot is following the rules strictly it would not be allowed to even make Cueball uncomfortable, which he already becomes when it changes his password! | |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[Cueball is sitting at a desk using a laptop, his thoughts shown above in a thought bubble. A search query is shown in a frame to indicate what Cueball has searched for with the search button below in gray text:] | :[Cueball is sitting at a desk using a laptop, his thoughts shown above in a thought bubble. A search query is shown in a frame to indicate what Cueball has searched for with the search button below in gray text:] | ||
− | :Cueball (thinking): I want to make a Twitter | + | :Cueball (thinking): I want to make a Twitter Bot. I bet it's not too hard. |
:Query: How to write a Twitter bot | :Query: How to write a Twitter bot | ||
:<font color="gray">Search</font> | :<font color="gray">Search</font> | ||
Line 50: | Line 36: | ||
:Query: Python Twitter library | :Query: Python Twitter library | ||
:<font color="gray">Search</font> | :<font color="gray">Search</font> | ||
− | :Query: Machine | + | :Query: Machine Learning |
:<font color="gray">Search</font> | :<font color="gray">Search</font> | ||
:Query: Cloud hosting | :Query: Cloud hosting | ||
Line 68: | Line 54: | ||
:Noise off-panel left: <big>Boom</big> | :Noise off-panel left: <big>Boom</big> | ||
:Noise off-panel right: ''Pew Pew Pew'' | :Noise off-panel right: ''Pew Pew Pew'' | ||
− | :Query: Cheap flights Australia | + | :Query: Cheap flights to Australia |
:<font color="gray">Search</font> | :<font color="gray">Search</font> | ||
− | + | {{comic discussion}} | |
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]] | [[Category:Artificial Intelligence]] | ||
[[Category:Computers]] | [[Category:Computers]] | ||
− | + | [[Category:Robots]] <!--The reference to the three laws of robotics--> | |
− | [[Category:Robots]] | ||
[[Category:Programming]] | [[Category:Programming]] | ||
− | [[Category:Social networking]] | + | [[Category:Social networking]] <!--Twitter--> |
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