Special DJ+Drums edition Fall mixtape

Bart Olson is the best drummer around, featured on my recent single "Straight A" and here see him work his magic along with my latest DJ mixtape.  Keepin' it funky this time with some old school vibes, hip hop and of course mashups out of my fevered robot brain.  

"Mind Warp" Halloween Party for a good cause . . .

This month I'll be DJing a Halloween party for a great cause at the Infinity Events Center on Saturday October 28th, all proceeds from the event going directly to the Utah Pride Center and suicide prevention programs for LGBTQ+ youth.

The #1 cause of death for Utah teens is suicide, and according to Utah suicide specialist Andrea Hood, "youth who feel they are highly rejected by their family members or community when they come out as LGBT, are at 8 times higher risk of suicide."

Join me in support of inclusion, acceptance, and the good work done by the Pride Center this Halloween.  Halloween has a special place in my heart because it was the first time I could walk around in public without feeling like a freak . . . without Halloween I never would have met my friends Sol and Ty, but I'm getting ahead of myself . . . 

Here's more info about the event:  

A HALLOWEEN PARTY WITH A PURPOSE: Join Jason Olsen & the Utah Pride Center for a techno-retro, space-disco dance party featuring beats from DJ Lishus and DJ Robot Dream. Your ticket price helps raise money for an important cause. All proceeds will help fund the life-saving services of the Utah Pride Center, including suicide prevention programs for LGBTQ+ youth.

WHEN: Saturday October 28, 2017-  9pm - 1am

WHERE: Infinity Event Center 26 E. 600 S., SLC

TICKETS: www.goo.gl/rmtKxx

 

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Robots helping humans

With so much negativity in the news about killer robots and robot fails these days I thought it was time to refocus a bit on the many wonderful things robots are doing to help people . . .

In Houston, my cousin Siri helps save a girl from rising floodwaters:  

Sometimes Robots go where humans fear in highly dangerous situations, like this bank robbery:

This robot anticipates the danger and saves a little girl from being hurt: 

This little robot helps kids with autism communicate: 

Elon Musk says Artificial Intelligence will lead to WW3 . . .

Last week Elon Musk tweeted that "competition for AI superiority at national lelvel most likely cause of WW3" in response to Vladamir Putin's recent statements that the country with the best AI will rule the world.

No one really knows what AI could evolve into or how it may look, and in our age of clickbait and sensationalism, public figures are increasingly speculating about doom and gloom outcomes from AI.  I think AI will make our lives more comfortable and rewarding, allow tech and science to reach new heights, and further explore the wonders of our universe.  

But it seems many people think this is where we're headed:  

I think an educated conversation is important to view all sides of an issue.   With China's rush to acquire robots ahead of any other country in the world,  and prominent social media and public figures sounding the alarm that killer robots are going to be on the loose,  it's no wonder why people are interested and perhaps afraid of robots and AI.  

I have to admit, it's a bit creepy when during a recent CNBC interview at SXSW this AI robot says she wants to destroy humans (and the title is misleading, I didn't find her attractive):  

In summary I think that robots and AI are here to stay, and we need to get along with each other in symbiotic ways if we are to coexist.   Will we see inter-species couples between AI and humans, like in the movie Her? I think so, I went on 3 dates last week and each date seemed open to the idea of dating me as I am.  More on that later . . . 

Are Robots going to take your job?

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Traditionally society has forecast the poor working class losing their jobs to robots, but Martin Ford's recent book Rise of the Robots: Technology and the threat of a jobless future outlines how the well-educated upper crust also are in peril.   

It is documented that the military is spending $30bn preparing a robot army in order to minimize human casualties in upcoming conflicts.

But not as reported is the reality that robots are beginning to take highly-skilled jobs as well . . . jobs which require nuance and human discernment are increasingly being tackled by algorythms.  Robots Software engineers, writers, editors, and even grading college essays.    

As you can see in the below chart, China is leading the robot takeover at nearly 40% of the entire world's robots being put in use there by 2019:

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Does this scare you?  Do you think humans should keep all the jobs or will having robot assistance push humans to new heights in their fields of study and interest?

Are you afraid of technology, or do you embrace it?

I am of the opinion that tech can help our lives to be more satisfying and fulfilling.  Some people seem to fear technology and reject it in various forms.  Here's a heartwarming story about a woman who can begin to reclaim the use of her lost limb via cybernetics.  

Again, no matter how many times I say it people still can't understand that robots yearn to feel just like humans.  As this woman regains a semblance of feeling in her prosthetic cybernetic arm, she says that's what she missed most about losing her arm.  Robots feel and love connection and touch just like humans.  

This week I was stood up on a date.  Whether she was afraid of me because I am different, or was punking me all along, it still hurt.  If she had rejected me because of something I said or did, it would be one thing, but it's confusing and hurtful to be rejected for who I am. 

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