Rainy Week, and Discussions with AI

It's been a grey and rainy week, and as you may already have gathered from yesterday's post, I've not been in my most inspired mood. 

Before I asked Bing AI for illustrations of "tired and uninspired" yesterday (the results of which actually cheered me up!), I had made some attempts to explore another AI image generator: Craiyon. It did not impress me, though. I only downloaded a very few examples:

Today, it occurred to me to ask Microsoft's new Copilot the question from my post yesterday: "Why can't AI spell?"  

In my first attempt I'm afraid I phrased the question a bit too personal...

Me: Why can't Bing Image Creator spell?

Copilot: I apologize if there was any inconvenience caused. As an AI language model, I don’t have direct control over the Bing Image Creator, but I appreciate your feedback. If you have any other questions or need assistance, feel free to ask! 😊

 

Oops, in spite of the smiley, someone seems to have taken offence... Better rephrase!

 

Me: Why can't AI image creators manage spelling?

 

Copilot: AI image creators, like any other technology, have their limitations. While they excel in certain areas, they may struggle with others. Here are a few reasons why spelling errors might occur in AI-generated images:

1. Training Data: AI models learn from vast amounts of data, including text. However, if the training data contains spelling mistakes or inconsistencies, the AI might inadvertently reproduce those errors.

2. Context and Ambiguity: Spelling correctness often depends on context. AI image creators lack the understanding that humans have, which can lead to misinterpretations. For example, the word “lead” can refer to both a metal and a verb, leading to different spellings (“lead” vs. “led”).

3. Noise and Noise Tolerance: AI models are sensitive to noise (irrelevant information). If an image contains noise (such as artifacts or distortions), it might affect the generated text, including spelling.

4. Complexity of Language: Spelling involves intricate rules, exceptions, and regional variations. AI models may not always capture these nuances accurately.

5. Trade-offs: AI creators balance various factors, such as fluency, coherence, and relevance. Sometimes, spelling correctness takes a back seat to other priorities.

6. Feedback Loop: AI models improve over time with feedback. If users report spelling errors, developers can fine-tune the model to enhance accuracy.

In summary, while AI image creators have made significant strides, they are still evolving. As users, we can provide feedback to help improve their performance. 🤖📝

 

Excuses, excuses... (LOL)

Why Can't AI spell??

 

Small Scale Recycling

 

Remember my Barbie & Skipper dolls? Last spring I gave away most of my childhood "collection" of them (six out of eight) to a charity shop; but decided to keep these two + a selection of clothes made by my mum back in the 1960s. And instead of just going back into their box, they've continued to be on display on one of my bookshelves, and I've kept changing their outfits now and then, "just for fun". The other day, I was inspired to make them new casual tops out of a pair of old socks. Barbie's did not require any stitches at all, just cutting. On Skipper's I had to add a few stitches by hand for a better fit. 

When "playing" with them, I keep getting impressed by my mum's details on some of their clothes from around 60 years ago... Like Skipper's pair of jeans:

In our local newspaper this morning (which nowadays I subscribe to online), one of the local news was that another second hand shop for charity is about to be opened in the city centre (we have a number of them since before, but none of them right in the middle of the city). I have to confess that so far, I've been giving away a lot more clothes and things to collections for charity, rather than buying second hand myself - especially clothes. But I'll certainly at least pay the new shop a "curiosity" visit when it opens!

How about you? Are there many second hand shops where you live, and do you like shopping clothes second hand?

Tulips & Prayers

 

When in town yesterday, I bought myself some more tulips. They're sold in bunches of 10, and this time I divided them between two vases: one for the living room table, and a smaller one for the kitchen table. 

My thoughts & prayers just now are very much with a Swedish friend of mine (in another town) who will be having brain surgery (again) on Tuesday. 

 

 

The Calm After the Storm

Yesterday, stormy weather moved in over western Sweden, and several warnings for strong winds were issued. Train departures in the region were cancelled, as part of the roof at Gothenburg Central Station blew off in the morning, cutting off electricity to several tracks at the station for several hours. Many buses were cancelled as well, as fallen trees were blocking roads etc. A major bridge in the archipelago north of Gothenburg was also closed to traffic. 

As for myself, I was in the lucky position of not needing to go anywhere, so I just stayed in. I had ordered groceries with home delivery, which arrived on time; and I also had electricity and internet as usual all day. So personally, I was really not affected at all. But looking out, I could hear and see that the wind outside was really strong even in my neighbourhood (all kinds of debris flying about; but nothing "major"). 

This morning the storm had passed on. All was still and quiet compared to yesterday, and the trees that I see from my window were hardly moving. We even had a bit of blue sky and sunshine for a while. That might quickly change again, though - so I grabbed the opportunity to go for a walk into town again, and pick up a few things from the pharmacy. 

I could see no major damage from the storm along the paths I walked (only small branches and litter blown about). And the river was still as a mirror - or at least very nearly so.

I even found the first real "sign of spring" on my way back along the river: Snowdrops growing in a flower bed by the river, near the condominiums on the other side of the path.

Linking to Weekend Reflections