Letters

Waging war's no joke

I was watching a recording of Donald Trump speaking at the Al Smith Dinner in New York when Trump made a joke about Hillary Clinton appointing him ambassador to Iraq or Afghanistan if she is elected president. All those wealthy folks attending the dinner, the 1 percent Bernie Sanders warned us about, had a good laugh over that one. Never mind the fact that thousands of U.S. troops have died in those countries in the last decade or so, and not to mention the countless innocent civilian casualties resulting from the longest war in our nation's history.

I realize it's an event where the upper crust of society are supposed to poke fun at themselves and each other. But it just goes to show what the elites of this country think of us unwashed masses. While the general population is ready to literally go to war with each other over this presidential election, the two candidates, along with their elitist ilk, sit back and sip high-dollar drinks while swapping jokes about a war they caused and sent us to fight.

RL HUTSON

Cabot

Artificial intelligence

Recently television programs such as 60 Minutes and magazines such as Wired have become aware of the importance of artificial intelligence, known as AI. Perhaps it is time that newspapers also take notice and inform their readers.

AI computer programs are behind developments like self-driving cars. These programs change because they learn from experience. This means that, once the program is launched, it can write its own code. That is how it learns. Because the program can write its own code, very soon the person who originally wrote it does not even know what code the program contains. So how can the program be controlled?

Concerns have been expressed that an AI program could design weapons systems and humans would would not even know how those weapons systems work. Perhaps an AI program could learn how to play the stock market.

I believe controlling the development of AI is truly impossible because the U.S. is not home to all the programmers and engineers developing it. And if the U.S. limits what the programmers and engineers living here can do, they will simply move to another country.

Also, with the U.S. being only 5 percent of the world's population, more and more other countries are graduating more programmers and engineers than we are.

I request that newspapers also help us understand what is happening in AI and how it can affect us.

ROY VAIL

Mena

Light at tunnel's end

The end is in sight. This bizarre political season is coming to an end. No matter who wins the highest office, life will go on. Being a "seasoned citizen," I find solace when remembering the words to the song "God Bless America." Google Kate Smith's rendition.

While you're at it, find and read the words to the song we used to learn in grade school, "My Country 'tis of Thee." Keep the faith.

BILL PLEGGE

Little Rock

Editorial on 10/25/2016

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