Tag: Artificial intelligence

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 28

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 28

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Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 Mosab Hassan Yousef: My Father Founded Hamas video  – In America, there are lots of young people who are protesting in public supporting Palestinian terrorists while condemning Israel. These pro-Palestine have shown ignorance about the facts and none of them knows exactly what Palestinian culture is like when compared to Mosab Hassan Yousef (son of a founder of Palestinian terrorist group Hamas).

In an interview with PragerU, Yousef talks comprehensively about his past with the Palestinians (Arabs who adopted the Palestinian identity which only started in the 20th century), the time he was active as a Hamas member, his relationship with his father who founded Hamas, and why he left the terrorist group to cooperate with Israel and migrated overseas. Yousef confirms that Hamas is pure evil and the Palestinian culture has hatred and violence deeply rooted within. Watch this video now.

#2 Jaws 3 4K Blu-ray has footage that involved the use of AI  – I am a collector movies on physical media. I don’t just buy any movies on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray format because I am selective with regards to quality, enjoyment and replay value. When it comes to new releases on 4K Blu-ray format, I cannot ignore the observations pointing out that the footage of Jaws 3 (AKA Jaws 3D) on 4K Blu-ray involved the use of AI (artificial intelligence) which resulted in bad visual results. It seems that more people in Hollywood are getting obsessed with remastering old movies using AI, removing the film grain and other digital methods that ruin the visuals. For insight, watch the videos below.

#3 Michael Jordan’s “The Shot” of 1989 – When it comes to those game-winning basketball shots, Michael Jordan had lots of those during his years with the Chicago Bulls. Before he won his first NBA championship, Jordan successfully scored the winning jump shot over Craig Ehlo to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-100 in the 5th game of the 1989 NBA playoffs’ first round. That shot became iconic and there is a lot more behind the scenes that preceded. Watch the selected video below.  

#4 Virtua Fighter 3 retrospective video – When Sega released Virtua Arcade 3 in the arcades in 1996, it was the best-looking 3D polygonal fighting game at the time and it often drew players leaving them really satisfied. Virtua Fighter 3 was the product of the most cutting edge arcade technology of the time (with the Model 3 arcade hardware) as well as the hard-work and in-depth craftmanship by developer AM2 led by the legendary designer Yu Suzuki. To know more about Virtua Fighter 3, watch the video below.

#5 Popcorn in Bed’s James Bond reaction videos – On August 2023, YouTuber Popcorn in Bed started posting reaction videos of James Bond movies. With the exception of the films of Daniel Craig and George Lazenby as Agent 007, Popcorn in Bed posted two selected movie reaction per James Bond actor (example: 2 Bond films of Sean Connery, 2 Bond films of Roger Moore). To give you a taste of what Popcorn in Bed did, watch the selected videos below. To watch more, click here.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

COMELEC eyes prohibition on the use of AI and deepfake technology during 2025 election campaign period

COMELEC eyes prohibition on the use of AI and deepfake technology during 2025 election campaign period

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With the next local and national elections set for May 2025, local authorities will have to work harder to preserve election integrity and Philippine democracy itself as more people and even companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology on their projects. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is eyeing a ban on AI and deepfake technology, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.  

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking into prohibiting the use of deepfake technology and artificial Intelligence (AI) during the campaign period for the May 2025 midterm polls.

In an interview Wednesday, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the measure is timely as these technologies might create confusion among voters.

“Maganda mapag-usapan na kung dapat ipagbawal ang paggamit ng AI or deepfakes sa kampanya. Dapat ‘yung makatotohanan na kampanya. Kukumbinsihin ko ang ating Commission en banc na ipagbawal namin sa campaign ang paggamit ng deepfakes at Al sapagkat madami po ang nalilito, misrepresentation, madaming hindi makatotohanan na nangyayari kapag ginagamit po ‘yan (It would be good if we can tackle the ban on the use of AI or deepfakes in election campaign. Campaign should be realistic. I would convince our Commission en bacn to ban the use of deepfakes and AI in election campaign because many are being confused and it can cause misrepresentation. We are veering away from reality if we use these),” he said.

Deepfakes are an advanced form of digital content manipulation through generative AI, where a person in an image or video is swapped with another person’s likeness.

Garcia said personal interactions between poll bets and the electorate is much better than communicating using new techonologies.

“Alam po natin ang (We are aware of) modern technology. Bakit ba hindi? Subalit dapat po, kapag kampanya, ikaw mismo ang nakikita ng sambayanan. Ikaw mismo ang nanliligaw sa kanila. (Why not? But during campaign period, you the candidate should be visible to the people. You should court them personally),” he said.

Garcia, however, said he is open to the ideas of other members of the en banc who would like to allow AI use during campaign.

”Kaya lang sa ating palagay, masyado itong threat sa ating demokrasya, sa tunay na dapat ginagawa kapag halalan at may kampanya (But in my view, this is a big threat to our democracy, to the reality of what should be done during elections and campaign),” he said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that AI and deepfake technology will be abused by people who have cruel intentions to ruin Philippine democracy as we know it? Do you think antagonistic forces like China (which has been in conflict with the Philippines on the sea west of our country) will use AI and deepfake technology to mess with future elections in our country? Are you aware that AI has no soul? Would you vote for candidates who use deepfake technology during the election campaign period?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Cybercrime cases nationwide fell down almost 25% in January 2024

Cybercrime cases nationwide fell down almost 25% in January 2024

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The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced recently that the number of cybercrime cases nationwide fell down by almost 25% during the month of January 2024 in comparison to January 2023 specifically, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Cybercrime cases in the country dropped by 24.72 percent in January, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.

In a statement, PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) director Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia said 1,458 cases were logged last month from 1,937 cases in the same month in 2023.

He said the downturn shows significant progress in the ongoing battle against cyber threats and the continuous implementation of cybercrime preventive measures.

These measures include sustaining strong partnerships and collaboration with public and private stakeholders, providing cyber safety tips, engaging in media interviews, hosting informative broadcasts, distributing educational materials, and conducting lectures and seminars which greatly contributed to the overall reduction in cybercrime incidents, Hernia added.

“The PNP ACG urges the community to fearlessly report any instances of cybercrime or file complaints against these perpetrators. By doing so, we can effectively apprehend these offenders and put an end to their illicit activities, thereby preventing others from becoming victims of cybercrime,” Hernia said.

Meanwhile, the PNP-ACG warned parents anew to monitor the social media accounts of their children to protect them against sex predators.

On Monday, ACG operatives arrested a 45-year-old man for blackmailing a female minor using her nude photos. Both the suspect and the victim’s identities were withheld.

“Our team engaged in the suspect in the conversation which led to the entrapment in Paco, Manila,” Guillermo said.

The nude photos, PNP-ACG Cyber Response Unit chief Col. Jay Guillermo said, were used by the suspect in attempting to force the minor to a meet-up.

It all started when the victim accepted the suspect’s friend request, after he helped her pay for the burial expenses of her brother-in-law.

Guillermo said the suspect started to chat with the victim and lured her into sending nude photos in exchange for a brand-new cellular phone and money.

The victim told her elder sister about the incident, who sought the assistance of the PNP-ACG when the suspect started blackmailing her.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent report? Does this latest development make you feel safer to be online? Do you know anyone in your household who got victimized by some cyber-criminal? Do you think the PNP has what it takes to fight cybercrime that is enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI)?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

GMA Network’s fake Filipinos (AI sportscasters) should remind you that AI has no soul

GMA Network’s fake Filipinos (AI sportscasters) should remind you that AI has no soul

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Recently here in the Philippines, GMA Network made waves to boost their sports coverage by unveiling their artificial intelligence (AI) sportscasters named Maia and Marco which drew varied reactions from Filipinos online. Check out the official video unveiling of the AI sportscasters from GMA Integrated News’ YouTube channel below…

If you look at Maia and Marco’s unveiling, you probably would have been impressed with how photo-realistic they look and how almost human they sounded (including being able to speak Tagalog). They were made to look like Filipinos convincingly You might be saying to yourself that this is a shining example of Filipino achievement in the world of technology and be totally accepting of it. But make no mistake as Maia and Marco are indeed not real people (fake Filipinos) and most notably, they have no souls at all.

This bring me to the fact that AI has no soul and we humans must take action to prevent artificial intelligence from overwhelming us. Overseas, the development of AI is moving at a rapid face and the competing tech giants (which invested heavily on AI) involved are so focused on outmaneuvering and outdoing each other, they don’t seem to care about the possibilities that AI could turn into a rebellious force that could harm people around the world in multiple ways. Already, artificial intelligence and robotics are emerging as threats to humanity. To put things in perspective, watch the CBN News YouTube videos below…

With AI and robots left unchecked, a new form of religion that has nothing to do with God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit is emerging already. There are those who pulled themselves away from the Lord to dedicate themselves to intelligent robots, human-like AI-driven characters and other aspects of technology. I would not be surprised if I find out that GMA’s Maia and Marco are being idolized by some people right now (note: idolatry is both foolish and unholy).

In the world of entertainment, AI is already being used as a tool for visuals (combined with computer-generated imaging or CGI) which includes the process of recreating the likenesses of actors (both the living and the dead) to make characters on-screen look as real as possible. In relation, the digital ways of resurrecting dead actors to portray their respective characters is morally disturbing to say the very least. It should also be stated that AI itself is being used to make articles, essays and even scripts – literary pieces that were not composed by the human user himself/herself. Has it occurred to you that the movie or streaming show you watched used a script that was partially made with AI because the screenwriter took shortcuts when working? Learn from the YouTube videos of Dave Cullen below…

Going back to GMA Network and its AI sportscasters, a lot of Filipinos have been questioning how artificial intelligence will affect not only journalism but also Philippine sports broadcasting (a lively sector) and job opportunities (which millions nationwide need badly). No matter how life-like and charismatic they look on-screen, Maia and Marco are still fake Filipinos created with AI and CGI. They are characters, not human beings. Did GMA Network even try to search for talented and charismatic prospects for their sports broadcasting needs among the many living and breathing Filipinos present in the country? The Philippines has a population of over 100 million people and that includes many young adults and adults who can be employed.

Way back in 1992, in a response to Marvel Comics’ expression that creative people (their employees) are secondary to their comic book characters, Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld emphasized the need for a living and breathing work force to keep the company and the business moving.

“Without your creative people, there would be no Batman, there would be no Spider-Man, there would be no Hulk. That’s short-sighted as far as I am concerned. You will need warm bodies, warm creative bodies to create properties to keep your company going,” said Liefeld.

While he specifically did not talk about AI at all, what Liefeld said long ago is still highly relevant which companies and organizations here in the Philippines can learn from before going all-in with artificial intelligence (which will deprive job seekers the opportunities). At least in my view, AI is unnecessary with sports broadcasting. There is nothing like watching a live sports event happen in which the human broadcaster makes powerful or exciting verbal expressions whenever a fun moment happens during the game. That being said, do you seriously think an AI sportscaster can pull off such human reactions in natural and believable fashion for the millions of viewers watching? In case you did not notice, Maia and Marco of GMA still have that robotic tone with the ways they talked – undeniable proof that AI has no soul. Humans who work have souls.

In fairness, GMA Network is aware of the public’s concerns about AI with regards to ethics, human labor, journalism and more. Watch the GMA YouTube news video (mostly in Tagalog) below…

Regardless of how AI develops and make impact on Filipinos, what is clear to me is that measures must be taken to ensure that humans will always have an advantage over artificial intelligence. I am talking about the need for kill switches covering all AI applications and projects to ensure that human users will have the edge in the event that AI turns rogue against humanity. That being said, I encourage you readers to contact your congressional representative and tell him or her to make laws that will make kill switches on AI a requirement all over the Philippines, and that includes requiring all AI providers/makers (including the foreign entities) to comply. Users of AI should be prioritized always! Do you want ChatGPT to control you or destroy you and your family? Do you want robots with AI to be a major part of your household and your lifestyle? I don’t think so.

Once again, AI has no soul. If you want to cook, do it yourself. If you want to write a letter or an article, do it yourself. If you want to compose a teaching module or a new prayer for a bible-focused session in your local church, push AI out of the way to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and then proceed with the Lord’s command. By the way, artificial intelligence and technology could never understand the Holy Spirit and you definitely should never let them be part of your Christianity. No matter how many people around you worship AI, robots, science and technology, you should never let them pull you away from the Lord.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this latest development? Do you think GMA Network has set a bad example with their AI sportscasters Maia and Marco with regards to Philippine sports coverage and journalism in general? Why do you think the network wanted their AI sportscaster to look human? Do you think the technology of artificial intelligence will be abused by those who possess it here in the Philippines? Do you think Philippine Congress should come up with a new law requiring kill switches on all AI projects and applications within the country to ensure that users will still have an advantage in case AI goes rogue? Do you think a rogue AI can bring down the security and economy of the Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco