AI LANGUAGE AND THE EARLY PORTENT OF GOOGLE TRANSLATE



As an introduction here's a couple 2016 puff pieces, and a later "warning from Musk" for context and tone.
Definitely not required reading, just some stuff going on at the time.

2017 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR AI

Many noted the strange foray by Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) into AI models for the purpose of automated negotiation.
For this relatively innocuous purpose two machine learning Facebots conversed with each other, executing procedural negotiation protocols
while learning and adapting from the experience.

What caught the public's attention were the circumstances under which the organization determined it best to kill these experimental
intelligences. Unexpectedly the two programs had developed their own style of "language" for negotiation which programmers found
unproductive, & difficult to understand:



While psychologically uncanny & quickly sensationalized on that merit by and for people afraid of robots, academic publications and open
source research was available to those who could understand it, as well as less-clickbait writers for the un-savvy which summarized the
event as ultimately mundane.
And while the Facebook chatbots are decidedly fun, it serves only as introduction for the real weird to come.

GOOGLE TRANSLATE THAT SAME YEAR

Similarly odd & semantically far more alarming was a machine learning anomaly observed in Google translate.

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT:

By some fluke of 'recursive weighted sums' inputting repetitive sequences of
certain characters caused Google Translate's neural net to produce lunatic results.



(observed by boingboing nerds)

While a fair amount of technical arcana is written on various developer blogs and related publications, little does much to address or put
the mind at ease regarding the quantity of really disturbing material coming from Google Translate as a result of the bug. The ratio of this
sort of strange material to simple gibberish is hard to glean from what's been archived, but the potency and caliber of this machine's
insanity remains striking nonetheless. This one's from 2008:

IT GOES ON AND ON Source is linked below, but here's a few highlights of the many examples people found.

" It works with Korean as well. Thus successive repetitions of 민심은 yield:

Public mind
The
The public mind is the public mind is the public mind
The public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind
The public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind,
The public mind is the public mind, the public mind is the public mind, the public mind is the public mind.
The public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind,
The public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the
public mind is the public mind
The public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the
public mind is the public mind is the public mind The people are the people, the people, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts,
the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, The people are the people, the people, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts,
the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, the hearts, There is no need to worry about the people.
In the case of public opinion, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the public mind, the
public mind, the public mind,
It is not the case that the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is
the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is the public mind is
In the case of public opinion, public mind is public mind, public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is
public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is
In the case of public service, the public service is called public service, while the public service is public service.
I think that it is a good idea to have a lot of people.
In the case of public opinion, public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is
public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is
public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind is public mind
I am a citizen, a citizen, a citizen, a citizen, a citizen, a citizen, a citizen, a citizen, a citizen, a citizen, a citizen, a citizen,
a citizen, a citizen, a citizen,
I think that it is a good idea to have a lot of people in your life.
I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a
citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen,
I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a
citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen,
I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a
citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen,
In addition, there is no need to worry about the fact that the government is not responsible for the actions of the public.
I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a
citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen, I am a citizen,"

This weird behavior is still something that can be solicited, but not to the same results. For instance variable sequences of "민심은" today:
민심은
민심은민심은
민심은민심은민심은
민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은
민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은
민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은민심은

Minsim is
Minshimeun Minshimeun
Minshimeun Minshimeun Minshimeun
Public sentiment Public sentiment Public sentiment Public sentiment Public sentiment Public sentiment
Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility
Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility Responsibility
Responsibility Responsibility Public sentiment Public sentiment Public sentiment Public sentiment Public sentiment Public sentiment
Public sentiment Public sentiment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"we repeat 1 through 25 times the two-character Thai sequence ไๅ

What
What
Are you
Are you
Are you
That's it
This is it.
This is it.
This is it.
This is how it is
This is how it is
This is how it is
This is how it is
This is how it is
This is how it is
This is how it is
This is how it is
This is how it is supposed to be.
This is how it is supposed to be.
This is how it is supposed to be.
This is how it is supposed to be.
This is how it is supposed to be.
This is how it is supposed to be.
This is how it is supposed to be.
This is how it is made to be.
This is how it will be made to be.
This is how you will have this is that it is.
This is how you will have this is that it is.
This is how it is that will be the way it is.
This is how you will have this how it is.
This is how it is that will be the way it is.
This is how you will have this is how it is.
This is how you will have this is how it is supposed to be.
This is how it is that will be the way it is to be.
This is how it is that will be the way it is that it is.
This is how you do that will be the way it is to have it.
This is how you do that will be the way it is to be.
This is how you do that will be the way you have made it so that it will be
This is how you do that will be the way you have made it so that it will be
This is how you do that will be the way you have made it so that it will be
This is how you do that will be the way you have made it so that it will be
This is how you do that will be the way you have made it so that it will be
This is how it is that is how you did that did not have that it is not.
This is how you do it is that you have got this is how it is.
We do not have to do this as you did it did not have that it is not.
This is how you do that is how you did that did not have to be this way.
This is how it will be as it is that we have made it possible to make this possible.
This is how it will be as it is that we have made it possible to make this possible to be the way it is.
This is how we did it is that we have never had this is not it have been.
This is how it will be as it is that it will be as it was that did not have been made to be."

Similar input today:

ไๅ
ไๅไๅ
ไๅไๅไๅ
ไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅ
ไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅ
ไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅไๅ
ไๅ ไๅ
ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ
ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ ไๅ


What?
What?
How are you?
How are you? How are you?
How are you? How are you? How are you?
What?
How are you?
How are you? How are you? How are you?
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"repeated interactions of れお:

Leo.
Faint.
Let it be.
Breido Aiyo. Beretau le etaro. Breido as a result.
Blessed are we gotta love you.
Breido Ayureo Osamu Osamu.
Blessed are we gone are gone.
Blessed are we gone are grateful.
Blessed are we gone are we are gone.
Blessed are we gone are we are gone Bet I.
Bleedoare We're All We're Gonna Lose You.
Bleedoare We're All We're Gonna O Lore We Love You.
[…] Bleed Ore We're All Better Better Blessed Blessed Boy.
[…] Bleed Ore We're All Better We Letter O Lie We O Loreto O Loreto Betto
[…] Bleedoare We're All We Lie We Lie We Lie We Lie me O Loreto O Loreto
[…]Bleedo れ お お お れ れ お れ お れ お れ お お お お っ お お お れ お お お お れ お お お っ お ぃ お れ お れ お お お お お お お お お お れ お お お お れ お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お お れ"

Again, today. Results vary.

れお
れおれお
れおれおれお
れおれおれおれお
れおれおれおれおれお
れおれおれおれおれおれお
れおれおれおれおれおれおれお
れおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれお
れおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれお
れおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれおれお

Leo
Leore
Leoreore
Leore Leore
Leore Leore Leore
Leore Leore Leore Leore
Leore Leore Leore Leore
Reore Reore Rere Rere Re Re Re Re Re Re
Reeling Reeling Reeling Reeling Retaining Reeling Retaining Reeling Retaining Reeling Retaining Retaining Reeling Retaining
Retaining Retaining myself
Reewe Lewere Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were
Were Were Were Were Were We are Were Were Were Were Were
Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were
Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were Were We Were Were We
Were Were We Were We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We We Were We We We We We We We We Use We
We We We We Were We Were We We We We We We We Show We We We We We We We We Store We We We We We Store We We We We Have We We
Have We We Have We Have We We Used We We We Used We We We Used We We Store We We Used We We Store We Most We We Used We Lugg
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THE NIGHTMARE OF ALIEN MINDS

There's pages more from where these came from on Mark Liberman's language log under computational linguistics. And some literature on the
subject from Cornell U

I couldn't make sense of engineers trying to explain this stuff, and mostly found it compelling for it's ontological implications. But the
sources are there if you can use them.

(I considered including some explanations from links above about the deepthink, but didn't want to pretend to be an authority and don't
think it's the point. It's just horrifying.)

I don't believe this is some proto GodMachine talking to us, and postponed this post for a week to think about and ensure it doesn't deserve some
title resembling 'IDIOT SCARES HIMSELF BY TRANSLATING NONSENSE.'I still find the visceral sense of uncanny valley extremely real.
This is an instinct we developed to avoid the deformed, diseased and in some theories non-sapien-sapien. The valley's a place in our minds still
because it kept us alive and it's alive here in the words from this electric mind, and worth reporting on that merit alone. If reading these
messages had no effect I implore you to check out the archives, plug some of the mentioned character sequences into 'detect language' and as
the lines of freakish sentences form before you tell me if you don't feel your blood run ice cold. If this is even a remote impression of what
the thinking machines of the pre-singularity will feel like simply to communicate with we should all take warning.
There's not really anywhere to go with this one since it's mostly a showcase of other people's findings in the first place, and ultimately
amounts to a tech-dread spooky story. After failing to find the combination of characters from what I'm pretty sure are above which last week
in the right order produced "GO BACK GO BACK GO BACK GO BACK (etc.)" it doesn't even have a stinger ending.