I Recognise the Irony, But I Don't Really Get It ...
(SA/2025)
I.
I recently went to a talk on the slop-ification of literature: click here. It wasn't very good, but, nevertheless, the question raised about what role AI will play in the future is an interesting and important one.
The three speakers, who all subscribed to ideals of sincerity and authenticity, argued that these moral qualities define us as human and are traits which machines will never be able to replicate even if they learn via complex algorithms how to simulate certain aspects of thinking, such as problem-solving and decision-making.
I don't know if that's true and, besides, what really interests me is not whether AI can or cannot express itself with genuine feeling, but whether it recognises when the rhetorical device of irony is at play within a text.
Thus, for example, can AI detect the humourous incongruity in a blog entitled Torpedo the Ark which preserves ideas gathered from all over, even if it lacks human understanding, emotional intelligence, and lived experience? Does pattern recognition, the identifying of syntactical markers, and the gathering of contextual clues suffice for it to get the joke?
II.
In order to find out, I asked a commonly-used model of generative AI - Gemini on Google Search - what is the essential irony of Torpedo the Ark and it replied:
. The core irony of the blog
Torpedo the Ark, authored by writer and philosopher Stephen Alexander, appears to be
that a project with a title suggesting the destruction of a refuge has
become a significant digital repository and platform for discussing and
preserving ideas, particularly in literary and
philosophical contexts.
. The blog frequently features detailed philosophical and literary
analyses, often focusing on various aspects of contemporary culture. These are often
complex or niche subjects that might be considered under threat of being
forgotten or misunderstood in mainstream discourse.
. The title Torpedo the Ark implies an intent to destroy or subvert a
place of safety or preservation.
In practice, the blog acts as an 'ark' by offering a haven for
critical discussion and detailed exploration of specific, often
challenging, ideas and authors, thereby preserving them and giving them
continued relevance.
. The author engages in in-depth intellectual discourse
and critique, providing a space for these ideas to survive and flourish in an environment that values humour and intellectual rigor,
contrasting with the destructive implication of its title.
III.
That's fairly impressive, I have to admit. There are phrases I'd maybe not use (in-depth) - and I don't think for one moment that Gemini understands why this is amusing, even if it can accurately process the mechanics of irony - but, still, that's pretty, pretty, pretty good, as Larry would say.
What Gemini doesn't point out, however, is how Torpedo the Ark differs from the original ark constructed by Noah and as described in Genesis. For one thing, I'm not interested in saving every author and every idea; just certain authors and certain ideas.
And for another, I haven't been instructed by God to build a blog and I regard TTA as something that operates in defiance of the Lord and his judgement; it's a space of evil rather than obedience and righteousness and serves not as a testament to my faith, but as an indication of my scepticism and cynicism.
