Dear Editor,

Real life events can be as strange as fiction. Consider the controversies and apprehension surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning; man’s endeavour (again) to land and return from the moon’s surface, or at least its orbit; and the agriculture ministry’s recruitment of US-bred rams into our island for breeding purposes.

Recall the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, when the witch of the north asked, “Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” The mirror, telling the truth, was more of an impediment to the witch than Snow White, who was the fairest. Similarly, the only thing preventing AI’s world dominance is it’s attempts to give the people what they need to know, including the truth, instead of giving them what they prefer to know or hear, similar to how the consummate politician would.

Understandably, a world which prefers the latter would be satisfied by an AI that tweaks the truth according to its desires. Only if Chat-GPT had published what that Australian mayor would have wanted to be portrayed of him, then there would be no need for him to file a lawsuit against its creators for defamation, would there?

However, as it was with King Ahab of Israel, who was misled, with God’s permission, by a “lying spirit” which overtook all his prophets (1 Kings 22), so shall AI be filled with such, thereby similarly fulfilling God’s purpose for it.

The US’s winning of “the race to the moon” and having the honour of being the only nation to have done so (but only once) for over 50 years is becoming a bit suspect. With the creativity of Hollywood and image-altering technology such as Photoshop as well as the geopolitical relevance of achieving this said spectacular feat, it is not far-fetched to claim that the whole landing on, walking on, and returning from the moon mission was constructed — a deep-fake — as fake as “the cow jumping over the moon” and just as fascinating. Though we appreciate that this is literally rocket science, but with 50 years of advances in science, technology, and astronomy under the US’s belt, why does it seem as if they are reinventing the wheel? And why weren’t other nations or groups of nations able to replicate this feat? Could it be that it didn’t happen?

Lastly, when Pearnel Charles Jr, who recently transitioned from being minister of agriculture and fisheries, introduced the 50 US rams to the public via TV after their landing in Jamaica, somehow the image of them being fairer; wearing shorts and name brand sneakers and shirts or suits; sporting hairdos; and carrying more to their dimensions than our local rams came to mind.

For these rams, Jamaica was truly being made into the place to live, raise a family, and do business, all of these representing the same to them.

Again, an overly patriotic media, which is under an emperor’s new clothes spell, failed to illustrate how scandalous this importation of rams was, with 150 more slated to follow suit. This transaction represents an increase to our import bill; will result in Jamaicans (goat and people alike) developing an inferior complex; and sets us up as fools for “building up wi resident and make a next man move in like a president, all a teach private lesson to mi student” as proclaimed by Louie Culture in the song Anything for You. It makes for a sequel to George Orwell’s Animal Farm, with a new protagonist, Billy Grind.

Andre O Sheppy

St James

astrangely@outlook.com