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Blockchain Today #3 A Fentanyl Crazed Snake + Some Politics

China's Crypto-Fueled Fentanyl Supply Chain, Roko's Thought Experiment, Chris Luxon & AI

Hi everyone! Welcome to this weeks post on Bit Education. Every Thursday I’ll be sending out a quick, education-packed newsletter containing:

  • Either an article about either blockchain technology or cryptocurrency

  • Articles or posts that I think would be useful to your learning

  • A though provoking excerpt from a book I’m reading

These are informative posts, meaning there will be certain spots where you might not be familiar with the content. I suggest that you do external reading from the links that I will at the end of each post.

By signing up you also get instant access to weekly posts, and access to my private community where we share ideas and posts everyday.

Contents

  • China’s Crypto-Fueled Supply Chain

  • National Parties Christopher Luxon Adresses AI Targeted Attack Ads

  • Roko’s Basilisk, The Scariest Thought Experiment?

How to best use this post.

  1. Take notes while you read the post. I challenge you to discuss the ideas outside the newsletter with friends and family.

  2. Read the extra links provided, and apply the information from those posts to come to your own conclusion.

  3. Truly digest the book quote. Reflect on how it can apply to your life.

China’s Crypto-Fueled Supply Chain

Fentanyl has been dangerously tearing through the underworld, ruining lives, neighbourhoods and cities like we have never seen before.

It is also a big part of the cryptocurrency underworld, being so dangerous that even some dark web marketplaces have banned it.

New research has found the cryptocurrency is playing a different role in fuelling the opioid crisis, through the supply chain. Recent findings from cryptocurrency tracing firms Elliptic and Chainalyis. Research showed that of 90 Chinese chemical companies that sold chemicals used to make fentanyl, openly on the web, 90% of these accepted payment in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Tether.

Elliptic researchers analysed the blockchain to examine the cryptocurrency addresses received by those companies. They found that those addresses received $27 million in transactions over the last five years, these transactions have increased 450% in the past year. Chainalysis puts the number higher, at $37.8 million.

However these blockchain analysis researchers suggested that this is only the tip of the iceberg, of a much larger crypto-fueled fentanyl supply chain, the number is said to be in the tens of billions.

It's very unlikely that the identity of the people running these companies will ever be identified due to the pseudonymous nature of the blockchain, and these criminals can keep themselves and their money protected.

National Party’s Chris Luxon Addreses AI Targeted Attack Ad

Speaking to “The Breakfast” show National leader Christopher Luxon addressed the use of generative AI tolls to create realistic looking photos for social media attack ads directed at the Labour Party

The AI Generated images were produced using an online AI service called MidJourney, a paid membership service that is run on Discord. The account “TG Creative” prompted the AI to generate images to create National party memes and ads, which later appeared in National Party ads.

NZ Priminister Chis Hipkins stated that the Labour Party has never used AI imagery for campaigns. Other minor parties, such as ACT and the Greens, have not used AI imagery, and expressed their hesitation or refusal to do so.

Experts suggest the need for consensus and clear boundaries, including issues of misinformation, copyright, ownership and regulation concerns. In my opinion I think it is silly to try and stop the use of certain technologies. Artificial Intelligence is a Tsunami you can’t stop. I do however think that companies need to disclose the use of AI tools for generating advertisements. Which is what a US legislator proposed in a bill, following the use of AI-generated imagery in a Republican attack ad on Joe Biden.

Roko’s Basilisk, The Scariest Thought Experiment?

Roko’s Basilisk is a thought experiment, originated in a 2010 post on the LessWond discussion board.

It suggest that the future benevolent artificial super intelligence would create a virtual reality simulation to torture individuals who knew its potential existence, but didn’t contribute to its development.

The name “Rokos Basilisk” comes from the poster of the article (Roko) and the Basilisk, a mythical creature known for destroying enemies with its stare.

Initially the theory was dismissed with conjecture, but some users reported experiencing nightmares and mental breakdowns after learning about it. However these reports of negative effects were later dismissed as exaggerations.

Despite its dis-creditation, Roko’s is still referenced as an example of principles like Bayesian probability and implicit religion. In the field of artificial intelligence, Roko’s Basilisk raises questions about how to create an AI that is both moral and intelligent.

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