A Historical Fencing Master and AI?

Hello fellow sword enthusiasts, researchers, and history aficionados,

I know the title of this newsletter might read like clickbait—what on earth is the connection between the Italian late Renaissance fencing master Ridolfo Capo Ferro and Artificial Intelligence? Dr. Marc Heimann, philosopher and swordsman, offers an intriguing approach to understanding AI in his recent paper, which I’ve linked below. But first, let me introduce a new way of sharing my work and research with you.

Read on to learn more, and I hope you find it both useful and worthwhile.

Full-Scale Illustration and Stats of a Beautiful Renaissance Sword

Patreon has recently introduced a new feature called one-time purchase, allowing you to access exclusive content from individual posts with a single payment. To give this a try, I’ve selected my original full-scale illustration of a stunning Italian Renaissance sword, probably made in Ferrara around 1500. This is one of the most beautiful bladed weapons I have ever encountered.

You can now access high-resolution scans of my drawings for a special introductory price of just $9.99. The files print in high quality and at full size, preserving the sword’s original dimensions.

This kind of content is unique and not available anywhere else. If you find this concept appealing, I’ll be making more works available in the future, which will be added to the relevant collection for easy access. Of course, I’d prefer to share all my content with you for free, but I have to make a living somehow! So thank you for your purchase. I’d also like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to all my loyal supporters on Patreon, who make my research possible in the first place.

A quick note for iOS users: Apple charges an additional 30% fee for any in-app purchases made through Patreon, so you’ll be charged $14.50 instead of $9.99, unfortunately.

If you’re unsure about anything, need assistance, or have any other inquiries, don’t hesitate to get in touch—I’m here to help.

"I cannot stand this AI stuff!"

Do you share this sentiment? I’ve found that many people have strong feelings about this technology, and I completely understand. After all, AI has disrupted my work, just as it has for my multi-lingual friend Geeske, who used to make a living as a professional interpreter. AI is here to stay, though, and it will undoubtedly have a profound impact on our work and society in the not-so-distant future. If your expertise is based on generic knowledge, AI can take over your tasks—so it’s no surprise that this technology causes anxiety and resistance.

But emotions and denial won’t help. Understanding will. In his paper, Marc Heimann offers fascinating insights into how Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-4 generate text. One particularly interesting point is that LLMs have no concept of negation. Unable to express a lack of knowledge, the system inevitably begins to "hallucinate" a response, without being able to distinguish between this hallucination and actual facts. Heimann outlines the parallels to psychosis and explains how this perspective can help us better understand and guide AI.

Admittedly, it’s not an easy read, but it’s certainly an intriguing one. My conversations with Marc after fencing training have definitely helped me gain a much better understanding of AI’s capabilities and shortcomings—how to approach it, use it, and what to expect from it in the future.

So, where does Capo Ferro come in? Well, you’ll find the answer in the introduction to Marc's paper.

So, that's it for today. Take care, and keep your blade well-honed, be it digital or of proper steel. Or bronze.

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Yours,

Roland

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