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CLARIN

Central Bank Discotheque, Part Of Alleged Kirchner-Era Excess

Cristina Kirchner in December 2015
Cristina Kirchner in December 2015

BUENOS AIRES For supporters and critics alike, the recently concluded eight years of President Cristina Kirchner"s government provided no shortage of bright lights and loud music.

Now, just over a month after the presidential victory of Kirchner rival Mauricio Macri, emerging headlines tell of a secret bonafide disco party.

Clarín reports that new Central Bank chief Carlos Melconian claims to have found a "private discotheque" in one of the bank's offices that he believes was built by the scandal-plagued former Vice President Amado Boudou.

Kirchner administraton critics believe a massive spending spree has contributed to raising public debts to near 7% of the Gross Domestic Product.

Clarin, a top Buenos Aires daily, reports that Melconian and his entourage toured their new offices during his first day at work, and found a locked room without keys. When the room was forced open, it revealed a virtual party pad, complete with music systems and a colorful twirling disco globe. Neither Kirchner or Boudou have commented on the latest reports regarding the Central Bank finding.

Clarin notes that Kirchner herself was not averse to certain luxuries, and quite alien to the "poor" Argentinians who she and her Peronist party claimed to defend. In the old tradition of Evita Perón, another lover of luxuries, Kirchner's goodies included a private helicopter pad built at the city's arts and science fairground, Tecnópolis, as well as a "presidential boudoir."

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Future

AI As God? How Artificial Intelligence Could Spark Religious Devotion

We may be about to see the emergence of a new kind of religion, where flocks worship — literally — at the altar of Artificial Intelligence.

Image of artificial intelligence as an artificial being

Artificial intelligence generated picture of AI as a god

Neil McArthur

The latest generation of AI-powered chatbots, trained on large language models, have left their early users awestruck —and sometimes terrified — by their power. These are the same sublime emotions that lie at the heart of our experience of the divine.

People already seek religious meaning from very diverse sources. There are, for instance, multiple religions that worship extra-terrestrials or their teachings.

As these chatbots come to be used by billions of people, it is inevitable that some of these users will see the AIs as higher beings. We must prepare for the implications.

There are several pathways by which AI religions will emerge. First, some people will come to see AI as a higher power.

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