Actual Intelligence

I recently met someone through LinkedIn that I had the pleasure of seeing in real life. He met me on the OSU campus, and we walked and talked for about an hour. His primary interest in data science is related to sports and we had a fascinating discussion about the use of AI models in sports betting, particularly the NCAA basketball tournaments. Every year, ESPN has a men's and women's tournament challenge. (There are $135k in prizes to be won, but ONLY for the men's tournament. Go figure.) What I learned from my new friend is that AI models were able to predict the winners in this year's tournament with an accuracy of 93%. Getting it 100% correct will win some cash, so there's definitely an incentive to get that last 7%! His comment that really struck me is that an upset is not *really* an upset. It's usually bad seeding. That is, when a #12 team beats a #5 team it's usually because the #12 team should have been seeded higher and the #5 team...

When someone says they're going to "eliminate waste" what does that mean? Whether it's a business executive, a political leader, or someone in between saying it, they usually mean that they're going to remove things that aren't adding value. It's usually said in such a way as to shut down disagreement. I mean, who would come out in support of waste? What it should do, though, is beg the question, "What do you mean by 'waste'?" Everyone's definition of waste is different, so claiming to be in favor of "eliminating waste" simply allows everyone hearing it to define "waste" in a way that is meaningful to them. It's a reflection of individual values: What one person sees as critical, another sees as waste. Consider corporate travel spending as an example. Is it a waste, or is it critical? It depends on who you ask and what it's for. The same goes for training, employee perks, and many other expendi...

This is an essay I wrote in 1995 for an RIT undergraduate school course titled "Science, Technology, and Values." Being a computer engineering student and a big fan of Star Trek, I am fascinated by the character Lt. Commander Data, who is an android. During several "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes, more than I could count, Data expresses desire to become more human. In one particular episode, Data's cooperation is sought in order that he take part in an experiment that would involve taking him apart for study. Some guy shows up on the Enterprise and has transfer orders ready for Commander Data so that he might be transferred to his lab and be shut down for study and experimentation, a process that could cause Data much harm, especially since this guy does not fully understand the work of Dr. Sung, Data's creator. Needless to say, Data does not want to participate and decides to resign so that he may avoid a transfer of duty; at thi...