Next: The ILLINOIS ALUMNI! Winter issue. This is getting good…
The fall 2023 freshman class is the largest in history. 8,325 new freshman. The most significant statistic and I quote: 24% of them are the first generation in their families to attend college. Total enrollment in the U of I system at 56,403. End quote.
An article in the winter issue of the Illinois Alumni is titled: Future 2067. One blurb was: Then there is artificial intelligence. We’re in the midst of a so-called AI revolution, but current technologies are more like imitation intelligence. Large language models like ChatGPT mimic intelligence by drawing on existing data to produce, in statistical fashion, text that looks intelligent. That does not mean it is not useful, but it does have limits. For true AI, we need systems that comprehend data. End quote.
Nest comment gleaned (Ag word) from the same Future 2067 (200th anniversary of THE U of I). Take that Ohio State…
Of the Earth’s terrestrial surface, 12% is covered by croplands, 33% is covered by deserts, and the rest is covered by forests, natural lands, and urban areas. When I (the author) look to the future, I hope that there will not be an expansion of croplands, but that existing agricultural lands will be more sustainable and used to actually slow or mitigate climate change. End quote.
Next excerpt from Future 2067:
What will all these robots look like? We need more research on that. There is a phenomenon called uncanny valley. We like robots that resemble us somewhat, but if they’re too much like us, we feel uneasy. We do not want them to be confused with people-they are not part of our social circle, they are not our friends. It may be that at different stages of our lives, our robot assistants will look different. End quote.
I’m not sure that I understand all that, but if it was in the Illinois Alumni magazine, it is gospel! My lifetime alumni card is LEATHER! Not plastic. Not sure what that means either, other than I graduated from U of I a while ago…