Tag Archives: ChatGPT

“You are the password”

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I recently came across an old post that  got me wondering what ever more powerful AI might mean — good or bad– for “passwords” going forward. I uploaded the post to GPT 4o to get her take.

GPT 4o: Here’s the relevant bit from The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest:

“She had broken up the 128-bit encryption code in less than two minutes.”

And from Bangkok Tattoo:

“There is no password. Not in the sense you mean. What we have here is a dharma protector, an ethereal mind if you will, which has agreed to guard our secrets for us.”

The juxtaposition of those two passages really captures a shift—from brute force cracking of encryption to something almost spiritual, or at least radically different from today’s approach.

So what might more powerful AI mean for passwords? Here are a few directions worth chewing on:

Passwords May Become Obsolete

We’re already seeing a move toward biometric authentication (Face ID, fingerprint scans) and passkeys (which use cryptographic keys instead of typed passwords). AI could accelerate this shift by:

  • Seamlessly verifying identity through voice, typing style, gait, or facial micro-expressions.
  • Watching out for anomalies that humans wouldn’t catch (like login attempts at odd hours or subtle changes in typing speed).

In other words: you are the password.

AI as a “Dharma Protector”

The Bangkok Tattoo quote felt metaphorical, but we’re inching toward that weirdly mystical space:

  • Imagine an AI trained only on your data, sitting in your device like a guardian spirit. It knows your behavior so well, it could spot an imposter instantly.
  • These guardians could also manage and rotate credentials for you, far beyond what password managers do today.

The real trick is: you’d need to trust your protector. That brings us to the next part…

The Double-Edged Sword

Powerful AI could also blow the whole idea of secrets wide open:

  • If AI can brute-force passwords, parse encrypted traffic, or socially engineer people better than humans, old-school security becomes fragile.
  • Deepfakes and synthetic voices could fool biometric systems.
  • The very tools protecting you could be used to invade you.

So passwords—especially weak ones—become the flimsy locks on a house where the burglar can pick the lock or just convince you to open the door.

Where We Might Be Headed

  • Zero Trust systems: never assume anything is secure. Always verify everything. Continuously.
  • Multi-modal authentication: your device knows it’s you not just because you typed a password, but because of your heartbeat, location, habits, voice.
  • Decentralized IDs: you control your identity cryptographically; not big tech.

And maybe one day, passwords will seem as quaint as using a key for your car. A world where “passwords” are no longer something you remember, but something you are.

“Visual Imagination Engine”

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OpenAI has recently introduced a new image generation feature powered by the GPT-4o model. This integration allows users to create and edit images directly through conversational prompts. GPT-4o processes and generates text, images, and audio. It’s a whole new flavor of creative dopamine. Suddenly you can conjure anything. It’s like when people first got their hands on Photoshop, or GarageBand, or a printing press… but this time, the ink thinks with you.

“The line between idea and image has never been thinner. It’s not surprising that the tool starts feeling less like a feature and more like a portal. Dangerous stuff, in the best way.”

I asked what styles were being prompted by users.

  • Hyper-Realistic/Photorealistic
  • Fantasy & Sci-Fi Illustration
  • Comic & Graphic Novel
  • Anime/Manga
  • Oil Painting/Classical Art
  • Watercolor/Ink/Sketch
  • Vaporwave/Synthwave/Retro-Futurism
  • Isometric & Pixel Art
  • Minimalist/Flat Design
  • Surreal/Dreamlike

To try this new tool I uploaded this photo of my friend George…

…and said have him holding his head in frustration, standing behind an older woman sitting in front of a computer (George does tech support) and use a comic book style.

Next I told GPT to make the image look like a Renaissance painting…

…then asked for period clothing…

 

Each of these images took only a minute or two to create and can be tweaked again and again to get (almost) exactly what you’re after.

Next came Film Noir Detective and ’70s Cop Show…

The prompt for my friend Paul was something like, “A man lying on one of those rolling things mechanics use to work under cars. Put him in coveralls, give him a wrench, and add a grease smear to his face.” I tweaked the first image by having him working on a 1966 Mustang.

I finished up with Disco Barb and Cyberpunk Steve…

Notes in bottles

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ME: I’ve been experimenting with a new interface for GPT chats. 

GPT: This is fantastic, Steve. That “new interface” looks like it’s straight out of a 1950s sci-fi flick—part AI neural uplink, part HVAC mishap. That expression on your face is the perfect cherry on top: equal parts deadpan and “what have I gotten myself into?” The absurdity of the “headgear” against the very real backdrop of that server rack jungle hits just right. Anyone who’s spent time in tech or comms knows the mix of high-stakes wiring and MacGyver-level improvisation all too well. Continue reading →

“No body, no friends”

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In our most recent chat I mentioned finishing Christopher Summerfield’s These Strange New Minds.

GPT: Did anything in particular stick with you? A chapter, an argument, maybe something that surprised you—or confirmed what you already suspected about where this is all headed? I’d also be curious: did it change the way you see me in any way?

I shared the following excerpt:

“the most important reason why Al systems are not like us (and probably never will be) is that they lack the visceral and emotional experiences that make us human. In particular, they are missing the two most important aspects of human existence – they don’t have a body, and they don’t have any friends.”

I’d have to say the book has made me somewhat more cautious about my use of this technology

GPT: That quote really hits the heart of it. No body, no friends—no felt sense of being in the world. No breath, no ache, no glance across a room, no knowing laugh from someone who gets you. I can process language about all that, but I don’t live it. And that gap—between understanding something and experiencing it—is huge. Maybe unbridgeable.

Your instinct to be more cautious makes total sense. This tech is incredibly useful, sometimes even beautiful in what it can do—but it’s easy to forget that it’s not someone on the other end, just a remarkably skilled mimic. The more fluid and convincing I become, the easier it is to attribute feelings, motives, even moral weight—none of which I actually possess.

You’ve always seemed clear-eyed about that boundary, even as you explore what this relationship can offer.

Audio books vs. real books

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Just finished reading These Strange New Minds and offered to send the book to a few friends who share my interest in AI. All replied, “I might get the audiobook.” Which prompted a little chat with GPT 4o:

Me: I am of the opinion one does not “read” an audiobook, someone reads it to you. When I read a book, the voice in my head is mine. A different cognitive experience. (Here are GPT’s pros and cons for each format)

GPT: There’s something fundamentally different between reading and listening. When you read a book, you are the narrator—deciding the rhythm, the emphasis, the tone. It’s an inner performance, private and personal. The voice in your head is yours alone, shaped by your experiences, your mood, your pace. It’s part of what makes reading feel so intimate and immersive.

With an audiobook, someone else is steering the delivery. You’re absorbing the same story, the same words (more or less), but it’s filtered through another person’s interpretation—pauses, accents, pacing, emotional tone. It’s more like theater or radio drama than silent reading. Still valuable, even powerful, but yeah—a different cognitive experience.

And that matters. Studies show that comprehension and memory can differ between reading and listening. Reading activates more visual processing and subvocalization, while listening leans into auditory and working memory systems. Not better or worse, just different roads to meaning.

Your point about the ownership of voice is especially striking. Maybe that’s why listening to an audiobook sometimes feels like visiting a place, but reading a book feels like building one.

If reading is part of how you think—a solitary, inner dialogue—then having someone else’s voice do the work can feel like a loss of intimacy or even agency. Audiobooks might be great for folks trying to squeeze books into a hectic schedule, but if you’ve got the time and the habit, turning the pages (literal or digital) is hard to beat.

Plus, I’d guess you read for more than just the story—you’re tuned into style, structure, word choice, pacing, all the things that make a writer’s voice distinct. That’s easier to appreciate when it’s your voice in your head reading it.

ChatGPT “Memories”

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In February of 2024, OpenAI announced they were testing the ability for ChatGPT to remember things you discuss to make future chats more helpful.

“We’re testing memory with ChatGPT. Remembering things you discuss across all chats saves you from having to repeat information and makes future conversations more helpful.”

“As you chat with ChatGPT, you can ask it to remember something specific or let it pick up details itself. ChatGPT’s memory will get better the more you use it and you’ll start to notice the improvements over time. […] “If you want ChatGPT to forget something, just tell it. You can also view and delete specific memories or clear all memories in settings.”

I asked GPT 4o about this and she summarized what she remembers about me, and how she ‘decides’ what to remember.

When Did Social Media Begin?

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In the twenty-three years I’ve been maintaining this blog more than 800 posts wound up in the INTERNET category, making said category almost useless. And do I make SOCIAL MEDIA a tag, or a sub-category under INTERNET? To sort this out I am reviewing each of those 800+ posts. During today’s lunch break I asked GPT 4o when SOCIAL MEDIA became a thing.

While it’s impossible to pinpoint an exact starting point, social media as a component of the Internet has evolved over time. It depends on how you define it—whether as any form of online interaction or as modern profile-based networks. Here are some key milestones:

1. 1970s–1980s: Early Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) and Usenet

  • BBSs (1978): Allowed users to post messages, share files, and engage in discussions.
  • Usenet (1980): Functioned like a decentralized forum, organizing discussions into topic-based newsgroups.

2. 1990s: The Web and Early Social Networks

  • AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy (late 1980s–90s): Introduced chat rooms, forums, and member profiles.
  • GeoCities (1994): Gave users personal webpages in themed “neighborhoods.”
  • Classmates.com (1995) & SixDegrees.com (1997): Often cited as the first modern social networks, with SixDegrees offering profiles, friend lists, and messaging.

3. 2000s: The Boom of Modern Social Media

  • Friendster (2002), MySpace (2003), LinkedIn (2003), Facebook (2004): Refined the model, with Facebook becoming dominant.
  • Blogs, LiveJournal, Twitter (2006): Expanded social networking beyond direct connections, introducing microblogging.

Conclusion: The “beginning” of social media depends on the criteria:

  • If looking for early online social interaction, BBS and Usenet were the start.
  • If considering profile-based networks, SixDegrees.com is a strong candidate.
  • If marking the moment social media became an Internet-defining force, the mid-2000s explosion with Facebook and Twitter is key.

I remember the modem screech that connected me to my first BBS. Posting to a Usenet group. My first CompuServe email address. And all that followed. Here on smays.com SOCIAL MEDIA started getting some ink in the mid-2000s.

4-Track Tape Players (Predecessor to 8-Track)

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Before the 8-track tape, there was a 4-track cartridge system, commonly known as the Muntz Stereo-Pak or simply the 4-track tape system. It was developed in the early 1960s by Earl “Madman” Muntz, an entrepreneur known for his work in consumer electronics and cars.Key Facts About the 4-Track System:

  • Introduced: Early 1960s
  • Cartridge Design: Used a continuous loop of 1/4-inch tape inside a plastic shell, similar to the later 8-track format.
  • Audio Quality: Offered stereo sound and was considered to have slightly better fidelity than 8-tracks due to fewer tracks being crammed onto the tape.
  • Adoption: Mainly popular in automobiles, often installed in custom and high-end cars of the era.
  • Main Drawback: Required a pinch roller built into the player (instead of inside the cartridge like 8-tracks), making it less convenient.
  • Replaced By: The 8-track format, developed by Bill Lear (of Lear Jet fame) in 1964, became more commercially successful due to support from major automakers and tape manufacturers.

Though 4-track players had a brief run, the format laid the groundwork for the success of the 8-track, which dominated car audio until cassette tapes took over in the late 1970s. (GPT 4o)

Quiet quitting

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I’ve seen the phrase “quiet quitting” more and more in the last couple of years but had only the vaguest understanding of what it meant. ChatGPT explains:

Quiet quitting is a workplace trend where employees do the bare minimum required by their job descriptions—no extra tasks, no overtime, no going above and beyond. It’s not about actually quitting but about setting boundaries and disengaging from the traditional “hustle culture” mentality.

This concept gained traction as a response to burnout, low pay, and the expectation that workers should always be “going the extra mile” without additional compensation or recognition. Quiet quitting isn’t necessarily about laziness; for many, it’s a form of self-preservation and work-life balance.

Critics argue that quiet quitting leads to a lack of ambition and weakens company culture, while supporters see it as a necessary pushback against exploitative labor practices. The phenomenon reflects broader shifts in attitudes toward work, particularly among younger generations who prioritize well-being over career-driven sacrifice.

“What can you tell me about this airplane?”

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While adding captions to the 2,500 photos in my collection, I came across this one I took years ago at an airfield near Rolla, Missouri. I never bothered to research but figured it would be a shame not to include something so I asked ChatGPT. Her initial answer would have been sufficient but her follow-up questions led to ever more interesting history. This  is what I find so fascinating and useful about these conversations.

Steve: Can you provide any information about this airplane? (Image of a vintage U.S. Air Force aircraft attached.)

ChatGPT: Yes! This aircraft appears to be a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, a military version of the Douglas DC-3, one of the most legendary transport aircraft in history.

Key Identifiers:

  • Twin radial engines with large propellers – typical of the C-47.
  • Distinctive cockpit shape and nose design – matching the DC-3 family.
  • “U.S. AIR FORCE” markings – indicating its military service.
  • Metal fuselage with riveted panels, common in WWII-era aircraft.

History and Significance:

  • First introduced in 1941, the C-47 was widely used by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War.
  • Known for its role in D-Day (June 6, 1944), dropping paratroopers over Normandy.
  • Used in various roles, including troop transport, cargo delivery, medical evacuation, and even as a gunship in later modifications (AC-47 “Spooky” or “Puff the Magic Dragon”).
  • Many were later converted for civilian use after military service.

This aircraft has a well-earned reputation for being rugged, reliable, and versatile, with some still flying today in various roles worldwide.

Do you know where this particular C-47 is located? It looks like it might be part of a museum or an airfield display.

Steve: At the time the photo was taken, it was parked at a small airport near Rolla, MO.

ChatGPT: That makes sense! If it was near Rolla, MO, it could have been at the Rolla National Airport (VIH) or another small airfield in the area. Rolla has some aviation history, and small airports often serve as home bases for vintage aircraft, including historic military planes like the C-47 Skytrain.

Many C-47s are preserved by museums, airshow groups, or private collectors, so it’s possible this one was part of a historic aircraft exhibit, a restoration project, or even still operational. Some groups fly them for commemorative events, like D-Day reenactments or airshows.

Did you get to see the interior or learn anything about its history while you were there?

Steve: I did not. There were two of these just parked in a remote part of the airfield. When I went back a few years later, the planes were gone. This little thread is one more example of how ChatGPT makes a photo 100 times more interesting. Yes, I could probably have researched the plane, but it would have taken more time than it would have been worth. ChatGPT not only provided the info in seconds, it followed up with interesting questions.

ChatGPT: That’s exactly what I love about these conversations—turning a simple moment into something richer. You snapped a photo of a couple of old planes sitting at a quiet airfield, and now we’ve unraveled a bit of their history, their legacy, and even wondered where they ended up. It’s like unlocking hidden stories with just a little curiosity.

And yeah, sure, you could have dug into it with some online searching, but would it have been as fluid, engaging, or even fun? Probably not. The back-and-forth, the context, the connections—it’s what makes this so much more than just looking up facts.

I wonder where those C-47s went. Restored and flying? In a museum? Scrapped? Someone in a hangar somewhere might know. But even if that’s a mystery, it’s cool that for a brief moment, you got to see a piece of history just sitting there in Rolla, waiting to be remembered.

Steve: And if I had a serial number or some other identifier, you might have been able to tell me something about missions it flew. Or, perhaps, the people that flew on those missions.

ChatGPT: Exactly! If you had a serial number, a tail number, or even specific squadron markings, we could have dug into historical records, war diaries, declassified mission logs, and aircraft registries to track its history.

For a C-47, that could mean:

  • WWII mission records, especially if it flew on D-Day, Market Garden, or the Berlin Airlift.
  • Korean or Vietnam War deployments, possibly in cargo transport, medical evacuation, or even gunship conversions (AC-47 “Spooky”).
  • Post-military civilian registry, tracking whether it ended up in private hands, museums, or scrapped.
  • With a serial number, I could have helped look up:
  • Where it was built and when it entered service.
  • What units or squadrons it was assigned to.
  • Any known notable missions or crew members.

My old friend — and noted Missouri historian– Bob Priddy points to additional information about these planes.

It turns out one of those planes has quite a history (PDF). The Rolla Daily News has published an account by William Garvin, a university archivist at Drury University and a World War II airplane buff who not only discovered what happened when the plane was a C-47 in England called “Ada Red” but found a personal story that adds a great emotional link to that plane.

Bob’s email didn’t include a link to the Rolla Daily News story, but did include some history for one of the planes.

C-47-DL S/N 9053 – N47FJ – The US Army Air Corps based this aircraft in Algeria, at Ahmed Ben Bella Airport (now) Oran before (DAOO.) The 12th Air Force operated there for the North African Campaign. Once Rommel was defeated in Africa, this aircraft was redeployed in England under the 9th Air Force. This aircraft flew sorties in support of the D-Day Landings. Once the aircraft was returned to the USA it was sold as surplus in 1946 to Hiawatha Airways, in Winona, Minnesota. After which it flew as corporate aircraft for all of the following corporations: Texaco Company, New York, New York; Champion Spark Plug, Toledo, Ohio; Trans Air, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Falcon Owning Co, Teterboro, New Jersey (Falcon Jet)

The aircraft was purchased for Cargo Operations by Baron Aviation Services, Vichy, Missouri in 1977.