WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.160 Kelsey, I'm tired of having all of the sad news. 00:00:03.259 --> 00:00:05.839 I'm gonna have some FUD news for everybody. I 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:07.099 think that's gonna be fun. Okay, this is gonna 00:00:07.099 --> 00:00:10.199 be weird. Potentially, I don't know, with weird 00:00:10.199 --> 00:00:12.960 implications, but to hell with it, let's just 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:15.359 go with it. Two articles, we'll see if there's 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:17.559 anything that we can draw connections from between 00:00:17.559 --> 00:00:20.219 them. Okay, sure. First one, from Popular Science, 00:00:20.460 --> 00:00:23.839 written on September 5th, 2024, by Mac DeGaron. 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:27.739 This robot is controlled by a king oyster mushroom. 00:00:28.379 --> 00:00:30.960 Sinister brain -controlling mushrooms are a staple 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:34.600 of sci -fi shows and literature. While brainwashed 00:00:34.600 --> 00:00:37.020 humans doing the bidding of fungi remains fantasy, 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:39.179 researchers have learned how to control a robot's 00:00:39.179 --> 00:00:40.939 movement using electrical signals produced by 00:00:40.939 --> 00:00:43.359 the mycelium of the common king oyster mushroom. 00:00:43.700 --> 00:00:46.299 This part machine, part fungus robot could one 00:00:46.299 --> 00:00:48.659 day serve as a building block for more advanced 00:00:48.659 --> 00:00:51.299 bio -hybrid chimeras that can remotely analyze 00:00:51.299 --> 00:00:54.179 agricultural fields for potentially harmful changes 00:00:54.179 --> 00:00:57.640 in soil chemistry. Researchers from Cornell University 00:00:57.640 --> 00:00:59.219 and the University of Florence in Italy wanted 00:00:59.219 --> 00:01:01.320 to see if electrical signals pulsing through 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:03.439 the mycelium of fungi could be translated into 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:06.299 controlling inputs for robots. The findings were 00:01:06.299 --> 00:01:09.500 published last month in the journal Science Robotics. 00:01:09.939 --> 00:01:12.219 They were ultimately able to create a system 00:01:12.219 --> 00:01:14.840 capable of analyzing and processing naturally 00:01:14.840 --> 00:01:16.920 occurring electrical signals sent through the 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:20.319 mycelium. Those data points were then translated 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:23.659 into a digital control signal. which, when beamed 00:01:23.659 --> 00:01:25.939 to a pair of robots, cause them to move. The 00:01:25.939 --> 00:01:29.239 video below shows one of those robots, a soft 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:31.920 starfish -like machine, contracting back and 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:34.120 forth as a result of researchers flashing the 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:37.099 connected fungi with UV light. Many fungi don't 00:01:37.099 --> 00:01:39.640 like light exposure. Quote, this paper is the 00:01:39.640 --> 00:01:41.879 first of many that will use the fungal kingdom, 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:44.459 provide environmental sensing and command signals 00:01:44.459 --> 00:01:47.159 to robots to improve their levels of autonomy. 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:50.079 End quote. Cornell University Professor of Mechanical 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:52.260 and Aerospace Engineering Robert Shepard said 00:01:52.260 --> 00:02:08.560 in a statement, Fungi naturally respond to changes 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:10.659 in their natural environment, whether that be 00:02:10.659 --> 00:02:13.259 by variations in soil chemistry or increasing 00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:16.759 light exposure by sending electrophysiological 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:19.400 signals through the mycelium. These electrical 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:21.879 signals produce patterns of activity some researchers 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:24.400 say resemble neurons, which have served broadly 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:27.000 as inspiration for advancements in modern machines, 00:02:27.419 --> 00:02:30.530 learning, and robotics. I think that's far enough 00:02:30.530 --> 00:02:32.210 in this one. There's a bit more, but I want to 00:02:32.210 --> 00:02:33.810 make sure we have enough time for the second, 00:02:34.169 --> 00:02:37.069 probably unrelated story, but nonetheless a story 00:02:37.069 --> 00:02:39.270 that I'm going to read beside this one, which 00:02:39.270 --> 00:02:43.050 comes from the South China Morning Post. Okay. 00:02:43.169 --> 00:02:49.090 It was written on June 18th, 2024. Article title, 00:02:49.310 --> 00:02:52.590 Zhong Tong. Article title, China's next -gen 00:02:52.590 --> 00:02:55.409 sex bots powered by AI are about to hit the shelves. 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:58.919 Possibly unrelated, but still let's go through 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:01.800 this. Controlled by mushrooms. Chinese scientists 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:04.080 and engineers are applying chat -GPT -like technology 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.580 to sex robots aiming to create interactive AI 00:03:06.580 --> 00:03:08.639 -powered companions in the face of technical 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:12.219 and ethical challenges. In Shenzhen, Starpery 00:03:12.219 --> 00:03:14.919 Technology, a major producer of sex dolls, is 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:17.039 now training its own large -language model to 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:19.120 enhance its product with artificial intelligence. 00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:21.819 These sex dolls with unprecedented capabilities 00:03:21.819 --> 00:03:24.979 available in male and female forms will soon 00:03:24.979 --> 00:03:27.300 be hitting the shelves. Quote, we're developing 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:29.699 a next generation sex doll that can interact 00:03:29.699 --> 00:03:32.539 vocally and physically with users with prototypes 00:03:32.539 --> 00:03:35.659 expected by August of this year. End quote. CEO 00:03:35.659 --> 00:03:38.900 Evan Lee said earlier this month. Technological 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:40.860 challenges remain, particularly in achieving 00:03:40.860 --> 00:03:44.300 realistic human interactions. While simple dialogue 00:03:44.300 --> 00:03:47.360 is easy, creating interactive responses involves 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:50.879 complex model development by specialized software 00:03:50.879 --> 00:04:03.860 companies. He said, Quote, the new generation 00:04:03.860 --> 00:04:06.439 of sextal is powered by AI models and equipped 00:04:06.439 --> 00:04:09.099 with sensors can react with both movements and 00:04:09.099 --> 00:04:11.759 speech, significantly enhancing user experience 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:14.400 by focusing on emotional connection rather than 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:17.639 just basic conversational abilities. End quote, 00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:20.250 Lee said. The company, which has been focusing 00:04:20.250 --> 00:04:22.629 on the market outside China, is now also targeting 00:04:22.629 --> 00:04:25.009 the domestic sector. Despite being a largely 00:04:25.009 --> 00:04:27.189 conservative society with general electance to 00:04:27.189 --> 00:04:29.709 discuss such topics, Li said China hosted the 00:04:29.709 --> 00:04:31.730 largest market for sex dolls, surpassing the 00:04:31.730 --> 00:04:34.110 combined sales of the US, Japan, and Germany. 00:04:35.410 --> 00:04:37.649 People in the industry know China has a huge 00:04:37.649 --> 00:04:39.769 market, with purchasing power in major cities 00:04:39.769 --> 00:04:42.230 surpassing many European countries. The market 00:04:42.230 --> 00:04:45.670 is also open in mind, though aesthetically different 00:04:45.670 --> 00:04:48.649 from the European market. End quote, he said. 00:04:48.990 --> 00:04:51.149 That's probably far enough to go. Now Chelsea, 00:04:51.589 --> 00:04:53.829 probably unrelated, but I thought they were fun 00:04:53.829 --> 00:04:55.850 things to read right beside each other. See, 00:04:55.970 --> 00:04:58.670 here's my take on it. It has nothing to do with 00:04:58.670 --> 00:05:01.949 the mushrooms, but there's already people that 00:05:01.949 --> 00:05:06.509 like, see sex dolls as partners and significant 00:05:06.509 --> 00:05:09.230 others. I remember watching a documentary about 00:05:09.230 --> 00:05:11.750 it of - japanese men who basically live alone 00:05:11.750 --> 00:05:13.850 and don't leave their house and they don't have 00:05:13.850 --> 00:05:15.810 like sex dolls but they have like companions 00:05:15.810 --> 00:05:19.410 like that yeah i mean there's some where it's 00:05:19.410 --> 00:05:24.310 not even like a sexual thing so my concern there 00:05:24.310 --> 00:05:26.430 and it's not really a concern it's just more 00:05:26.430 --> 00:05:30.839 of an observation where do you draw the line? 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:33.779 I mean that's making it more companion -like 00:05:33.779 --> 00:05:38.180 especially if it talks back and even more of 00:05:38.180 --> 00:05:42.019 a dynamic there what if Someone who's getting 00:05:42.019 --> 00:05:44.959 rejected by humans gets one of those and then 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.180 the robot rejects them. You know what, I was 00:05:47.180 --> 00:05:50.319 just thinking the same thing. I mean, technically 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:53.379 it can respond however it feels correct. If it's 00:05:53.379 --> 00:05:55.980 not feeling comfortable, it could deny it. Yeah, 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:59.420 exactly. Or have a headache or something along 00:05:59.420 --> 00:06:03.920 those lines. Exactly. And that opens up a whole 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:08.550 other thing, like to people forming bonds with 00:06:08.550 --> 00:06:12.029 something that is interacting with them if they're 00:06:12.029 --> 00:06:14.990 already you know forming bonds with something 00:06:14.990 --> 00:06:18.430 that is an object yeah that doesn't talk back 00:06:18.430 --> 00:06:21.250 um yeah this kind of gives it a sentience to 00:06:21.250 --> 00:06:25.250 it so i'm also a little worried about the ai's 00:06:25.250 --> 00:06:27.410 that are trying to hook people up with each other 00:06:27.410 --> 00:06:30.649 based on them talking to other ai's what if the 00:06:30.649 --> 00:06:35.279 sex robot ai gets on there and the The dating 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:39.800 AI tells you you need to get a sex robot because 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:43.100 they really hit it off with you. Yeah, all things 00:06:43.100 --> 00:06:45.879 to think about. All important things to think 00:06:45.879 --> 00:06:47.939 about. Especially with those mycelium just kind 00:06:47.939 --> 00:06:50.139 of hanging out everywhere. I'm sure there is 00:06:50.139 --> 00:06:52.079 a fungal joke in there somewhere, but I will 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:54.399 leave it for you to think about over the next 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:58.079 48 hours. Anyhow, see you on Friday. Bye. Bye.