The title of this post might be a bit of an exaggeration. However, not too long ago, I read Professor Dragan’s book “Quo Vadis.” I received it as a gift to spark my interest in AI. To be honest, the book drove me into… a depression, because instead of explaining things, it only made the “overall picture” more confusing for me. But I recommend it nonetheless.
The topic of AI is very much “in” right now, and even my favorite magazine, “Tygodnik Powszechny,” devotes a lot of space to it. In one of the recent issues, there was a fascinating article about AI in medicine.
I couldn’t stay behind. I decided to dive deeper into the subject and started cataloging my collections with the help of AI. I began with my postcards featuring draughts motifs. The results exceeded my expectations! Some items in my collection took on a completely new meaning for me. AI is not only great at deciphering handwriting on a century-old postcard, but it can also provide a wealth of information. One must be careful, though!
My collection also includes envelopes and postcards related to specific events. In the late 70s, I corresponded with Bruno Marini from Italy. It was thanks to him that I had three Italians at the tournament in Szczecin in August ’80. That same year, 1980, my Italian colleague refereed the World Championships in Bamako (Mali) and sent to me nice postcard. How could I not keep such a precious souvenir! After scanning about 20 cards with draughts motifs, I uploaded the one I received from Marini:
And then the AI focused and said the following:
“In 1980, such scenes (men playing draughts in traditional attire) were still a vibrant part of the culture in Bamako or Casablanca, rather than just a ‘living museum’ for tourists.“
But the best part was saved for dessert:
“Note that they are playing on a board that appears to be very large – this is characteristic of so-called International Draughts (100-square), which are extremely popular in African countries (Senegal, Mali, and Ivory Coast have many grandmasters in this discipline).”
So now, all that’s left for me is to show the “obverse” of this postcard, where that 100-square game is taking place.
