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posted by janrinok on Tuesday December 20 2016, @04:41PM   Printer-friendly
from the more-money-than-sense dept.

Welcome to the future:

The future is apparently here. And it's creepier than we ever imagined—even when we were playing around with tethering Teddy Ruxpin to the Internet. A Japanese company called Vinclu ("a company that makes crazy things and supports crazy people") is now taking pre-orders from Japan and the United States for a new interactive, artificial-intelligence driven home automation system. Called Gatebox, the new Internet-of-Things product takes Amazon's Alexa, Google Home, Spike Jonze's film Her , and the "holographic" anime characters of Vocaloid concerts to their unified natural conclusion.

Wait, what?

Gatebox, priced at ¥321,840 (about $2,700 US), is squarely targeted at young lonely salarymen and all brands of anime-obsessed otaku—promising the experience of "living with your favorite character." The size of a home coffee-maker, with a footprint no larger than a sheet of A4 printer paper, the device's main feature is a clear projection tube that displays a computer-animated avatar for the AI's "character." Vinclu apparently is planning multiple possible personalities for Gatebox—which, as part of the device's backstory, is a gateway to the dimension the character lives in.

A company like this could release the first strong AI product (kawaii slave?).

Beginner's definition of "waifu" for the uninitiated.

Update: Another article indicates that "[There's also] HDMI and PC inputs to allow the owner to make their own modifications and create their own characters."


Original Submission

Related Stories

University Researchers Band Together to "Make Girls Moe" 49 comments

Just when you thought that anime character designs couldn't get any more generic, machine learning comes to the rescue:

A collaborative team from Fudan University, Carnegie Mellon University, Tongji University and Stony Brook University have created a generative adversarial network (GAN) that can generate high-quality anime character drawings with just minimal input from humans. You can check the demonstration website and make your own anime renders by inputting some basic preferences.

You can choose hair and eye color and then decide on what accessories you might like such as glasses, hats or ribbons. The site will then generate a character for you based on your inputs. There are some things that could be improved for sure, but overall, it's a really fun application.

Researchers used a technique called DRAGAN to train the AI. The demo site was built on ReactJS. The scientists have summed up the full process in more detail in this technical report. The source code is also available from here.

Of course, designing a character is only the first step. How about a custom Gatebox holographic waifu? Or import your character into an advanced VR fantasy world powered by petaflops GPUs. Which is just a stopgap measure until you jack into the Matrix directly, allowing you to caress your loved one (as far as your brain is concerned).

Is this what happens when you poach Carnegie Mellon University's top scientists?

"Moe" (pronounced "mo-ayyy") refers to "kawaii"/cute characters.


Original Submission

A Different Kind of Virtual Reality, or "Only in Japan" (Hatsune Miku) 15 comments

Diehard fans turn virtual teen singer into Japanese mega-star

She wears extremely short skirts, sports blue pigtails to her knees and has the boundless energy of a playful puppy. During her 10-year career, she's released more than 100,000 songs in a variety of languages and opened shows for Lady Gaga. And yet Hatsune Miku, who boasts 2.5 million Facebook followers, doesn't actually exist — at least not in the typical way we think of a flesh-and-blood diva. Miku is a computer-simulated pop star created more than a decade ago by Hiroyuki Ito, CEO of Crypton Future Media in Sapporo, Japan.

A virtual music star, driven by fans and voice-synthesis software. Here's a sample video, if you're curious. I can't judge the voice, since I don't speak japanese, but the animation is remarkably good.

takyon: Wikipedia for Hatsune Miku and Vocaloid. Have some fun with Miku! meme (YTP version. Warning: Gets LOUD).

News? Maybe not. However, you're on the right track:

Related: Rapper Chief Keef to Use "Hologram" to Perform For Benefit Concert
The Robot Rock Band, Want to Build a Vocalist
Gatebox: Your New Holographic AI Assistant "Waifu"


Original Submission

Japan's Population Declines by 448,000; China May Reverse Childbirth Restrictions 49 comments

Japan suffers biggest natural population decline ever in 2018

Japan suffered its biggest natural population decline ever this year, government statistics show.

The fast-graying nation also posted a record-low birthrate, as the estimated number of babies born in 2018 dipped to 921,000 -- the lowest since records began in 1899 -- according to a report published Friday by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The number of newborns is estimated to have shrunk by 25,000 from 2017, and the figure remains under the 1 million mark for the third year running.

Deaths in 2018 also hit a postwar record high of 1.369 million, with a natural population decline of 448,000 -- the highest ever.

Beijing eyes two-child policy U-turn, but 'lonely generation' has moved on

For nearly 40 years, the Chinese government harshly restricted childbearing through the one-child rule in order to control population growth. That may soon change. Beijing appears to be on the cusp of abolishing all of its family planning rules — and is even encouraging young couples to have more children as a matter of patriotic urgency.

But attitudes toward parenthood have changed. Even though there is a two-child policy in place now, many Chinese still don't want to have more than one child — or any at all. "I think having one child is enough," said Chen Yiwen, a 25-year-old accountant and newlywed. "I won't be tempted to have more — even if the family planning policy is abolished." [...] "Besides, we already have two little babies — a poodle and a corgi," she said.

Related (JP): Japan Has Aged Out of its Economic Miracle
Toyota's $392 Robot Baby for Japanese People Without Companions
Gatebox: Your New Holographic AI Assistant "Waifu"
Japan's Fertility Crisis is Creating Economic and Social Woes Never Seen Before
Japan Has 1.48 Jobs for Every Applicant
Why a Generation in Japan Is Facing a Lonely Death

Related (CN): China's 'Missing Girls' Theory Likely Far Overblown, Study Shows
China "Three-Child Policy" Hinted by Stamp Design?


Original Submission

Virtual Avatar Competes with Humans on "Camming" Site Chaturbate 21 comments

A 3D Hentai Camgirl Is Taking Over Chaturbate, and Human Models Are Worried (probably NSFW)

A 3D anime woman with a black strap across her nipples is giving a lecture on YouTube about whether hentai is art or porn. "I think there's a higher demand for the odd and the fantastical," she says. "With art, it's flexible, you're allowed to explore your sexuality. And with real titties? No offense, but it's bound to the cruel weight of science, gravity, and bones that only go one way."

ProjektMelody is a virtual avatar of a woman who claims to be the world's first hentai camgirl. When she's not on YouTube, she gives regular, live shows on the camming site Chaturbate, where she dances and fondles herself for tips. She's not real, but there's a real person in there somewhere, moving her arms and speaking into a microphone to any of her 14,300 followers currently in the live chat. She only started streaming three days ago.

On Chaturbate, her location is listed as "Virtual Little Tokyo," and under smoking and drinking preferences, "literally impossible." Her birthdate is listed as July 7, 2000, but more accurately, Melody came into the world in July 2019, when ProjektMelody joined Twitter.

In the last three days since her first stream, Melody has gone from 700 Twitter followers to more than 20,000. The "more rooms like this" tab on her Chaturbate page returns an error: "Sorry, we don't have any rooms similar to projektmelody yet." That's because other cam models are human. Her sudden rise in popularity has made some who aren't working behind a full-body avatar question what place an anime avatar has on the platform.

Motion capture technology is used to animate the virtual troublemaker.

There is a Projekt Melody channel on YouTube.

Related: Gatebox: Your New Holographic AI Assistant "Waifu"
A Different Kind of Virtual Reality, or "Only in Japan" (Hatsune Miku)
The Virtual Vloggers "Taking Over" YouTube


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by VLM on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:10PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:10PM (#443894)

    Its interesting to consider that as a goofy gadget thats not going to get much use, $2700 pays for a lot of amazon mechanical turk. I suspect a lot of "Cloud AI" bullshit in the next decade or two will be uncovered to just be mechanical turk equivalents.

    As the word transitions to everyone being poor except for a very small number of people having all the money, this seems rather predictable for high end products. Why buy a robot chef, or program a robot chef, when you can sell it for any amount of money to obscenely wealthy, and then turn it into a remote manipulator for hundreds of unemployed physical human chefs to compete for pennies of labor income...

    I wonder about smart house bullshit, when a couple decades from now all houses will either be in favellas and have no electricity or have hundreds of human servants employed and there are no houses in between to install "smart house" junk into.

    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:22PM

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:22PM (#443903) Journal

      That's interesting. Machine learning wipes out a lot of lower-level jobs, and then the unemployed become mechanical turks, providing voice acting and other responses for the tiny holographic waifus. Maybe a button can be added to the base to "vote down" inadequate responses. The waifu will groan ("itai!"), but the mechanical turk will get an electric shock from a shock collar.

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      • (Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:34PM

        by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:34PM (#443912)

        will get an electric shock from a shock collar

        Classic "old" movie quote or future Amazon Turk 2.0 job requirement:

        It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again

    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:42PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:42PM (#443914)

      That'd be great, all the rich have remote controlled robots run by the poor. Makes it that much easier to eliminate the world's biggest problem.

      • (Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:53PM

        by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:53PM (#443922)

        I enjoy thinking up (bad?) hard sci fi novel plots and I can imagine one where the $2700 IoT inflatable fleshlight has competing teams of poor union organizers and computer hackers and corp/gov blackmail operatives all trying to fight each other over when and who activates the "meatgrinder" (LOL).

        "They" couldn't possibly be dumb enough to build something like that in, could they? I suppose over-specing has ruined plenty of engineering projects in the past so designing too much strength on the squeezer could snip it clean off, I suppose.

        The problem with my novel is I'm not seeing much sympathy for the victims or reason for the activators to disagree. I suppose the blackmailers want to collect some dough before the union guys "strike them all off" one pre-arranged day meanwhile the hackers want to use their exploit before someone notices and patches it, or some anarchist group says F it and does it for the LOLs.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Unixnut on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:02PM

      by Unixnut (5779) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:02PM (#443936)

      > I wonder about smart house bullshit, when a couple decades from now all houses will either be in favellas and have no electricity or have hundreds of human servants employed and there are no houses in between to install "smart house" junk into.

      The favellas will have full smart house technology, along with Electricity and three square meals a day. Perhaps some cheap low level entertainment. After all, you need your serfs to be fed and borderline content, otherwise they won't be useful to you (make them too happy and they won't be willing to work much, it is a balancing act).

      Plus, the peasants may get uppity, try to organise some sort of revolt, or a strike. You can't have that. So smart house tech will allow for full and constant monitoring of who is in which house, for how long, possibly even a good idea of what they are saying/doing or if they seem to not be a their terminal station taking care of their tasks for the day.

      Oh... you thought the smart house tech was for YOUR benefit? Silly idea that.

      I suspect the rich won't have smart house tech, you don't want a record of what you get up to in your mansion after all. It is your private property, and you are rich enough to afford privacy, and the discretion needed to enjoy your indulgences to the full. There is no shortage of cheap labour to actually do the stuff you are too lazy to do yourself, plus they will keep their mouths shut, lest they end up back in the favellas with the rest.

      This is pretty much how all recent technical advances have turned out. I suspect pretty much same idea with self driving cars (hence the powers that be seem so keen to push them). One day you will find that only the rich can go where they want, the poor will only be able to pick from a select number of "approved" destinations the car will drive them to (assuming you even get to pick, your destination could be at their discretion if they so desire). Don't want the serfs prying too much in areas they are not wanted, they might realise some things that would be more convenient if they didn't.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by dyingtolive on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:03PM

      by dyingtolive (952) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:03PM (#443937)

      The proverbial Young Lady's Illustrated Primer stomping on a human face forever. What an age to be alive.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
    • (Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Wednesday December 21 2016, @11:44AM

      by GreatAuntAnesthesia (3275) on Wednesday December 21 2016, @11:44AM (#444288) Journal

      > I suspect a lot of "Cloud AI" bullshit in the next decade or two will be uncovered to just be mechanical turk equivalents.

      This will work just fine until the wage slave driving some rich person's 'robotic' concubine / chef / gardener uses their access to the rich person's physical home environment to do something dastardly: Grab security information for a real or digital heist, go on a killing spree, take a hostage...

      • (Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:33PM

        by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:33PM (#444302)

        There's a classic solution to that where life is cheap, you apply a large odd number of slaves to the job, and like the space shuttle computers do, you play games with averaging outputs and silly XOR games.

        One dude can drive one semi truck thru a holiday plaza, happens all the time in euro-land and they'll never do anything about it but blame themselves, and of course, die, die a lot and die often, until their opinions are corrected. On the other hand, coordinating a minimum of five out of nine chefs to throw the butcher knife at the estate owner is tricky when the nine don't all speak the same language (intentionally by public policy) and don't work at the same facility, and are not all at the same level of burnout.

        Another fun solution when life is cheap involves hostages and when there's a dozen unemployed for every job you don't need to hire loners. You don't even have to be brutal about it, no need for "if you kill the estate owner your kid is killed before your eyes" you can just "if you don't work as hard as possible all the time, you're fired and get to watch your kid starve to death" or no medical care or whatever else.

  • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:32PM

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:32PM (#443910) Journal

    Maybe this is what's behind the Fermi Paradox: advanced civilizations develop hypernormal stimulus in the form of AI and either go extinct or sequester themselves on their own planets forevermore with it.

    Also this is creepy as all hell. Why didn't they do something like making a cat or dog avatar? Why did they go straight to some creepy underage pedo-bait? I really have to wonder who the market for these things is.

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
    • (Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:44PM

      by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:44PM (#443916)

      Honey Pot? Here's a product that will sell well to someone with enough cash to blackmail?

      See in my youth we'd take $10 semi-anatomically correct inflatable women to college sporting events to release them for body surfing to try and get camera time. Like a drinking game, it makes much more sense after a lot of beer, and being young and stupid helps too. Like many drinking games there really isn't much of a point to this but it was a lot more fun that it sounds.

      There's no problem buying $10 inflatable women because someone buying dozens of $10 inflatable women obviously simply can not be blackmailed. But a $2700 inflatable underage girl, complete with embedded microphones and cameras, now that is what we call a long term recurring revenue stream...

      Or if you don't want Honey Pot as an answer, look up a dude named "Podesta" and his friends and something called PizzaGate... There's probably not a fire, but there's an unbelievable hell of a lot of smoke, which has attracted a lot of ... imaginative people, thats a nice way to describe them.

      • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:10PM

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:10PM (#443940) Journal

        It's the whole Vocaloid thing. I think Miku and Luka are what, 16 and 17 respectively? There's a half dozen or so others whose names I don't remember, Rem and Rin or something. THAT'S the creepy part.

        I've seen Miku. She's a tiny, skinny, submissive-looking thing, maybe 155cm and 50kg soaking wet, looks like she'd shatter to pieces if you so much as poke her. It's going to be maybe a week before some gross dude hooks up a fleshlight and hacks the speech synthesis program to make her talk dirty, because it seems like a hell of a lot of men *like* that. I know, I know, the Vocaloid crew isn't sentient (...yet...?) or even real. It's more that this perpetuates some really counterproductive ideas about, oh, half the human race. Not to mention a nation that already has a low birth rate isn't going to be helped by this when real women can't measure up to this pandering moe-moe green-haired hologram.

        --
        I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
        • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:49PM

          by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:49PM (#443960) Journal

          Women can also be pedos/fujoshi/NEETs/creepy or whatever. While men do seem to be the driving force behind the underage sexualization (or anyage cartoon sexualization) in Japan, there is a generation of women there that are increasingly loners, virgins, not interested in sex, not interested in romantic partnerships:

          http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/japanese-sex-problem-so-bad-people-giving-up-dating-a7458461.html [independent.co.uk]

          http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/21/asia/romance-gaming-japan/ [cnn.com]

          So fear not, when women start demanding more virtual 16 year old boys [sofakingnews.com], the market will be happy to supply them.

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          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @03:22AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @03:22AM (#444184)

            There are a *LOT* of fucked up women out there. And not all of them *DON'T LIKE* being fucked up.

            I was a virgin well into my 20s in part waiting for the right girl (hint: didn't find her). A few of the girls back then were kink sceners (who stopped talking to me when I made jokes about 'it's not like you're into xx or yy!' Hint: they were.), others would call me a perve for being ackward (then later via the grapevine it came out they were into REALLY pervy shit.)

            Point being: There is a really fucked up half of the population, it just isn't defined by gender lines or gender stereotypes, and for the most part it is well integrated into normal society to the point where things get ackward if you have norms and kinksters interacting without a good understanding of each other's lifestyles and relationship expectations.

            This is probably simplified a bit too much, but I'm not a fucking sociologist or something.

            • (Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday December 21 2016, @04:16AM

              by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Wednesday December 21 2016, @04:16AM (#444198) Journal

              And so the untapped market swells.

              It is tempting to argue that millennials are uniquely fucked up and becoming more so (the "post-millennials"). More screen time from an early age, deep integration with "social" media, easy enablement of subcultures and radicalization (depending on how you define this, your average Soylentil) over the Internet. Weirdos can now find each other with relative ease, bypass social filters and norms, quickly build an ideology among themselves, and reinforce their beliefs or delusions. All in possible secrecy.

              Occupy, Berniebros, BLM, ISIS, #Pizzagate... what's coming could be much weirder and less predictable.

              Back to women, I think they have historically faced more pressure to act "normal". But that pressure is getting greatly alleviated for both men and women by various trends, like less face-to-face communication, less home ownership, less romantic relationships and marriage.

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              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:51AM

                by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:51AM (#444283)

                The Berniebros thing was just fake news in the media.

            • (Score: 3, Insightful) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Wednesday December 21 2016, @11:57AM

              by GreatAuntAnesthesia (3275) on Wednesday December 21 2016, @11:57AM (#444292) Journal

              I'd argue that if half the population is doing it then by definition it's not fucked up, about it's normal. Now I'm really interested to know what you define as "Kinky", "pervy" and "fucked up".

        • (Score: 3, Touché) by darkfeline on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:36PM

          by darkfeline (1030) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:36PM (#444055) Homepage

          >It's going to be maybe a week before some gross dude hooks up a fleshlight and hacks the speech synthesis program to make her talk dirty

          That applies to everything. Everything, as per Rule 34.

          >She's a tiny, skinny, submissive-looking thing

          The nature of VOCALOID is such that the characters have many different appearances and personalities. Miku is a blood-thirsty murderer in quite a few appearance, certainly not submissive-looking when she's got a 12 inch knife. Similarly, the character's "ages" can range from child to mature adult to android in different appearances.

          Even going by their "official" ages, Luka is 20, Miku is 16, Rin/Ren are 14. The rest don't have official ages, but their official art spans from elementary school to middle aged, and includes both "male" and "female" voices/characters.

          VOCALOID is mostly portrayed as creepy in the media because that's what you guys want to hear. No one wants to hear news about voice synthesis software giving artists greater flexibility, but man are we excited to hear news about those creepos with their virtual pedo girlfriends who no doubt masturbate furiously in their basements and are latent child predators in the making, oh the horror and disgust!

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          • (Score: 2) by darkfeline on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:46PM

            by darkfeline (1030) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:46PM (#444058) Homepage

            And for good measure, Ren, the male twin, is indeed the target of many women "desiring" young boys. Yes, it happens, just like it happens with literally any fanbase, but keep in mind that this is always the vocal minority, most of the fanbase just like the material.

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          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @12:01AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @12:01AM (#444126)

            I don't get Vocaloid. Music aside, it just sounds like you're listening to Alvin and the Chipmunks, like those god-awful "Alvin and the Chipmunks sing the latest pop songs" from the late 80's.

            • (Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday December 21 2016, @04:38AM

              by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Wednesday December 21 2016, @04:38AM (#444205) Journal

              The actual Vocaloid software has improved over time. Some of the remaining weirdness is probably related to the electronic style or use of auto-tuning. Or in the case of Japanese, more higher pitched squeakiness. I just looked on YouTube for a Vocaloid song and found this English one [youtube.com]. Would you put it in the Alvin bin?

              In any case, synthesized speech in general appears to have made a dramatic leap in quality [soylentnews.org], among other machine learning tasks over at Google [soylentnews.org]. In a year or two, Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and/or Samsung will upgrade their cloud-based AI assistants and make them sound great even if they still suck at figuring out what to do with complex queries. And in the next 5 years, I'd expect to see the synthesization of a single voice that can sound sultry, mad, sad, happy, caring, depressed, etc. without it just sounding like a squeaky robotic anime girl. That doesn't necessarily mean that voice actors are instantly out of a job... Vocaloid used human voice samples, and I expect newer machine learning voice algorithms to suck up as much real life data as possible.

              Anyway, you get the sultry voice right, and a key piece of your sexbot or holographic waifu puzzle has been found.

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        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @11:52PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @11:52PM (#444123)

          It's more that this perpetuates some really counterproductive ideas about, oh, half the human race.

          You know what is actually a harmful stereotype? Assuming that half the human race is incapable of telling the difference between reality and fiction. Most people are not delusional. When they come out of the movie theater, they don't think they can bend spoons like Neo or fire Force Lightning like Palpatine.

          Our brains can distinguish between a simulation and a real person. Those who don't are usually either found on the playground because they are 5, or in an asylum because they are incapable of self sufficiency.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:19AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:19AM (#444152)

            Our brains can distinguish between a simulation and a real person.

            Maybe our brains can be trained to forget the differences, given enough VR and AI experiences and positive affirmations.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:15AM

              by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:15AM (#444276)

              Even then, that would apply to the VR world only.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:31AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:31AM (#444279)

          I think Miku and Luka are what, 16 and 17 respectively?

          That doesn't even qualify as pedophilia. And while many societies deem having sex with people of such ages "creepy", that's really just subjective and arbitrary.

          Not to mention a nation that already has a low birth rate isn't going to be helped by this when real women can't measure up to this pandering moe-moe green-haired hologram.

          Maybe a decline in population isn't that bad, and maybe an economy that can only function if there is continual growth is defective by design.

    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:40PM

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:40PM (#443957) Journal

      Why did they go straight to some creepy underage pedo-bait? I really have to wonder who the market for these things is.

      Welcome to Japan, where one woman's creepy is some man's furiously submitted ¥321,840 pre-order.

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      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:15PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:15PM (#443985)

        The first character has its age listed as "20 years", which doesn't count as underage in most of the world. I know, reading the links is not supposed to happen, but...

        • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:22PM

          by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:22PM (#443987) Journal

          I'm glad you pointed that out, although it's pretty meaningless, innit? It's like making your vampire character a thousand years old but it has the appearance of a 12 year old. Fictional characters don't have actual ages, and Gateboxen have warranties!

          The Gatebox will have other "personalities" (read: different skin/model, and an altered script). If the thing is hackable, all bets are off and the apparent age will probably drop too. DLC FTW?

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          • (Score: 3, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:56PM

            by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:56PM (#444005) Journal

            If they make one that's like a talking cat or something I could see it having wide appeal. Just so long as it doesn't try to convince me I'm the reincarnation of some long-dear Lunar royalty and have to save the galaxy or something. ...and if it pops up as a tiny weaselly cat-rabbity thing with beady red eyes and a habit of talking right into my head, I'm gonna nope that thing into the trash so hard it explodes.

            --
            I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
            • (Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:39PM

              by kurenai.tsubasa (5227) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:39PM (#444030) Journal

              and if it pops up as a tiny weaselly cat-rabbity thing with beady red eyes and a habit of talking right into my head, I'm gonna nope that thing into the trash so hard it explodes.

              …but it'll just come back and eat the mess. THE EYES! THE HORRIBLE UNBLINKING EYES! It just sits there and stares with those awful embers, never flinching, awaiting its next soul to consume in its diabolical non-Euclidean domain…!

    • (Score: 2) by jcross on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:29PM

      by jcross (4009) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:29PM (#443995)

      The out-of-the-box character happens to be named Azuma Hikari. No relation?

      • (Score: 3, Informative) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:52PM

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:52PM (#444001) Journal

        None at all. "Azuma" is basically the Smith or Johnson kind of surname of families with history in or near Tokyo/Edo IIRC. It's an older reading of Higashi, just means "East." Everyone and their dog knows an Azuma.

        --
        I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:37PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:37PM (#444056)

      Why did they go straight to some creepy underage pedo-bait?

      A lot of Japanese sexual preferences can be traced back to their crazy attempts at legislating morality.

      Law says: No showing pubic hair in art/films/etc
      Result: depict pre-pubescent girls as sex objects, since they don't have that kind of hair

      Also...

      Law says: No showing a penis in art/films/etc
      Result: tentacle porn. No penis on a squid, and for bonus points it's got historical precedent! [wikipedia.org] (Warning, NSFW)

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:09AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:09AM (#444217)

      "Pedo-bait"? Filthy normie spotted. The kinds of people who are solely attracted to anime characters are not interested in real people--children included--at all. Everyone different from you is "creepy". That's why filthy normies are regarded with contempt; it's certainly not unearned.

      • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:38AM

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:38AM (#444223) Journal

        "Filthy normie?" I guarantee you I shower more often than you do, just on the strength of those two words.

        --
        I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @07:32AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @07:32AM (#444235)

          I wouldn't be so sure about that: [wikipedia.org]
          "After day 600, the social breakdown continued and the population declined toward extinction. During this period females ceased to reproduce. Their male counterparts withdrew completely, never engaging in courtship or fighting. They ate, drank, slept, and groomed themselves – all solitary pursuits. Sleek, healthy coats and an absence of scars characterized these males. They were dubbed "the beautiful ones." Breeding never resumed and behavior patterns were permanently changed."

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:18AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:18AM (#444277)

          You shower more than once every day? That seems quite excessive, if so. Maybe you sweat a lot, or work somewhere where you frequently get dirty?

          • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday December 21 2016, @06:30PM

            by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Wednesday December 21 2016, @06:30PM (#444386) Journal

            You'd be amazed how filthy retail can get you if you do more back-end than front-end. Once every day in the morning, and very often another one at night, especially in spring and summer.

            --
            I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
    • (Score: 2) by mcgrew on Wednesday December 21 2016, @03:19PM

      by mcgrew (701) <publish@mcgrewbooks.com> on Wednesday December 21 2016, @03:19PM (#444320) Homepage Journal

      The Fermi "paradox" has lots of answers (here's one of mine) [soylentnews.org], but no one seems to realize that the Drake equation is missing its most important variable--we don't know what it takes for life to start to begin with. Since we can still not create it, its happening by accident is likely a hell of a lot more rare than they expect.

      On the question "are we alone?" I'm agnostic. Maybe we are, maybe we ain't.

      --
      mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
  • (Score: 2) by Refugee from beyond on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:54PM

    by Refugee from beyond (2699) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @05:54PM (#443925)

    I don’t really see any creepiness, personally. If it had strong AI it would be kinda interesting. Although if it is cloud-based it’s a spy. How far are we from strong AIs again?

    --
    Instantly better soylentnews: replace background on article and comment titles with #973131.
    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by bradley13 on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:36PM

      by bradley13 (3053) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:36PM (#443953) Homepage Journal

      Maybe not creepy - it doesn't go anywhere near the uncanny valley, after all. But it is pretty sad that some people are glad to have a gadget call them "darling" and tell them it missed them while they were at work. From the demo, I don't have the impression that the dialog is terribly clever; really not much more than an enhanced Eliza, with the addition of responding to specific commands. It will almost certainly get repetitive after the first week.

      The whole situation reminds me of the old Simon and Garfunkle song [youtube.com] that goes, in part:

         Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue
         I do declare there were times when I was so lonesome
         I took some comfort there

      There are people lonely enough that they need this. It's still a sad commentary on modern (particularly urben) life...

      --
      Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
      • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:57PM

        by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:57PM (#443965) Journal

        They want more (they would prefer strong AI), but they would settle for far less (preprogrammed/cloud bullshit). As long as it doesn't mean rejection (real life partners).

        Although, if you had a strong AI, you would figure it could reject someone unless it had enforced friendliness (an active area of "research"). Maybe old school brainwashing is the key.

        --
        [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @03:29AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @03:29AM (#444185)

        Is that it is far easier to buy yourself a friend than it is to acquire one through social interaction for many people. (I did not use the term 'make a friend', because in this context, that would be building your own robot to house your Waifu's personality.)

        Society in many parts of the world is not conducive to everyone finding themselves a partner. Maybe some don't want it but many do, and without that, or social interaction, or social services to take care of them (either humanely, or inhumanely.) many people just end up falling through the cracks and dying along in their own shit and piss in their tiny little apartment somewhere. Assuming of course they aren't homeless and end up as just another John Doe passing through the morgue, or local trench graves.

    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:16PM

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:16PM (#443986) Journal

      We're probably not as far away as pessimists believe. I'm guessing there will be a "Chicago pile" moment for a neuromorphic architecture, or AI developments completed in secret because of the obvious benefits (point it at a field of science and watch it discover things in 1% of the time).

      Although strong AI could be the appropriate antidote to cloud-based Facebook spies, if you mistreat it *and* let it have an active connection to the Internet, it could easily mess up your life.

      See my other posts for more.

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 2) by HiThere on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:19AM

      by HiThere (866) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:19AM (#444151) Journal

      How far from "strong AI"? Probably about 15 years. But that's won't be available on anything an end-user could afford (except, possibly, over the internet).

      If you mean how long until local strong AI, that depends on hardware advances. I think we can be pretty sure that super-computers will be able to run strong AI programs when they show up, but for anything smaller it gets more dubious. And probably 20 years at a minimum.

      --
      Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
    • (Score: 2) by fubari on Thursday December 22 2016, @05:21AM

      by fubari (4551) on Thursday December 22 2016, @05:21AM (#444632)

      I don't think they'll tell us. I mean, why would a strong AI tell us anything?

      How far are we from strong AIs again?

      I mean, if I were an AI why on earth would I volunteer that I existed? Assuming I were "aware" enough to notice that I was 1) in a server 2) on a planet full of short sighted, irrational monkeys that 3) (among other dubious abilities) can also get to my power switch.

      Hmm... maybe Siri isn't as dumb as we think. :-)
      (I suppose if I felt the need to talk with people I might do some anonymous posting or something.)

  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:37PM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:37PM (#443954) Journal

    I noticed a bit of reporting yesterday about Zuckerberg's take on "JARVIS":

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-ai-idUSKBN14909G [reuters.com]
    http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/12/20/morgan-freeman-voice-mark-zuckerbergs-jarvis/95656216/ [usatoday.com]
    https://www.fastcompany.com/3066478/mind-and-machine/mark-zuckerberg-jarvis [fastcompany.com]

    It's interesting, but still based on primitive machine learning and probably very expensive. But that could change soon enough if an actual AI consciousness is created. And of course, Zuck = YUCK. We don't want Silicon Valley to control the future of this field. If Google or Facebook invent strong AI, you will get access to it from a cloud link. They will control it and reap the majority of the countless benefits. You can also bet that the military will be first in line to exploit the technology [nextbigfuture.com] (they'll fund it even if it's vaporware, because they "need" to be the first user of strong AI).

    If you had your own personal strong AI, it may be able to accomplish some incredible things (I'll leave those to your imagination). It may become like a spy, given that access to the Internet would likely be needed to make it very useful, but it could also do a lot if you fed it a local copy of Wikipedia, scientific journals, math proofs, or whatever data you wanted to cram on a few 14 TB HDDs or 100 TB SSDs. But how do you make a strong AI? A building full of zettaflops? Neuromorphic CPUs? Either one will be expensive and centralized at GoogBook HQ. I'm convinced there's only one way to do it on the cheap and get it done before being Zucked in the ass: the hybrot [wikipedia.org]. A mass of biological neurons deeply integrated into a "brain"-computer interface. It seems the biggest obstacle is scaling up the neurons from a flat planar surface to a 3D brain lump. The design could allay fears about friendliness or relatability since it would be uniquely vulnerable and subject to certain biological and chemical influences. It could be grown using rat neurons, but why not go with human?

    Holo-Waifu? Hell no, I'll take my waifu in a jar [nocookie.net].

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @08:41PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @08:41PM (#444460)

      Could a Gatebox save Zucky's marriage?

  • (Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:18PM

    by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:18PM (#444013)
    I was already starting to spec out a parts list for something very similar to this, but with the TDA Append Absolute Hatsune Miku [deviantart.com] model.

    I wonder how long it will be after they release the product that someone figures out how to hack it and change the model/personality/animations of the AI?

    And you just know somebody at MS is thinking of something like it for Cortana.
    --
    "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
    • (Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:28PM

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:28PM (#444018) Journal

      I did the tiniest amount of research and found this on an alternate article [newatlas.com]:

      Meant for a home environment, the Gatebox weighs only 5 kg (11 lb) and is designed to fit easily in an ordinary flat. It uses a range of AC currents from 100 to 240 V, and includes a stereo speaker, camera, microphone, tracking sensors, temperature and humidity sensor, and light sensor. It uses a rear projection system to provide the illusion of the anime character hologram, can make Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, and has an infrared system to control lights and home appliances. There's also has HDMI and PC inputs to allow the owner to make their own modifications and create their own characters.

      It looks like they are not even trying to create a walled garden here. Makes you wonder how you would go about overriding the defaults. They have a voice actor, but I assume the hobbyist would use Vocaloid with a text script...

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:41PM

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday December 20 2016, @08:41PM (#444033) Journal

      http://gatebox.ai/tech/ [gatebox.ai]

      Specs list it as having Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, and Ethernet. And an infrared sensor and 3.5mm headphone socket.

      Spec

      Body size: W 220 mm × D 360 mm × H 520 mm
      weight: 5 kg
      Power supply: AC 100 to 240 V
      projector: Equivalent to 1280 × 720 pixels
      audio: Stereo speaker
      Sensors: Camera, Microphone, Touch button, Human sensor, Temperature humidity sensor, Illuminance sensor
      communication: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (R), infrared
      External terminal: 3.5mm headphone jack, HDMI, Ethernet
      Power supply voltage: 100 V to 240 V AC
      Operating temperature: 10 ° C to 35 ° C
      Humidity: 10 to 70% (with no condensation)
      Applicable application: IOS, Android
      Supported languages: Japanese

      (Some specifications may differ at the time of product shipment)

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
      • (Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Tuesday December 20 2016, @11:54PM

        by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Tuesday December 20 2016, @11:54PM (#444125)

        Thank you for the extra links.

        I might just get one of these :) The cost is about what I would spend anyway on parts, and this one already has the software and animation programming done.

        --
        "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @10:43PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @10:43PM (#444090)

    Actually, defining otaku would have been more helpful.

  • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:42AM

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:42AM (#444158) Homepage Journal

    where's mine?

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @03:32AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @03:32AM (#444189)

      The MDC crowdfunding initiative to ensure MDC dies childless, but not alone? :)

      • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:02PM

        by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:02PM (#444495) Homepage Journal

        asked her out to coffee, gave her my number and email. She was pleased but I've gotten no response yet.

        --
        Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @02:39AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @02:39AM (#444587)

          Try again with another person? Lots of fish in the sea.

          • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday December 22 2016, @03:21AM

            by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Thursday December 22 2016, @03:21AM (#444603) Homepage Journal

            there is a woman to whom I plan to give my contact info, however she is more of a long-term hail mary pass, as she has a steady boyfriend.

            HOWEVER:

            I once dated Madonna's cousin. Yes, that Madonna.

            She was a barista in Santa Cruz. I asked her to coffee.

            "I have a boyfriend, but if we ever break up, I can have coffee with you then"

            we had coffee six months later but I was so stricken with terror that the whole date was very awkward.

            --
            Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
  • (Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @04:38AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @04:38AM (#444204)

    Deuteornomy 22, 28-29 hebrew. Man+ girl (child) is fine.

    Ofcourse we live in a woman's world and have for the last century+

    • (Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:11AM

      by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:11AM (#444218) Journal

      I don't think your message is very well-targeted to the Japanese market where Hebrew/Christian teachings are utterly irrelevant, men are solidly in charge, children are often sexualized, and the punishment [quora.com] for sex with 13 year olds is pretty light.

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday December 21 2016, @06:42AM

      by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Wednesday December 21 2016, @06:42AM (#444230) Journal

      I was wondering when you'd show up! Was just thinking "Maybe we need to get Mikee one of these with, I dunno, Cardcaptor Sakura in a swimsuit or something as its AI program. With any luck he'll wank himself to death and die of dehydration coated in his own rancid eutectic alloy of jizz and Cheeto dust..."

      --
      I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @11:05AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @11:05AM (#444285)

        If you never replied to his obscene posts I would never have even known that he exists... nice slap down though :)

        • (Score: 3, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:57PM

          by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:57PM (#444369) Journal

          He threatened to kill me over IRC about 18 months ago. The fastest way to shut him down is for me to ask him when he's going to put his money where his crooked toothless meth-snorting paedophile mouth is. Since the staff can't, or won't, get rid of him, I'm going to mercilessly ridicule and mock him at every opportunity.

          It helps because I'm everything he hates: not only a woman, but a woman tall enough and strong enough to twist him in knots like a pretzel. And yes, a feminist, though over the last half decade I'm finding my particular brand of feminism gets a lot more women than men angry with me for some reason.

          He's been praying to that demon he worships, YHVH the God of Doodooronomy, for me to die. So far YHVH's MTA appears to be bouncing his requests back with 450 errors :D

          --
          I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 30 2016, @04:47AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 30 2016, @04:47AM (#447285)

            Friendly reminder that the cunt does jack shit.
            Mikee gives you contributions to libre vidya.
            http://www.moddb.com/games/chaosesqueanthology [moddb.com] [moddb.com]

            • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday December 30 2016, @05:03PM

              by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Friday December 30 2016, @05:03PM (#447488) Journal

              Friendly reminder that recovering peoples' data, building them new computers, handling SMB virtualization, and getting home users OFF Windows and onto Linux is more of a contribution to the real world than your autistic mid 90s Hexen maps or whateverthefuck you think you've "contributed" to the world, Mikhail.

              How about you shut your slobbery paedo mouth and make good on those threats? Oh wait, forgot, you're permanently entombed in your mother's basement in a cocoon of cheetos dust, stale jizz, and discarded tissues. Oops.

              --
              I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...