Artificially Intelligent Sexualized Tentacle Robots

For decades people have feared the possibility of artificial intelligence.  One of the forms of that fear crystallized with the 1984 release of The Terminator. The concept of an military artificial intelligence turning on the human race, and using the tools of the military to do so, is something that has driven many paranoid fantasies.

Another part of the paranoia that people have has to do with the sexualization of robots.  It has long been thought that cyborgs that are modeled after women could potentially insert themselves into the highest levels of government, develop a relationship with someone with information that a foreign entity wants, and then steal that information without having to deal with any of the baggage that comes with dealing with an actual living person.  This may be part of the reason why cyborg technology has not progressed past the point of the dancing robot.  The American audience's general aversion to the sexualization of robots also helps explain why the portrayal robots more closely resemble machine than man.

Many of the developments in robot technology have come from Japan, where they also have a particular kind of fetish porn knows as "Tentacle Erotica".  This particular form of erotica surged in popularity in response to Japan's censorship of pornography.  American audiences have an even more negative reaction to tentacle erotica than they do the sexualization of robots.  You'd have to be mad to combine the two, right?  You'd have to be absolutely insane if you were to combine advanced artificial intelligence, sexualized robots, and tentacle erotica, right?  Right?

I Saw The Sign And It Opened Up My Eyes

Over the past couple of weeks, billboards like the one shown above have started popping up in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  These billboards were put up BitTorrent, Inc., who's blog can be found here.

While this are a great subversive way to spread BitTorrent's message, these billboards leave me with the following question:

WHY ARE THEY NOT HERE WHERE I LIVE AND SPREADING THE MESSAGE TO PEOPLE AROUND ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, the message is getting around to internet connected people via, of all things, the internet, but the people who see BitTorrent as a threat generally are not that tech savvy.  These are people who believe iPods spread Antisemitism, that Xbox 360s help spread the word of Al Qaeda, and that Roombas are akin to, in their words, "that giant metal robot that what killed all of humanities".

Tech savvy people need to start realizing that messages such as the ones put out by BitTorrent, Inc. should not just be seen in the major population centers of this country.  This is a message that needs to be spread countrywide, perhaps by smaller bands who act independently to spread the message to people who might not otherwise not receive it.  The downside of that strategy is that authorities might perceive such a group to be a decentralized terrorist organization, much like how they perceive ALF.

No, not that one!  This ALF.

Legalese To English

Legalese To English

In the episode "Humancentipad", the creators of South Park pointed out the perils of agreeing to an End User Licensing Agreement without reading it. You could be agreeing to have a corporation track your every movement, retain all your personal information, and be sewn ass to mouth with a Japanese man with irritable bowel syndrome. To that end, I wanted to see exactly what was in the Apple iTunes End User Licensing Agreement and what it means in a language humans actually use. Utilizing my vast legal knowledge gained while watching episodes of Boston Legal, Matlock, Judge Judy, as well as contesting that traffic ticket I get last week, I have translated the Apple EULA to English as best as any person who is not a robot can.

LICENSED APPLICATION END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

The product covered by this license is covered by this license, unless another license agreement covers it, in which case that license agreement covers the product. Remember that part of the constitution that says all powers not granted to the federal government is granted to the states? Well, all powers not granted to you is granted to the party you are entering into this agreement with, which is Apple.

a. This license applies to you, and only you. You may not share this license, you may not rent this license, you may not sell this license, you may not avail yourself of this license in any way. To do so would be a violation of the rights of the party you are entering into this license with, Apple. Doing so may result in you being prosecuted. I'm not kidding. This license also governs any upgrades the manufacturer may make to the product unless another license governs that upgraded product.

b. This section governs how you agree that Apple may collect information about you. This information includes:
Technical Data
Related Information
Technical Information
This includes data about your device, system and application software, and peripherals. Also, App providers may collect information about you. The App providers may collect this information as long as it is in a form that does not personally identify you.

c. Apple retains the right to send a Terminator, a formidable robotic assassin and soldier designed by the military, to eliminate you if you do anything that violates this licensing agreement. Upon termination of you, you shall cease all use of the product this licensing agreement covers as you will be dead.

d. Applications covered by this licensing agreement may access sites on the internet owned by the party you are entering into this agreement with, Apple, and other companies. You accept this as a part of this agreement.

If you agree to this EULA, you are aware that in using this product, you may access content that people may find offensive. This may happen intentionally or unintentionally. The risks that come with accessing offensive content are your risks and not the risks of the party you are entering into this agreement with, Apple.

In the normal use of this device, you may be directed to websites not owned by the party you are entering into this agreement with, Apple, or by the party that owns, distributes, or maintains the application or service you are utilizing. The party that owns, distributes, or maintains the application or service you are utilizing is not responsible for the website or websites you are directed to. This section is a way of covering the asses of people who may accidentally direct you to a website with offensive content on it. You know, like the protection I may need if you click this link. This section also protects the same companies if you take financial information displayed on any app or service in a serious manner. Apparently, if your bank has an app that allows you to see your current account balance, you are not supposed to believe that is your actual account balance. This covers your bank's ass if the information I referenced in the last sentence is wrong.

You will use the services provided by the people who provided the services in the way that the people who provided the services intended to or a large flightless bird will come to your home and sit on your chest. If you find this experience uncomfortable, use that as a lesson to not use services provided to you by people in a way that those people did not intend you to do. Also, Apple retains the right to choose which kind of flightless bird will sit on your chest.

Things that are available in the Apple iTunes store may not be available in all locations. You are responsible for the content that you access in the iTunes store. If the things that you access in the iTunes store breaks the law where you live, it's your ass, not the ass of the party providing you with the content. If the party providing the content chooses to remove that content, you have no recourse for that action. The party providing the content does not have to tell you or anybody that they are ceasing proving the content. The party providing the content may also restrict access to that content.

e. THERE IS NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AGREEMENT. THIS SECTION IS ALSO YELLED AT THE PERSON AGREEING TO THIS AGREEMENT FOR NO GOOD REASON WHATSOEVER.

f. If Apple sends a Terminator, a formidable robotic assassin and soldier designed by the military, and that Terminator fails to dispatch the person it was intended to dispatch, the person that was not dispatched may not sue Apple for damages exceeding the amount of fifty US Dollars.

g. This licensing agreement, which you can not transfer to any other person as was established in section a, may not be transferred to anyone on any of the following lists:
U.S. Treasure Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals
U.S. Department of Commerce Denied Person's List or Entry List
You also agree that you will not use this device for any illegal activity, including, not kidding, the manufacture or production of nuclear weapons, missiles, chemical weapons, or biological weapons. In short, if you know Ayman al-Zawahiri, do not let him use your iPhone for terrorist activities. Just let him listen to the new Strokes album.

h. This section contains information about the particular federal laws that define what a commercial item is, what commercial computer software is, and commercial computer software documentation is. This sections essentially says that the product you purchased is a product that can be purchased, is a computer, and is governed by laws governing those products.

i. The party you are entering into this agreement with, Apple, is located in California, and as such is governed by the laws of the state of California. You are subject to the laws that govern that location that you live in. This agreement is subject to those laws.