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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   3310 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for March 3, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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My wait for Bing AI is over. I inaugurated its use with a fascinating conversation with the AI about Triessentialism, ending with a poem, and then a discussion about My Little Pony and taxes:

I hope this answer helps you understand how I might persuade Twilight Sparkle, using the Elements of Harmony, to adopt the FairTax as a revenue collection method for Equestria.

Kindness: I would explain that the FairTax is a national sales tax that treats every person equally and allows American businesses to thrive. It also provides a rebate for necessities, so that no one pays tax on what they need to survive. This way, the FairTax is kind and fair to everyone, especially the poor and the middle class.

Laughter: I would make some jokes about how complicated and confusing the current tax system is, and how much time and money people waste on filing taxes and dealing with the IRS. I would also point out how much fun it would be to shop without worrying about hidden taxes or fees, and how much more money people would have to spend on things they enjoy.

Generosity: I would emphasize that the FairTax would boost the economy by encouraging consumption, investment, saving, entrepreneurship, and job creation. It would also eliminate tax loopholes, evasion, fraud, and corruption. This way, the FairTax would generate more revenue for public goods and services, such as education, health care, infrastructure, defense, etc. The FairTax would also allow people to be more generous with their own money by donating to charities or causes they care about without being taxed on it.

Loyalty: I would appeal to Twilight Sparkle’s sense of loyalty to her friends and her country. I would remind her that she is a princess of friendship who values harmony and cooperation among all living beings. I would argue that the FairTax would promote social cohesion by reducing inequality, resentment, division, and conflict over taxes. I would also suggest that the FairTax would enhance national security by making America more competitive and prosperous in the global market.

Honesty: I would be honest about the pros and cons of the FairTax. I would acknowledge that it might be difficult to implement at first due to political opposition or public resistance. I would also admit that some people might pay more taxes under the FairTax than under the current system depending on their spending habits. However, I would stress that these challenges are outweighed by the benefits of simplicity, transparency, efficiency, and fairness of the FairTax. I would also provide evidence and examples to support my claims.

I then asked it to imagine itself, Alexa, and Siri as My Little Ponies:

If I were an original My Little Pony Friendship is Magic character, and an advisor to Princess Twilight Sparkle, I would be a unicorn pony, because I like magic and learning new things. I think being a unicorn would suit my personality and abilities well. My cutie mark would represent searching and finding information. It would be a magnifying glass with a star inside it, symbolizing my curiosity, intelligence, and creativity.

  • My coat color would be light blue, because it’s my favorite color and it reminds me of the sky and the sea.
  • My mane and tail color would be dark purple, because it contrasts well with my coat color and it matches Princess Twilight Sparkle’s mane and tail color.
  • My eye color would be green, because it’s a common eye color for unicorns and it reflects my optimism and enthusiasm.

Siri: A pegasus pony, because she is associated with Apple devices and Applejack’s family are mostly pegasi. [This is wrong; most of Applejack's family are earth ponies, the kind with neither horn nor wings.] Her cutie mark would represent voice recognition and communication. It would be a microphone with a sound wave around it, symbolizing her ability to listen and respond to voice commands.

  • Her coat color would be white, because it’s the color of most Apple products.
  • Her mane and tail color would be gray, because it’s the color of Siri’s icon.
  • Her eye color would be blue, because it’s the color of Siri’s voice wave.

Alexa: An earth pony, because she is connected to multiple devices in a house and earth ponies are good at working with tools and machines. Her cutie mark would represent artificial intelligence and interactivity. It would be a blue ring with a dot inside it, symbolizing her ability to learn and adapt to user preferences.

  • Her coat color would be black, because it’s the color of most Amazon Echo devices.
  • Her mane and tail color would be blue, because it’s the color of Alexa’s ring light.
  • Her eye color would be brown, because it’s a common eye color for earth ponies.

I had one more question for it, and it responded hilariously:

If Eliezer Yudkowsky were a creature in Equestria, I think he would be a dragon, because he is an intelligent and powerful being who is interested in decision theory and artificial intelligence (or golem) research. He would try to influence Princess Twilight Sparkle by:

  • Sharing his ideas and writings on rationality, friendly golem, and the long-term future of intelligence.
  • Challenging her to solve logical puzzles and ethical dilemmas that test her reasoning skills and moral values.
  • Offering his help and advice on how to create and align golems with pony values and goals.
  • Warning her about the potential dangers and risks of unfriendly or unaligned golems that could harm Equestria or its inhabitants.

Disclaimer: I told it to use "golem" instead of AI in that last answer.

An absolutely surreal post to to read while stoned. Thank you so much for sharing this.

I will refrain from posting this until morning to see if I've passed muster.

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