The Dark Side of Boredom ⋆ AI of the week ⋆ From agitation to alignment

Hey there,

I spent last week in a jet-lag-fueled frenzy, lost track of time, and missed a Sunday - for the first time ever.

Falling doesn't make you a failure. Not getting back up does.

So we're back 🙂

In this edition of 3-in-3, we uncover how unchecked boredom can escalate into harmful behaviors, explore the latest breakthroughs in AI technology, and share insights from Cory Muscara on aligning life's agitations with your true values for deeper fulfillment.

Thing 1 - The dark side of boredom

I've said more than once that we have a capacity for solving problems. If you don't choose the problems you solve on purpose, your lizard brain will pick them for you.

There's a study that drives this point home.

It's called 'On the Relation of Boredom and Sadistic Aggression' and it reveals how boredom can lead to some dark behaviors.

When Boredom Turns Dark

This study tracked over 1,780 people and found that those who often feel bored are more likely to act out in sadistic ways.

Choices Matter

It gets interesting when people run out of fun things to do. The study found that with fewer choices for engaging activities, people are more likely to choose harmful actions.

This was consistent whether folks were at home, online, or even in structured environments like the military, across another group of 1,740 people.

Spice Things Up

There’s good news, though. Adding a bit of excitement and new experiences to everyday life can break this cycle. Researchers saw this positive effect in a whopping 4,097 participants - they were less likely to choose harmful actions when their lives were more thrilling.

Choose your challenges and problems. Engage in meaningful activities.

Thing 2 - AI of the week

• UAB Medicine featured a diagnostic showdown between Dr Martin Rodriguez and ChatGPT4
• KWAI, a popular Chinese TikTok competitor, released Kling - an AI video generator, capable of producing impressive results that rival OpenAI's Sora model
• LiveBench - a benchmark for LLMs designed with test set contamination and objective evaluation in mind

Full leaderboard (sorted by global average) for your convenience

• Stability AI announced Stable Diffusion 3 Medium
  - smaller model, perfect for running on consumer PCs and laptops as well as enterprise-tier GPUs
  - available under an open non-commercial license and a low-cost Creator License
• Apple announced Apple Intelligence - a personal intelligence system integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, featuring multiple generative models specialized for everyday tasks - powered by OpenAI 🫣

Thing 3 - From Agitation to Alignment

Before pacifying the agitated mind, make sure it's not actually the cry of misalignment that is desperately asking for something to change.

- Cory Muscara

• What specific aspects of my current situation feel misaligned?
• Are there recurring patterns in my thoughts or feelings that point to deeper issues?
• What changes can I make that would better align with my values and goals?

Answering these questions can calm your mind but also enrich your life's direction.

Till next week 🙂

Cheers, Zvonimir