Lloyd777

There's a man after my own heart! Thanks for posting David!

I thought you might have a good story for Qapla! I did Google it and thought there might be an interesting tale behind that name. RI-Real Intelligence.....of course. As usual, now I feel like a fool for not realizing that initially. Situation normal....for me.....the fool. PJE - Proper Journalistic Etiquette

Good point John (Qapla). I think we night also need an explanation of what Qapla stands for! lol LLM is easily Googled and thus explained, as well as AI of course. But I'm still unclear of the meaning of RI. Religious Instruction? Rhode Island? Whenever I'm unclear on a meaning of an abbreviation, I'll Google it first. But after that I'll ask, if Google didn't make it clear, and then I usually will feel foolish when an obvious answer comes back. My Spidey-Sense (the feeling Spider-Man gets when he senses that something is not right) is tingling right now, perhaps knowing that I missed something obvious as regards "RI". Hey, bringing it full circle, maybe I should ask Gemini (Google's version of Artificial Intelligence) what RI means in the context here!

Right Chris. Once one moves outside of Watchtower materials, one invites all manner of opinions into the conversation, including anti-JW materials, even those with a serious axe to grind. That's why I limited Gemini to comment only on the materials in the Watchtower. I actually pasted in the entire Watchtower article for Gemini to comment on those particular words, and those particular questions. Once I asked Gemini a more general question, outside of that Watchtower material, I noticed that one of the references was from a site where the contributors disputed, rather poorly I might add, our understanding of the scriptures. Thus my warning above. At any rate, while I am impressed with some of the abilities, particularly of Gemini 1.5 and ChatGPT-4o, it never hurts to be guarded, especially when one sees some of the sites those two AI platforms draw on. My son, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, humorously texted to me, "I, for one, would like to welcome our new AI overlords," referring to ChatGPT-4o and Gemini. I laughed!

Hey Dolce Vita: I was so happy to read your comments because they reflected my own thoughts so well, especially your thoughts about encountering brothers or sisters who have the gift of formulating things with an intelligence that enlightens us. And then too the fact that AI's responses did seem to be helpful. Again, like you, I am well aware of the dangers, but also am aware of the advantages of considering responses that are perhaps stronger than my own, at least in some of the wording and clarity. Thanks so much for responding! Thanks you too Carlos! Well said!

Comments by jayrtom and Mike047 reminded me of some talk, maybe in a Morning Worship or a monthly broadcast, where the speaker spoke of something like having access to the accumulated knowledge of mankind. Not sure if those were the exact words, but I'm pretty sure it was something close to that. I wish I could find that talk again, but I haven't been able to as yet. If anyone knows where that is, please let me know! I'd be most grateful. But that did suggest to my mind that in time, a non-polluting energy source could be used to where we would have access to a computer network and safe transportation that might replace, and possibly be decidedly better than what we have today!

Interesting responses. But I’m not sure folks understood the project. It was to test Google’s Gemini AI capabilities. I was in no way suggesting that one should switch to or rely on Gemini, though I can understand how some might get the idea that I was recommending such when I explained how I was going to compare Gemini’s answers to my own. But that wasn’t meant to show that I was going to modify my answers based on what Gemini found, UNLESS I found better wording or summarizing. Mostly though, I just wanted to see if Gemini’s answers were sound. In fact, using the boxes under the Watchtower paragraphs, I verbally entered my own responses BEFORE I even looked at Gemini’s responses. Only then did I compare my own answers to Gemini’s. But I will have to admit that I was rather impressed with Gemini’s answers. Not perfect, but they were rather well put and to the point. And I didn’t find any answers that were convoluted or misleading. But here’s a Major Warning!!! I have found some evidence that Gemini will consider so-called “Christian,” even anti-JW sites in Gemini’s answers, though not necessarily so when you ask it to answer only from paragraphs in the Watchtower. And I haven’t actually seen that they have inserted any anti-JW thoughts into the answers I got from them. In fact, they seem to have rather rigorously answered strictly from the Watchtower paragraphs. But Gemini did seem to miss a vital point, namely that (from Paragragh 18) we want to help “sanctify Jehovah’s name” by defending his reputation, as well as by preaching truth, and living by Jehovah’s standards, showing that we agree that his ways are best. So now, when temptation arises, I now think, “Will my actions help in the sanctification of Jehovah’s name?” Gemini did not have that, a critical point, in its answer. All the more reason to study on our own, at least before looking at Gemini’s answers. Do I think going through that exercise could be helpful? Perhaps for me, with the idea that my own thoughts could be more concise, possibly summarized better, or have better wording, at least for the initial direct answer to a Watchtower question. But I don’t really recommend it, at least not at this point. The possibility remains that some corruption of some sort could enter in. But so far, I’ve not detected any, except the possibility of an omission, as mentioned above. But remember that this was a test of Google Gemini’s abilities. NOT a recommendation for how to study the Watchtower. But am I the only one who is rather amazed at the abilities that AI seems to be capable of, not necessarily at answering Watchtower questions (though I thought that was a pretty good test of Gemini’s abilities) but in a variety of fields? My son, a computer pro, was most impressed with the coding that AI could put together in no time. This is the “Science & Technology/Computers” part of JW Talk, right? So I thought some who have read a bit about AI might have some comments.

With all the YouTube videos on AI lately, I was curious to know if Google Gemini could understand and answer questions from out study edition of the Watchtower. Mind you, having AI answer the questions defeats the purpose of studying ourselves. Plus, Gemini could possible retrieve information from unreliable sources. But I just wanted to see how well Gemini would do. I asked, "Can you (Gemini) go through the information below (I downloaded and pasted in the MS Word version of the Watchtower that we will consider on 05/19/24, Article 10 in the March, 2024 Watchtower), answering each numbered question, paragraph by paragraph? So here's the answers Google Gemini gave for today's study, and the summary Questions. What do you think? Question 1-2: Life gets better after baptism in spiritual ways. You draw closer to Jehovah and experience the joy of following Jesus’ example. The text mentions feeling happy and fulfilled (paragraph 1) and having a closer relationship with God (paragraph 2). Question 3: Christians who are dedicated and baptized have a serious responsibility to live up to their dedication vow, even when facing challenges (paragraph 3). They should follow Jesus’ example and teachings (paragraph 3). Question 4: Jesus’ disciples carry a “torture stake” because they will face challenges and difficulties in their life as followers of Christ (paragraph 4). These challenges can be painful at times (paragraph 4). Question 5: Jesus promised that those who make sacrifices for God’s Kingdom will receive far greater blessings in return, even in the present life (paragraph 5). These blessings can include finding new spiritual family and experiencing joy (paragraph 5). Question 6: You will need to continue fighting against temptation after baptism because you are still imperfect (paragraph 6). The text uses the apostle Paul’s struggles as an example (Romans 7:22, 23). Question 7: Dedication to Jehovah helps you stay faithful by making it clear that you have already chosen to follow him, so you don’t have to debate the right course of action when facing temptation (paragraph 7). The example of Job’s resolve is used (Job 27:5). Question 8: Reflecting on your prayer of dedication can strengthen you to resist temptation because it reminds you of the commitment you made to Jehovah (paragraph 8). Question 9: Reflecting on your dedication can help you keep spiritual activities first because you already committed to not prioritizing anything over your service to God (paragraph 9). The example of Jesus’ determination to please his Father is used (Matthew 4:10; John 8:29). Question 10: Jehovah helps you after baptism by providing strength to endure trials and temptations (paragraph 10). The scripture 1 Corinthians 10:13 is used to illustrate this point. Question 11: One of the best ways to keep following Jesus is to develop a pattern of activities that draw you closer to Jehovah, such as prayer, Bible study, Christian meetings, and preaching (paragraph 11). Question 12-13: If your zeal starts to diminish, don’t give up! The text suggests maintaining a good spiritual routine and service to God even when your feelings aren’t strong (paragraph 13). The example of the apostle Paul’s perseverance is used (1 Corinthians 9:16, 17). Question 14: You should regularly examine yourself to see if you are living up to your dedication, such as by praying daily, reading the Bible, attending meetings, and participating in preaching (paragraph 14). The scripture 2 Corinthians 13:5 is used here. Question 15-16: The story of Robert shows that it’s important to be honest with yourself about your weaknesses. Even if you resist temptation, consider how you can improve your resolve (paragraph 15-16). Question 17: Jehovah’s name was involved in Robert’s experience because resisting temptation protected his reputation as a follower of Jehovah (paragraph 17). Question 18: The text encourages the reader to be determined to keep following Jesus after baptism and to trust in Jehovah’s help (paragraph 18). Then here are Gemini's answers to the sum up questions: 1. Christians carry a “torture stake day after day” not in the sense of constant suffering. Here's the breakdown: Challenges: Jesus used the metaphor of a torture stake to represent the challenges and trials his followers would face. These challenges aren't necessarily unbearable, but they can be difficult. (Luke 9:23) Not Constant Suffering: The text emphasizes "day after day" to show these challenges are part of the Christian life, not a one-time event. 2. Here are some ways you can “keep following” Jesus after baptism Develop a pattern of spiritual activities: This includes prayer, Bible study, Christian meetings, and preaching. The closer you are to Jehovah, the stronger you'll be. (Paragraph 11) Maintain a good spiritual routine: Regularly examine yourself to see if you're following good spiritual habits. Look for ways to improve your worship. (Paragraph 14) Reflect on Jesus' example: Jesus was zealous and remained close to Jehovah in prayer. Emulate his qualities. (Paragraph 11) Don't let feelings dictate actions: Sometimes your motivation might wane, but maintain good habits regardless. Your actions will eventually improve your feelings. (Paragraph 13) 3. Reflecting on your prayer of dedication helps you remain faithful because it reminds you of your commitment: Commitment to God: You dedicated yourself to disown selfish desires and ambitions that displease Jehovah. Reflecting on this strengthens your resolve when facing temptation. (Paragraph 7) Moral Living: Your prayer likely included a commitment to living a moral life that pleases God. Thinking back to this strengthens your resolve to say no to temptation. (Paragraph 😎 Decisions Aligned with Service: Recalling your dedication helps you make choices that don't interfere with your worship, like rejecting a job that conflicts with Christian meetings. (Paragraph 9) So what I did was study the Watchtower myself, putting my answers in the boxes. Then I added a Note in JW Library to the title of the article, ""Keep Following" Jesus After Baptism." That was helpful because then I could see Gemini's answers to the questions and my own answers at the same time. Then, during the study I could formulate an answer that I might to raise my hand for by looking at both my original answer and Gemini's answer. I think I'll continue the practice for a while to see how well it works. Comments welcome!

There's no YouTube app directly from YouTube..............yet........as of today, 03/30/24. But there is an app that works well called "Juno For YouTube" that has a one-time fee of $5.00. Money well spent, though I'm not able to control it as easily as I might like. But that may just be my ineptitude in using the AVP. I do have a "YouTube Premium" account that I can sign into on this "Juno For YouTube" app. It's not exactly the sames, but it is close, and you can make the videos go close to full screen. Actually, totally full screen doesn't seem to even be possible on the AVP, especially when you have the screen expanded to something greater than what you'd get in a true movie theater. To see some of the details of how the app works, there is a website by the creator of the app (I think) that describes some of its features here: https://christianselig.com/2024/02/introducing-juno/

03/28/24 I immediately got the H1N1 flu that lasted for 3 weeks the day after I got the Apple Vision Pro. Perhaps that should have told me something? Anyway, do you want the good news or the bad news first? Good news: If you watch a lot of movies or even if you just like having a huge screen for watching JW videos, like even the "Morning Worship" talks (which I love), and you like the "Was It Designed" videos (who doesn't?) or any of our videos for that matter, the AVP is great. I can't wait to see the "Jesus" video on this thing when it is released! The AVP is like having a large theater room in this relatively small device, and comparatively cheap compared to the cost of a high-end theater room. It's like being on the front row at a convention, so your attention is greatly increased, though you'd be hard pressed to take notes, unless you are a good typist, which I am not. But with such astounding clarity and with such a gigantic view, you will likely get more from what you see and hear. The sound is pretty fantastic too, though you won't be able to actually feel the bass as well as if you have a couple of quality sub-woofers on your stereo system. But what is called "spatial sound" coming from the AVP is pretty fantastic. More good news is that many of the apps that work well on an iPad, will also work pretty well on the AVP, and that includes JW Library! There is not a JW Library app created by the brothers specifically for the AVP, but there is the app that was designed for the iPad that works fairly well on the AVP. That was huge news to me since JW Library is where I spend a lot of my time. The 3d pics and videos you can take with the AVP or even with an iPhone 15 or better, are stunning! Man oh man I wish I had this when my kids and grandkids were young! The 3d stuff is so good it'll make you cry. The AVP has several other WOW factors, but I'm limiting this post to mostly what I think might be the most interesting for our JW community. Bad news: I'm gonna start off with the worst thing. If you have a wife/husband or family, the AVP will most likely distance you from them. Apple tried hard to reduce the isolation factor by allowing someone to see your face (or at least a representation of your face) when someone approaches. But that doesn't quite do it. Sure, if you're single there won't be a problem and the AVP may be perfect for you. But it does distance you from those in your household, and that's not an insignificant thing to consider. Imagine watching a video or movie that you and your wife/husband or family might like watching together. That ain't happening if you are separated from them when you're inside the AVP world. But I must say, on the other hand, that if your wife/husband or family is watching something you can't stand, then the AVP can be a "way out." For instance, I have trouble buying into sci-fi or superhero movies, which my wife enjoys. I just fall asleep. I'd rather be watching some documentary or comedy or JW Library video. But even then, you can see how the AVP could take on the role of isolator. Beware of that! Other bad news: It's heavy and can press in rather heavily on your face. The included head strap can be used in place of the strap that goes back around your head, but there still can be a bit of discomfort. It's not as functional to use with JW Library as one might wish. I'm regularly making notes and highlighting answers in JW Library (on my iPad). So far, that's not so easy with the AVP. With the exception of watching videos or listening to this or that, I much prefer my iPad to the AVP. It may be that I just haven't mastered highlighting answers with the AVP yet (which involves focusing on what you want to highlight and then "clicking" (by bringing your thumb and forefinger together), but using the Apple Pencil on an iPad seems much quicker and more accurate. Improvements from Apple may be forthcoming. In fact I was waiting for an Apple update before I wrote this post, but that update may not happen for several months now. So, I was happy to see JW Library available for the AVP, but disappointed that I couldn't use it as easily as I do with an iPad. No YouTube app yet, though there is word out that that is on the way, and there is a substitute as well. (Wanna watch some really cool YouTube videos? Watch all 8 episodes of "Secrets of the Cell with Michael Behe." He's the professor who wrote "Darwin's Black Box," spoken of initially in the May 8, 1997 Awake!) The AVP is designed for just one person to use. I wear gas-permeable contacts, and the AVP won't work with those. So I have to take out my contacts and had to buy and use the Leica prescription lenses that install into the AVP. That really wasn't a problem for me since I often wear my glasses around the house in preference to my contacts. But no one else in my house has the same prescription as I do, so the AVP only works well for me. Yes, there is a guest mode, but setting up in Guest Mode isn't so easy and if you are in Guest Mode and take off the AVP, all your "Guest Mode" settings disappear. So if, for instance, you want your wife and/or kids to also be able to use the AVP, you'll have to buy another one or two or three..... ($3,500+ each). The power supply only lasts 2 hours. Not really a problem for me since I mostly use the AVP at my desk and the power supply can be plugged in to a charger at all times. But if you're in a plane, watching a 2+ hour movie movie, you'll likely run out of power before the movie is over. There are however portable power supplies that one can buy to extend the time you can watch your movie or event on the go. Final sum up: Would I buy it again (provided I had the extra cash)? Yes, in a heartbeat! But I'm old and like fidgeting around with new technology. But the stunning video in itself is, for me, well worth the price. And if I still had kids, the 3d pics and vids that I'd be able to take would just be another important reason that I'd want this device. Downsides and a few problems? Sure, especially the possibility of isolating yourself from the fam. But for me, heavily outweighed by the positives, and I always keep a close eye on the wife and our relationship. See, I got a thing for her, so...................

Obviously, you are a much wiser and patient man than I!

Up until just a few months ago, I felt the exact same way you do. Everything I owned was either android or windows. No Apple products at all……until I found out that JW Library was optimized for the iPad, and has no lag even with absolutely everything in English downloaded into JW Library, included all the videos (except 1) downloaded in 720p. Also no lag in the latest iPhones with everything downloaded! Price is a bear though, isn’t it? Still, I’ve found that in this particular case, one does get what one pays for, at least at this point of time. So I’m taking a chance on the AVP. On the other hand, as they say, a fool and his money are soon parted. And I may prove to be just that fool. We’ll see.

It hit me the same way when I first saw it, not to mention the fact that with 1TB of storage, an extra battery, a carrying case, the latest charger and charging cord, corrective Zeiss lenses, and taxes it cost me over $4,800.00!! And I may find that I’ll also need the $100 Apple keyboard. However, for me personally, an old dude who seldom even uses his car, I compared the cost of a vehicle to the cost of the AVP, and realized that since I spend much, much more time at home than in my car, comparatively speaking, the AVP is much cheaper, especially when compared to some of the SUV’s in out parking lot. Ever priced a loaded Denali? Woe! Not judging anyone, but I thought that for me, in the life I’m rather forced into by age, this might be worth a shot. There may be down sides that I’m unaware of, making it a waste of funds. But, we’ll see. Apple advertising can be compelling, but I’ll post the raw truth as I see it when I’ve “driven” it for a while, though mine doesn’t arrive till the last part of February, 2024. And I certainly don’t want to try and move someone who doesn’t have the funds to buy in. Being debt free is much more valuable than any material thing in my opinion. Oops, I’ve run off at the mouth again. Sorry about that!

I'm not a "gotta have the latest gadget" kinda guy.....well, I don't think so. But the Apple Vision Pro looks quite interesting. I'm buying. Anyone else? If not, I'll report back and let folks know how it is and whether it's useful in any "theocratic" or any spiritual way. (Rationalization: I'm getting darn old, can't play sports like I used to, have trouble walking upright, or even waking much farther than to my car and back. So, though I do NOT play video games (don't get me started on that!), I do tend to look for stuff I can do in my study/library. So I want to test this out. It does look mighty cool!)

To Desert Dan: Thanks for turning me on to the Humane AI Pin! I gotta say that I'm impressed and most willing to try it out. One can't help but wonder if the foreign language translation part would work well at the door.