AI and its negative effects in Music & War.

Recently, more and more disturbing results are being discovered, that have been created by the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

I can start with a theme that affects everyone, the music.

Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Smokey Robinson are some of the more than 200 artists who signed an open letter urging AI companies to respect artists’ rights.

The letter, compiled by the non-profit organization Artist rights alliance, calls on technology companies, developers, digital music services and artificial intelligence platforms to stop using AI “to violate and devalue the rights of human artists”.

The artists admit that AI technology offers new creative possibilities, but they address some of the threats to “human artistry”. Among other things, it concerns the use of pre-existing material to – without permission – train AI models in an attempt to replace artists and thus “significantly impair the royalties paid to artists”.

Will the music lose its personal charm in the future, to be replaced by “AI artists”. Hopefully man will prevent this. Imagine that suddenly all birdsong was transformed into a robotic sound. Who knows what the future holds?

Militarization of AI Has Severe Implications for Global Security and Warfare | United Nations University

Another problem with the use of AI has occurred in the ongoing war between Israel and Palestina.

The Israeli military has used an AI system to identify and create a database of Hamas targets in Gaza. Yet the “impossible” happened that a convoy from The Worlds Kitchen was attacked with fatal results. Who gave the AI the wrong information and why couldn’t the AI detect the error?

I have in earlier articles talked about G.I.G.O (garbage in garbage out). Finally, the human information is the base to Artificial Intelligence! Here are some examples of what can happen.

Mistaken Decisions: AI algorithms rely on data and information to make decisions. If they receive inaccurate or misleading data, their decisions could lead to disastrous outcomes. For instance, an AI controlling military drones might target the wrong location due to faulty intelligence.

Escalation: Incorrect information can trigger unnecessary escalation of conflicts. Imagine an AI system misinterpreting a benign action as an aggressive move, leading to retaliation. Such misunderstandings could escalate tensions and result in unintended warfare.

Weapon Systems: AI-powered weapon systems, such as autonomous drones or cyberwarfare tools, could cause significant harm if fed incorrect data. For instance, an AI-guided missile might strike a civilian area due to misinformation.

Nuclear Command and Control: AI controlling nuclear weapons is a particularly sensitive area. Even slight inaccuracies could result in catastrophic consequences.

Militarization of AI Has Severe Implications for Global Security and Warfare | United Nations University (unu.edu)

All of this can happen. I just wonder, how long will the governments of the world allow the continued development of AI? It seems that all countries want to try to get their own control, before anyone else. This is more like a military rearmament with AI, instead of disarmament with peace as the goal.

I hope I’m wrong in my own assessment, because I’m actually a positive thinking person and always looking for a good ending.

Are you ready for AI (Artificial Intelegence)? – Curt Bergsten/Windmush

Thank you all for reading my post.

#Windmush / #Curt / 04-04-2024

The secrets why there are different meaning of Easter.

Easter, a holiday rich in tradition, is celebrated across the globe with diverse customs and practices. While the essence of Easter remains constant—commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ—how different cultures embrace this occasion varies significantly. Let’s explore some unique Easter traditions from around the world:

  1. Semana Santa in Spain: In Spain, (Where I am living now.) Holy Week, is observed with profound solemnity and reverence. Cities like Seville and Malaga become stages for dramatic processions. Penitents dressed in traditional capirotes carry elaborate floats (pasos) depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ. The air is filled with the scent of incense and the sound of mournful saetas, soul-stirring flamenco hymns. For an immersive experience, join the locals in any procession and follow the paso from its church of origin through the winding streets1.
  2. Easter Egg Roll in the United States: The White House Easter Egg Roll is a storied American tradition dating back to 1878. Each year, children gather on the White House lawn to roll decorated hard-boiled eggs across the grass, cheered on by the President and First Lady. The event symbolizes the renewal of spring and the nation’s connection to its cultural heritage. Tickets are distributed via an online lottery system, so keep an eye on the White House’s official announcements for your chance to join this historic event1.
  3. Flying Kites in Bermuda: Bermuda has a long tradition of flying kites around Easter time. Special festivals on Good Friday feature kites shaped like hexagons. Interestingly, some places in Spain also have kite festivals during this time of the year2.
  4. Orthodox Easter: Orthodox Christians in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East celebrate Easter later than most in the western world. The difference arises because they use a different calendar to determine the date for Easter3.
  5. Easter Markets in Germany: Germany hosts vibrant Easter markets where locals and visitors can explore festive stalls, buy handcrafted decorations, and indulge in seasonal treats. These markets are a delightful way to experience German Easter traditions4.
  6. Easter in Sweden (Where I was raised) is a delightful blend of rich traditions, fine food, and quirky customs. Let’s explore some fascinating aspects of how Swedes celebrate this holiday: A. Easter Witches (Påskkärringar): Many Swedes used to believe in an old legend that on Maundy Thursday, witches flew off to consort with the Devil on Mount Blåkulla. While the belief has faded, the tradition of dressing up as Easter witches remains. Children clad in discarded clothes, gaily colored headscarves, and red-painted cheeks go from house to house in the neighborhood, presenting occupants with paintings and drawings in the hope of receiving sweets in return1. B. Origins of Easter in Sweden: Historically, Easter celebrations in Sweden began with the three days of Shrovetide, filled with carnivals, games, and revelry. People playfully thrashed each other with birch twigs and tobogganed down steep slopes. On Easter Saturday, the mood turned joyful, and people resumed eating eggs. Eggs were often painted in different colors, and in the 1800s, Swedes started filling paper eggs with sweets. The custom of bringing birch twigs into homes and decorating them with colored feathers dates back to the 1880s C. Bonfires and Birch Twigs: In western Sweden, the tradition of lighting bonfires, firing shotguns, and shouting to scare away witches still lives on. Additionally, bringing birch twigs into homes and decorating them with colorful feathers adds to the festive atmosphere1.
  7. Summary; Easter celebrations vary due to cultural heritage, historical context, and regional customs. Each country brings its unique flavor to this global celebration of human expression.

Thank you for reading my post, and Happy Easter to you all.

#Windmush #Curtbergsten 28/03/2023

Can famous celebrity chefs be over-rated, by financial gain?

Classik celebrity Chef’s.

Is the promotion of famous “Star Chefs” in the mass media driven by financial gain?

People talk all the time about new “inventions” by chefs and cooks, which in fact have been around since Escoffier’s time in the late 1800s. In addition, they try to invent new dishes based on old classic cooking, from the 17th-18th centuries and then want to take all the credit for copying.

Take for example when La Nouvell Cusine was introduced in the late 80s. This was a mixture of the old classic Japanese gastronomy and a later variant of French cuisine. Namely, there were two young restaurant students who, through a scholarship, were able to go to Japan to try their food tradition that has existed for centuries. These students were so surprised by the quality of the fresh ingredients that they started preparing French dishes with a touch of Japanese cooking.

When they came back to France and started their own restaurant with this “new cuisine” they soon became famous. This later spread like wildfire across Europe, unfortunately with far too many modifications, it instead became a moneymaker, with tiny portions at a sky-high price.

(The “new kitchen”, has a clear resemblance to the Japanese one, which can be seen in the picture. the similarity to Sushi or Sashimi is clear.)

Unfortunately, to public ignorance and knowledge, this “new cuisine” became a blockbuster across Europe, resulting in new Star-Chefs making millions, thanks to mass media promotion.

All this while the classic neighborhood restaurants continued to serve dishes according to the classic cookbooks, usually with better quality than restaurants awarded Michelin stars, for the presentation of “La Nouvell Cusine”.

These sought-after stars from Michelin or others, can be the ruin of a small unknown restaurant, because receiving a star is not free. It is pure economic marketing that governs the distribution of these stars. A number of these restaurants have, after being awarded 1-5 stars, been driven to financial bankruptcy, but due to the celebrity industry, these person can open new restaurants through investors who in that way promote their business with a new trade mark!

Is this really fair to the hard working unknown restaurateurs who invested in a family business?

I myself, went to a 2-year restaurant school in the 60s in Stockholm and then worked in 5-star hotels internationally. I was therefore surprised when I recently, 2024, read an article that a celebrity chef had invented how to fry a pork tenderloin so that it retains its juiciness. This is a pure FAKE.

My mother, who cooked at home on our farm in the 50s, used this method. Also the chef at the Surfers Paradise Hotel, in Australia, where I worked (1968). Used the method that is now called as novelty! Please, pick up the old authentic cookbooks and learn the basics of cooking, before giving all the credit to a TV chef.

I am prepared to receive criticism for this article, but do so with pride.

Thank you for reading my post.

#Windmush #Curt

21 Food And Cooking Trends People Are Tired Of Seeing

The Biggest Food Trends That Defined the Past 45 Years

Are we close to a new Ice-Age?

Are we close to a new Ice-Age, due to the magnetic poles?

Have the discussions that have been held every year for 40 years within the world organization COP, just been a coverup for what is really happening?

A notably change in the earth’s magnetic poles is the only logical reason for a coming strong change in the world’s climate, as I previously mentioned in several articles here in my blog Windmush, see below.

A crucial system of ocean currents could already be on the verge of collapse, with alarming implications for sea level rise and global climate, leading to temperatures falling sharply in some regions and rising in others.

The Gulf Stream, in the Atlantic Ocean, functions as a gigantic global conveyor belt that carries warm water from the tropics to the far north of Europe, where the water cools, becomes saltier, and sinks into the depths of the ocean, before spreading outward to the South.

The repercussions of the collapse of the current could be catastrophic. In some parts of Europe temperatures could drop by up to 30°C over a century, leading to a completely different climate within one or two decades.

Countries in the southern hemisphere, for their part, could suffer increased warming, while the Amazon’s wet and dry seasons could reverse, causing serious disruption to the ecosystem.

However, a scientific study does not provide an answer as to when the collapse may occur. But the models show that it will likely occur within a hundred years.

But one thing, for sure, it will seriously disrupt the Earth’s current climate and we can only hope that we are far away from this to happened – because the impact will be devastating!

I don’t want to predict an immediate disaster. However, we do not know if the world leaders are taking this seriously, something we have not been informed about by the press.

Is there perhaps a reason why a number of multi-millionaires buy themselves underground bunkers, or like some, ordered future trips to the nearest planets?

Thank you for reading my blog.

#Windmush / #Curt

Magnetic poles on the move? – Curt Bergsten/Windmush

Earth’s north magnetic pole is on the move. – Curt Bergsten/Windmush

Did you know that, AI may be dangerous to you?

Can AI kill you?

A new AI program can predict who is at risk of dying prematurely. Now researchers hope that the system can be used to save lives, but also warn that it can be misused. This is an important part of this information!

Now researchers have developed an AI that can draw conclusions about people’s life and death by using public personal information such as income, health, work, place of residence and doctor visits. Among other things, the AI can predict who is at risk of dying prematurely.

The AI searches through people’s life histories
The AI works much like the Chat GPT, which searches through and finds connections in large amounts of text. A statistics has been made about all of Denmark’s six million inhabitants that form the basis of the AI system’s predictions. To test the program, the researchers used information from the years between 2008 and 2016, and then had the AI predict whether a person between the ages of 35 and 65 died or not in the next four years. And the result was close to the real numbers!??

In my own opinion, results like these can have a devastating effect psychologically if people start to believe this information. Imagine yourself receiving information from AI that you will probably die next year, or month! But finally nothing will happened! Living with a concern contributes to a person’s health!

Does no censorship apply to all these AI programs developed by human-programmed robots? When you as a private person write an article in social media, you can often be censored, or stopped from continuing to publish your opinion!

The best would probably be to pull the plug and let the AI slowly die…….

Thanks for reading, now it is up to you to judge.

#Windmush / #Curt

The 15 Biggest Risks Of Artificial Intelligence (forbes.com)

Are you ready for AI (Artificial Intelegence)? – Curt Bergsten/Windmush

The Year of the Dragon, bad or good?

Chinese New Year 2024 is a Year of the Dragon, more specifically, Wood Dragon, starting from February 10th, 2024, and lasting until January 28th, 2025.

Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival. The most notable dates of the Lunar New Year 2024 are these three days:

I am born in the year of the Rat, and the Dragon will be friendly to me, and  the financial prospects for you people born in the Year of the Rat will steadily improve. People born in the year of the Tiger or the Monkey are protected by the Dragon and can take advantage of this.

Some famous people born in the year of the dragon: Andy Warhol, Che Guevara, Frederik H. Kreuger, Martin Luther King Jr., Michael Craig, Rihanna, Salvador Dali, John Lennon, Al Pacino, James Coburn and Herman Görling. These are just a few personalities, but all of which have a special character.

However, the Year of the Dragon is a sign of concern for political decisions that may contribute to risks for military actions. Be prepared for the increased risk of war in new areas!

Global economic growth is projected to slow from an estimated 2.7 per cent in 2023 to 2.4 per cent in 2024, trending below the pre-pandemic growth rate of 3.0 per cent, according to the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2024. (UN DESA Publ.)

But as usual, it’s just a new time zone, and the outcome of the outcome is up to each person to make the best of the situation. Good luck to everyone.

Thanks for reading my post,

#curt / #windmush

The climate-conference, COP-28, negative results.

Cop-28 have unfortunately not presented solutions, again.

I have been writing articles about COP meetings for several years now, unfortunately there is no big news from the last COP-28 meeting, despite the increased number of participants who consume energy in travel, to spend a week in Saudi Arabia.

How long will it take to unite the world, to reduce energy consumption? There is mostly talk about the phasing out of fossil fuels, but the increased energy consumption cannot continue without them. All countries want to follow the development of electric cars and other electric battery-powered vehicles, without worrying about the energy needed to produce the batteries.

This, like wind power, has become “Big Business”, and will be difficult to stop, as the large industri are investing millions to be blown away.

On the penultimate day of the meeting, former Vice-President, Al Gore says the following; “COP28 is now on the verge of complete failure, The world desperately needs to phase out fossil fuels as quickly as possible, but this obsequious draft reads as if OPEC dictated it word for word. … It is deeply offensive to all who have taken this process seriously.”

Are these really wise words from a current environmental activist? I think he should go back to being a mediocre politician again.

Electric cars, electric scooters, electric buses and now also electric ships! It almost sounds like when I used to play with my brother, with all our battery operated toys. Electric vehicles were rejected by manufacturers at the beginning of the 20th century, by the big giants in gasoline. The battery manufacturers are now demanding that governments grant huge areas of land, as well as permits to the electric grid for the production of batteries. At the same time, wind turbines are erected as solar power in areas that will never produce more than the energy cost that it cost to produce.

Top 10 Thomas Hobbes Quotes - BrainyQuote

“The right of nature… is the liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature; that is to say, of his own life.” (Thomas Hobbes)

Finally, a “historic” decision came on the last working day, December 13, 2023. A sentence in an earlier draft was changed to satisfy oil-producing countries. The first proposal; “To phase out fossil fuels”, was changed to; “A transition away from fossil fuels”

The content of a text can be interpreted as one wishes, such as the following comment:

In the end, a “historic” decision came on the last working day, December 13, 2023. A sentence in an earlier draft was changed to satisfy oil-producing countries. The adopted text does not mention the word ‘phase-out’, but it is a ‘phase-out’ of fossil fuels. said Peter Liese (EPP, DE), Chair of the delegation.

Record-breaking funds were created, to be paid for by the “rich” countries, to reinvest in restoring damage that has already occurred. Finally It´s all about money!!

Anyone interested in my previous articles can compare what happened at the last meetings, not much I say.

Thank you all for reading,

#Windmush / #Curtbergsten

The climate change, a cover up? – Curt Bergsten (windmush.com)

I wasn’t wrong about the COP27! – Curt Bergsten (windmush.com)

COP27, days are passing by…. – Curt Bergsten (windmush.com)

COP 27 opening soon in Cairo 2022. – Curt Bergsten (windmush.com)

The Myth of Plastic Waste and Recycling.

Are we fooled by Plastic waste and recycling?

Data taken from the European Parliament.

“The production of plastic has increased exponentially in just a few decades – from 1.5 million tons in 1950 to 359 million tons in 2018 (globally) – and with it the plastic waste. After a marked reduction in production in the first half of 2020 as a result of covid-19, production has resumed again in the second half of the year.

In Europe, energy recovery is the most common way to dispose of plastic waste, followed by recycling. 25 percent of all generated plastic waste ends up in the landfill.

Half of the plastic collected for recycling is exported to be processed in countries outside the EU. The reasons for exporting include a lack of capacity, technology and financial resources to handle the waste locally. The EU’s export of waste to countries outside the EU amounted to 32.7 million tonnes in 2020. The majority of the waste consists of ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap as well as paper, plastic, textile and glass waste and goes mainly to Turkey, India and Egypt.

Previously, a significant portion of exported plastic waste was shipped to China, but with China’s recent ban on imported plastic waste, EU exports are likely to decrease further. This means that the risk of the waste being incinerated or ending up in landfills increases in Europe. In the meantime, the EU is looking for circular and climate-friendly ways to manage its plastic waste.

The low percentage of plastic recycling that takes place within the EU means large economic and also environmental losses. It is estimated that 95 percent of the economic value of plastic packaging material is already lost after the first use.“

Comments by Windmush.

The world’s population grew from an estimated 2.5 billion in 1950 to 7.9 billion in 2021.

Since 1950, plastic production has multiplied by 239, while during the same time the world’s population has multiplied by 3.15 times.

What have all the governments and scientists done in the last 70 years to prevent the progress of plastic? Apparently not much! Obviously, this is only due to financial gain in the short term, without thinking about the future of the environment.

An example is the pharmaceutical industry, in the past (1950) mainly glass and paper packaging was used. Whereas nowadays each pill is encapsulated by plastic or aluminum material. This development is hardly beneficial for the population, but rather for the plastic/packaging industry.

According to the EU information at the beginning of the article, we do not have the capacity to recycle these materials, but send millions of tons to other countries who do not inform what happens to all this waste. There are, honestly speaking, garbage that has changed the environment in countries through the formation of garbage mountains, just because they get paid to receive it. However, this is not shown in the presented environmental declarations which are then presented in the famous COP meetings. There has even been talk of such an idiotic idea of sending garbage to the moon!

This is too much for me, now I will end my post and come back another day.

Thank you for reading my post.

#Windmush / #curtbergsten

AI and cryptocurrency are contributing to energy problems.

AI, and cryptocurrency will create energy-problems!

Is it really a good idea to force AI (Artificial Intelligence) in all industries, when it is already clear that AI and Cryptocurrency are energy guzzlers?

The giant Google in one such example, noting has been said that AI was accounted for 10%-15% of the company’s total electricity consumption in 2021. But as AI technology continues to expand, only Google’s energy consumption could start to be on the scale of a small country in 2023.

Cryptocurrency also has an energy consumption problem. Bitcoin alone is estimated to consume 127 terawatt-hours (TWh) a year — more than many countries, including Norway.

In the United States, cryptocurrency activity is estimated to emit from 25 to 50 million tons of CO2 each year, on par with the annual emissions from diesel fuel used by US railroads.

Christopher Alexander, the chief analytics officer of Pioneer Development Group, has told Fox News Digital the demands by AI, will be similar to the birth of Bitcoin mining, arguing developers will have to get creative with the way they use resources.

The recent rise in the capabilities and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) has opened up a number of debates about the technology’s possible drawbacks; from students cheating at exams, to machines replacing humans at work, and even the risk of the total destruction of the human race.

Another potential pitfall of AI could be on the horizon, with experts warning the computing power needed to run the necessary algorithms and machine learning processes could contribute to climate change due to the amount of energy it uses.

Some Bitcoin miners may not have direct control over their electricity usage if their mining computers are contracted out to larger data centers. This, combined with the fact that miners are not longstanding businesses with well-established credit, may make it difficult to dictate their electricity supply. In order to drive further renewable energy generation, rather than take credit for an existing portion of renewable capacity, Bitcoin miners must contract renewable energy directly.

The market capitalization of the almost 19,000 cryptocurrencies in circulation is currently around $1.75 trillion — about the same as the gross domestic product of Italy, the world’s eighth largest economy.

The Future of Cryptocurrency and AI: Can Gold Go Green?

We all know that Cryptocurrency and Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. But we all should know that AI is born from earlier programmed computers. It is after all only a tool to speed up the developments in the world, but is this necessary?

Aren’t there more important areas to use this enormous energy consumption on?

In the end, it is still the ordinary consumer who will have to pay, through increased electricity bills.

All opinions are welcome, from my readers.

Thanks for reading my blog.

#Windmush / #Curtbergsten

18-10-2023

Will BRICS create a new digital world currency?

The bloc of emerging market nations known as BRICS which currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is expanding its membership for the first time since 2010.

A key part of BRICS’ strategy is the Shanghai-based New Development Bank, which has $50 billion in subscribed capital and plans to add several new emerging market member countries this year in a bid to expand its lending capability.

Already, in addition to the core BRICS countries, the bank includes Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates among its members. Uruguay is in the process of joining and Saudi Arabia has applied as well.

What will happen if this planned macro currency hits the open market? How will the EURO and USD react?

The “Petrodollar” that has been valid since 1974 after an agreement between Richard Nixon and Crown of Saudi Arabia, to only value sale of crude oil in USD, can soon be forgotten.

A massive effort by Saudi Arabia to invest in the US is going on right now, this could later be a disaster for the domestic currency, if the BRICS face the $ currency. Europe will also feel this economic change if the USD falls, specially if the US stock market will react negative.

“The objective, irreversible process of de-dollarization of our economic ties is gaining momentum,” Putin told the last BRICS summit.

However, the dollar still dominates global trade. It is on one side of almost 90% of global forex transactions, according to Bank of International Settlements Data.

De-dollarizing would need countless exporters and importers, as well as borrowers, lenders and currency traders across the world, to independently decide to use other currencies.

Finally, all this commotion is difficult to judge whether it will become a reality of a currency in the BRICS group. The world is facing a troubled year ahead, 2024, with economic difficulties and changes in the climate that can be caused by a variety of factors.

But certainly, positive factors will also happen in the next year.

Thank you all for reading my blog.

#Windmush / #Curtbergsten