ecline

Not for long

I use AI and deep learning tools at work extensively for programming. I have been writing code for over 30 years in diverse fields. Since late last year I have not written a single line of code. Once you know how to interact with these models, there is no going back. I can code up in an hour now what used to take months. In probably less than a year from now all you will have to do to write an app is talk to your computer and explain what you want. We are using AI agents to automate genomics data analysis and results evaluation with users now describing the analyses they want performed in natural language rather than scripting something in a language like Python or R. Software engineering as a career is over. At home I use multiple AI models for for music. I have a pipeline that can recognize guitar chord progressions, perform a complete harmonic and rhythmic analysis and suggest alternate song parts based on the input chord progression, a sort of AI composition assistant. There are tons of things you can do with AI that go way beyond asking for recipes, summarizing a document or testing for lefty/righty bias in a model's training data. That stuff is a sideshow. I lead the data science group at our company and I would bet money that within a year or two my job can be automated away with AI. Tesla and other companies in the US and China are poised to begin selling extremely capable humanoid robots at affordable prices. Over time they will be automating away even blue collar jobs. Google just posted a job opening for a senior scientist to explore the societal implications of ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence) and machine consciousness. If that does not spook you, then you simply are not paying attention. AI is the most significant development in our time. And while the tech is amazing and has incredible potential for good, what it will become is something we cannot predict. I am with Dr. Geoffrey Hinton on this: there is a very good chance this will not end well. Buckle up...

Thanks for that. I will definitely stay close to home this year!

Really? Can I ask how you know that? If there is any possibility that my name might be called this year, I will axe any international travel plans.

Oops. Just saw this. I submitted in June of 2021.

This is not completely correct. I thought like this for a couple of decades. My wife and I have been married over 30 years and we also have 2 properties. I always believed that if she passed before me the properties were mine to dispose of as I see fit within 12 months. The law actually says that in the absence of a will the properties will be divided equally among the wife's heirs, of which a spouse is potentially only one. So in theory, if your wife passes before you, her immediate family (children, brothers, sisters) can lay claim to a part of your properties. Whether they would do that or not is another question. But to be safe, get a will. We did as soon as we learned our assumptions were wrong.

Could, maybe, might, raises questions, suggests, blah, blah. Totally useless "article". It doesn't even qualify as an opinion piece. And the first rule of medicine has been broken for ages. Just ask the folks who wish they still had body parts that physicians and psychiatrists convinced them to have cut off. Or the people forced to take COVID "vaccines", or everyone forced to pay more than the rest of the world for prescription drugs. Is RFK Jr. the right guy for the job? I don't know. But all the folks before him were clearly the wrong people for the job.

I applied with my digital work permit. I had to go to our HR department and they either got a printout from the labor office or they already had it on hand, not sure which. But the printed copy has a lot more info on it than is shown in the app. If I ever get the call for the MOI interview I will get a new printout since I have renewed my WP once since the application.

Thanks for that. Please do let me know if he gets a call. So far nobody has shared anything with me, given any updates, etc. The only reason I know my docs made it to the MOI is I called them myself and asked sometime last year. The person I talked to sounded very annoyed that I had called, told me I wouldn't get my interview in 2023 and probably not in 2024 either. He then told me to never call him again. Maybe he was having a bad day :-(

My company is only extending my contract another two years starting now. My docs went to the MOI around Sept 2022. Not looking good....

For sure I'm not doing that :-)

I know you are correct. It's just disheartening and I am very much wanting to retire. If they would let me give up my work permit, I wouldn't care that much if it took another 5 years. But it is what it is. Suck it up and one day it will happen. (End of whining session)

I applied in June 2021, so I called the MOI today to check my status. Last year the Bangkok special Branch told us they sent my docs to the MOI in August last year. Today the MOI told me they received my docs in December of last year and that there was zero chance of an interview this year and that there was a good chance I won't get an interview next year either. I don't know what happened there, but my citizenship bid seems to have been been set back by quite a while. The guy on the phone implied that I should not call again and that someone would be in touch when my time comes. 37 years in this country and I have always tried to do the right thing. It sure doesn't seem to count for much.....

What phone number would one call to check on this? I applied in June '21. It would be interesting to see what they say about a possible time frame for the MOI interview.

So I had a similar experience with the consulate in Chiang Mai. They said they couldn't issue a letter saying I intend to renounce my citizenship. I relayed this to the SB in BKK and they sent me a sample letter from a previous American applicant. The gist of the letter was simply that the US has no insight into the intentions of its citizens and therefore cannot attest to them. That text plus passport number and SB case number was enough to satisfy SB and the consulate was happy to notarize it. I can dig the letter up if someone wants it.

Could well be. I think mine went closer to the middle of July

Oh boy. I guess I will stop whinging now...

This is really discouraging :-( My docs went to the MOI 8 months ago. I had hoped I would get my interview this year, but I guess that ain't gonna happen. Does anyone know how many times per year they conduct interviews normally?