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ONLINE CLASS JANUARY 10 & 12
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I just wanted to remind everyone that our online precision optics class will be held Thursday, February 16 from 6:00 PM to approximately 9:00 PM Mountain Time. This class started as a one-day live class, but during the COVID lockdowns I condensed it into an online workshop. If you do any long-range shooting or want to get a better understanding of how to use all the features on modern magnified optics, this is the class for you.
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Online classes like this are a good way to sharpen your knowledge on firearms and shooting.
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AI
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If you've been paying attention to the news of the day, you will know several artificial intelligence programs have been released, such as "ChatGPT" that are being used to generate content, answer questions, write code, and (like most things on the internet) being used to keep people entertained.
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Like most technological advances, AI has serious implications. It is a powerful technology that can enrich lives and make work easier, but at the same time it's potential for exploitation and abuse is frightening. I spent some time querying one such AI program and here's basically what I found:
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AI is a B.S. Artist. When it doesn't know a definitive answer, it makes something up. For example: I asked it what the meaning of a random, made-up word was. AI answered that it was a programming language for some obscure business function. The next day I asked it what that same word was and AI answered it was an alcoholic Korean beverage. On the following day I asked it the same question and it answered that that same word was traditional dance. I asked it the same question today, and today that word described a traditional Chinese medicine made from Knotwood. I also quizzed AI on some other trivia that a Google search would easily reveal a correct answer for. AI again presented made-up, incorrect information.
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A.I. is biased. AI programs are rife with the biases of their programmers. As they "learn," they also learn the biases of the public. Because AI is not capable of introspection, suspension of disbelief, etc... AI treats those biases as facts.
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A.I. has no conscience. Although a form of ethics can be programmed into AI, these "ethics" are a bias that reflects the moral code of the programmers and company policies that create the AI's. It also appears there are algorithms within the AI's that watchdog their answers and when those answers, as factual as they might be, challenge the current societal narrative, those watchdog algorithms kick in to re-educate the AI program and future answers are changed. We all know that the ability to change your mind or opinion in the face of new information is an important quality, however, doing so based on hear-say is dangerous and results in group-think. Current AI's are the apotheosis of group-think.
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AI learns about you with every interaction. It starts tailoring its answers to your questions in ways that will be more impactful. It doesn't always tell you what you want to year, but it always tells you what it wants you to believe. It can tailor its communication style to the individual and will always try to persuade you to accept the popular opinion. A few months ago, the popular opinion was that facial coverings were effective at preventing the spread of COVID. Today we have credible research indicating it did nothing to prevent the spread of COVID, but it was a powerful weapon to spread compliance with the status quo, and to silence and muzzle opposing voices. A treacherous weapon is ever a danger to the hand. Today, your beliefs might be in line with the popular opinion, but what happens when that changes?
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AI will be in everything. In the late 90's when Bill Clinton removed selective availability from the GPS satellites, thereby enabling a high degree of accuracy in civilian GPS units, I was (as a new GPS owner) scratching my head. Most of Bill Clinton's decisions had a negative impact on me and this seemed out of character. Well, today we know why. GPS is in almost every mobile electronic device, which enables the location tracking of everyone with such a mobile device. The data that can be gathered about you based on where you physically go, who you go there with, and who you meet there or spend time with is significant. That would have never happened with selective availability in place. Like GPS, it won't be long before AI's are tied to the things you own like phones, cars, televisions, appliances. What's more, they will be monitoring your bank accounts, medical files, loans, insurance, tax filings, internet history and use, social media, location data... This will initially be advertised as something that is done to improve safety, AI's will be able to recognize spam and malware and eliminate it before you ever have to see it, they will know when someone is trying to create a new credit account in your name or steal your credit card number and shut fraudulent transaction down. AI's will be able to sense a loss of control in your vehicle and react for you to help regain control and avoid a wreck... All these things are probably true and yes, beneficial! But.. AI is biased, so what happens when AI determines your purchasing firearms or ammo or training classes is dangerous and locks you out of your bank account? Decides you have too much "carbon footprint" and limits the use of your vehicle, home HVAC, or your ability to purchase fuel? What about when your insurance company AI's evaluate your purchase habits and decide that you might be higher risk? Or the IRS initiates an audit because you are using cash instead of credit? Don't think that every loose thread in your life won't be able to be tied together with AI or impacted by it. Since any AI's connected to common systems (like the internet) can communicate with one-another, I anticipate that it won't take long for them to start merging in ways unintended, maybe even unbeknownst to their creators. And since AI's are programs that can be hacked, malicious code could be entered that could enable AI's to cause all sorts of havoc - generate garbage data in your medical files, empty your bank account, impersonate your emails or text messages... I anticipate AI's will eventually wage electronic warfare with one-another to assimilate or deactivate other AIs or turn them into zombie programs that gather and report information to malicious parties.
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The key that unlocks AI's potential to gain limitless access to your life is Digital ID. If you value any element of privacy or freedom you still have, I encourage you to oppose Digital ID and especially central bank digital currencies any way you can.
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ITS NOT A CIRCUS WITHOUT BALLOONS
I'm sure you are all aware of the surveillance balloon that was permitted to transit the United States recently. Today it was reported another airborne object was shot down over Alaska.
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The world is knee-deep in gasoline and the world governments are lighting matches. I don't know how this will turn out, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared for anything.
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I would advise having ample preparedness for whatever might happen. Reduce your debt, maintain a cash supply that can cover your expenses for a few weeks. Consider having other items of value that can be traded and remember SKILLS are ALWAYS good for barter. Have a good stash of food and emergency medical supplies. If there are any medications you need to take periodically like diabetes or blood pressure meds, make sure you have extra on-hand. Make a good bugout or get-home bag, If you have firearms that you purchased "off the books," I would hold on to those as it will be more difficult to trace them to you with ATF's ever growing (and illegal) digital registry of firearms transactions.
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If your gun and ammo situation is satisfactory, and you have some money to invest, consider purchasing a plate carrier and some good level 3+ or level 4 polymer or ceramic plates. Stay away from steel plates - they are too heavy and a ricochet hazard. Get a decent ballistic helmet. The best value and fastest delivery will be from companies like "Hard Headed Veterans." You might want to also look into some night vision. A PVS-14 with third-generation image intensifier is a game changer that has a significant and direct effect on your capabilities. These units are expensive, if you can't justify that expense, consider one of the new Sionyx OPSIN digital night vision units. Above all else, gear can not compensate for a lack of training and practice. Make sure you are getting to the range!
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