Alan Fox

During 2023 there has been a great deal of dithering over Artificial Intelligence, especially since there have been many interesting AI conversations with humans publicized in the news.

Is Artificial Intelligence a useful tool, or a doomsday device for the human race?

It seems undeniable that AI can be helpful.  My accounting department would be three times its size if not for improvements in software that can carry much of the workload for “scut” work.  I remember a time during income tax season when I assigned to a highly paid employee the task of basically adding up columns of numbers.  And that took her six weeks using a ten-key adding machine, work that can now be completed with a single keystroke.

Today computers do much of the repetitive work, and I assume that in the future computers will perform all this type of work.

So, in my mind, AI is a definite plus for humanity.  Instead of using a ten-key adding machine we can sip margaritas in Valparaiso (Indiana or Chile, your choice). Or we can turn our time and talents to working in more important areas.

BUT – and this is a big butt – will AI in some future way kill us off?

I’m hoping the answer is “No,” but I’m only reporting based upon past survival success.    Of humans.  At this point, I have no idea if AI and HI can continue to coexist.  But I am reminded of a cautionary science fiction story I read as a young boy.

Humans had built a gigantic computer in space.  Its size was 100 miles by 50 miles by 50 miles.  (Visualize this computer sitting on the California coastline from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, from the Pacific Ocean to 50 miles above the earth and extending 50 miles inland.)

After a century of construction, the human operator asked the computer its first question.

“Is there a God?”

The immediate answer followed.

“Now there is.”

Alan

P.S.  The accompanying art work was created by AI.

“Aside from the move, Alan, how is the new house?”

Thanks for asking.

Daveen and I have been living in our new home for more than a week and I’m just starting to be able to find my way home by “feel.”  I’ve memorized notable landmarks on the street, like the tall pine tree on a neighbor’s property a few doors down.

But the force of habit is strong.  In our previous house the door to the master bath was in the upper left corner of the bedroom.  In the new house, the bathroom is in the lower left corner.  I haven’t yet walked out into the garden when I needed to use the bathroom, but I still have to think about it.

The biggest plus is that the kitchen is now only sixty steps from our bed.  It used to be more than double that, with the added complication of having to navigate a staircase en route.  Our new house is only one story, one of Daveen’s specifications, and that is probably a wise choice since this is intended to be the home we grow older in.

The biggest negative is that my commute is now about fifteen minutes each way, compared with only 8 minutes previously.  One could say that my commute time has almost doubled, or that I am now spending an extra fourteen minutes in my car every day, time that I could be spending doing other things, like playing mah jong!   Or one could also conclude that 30 minutes of total commuting each day is minor, especially for the sprawling city of Los Angeles.  One of my employees told me that her commute is 45 minutes each way – on a good day.

At least my office has been in the same place since 2003, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m going to keep it that way.  Enough moving already!

Yesterday I shopped for groceries for Thanksgiving.  I plan to prepare my favorite turkey stuffing tomorrow so I can enjoy eating it from Tuesday all the way through the end of the week (only sixty steps from my bed!).

My best suggestion for your holiday season – take the batteries out of your bathroom scale.

That way, when you wonder how much weight you have gained, you can honestly tell yourself, “I don’t know.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Alan

Last week, Daveen and I moved into a house that we’ve been remodeling for more than a year.  It was a moving experience – pun intended.

For more than 50 years I’ve lived in the same Sherman Oaks zip code. And while this is the fourth different house, it will presumably be the last.

As with any change, there are plusses and minuses.  Since this is, I expect, the house I am going to live in for the rest of my life, I will focus exclusively on the advantages.

1. It’s almost walking distance to Stanley’s, one of my favorite restaurants. I especially love their Cobb salad.
2. It’s almost walking distance to Whole Foods, one of my favorite grocery stores.
3. It’s a 15-minute commute to my office. My former commute was 9 minutes, but now we have a lovely backyard, with a real swimming pool (as opposed to the “miniature” swimming pool at the old house), and there is room for us to add a pickleball court.
4. The new house has easy access to the freeways.
5. Our kitchen is 30 steps from the primary bedroom. That’s important to me.
6. The new house has only one story so there are no stairs. That’s important to Daveen.

I should also mention that the new house is about half the size of our previous home. It will be easier to maintain, and half the cost.  (Of course, temporarily, I’ll be paying to carry two houses.)

And so, I expect all will be perfect in our new home, just as soon as I learn how to use the fancy new TV with its 84-inch screen.  Though I did manage to watch the USC-Oregon football game last Saturday evening, USC, sadly, lost.  Ah, well.  I suppose it would be boring if USC won all its football games every year (Alabama – are you listening?).

I’ll let you know how the move turns out.  In a year or two.  After all the boxes are emptied.

Alan