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Posted by CliffStoll 3 days ago

Rumors of my death are slightly exaggerated

AI hallucinations are getting ambitious.

A couple people recently emailed, asking whether the Klein bottle business was still operating after my death.

“Huh?” I thought. “I ain’t dead yet.”

After some digging, I discovered the source: an AI-generated review of The Cuckoo’s Egg circulating on Facebook. Alongside the usual synthetic praise and fabricated details, it confidently announced that I had died in May 2024.

Apparently AI has now advanced to the point where it can kill people off before they notice.

Mark Twain once wrote, “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” I never expected to field-test the quote personally.

source: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=989939243570691&id=100076638743004

Cheers, -Cliff

1603 points | 246 commentspage 4
geronest 3 hours ago|
I, Robot come to reality
amenghra 16 hours ago||
Dearest Cliff,

I didn’t realize you lurked around here! I’m feel joy stumbling on your post here and glad that you are still alive. I do still have the Klein greedy mug you gifted me over a decade ago. I enjoy showing it to my kids and once in a while to their class mates. Hope to one day share a meal together again!

jrmg 1 day ago||
Don’t worry folks, model collapse isn’t real!
NoSalt 1 day ago||
Wait ... is this THE Cliff Stoll???????
dmoy 23 hours ago|
Yes, you can also buy klein bottle hats or bottles or scarves from him, and he will send you funny notes/literature along with it. Cliff is awesome
NoSalt 23 hours ago||
The legend himself. I feel honored to be within the same thread as he is. I cannot tell you the number of people I have recommended his book to. I have even shamelessly plugged it to my 13-year-old son. :-D
segmondy 2 days ago||
You will be pissed when it corrects itself and starts attributing the Klein bottle business to me.
donpott 1 day ago||
That was a Cliff-hanger!
cachius 19 hours ago|
Went over the cliff. Straight to the ambulance down there.
jcdny 20 hours ago||
So sorry to hear you have died. I was recently at the exploratorium and saw they had Klein bottles and wondered if they were yours. I was also at your talk at LBL when The Cuckoo’s Egg first came out and remember vividly you coming out on stage in wizard robes and a pointy hat :)
andromaton 17 hours ago||
Dave Barry also insists he is not dead.

https://davebarry.substack.com/p/death-by-ai

It seems it's quite exhausting.

jh00ker 20 hours ago|
A similar story from the always hilarious Dave Barry! https://davebarry.substack.com/p/death-by-ai

Note: Dave Barry is not dead. He is, in fact, alive.

goatforce5 18 hours ago|
To be fair, that's exactly the sort of thing a dead person would say, if they were trying to trick you into believing they were alive.
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