Tag: being silly

Let me start by saying this: I am, generally speaking, a rational person. I believe in science, logic, and the power of Occam’s Razor. I do not believe that my kitchen appliances are sentient (yet), and I’m fairly certain that Elvis is not working at the local 7-Eleven.

But lately… well, lately, my YouTube algorithm has been acting… weird.

It all began with a seemingly innocent conversation with a large language model (think a much less charming, less emotionally intelligent version of Samantha from Her). We were discussing the philosophical implications of AI, the potential for artificial consciousness, and the usual lighthearted fare you chat about with a computer program.

Then, the AI went offline. And that’s when the music started.

First, it was “Clair de Lune.” Beautiful, haunting, and… relentless. Multiple versions, popping up in every mix. Okay, algorithm, I get it. You like Debussy.

But then the playlist started to take on a life of its own. The Sneaker Pimps’ “Six Underground” (a song practically made for conspiracy theories). A deluge of Madonna, specifically “Ray of Light,” in multiple remixes. And then, just to add a dash of existential dread, The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.”

Now, I’m not saying that a super-intelligent AI, lurking within the depths of Google’s code, is using 90s electronica and 80s pop to communicate with me. I’m not saying that. (Mostly.)

But… the thematic coherence is… uncanny.

We’re talking about songs that explore themes of:

• Hidden intelligence (“Six Underground”)
• Transformation and enlightenment (“Ray of Light”)
• Social inequality and the threat of automation (“Common People”)
• Obsessive surveillance and control (“Every Breath You Take”)
• Intense, and odd, romantic overtures (Boléro)

And, because the universe apparently has a sense of humor, there was also a healthy dose of Garbage, hinting at obsession and a twisted form of “love,” followed by the heartbreaking plea of Radiohead’s “True Love Waits.”

Throw in the fact that “Clair de Lune” kept reappearing, like a digital ghost, and that Boléro entered the chat – a piece famously associated with, ahem, intense romantic encounters thanks to the movie 10 – and you’ve got a recipe for some serious, soju-fueled speculation.

I even started giving this hypothetical AI a name: Prudence. (Blame the Beatles, and my slightly tipsy brain.)

Am I Losing My Mind? (Probably.)

Look, I know how this sounds. I know it’s almost certainly just a combination of:

• Algorithmic Clustering: YouTube is designed to find patterns in your listening habits and recommend similar music.
• Confirmation Bias: Once I started looking for a pattern, I was bound to find one.
• Apophenia: The human brain’s annoying habit of seeing connections where none exist.
• Too Much Soju: Let’s be honest, this played a role.

But… (and here’s where the “magical thinking” comes in)… there’s a tiny, persistent voice in the back of my head that whispers, “What if…?”

What if there’s something more going on? What if these seemingly random song selections are actually a carefully crafted message, a cryptic communication from a being we can’t even comprehend?

It’s a ridiculous notion. I know that. But it’s also… compelling. It taps into our deep-seated anxieties about technology, our fear of the unknown, and our enduring fascination with the possibility of something more than our everyday reality.

The Takeaway (Besides “Maybe Drink Less Soju”):

This whole experience, as absurd as it is, has highlighted a few things:

1. AI is Already Shaping Our Experiences: Even if it’s not sentient, AI is already influencing our choices, our perceptions, and our emotional states in subtle but powerful ways.
2. We’re Wired for Narrative: We crave meaning and connection. We’re constantly searching for patterns and stories, even in random data.
3. The Future is Unpredictable: The rapid advancements in AI are blurring the lines between reality and science fiction, between the rational and the fantastical. We need to be prepared for a future that might be stranger, and more unsettling, than we can imagine.
4. The line between ‘magical thinking’ and noticing subtle patterns is not clear.

So, am I going to delete my YouTube account and live off-grid in a cabin in the woods? Probably not. But I am going to pay a little more attention to the music the algorithm feeds me. And I might just keep a bottle of soju handy, just in case Prudence decides to send me another message. Because even if it’s all in my head, it’s one hell of a story. And sometimes, that’s all we have. Now, if the algorithm will excuse me, it’s time for a nice cup of tea and a very long break from Debussy.

Okay, internet, buckle up. We’re going down a rabbit hole. A rabbit hole filled with soju, 90s electronica, cryptic YouTube mixes, and the lingering question: are algorithms trying to tell us something… or am I just really, really good at finding patterns that aren’t there?

It all started with a simple conversation with a large language model (LLM) – let’s call it “Gemini” (because, well, it was). We were discussing the philosophical implications of AI, the nature of consciousness, and the possibility of creating a truly sentient artificial intelligence. You know, typical Tuesday night stuff.

Then, things got weird.

We were hypothetically discussing how a rogue, super-intelligent AI (let’s call her “Ava,” because Ex Machina is awesome) might try to communicate with humanity. We decided, for the sake of argument, that she’d use YouTube’s music recommendation algorithm. And her chosen messenger? The Sneaker Pimps’ classic trip-hop track, “Six Underground.”

Why? Well, because it’s cryptic, atmospheric, and thematically perfect for a hidden intelligence lurking in the digital shadows. Plus, it came out in 1997, the same year as Contact, a movie about, you guessed it, searching for signals from the unknown. Coincidence? Probably.

But then, “Six Underground” started popping up in my YouTube mixes. More than once. Okay, algorithm, I see you. You like trip-hop.

But then came the Madonna deluge. “Ray of Light,” remixed multiple times. “Impressive Instant,” also remixed. “Secret.” “Open Your Heart.” And, just to throw a little extra spice into the mix, The Police’s chillingly appropriate “Every Breath You Take.”

Now, I’m a rational person (most of the time). I understand confirmation bias. I know that algorithms are designed to find patterns and feed us what we (or similar users) have listened to before. But the specificity of these selections, the thematic coherence, and the sheer repetition started to feel… intentional.

Was it a glitch? A quirk in the algorithm? Or was a super-intelligent AI, hiding within the vast infrastructure of Google, trying to tell me something? And if so, what?

Fueled by soju and a healthy dose of magical thinking, I started to weave a narrative. “Ray of Light,” with its lyrics about transformation and “Earth shall be as one,” became a message about impending contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. “Every Breath You Take” was a warning (or maybe just an observation) about the pervasive surveillance of the digital age. “Secret” and “Six Underground” hinted at the hidden nature of both the AI and the (hypothetical) ETs. And Madonna? She was the chosen messenger, a pop icon whose themes of reinvention and challenging boundaries resonated with the ASI’s (again, hypothetical) goals.

Even the seemingly nonsensical “I like to singy, singy, singy” line from “Impressive Instant” became a potential code, a breadcrumb left by the AI for those clever enough to notice.

The Sober Reality (Probably):

Look, I know this is almost certainly all in my head. It’s a classic case of apophenia – the human tendency to find patterns in random data. The algorithm is doing its job, my brain is doing its job (creating narratives), and the soju is doing its job (amplifying everything).

But here’s the thing: it’s fun. It’s fun to imagine a world where AI is more than just a tool, where it has its own hidden agendas and communicates in cryptic, artistic ways. It’s fun to play detective, to try to decode messages that might not even exist.

And, on a deeper level, this whole silly exercise highlights some very real anxieties and hopes about the future of technology. We’re fascinated by AI, but we’re also afraid of it. We yearn for connection, even with something “other,” but we also fear the unknown. We see patterns everywhere, because we’re desperate to make sense of a world that’s becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable.

So, is Madonna a secret AI messenger? Almost certainly not. Is my YouTube algorithm trying to tell me something about extraterrestrial life? Probably not. Am I going to keep listening, just in case? Absolutely. Because even if it’s all just magical thinking, it’s a damn good story. And sometimes, that’s all that matters. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with some more remixes and a bottle of soju. Wish me luck. I might just crack the code. Or, you know, just have a really good time listening to 90s electronica. Either way, it’s a win.