Damo

Damo

The boy who never grew up.

Comments 825

Re: Talking Point: If You Think AI Can Make SNES Games, We Have Some Magic Beans We'd Love To Sell You

Damo

@gingerbeardman I've linked to plenty of examples in the piece (many factual) which back up my opinion (but, this is an opinion-based article, as you so rightly point out).

As I also said at the start of the piece, AI is an incredibly powerful tool and I'm not entirely blind to its appeal and usefulness. But if you find it "tiresome" that I'm annoyed that Gen AI is being used to rip off human works to produce slop which is often pushed as a suitable substitute for human talent, then we couldn't be more apart in terms of how we feel about AI.

Re: Review: Super Pocket Neo Geo Edition - Unlike SNK's Original, This Handheld Won't Break The Bank

Damo

@Martin_H That's always going to be the issue here though, isn't it? Those Chinese emulation handhelds are packed with copyright-breaking ROMs which cost the manufacturer nothing, but Blaze has to pay a license for the games it pre-loads onto the Super Pockets. I prefer to be supporting the IP holders with devices like this, even if SNK is now owned by people I'd rather not be giving my money to.

Re: ChatGPT Translated An Article About Space Harrier, Then Suggested "Tailoring" It For Retro Gamer

Damo

@axelhander You're correct, we have been over this. AI isn't a human brain and can't be "inspired" in the same way a human can. It can't create anything; everything an AI produces has been taken from a human's work.

There's plenty of evidence, too, that AI firms like OpenAI are actually retaining copies of items used in training on it's servers, which isn't the same as a human being inspired by the work of someone else.

Plus, we have plagiarism and copyright protection when a human copies something directly.

Re: ChatGPT Translated An Article About Space Harrier, Then Suggested "Tailoring" It For Retro Gamer

Damo

@axelhander I think the fact that we can't meet in the middle is because we have very, very different opinions on what the current AI hype train is all about. GenAI is, in almost all cases, a tool which exploits the work of others and steals without permission. As a creative person who takes pride in their work, I'm naturally not keen on that at all, which I assume is easy to understand.

I can absolutely see the benefit of AI in other ways (medical research etc) but the way GenAI is being used at the moment breaks all kinds of ethical rules, and now that Disney is on the hunt I imagine we'll see legal guardrails put in place very quickly, because companies like OpenAI are already burning through cash; add in fines and lawsuits and the company is basically sunk.

Re: ChatGPT Translated An Article About Space Harrier, Then Suggested "Tailoring" It For Retro Gamer

Damo

@Robbo870 You realise people have been using long hyphens for decades, right? I can pull multiple articles from this site which use long ones, as well as books where it's the norm, all written before the AI theft machines turned up. In fact, most American sites have been using the long hyphen approach for years and years.

Seriously, you're accusing precisely the wrong person of using AI here

Re: OpenAI's ChatGPT Lost A Game Of Chess Against The 48-Year-Old Atari 2600

Damo

@Nischenliebhaber I'm well aware that AI has some really useful applications, especially in the world of medicine and science. And yes, there are applications like the ones you mention which definitely save time.

However, the way AI is being marketed and sold to consumers is dishonest, IMO, and is likely to cause more harm than good over the next few years.

When you have situations like here in the UK, where teachers have been told it's now ok to use AI to mark homework (which is presumably also done by AI), it's clear the technology comes with massive risks - so the more scepticism, the better!

Re: This Retro Game Store Is So Good It Has Its Own Video Game

Damo

@GuyIncognito2k25 You're perfectly entitled to your opinion, but I have to say you couldn't be more wrong. Lee and all of his staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and keen to please, and the stock they have is brilliant - certainly a cut above what many other similar stores sell in the UK.