This is also interedting. “China launches DeepSeek”
It is nobody’s case that Grok is a hugely liberal, woke, Leftie AI that has suddenly sprouted from the depths of obscurity to lead the human race on the path to salvation. LLW (Left, Liberal , Wokes) have more sense than that. Let us not forget that, on an average, they are far more educated than the typical conservative Right-wing bhakt.
What is it in Grok 3 then that charms them?
Before demystification of Artificial Intelligence, it is necessary to delve into some of the ways ideological/political proclivities are crystallised in human beings.
1. Through reading the works of powerful thought leaders who possess in them the capabilities of persuasiveness. Could be Das Kapital, Mein Kampf, Wealth of Nations, Discovery of India, Republic, Bunch of Thoughts, Gita or Koran. Or just the newspaper every morning. Or listening to goosebump-inducing oratory by a Nehru, Lenin or Castro. The defining factor here is cerebral.
2. Developing an empathy for the underdogs and their sufferings could make you a socialist. A typical Rightwinger, on the other hand, believes that this is how the human race is meant to be. Inequalities are kosher for him. Human misery does not move him. He will justify his stance with a thousand inane statements intended to divert attention from the moot point, but the basic reason remains – he is reluctant to part with the disproportionately high privileges the system has provided him, acquired either through inheritance or his hard work. These are the individuals who lack empathy . They are made that way – other than a few whose mindsets are not hard-wIred and could change over time.
There are folks I know of who believe that the genocide of women and children in Gaza by the Zionist monsters serves them right. The entire Right-wing across the globe today supports Putin and his acts of aggression in Ukraine, because they love him and his authoritarian style of functioning. This is the extent to which lack of empathy can manifest.
3 . Influenced by family, mentors, role-models, friends, religious beliefs or NM’s tomfoolery and histrionics. A feeling of identity could be cultivated from childhood. “I am proud to be a Hindu” was what someone commented on my timeline a few days back. At times, this identification induces irrational hatred towards the “other”.
Not to deny the existence of many Marxists for whom Ideology runs in the family.
An AI tool can potentially become opinionated through the 1st method. We are still years away from developing a tool that is capable of emoting or developing a sense of identity akin to a human being. Perhaps the Chinese would surprise us someday. Even for the 1st category, it will require months or years of training to shape a conviction that is rational yet open to changes with progressive exposure to evidence, like an ideal human mind should be. This lies in the realm of possibility today.
What impresses us about Grok – although it is miles away from developing an algorithm pointing towards what was explained earlier – is its sheer depth of knowledge, inculcated through extensive hours of training. This is the reason it is able to present many more perspectives than the ones already in the market barring Deepseek, which I have not explored as yet.
Despite my intense dislike for Elon, I have no qualms in stating unequivocally that he and his team have, indeed, done a splendid job.
