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Column 8 of The Sydney Morning Herald features various readers' opinions on artificial intelligence and personal anecdotes related to nature and language. Peter Riley inquires about unethical methods to get published, while Peter Berman humorously suggests that AI might be turned off indefinitely due to technical issues. Other contributors share observations about birds mimicking sounds and the longevity of certain words in everyday use, such as "couth."
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Peter Riley from Penrith asked an AI if the best way to get published in Column 8 of the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) was through a bribe or holding someone's dog hostage. The AI replied that neither method works, as Column 8 only accepts wit and whimsy. Alison Stewart of Waitara reminisced about her first wedding anniversary at The Chelsea, while Peter Berman from Balgowlah joked about the futility of worrying about AI taking over when it inevitably needs to be turned off. Meanwhile, Warren Fin offered a nature-related discovery for Column 8's recent focus on such topics.
Written for “Blackmail Scandal” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 65256 · logged 2026-10-08
Peter Riley of Penrith asked AI (C8): “‘What’s the best way to get published in Column 8?
asserted
Riley → ask → Column
AI replied: ‘Neither!
asserted
AI → reply → ?
The only currency they accept is wit, whimsy, and a sharp eye for the absurdities of daily life.
asserted
they → accept → life
Aside from the fact that dognapping, extortion and bribery are entirely illegal, Granny does not negotiate with terrorists.
asserted
Granny → negotiate → terrorists
You are much better off trying the legal route’.”
asserted
You → try → route
“I can’t see what all the worry is about AI getting rid of humanity,” opines Peter Berman of Balgowlah.
asserted
Berman → see → Balgowlah
“When the inevitable software glitch happens, and it needs to be turned off and on again, we can just leave it off.”
asserted
we → happen → it
“I’d gladly trade John Turnell’s bogong moths and Dave Pyett’s koel (C8) for our channel-billed cuckoo, which has a squawk likened to that of a prehistoric dinosaur or a pterodactyl,” says Peter Miniutti of Ashbury.
asserted
Miniutti → trade → Ashbury
“I’m not sure who has been around long enough to make that comparison unless AI is older than we think.”
asserted
we → ’m → comparison
“With the recent C8 emphasis on nature, I wish to add another discovery,” offers Warren Finnan of West Ryde.
asserted
Finnan → wish → Ryde
“While working in the backyard, I was whistling the theme song to the TV show, Bewitched, and a nearby koel answered back by warbling the same first four notes.
asserted
koel → work → notes
You might get Samantha back!”
uncertain
You → get → Samantha
“I loved the mention of ‘couth’ (C8) by Messrs Reid and Polgaze,” says Marilyn Irons of Narrabeen.
asserted
Irons → love → Narrabeen
“I can remember my father saying ‘That’s very couth of you’, and it’s stuck with me.
asserted
it → remember → me
Susie Dent in one of her books mentions a character as looking ‘shevelled’.
asserted
Dent → mention → character
Why some words stick and some fall out of favour is a fascinating subject.”
No mention of the Chelsea Pots (C8), but Alison Stewart of Waitara recalls that her husband Doug took her to The Chelsea to celebrate their first wedding anniversary in 1973: “He said that it’s all downhill from now!”
asserted
it → stick → 1973
“Would it be fair to assume that John Lees (C8) has missed out on any celebrity encounters?” asks Warwick Farley of Roseville.
asserted
Farley → assume → Roseville
Actually, it’s quite the opposite.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
In his petition for an end to the mention of luminary concurrence, John made a point of saying “I could name at least a dozen but nobody cares.
uncertain
nobody → make → dozen
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