Letters for June 21: Stop, wait and consider all outcomes of AI boom – Daily Press - EUROPE SAYS
Data centersThere are more than 600 data centers in Virginia according todatacentermap. com. In American tradition, the technology is out in front of the public before anyone has had time to evaluate the. . .
Data centersThere are more than 600 data centers in Virginia according todatacentermap. com. In American tradition, the technology is out in front of the public before anyone has had time to evaluate the relative pros and cons of generative AI. How many of us can truly say we understand how it works and what dangers it may cause?ChatGPT is used by millions of us already. Various AI bots are embedded in our software. We are queried by artificial intelligence as we work. My question is what are we losing? Human agency?Are ChatGPT and other AI systems tracking us? Where do all those minutes go from Zoom meetings? As we are accurately named making certain statements, we lose privacy and personhood. I would like our leaders to stop decision-making about new AI centers long enough for local municipalities to hold information sessions for local residents. We must pause to consider what data centers may unleash into our lives. Data centers could quickly overcome decades of environmental gains we have made in the commonwealth. Virginia is a drought-stressed state. Water is a limiting factor. In terms of security, I believe only two countries own the tools of AI: the U. S. and China. AI confers great advantages and thus power. This fact creates a global justice issue. Have we already turned our lives over to artificial intelligence? Shouldn’t we stop, wait and consider all the possible outcomes?Susan Lee Feathers, Virginia BeachSchooner VirginiaRe“Richmond SailFest, from a sailor’s view”(A3, June 16): Thank you for your article by a Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter regarding his trip aboard theSchooner Virginiato take part in Richmond SailFest. As a volunteer deckhand for the Schooner Virginia I was able to journey up the James River to participate in the event. The Richmond community and the Richmond Museum of History and Culture were very grateful for the schooner’s presence at their celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The Schooner Virginia is a valuable asset of the city of Norfolk serving as a floating classroom and a functioning example of classic tall ship design. It is an important component ofNauticus, a leading maritime discovery center. Serving as a volunteer for several years have been very rewarding for me and my fellow volunteers. John T. Bowers, MD, NorfolkAmerican heroAs we gather to celebrate Juneteenth and approach our nation’s semiquincentennial, it is the perfect moment to honor an unsung American hero:James Armistead Lafayette. Born into slavery in New Kent County, Armistead lines the very foundation of our freedom. In 1781, with his master’s permission, he volunteered for the Revolutionary Army under the Marquis de Lafayette. Operating as a double agent, Armistead infiltrated British camps, posing as a runaway slave to gain the trust of Gen. Benedict Arnold and Lord Cornwallis. The stakes could not have been higher. Risking execution at every turn, he meticulously gathered intelligence on British troop movements and fortifications. It was Armistead’s vital information that allowed Gens. Lafayette and George Washington to trap the British forces at Yorktown. Without his espionage, the decisive American victory that effectively ended the Revolutionary War might never have happened. Yet, when the war concluded, the man who helped secure a nation’s independence was forced to return to chains. It wasn’t until 1787 — with the critical backing of Lafayette himself — that the Virginia Assembly finally granted him his freedom. In honor of his commander, he took the surname Lafayette. This Juneteenth, as we reflect on the long, painful journey toward emancipation and look forward to 250 years of American history, let us remember James Armistead Lafayette. We must honor the enslaved hero who gave us our independence, and ultimately, fought to win his own. He should be as much a part of our history as others that fought for our independence. Tom Purcell, ChesapeakeTags:AIartificial intelligencelatest headlinesletters to the editoropinion