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Follow-up on the last post, “Dave Cooper and AI”

Jul 23rd, 2025
by Craig.
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This won’t be an ongoing theme, I can assure you, but I did as I suggested yesterday I’d do today, which was query Duck.ai again and see what nonsense it came up with this time. As I suspected, a link to my previous post was now in the search results and the AI-generated output was totally different!

Here it is:

Dave Cooper is known for his contributions to discussions about Zambia’s history, particularly when it was called Northern Rhodesia. He has shared insights about the region’s past and its cultural significance.

Background on Northern Rhodesia

Northern Rhodesia was the name used for what is now Zambia during British colonial rule. It was established in the late 19th century and became a British protectorate in 1924. The region was rich in natural resources, particularly copper, which played a significant role in its economy.

Dave Cooper’s Contributions

Dave Cooper is noted for his historical insights into Northern Rhodesia, particularly regarding its geography and cultural history. He has shared valuable information about the region’s past, including maps and personal anecdotes from his experiences growing up there.

Cultural Significance

The area is known for its diverse wildlife and rich cultural heritage. Many people, including Cooper, have fond memories of exploring the local bush and observing various bird species. This includes references to sunbirds, which are often confused with hummingbirds due to their similar feeding habits and vibrant colors.

Modern Zambia

Today, Zambia is recognized for its mineral wealth and is home to a growing population. The legacy of Northern Rhodesia continues to influence Zambian culture and identity, with ongoing discussions about its historical significance and impact on contemporary society.

I suppose if one searched for “salt” and generated an AI answer, the results would be pretty much identical each time. I searched for my own name without any additional search terms and, as expected, the output was about some slightly better-known person than me. So I added a couple of search terms and all I can say is that the result gives a whole new meaning to the term, “ego surfing“. If you need to generate a very important-sounding résumé for yourself, this might be the way to go! In fact, post your AI-generated output on your blog, on LinkedIn and a bunch of other places and it could be the equivalent of Google bombing / link bombing.

Just don’t tell them I sent you.

Dave Cooper according to AI a day later

Dave Cooper according to AI a day later.

Dave Cooper and AI

Jul 23rd, 2025
by Craig.
1 comment

Huh, interesting. I searched for Dave’s name on DuckDuckGo and decided to query their AI feature, “Search Assist”, not expecting much. These were the surprising results:

Dave Cooper was a notable figure associated with Northern Rhodesia, known for his vibrant personality and contributions to the community. He passed away on July 19, 2025, and was remembered fondly by friends and family for his unique character and love for life.

Dave Cooper’s Connection to Northern Rhodesia

Background

Dave Cooper was a notable figure who had a deep connection to Northern Rhodesia, now known as Zambia. He spent his childhood in Kitwe, where he developed a passion for exploring the local wildlife and nature.

Recent Events

Dave Cooper passed away peacefully on July 19, 2025, in the Netherlands. His life was marked by a vibrant personality and a love for the natural world. He was remembered fondly by friends and family for his unique character and the impact he had on those around him.

Memorial Plans

Cooper’s remains were cremated on July 22, 2025. In a tribute to his enduring friendships and shared passions, his ashes will be scattered in Québec, which he considered his second home. This ceremony reflects his connection to both his past in Northern Rhodesia and his later life experiences.

Legacy

Cooper’s legacy includes his love for nature and the memories he created during his time in Northern Rhodesia. His story is a reminder of the rich history and personal narratives tied to this region.

I find it interesting that this was created based on only my own personal website — where Dave is only mentioned once (making him “notable”), in his obituary yesterday — and on the Great North Road website where there is currently only a placeholder page and a link to a PDF document he created based on an original document from 1936 which, of course, isn’t about him!

I think there was a lot of interpolation by AI and, of course, some nice, trite words based on AI’s understanding of what recent death means to us humans. I wonder what the output from an AI will be tomorrow based on the addition of this string of text to its corpus. (Interestingly, Google’s search results don’t include any AI output, at least not for the same search string.)

Dave Cooper according to AI

Dave Cooper according to AI.

Dave Cooper, 28 April 1950 – 19 July 2025

Jul 22nd, 2025
by Craig.
1 comment
Dave Cooper at Cape Point in South Africa

Dave Cooper at Cape Point in South Africa.

I have nothing better to add about Dave to the excellent obituary provided by his long-time partner Vince.

[…] ἐχθὲς μὲν μυξάριον, αὔριον δὲ τάριχος ἢ τέφρα. […] Τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου βίου ὁ μὲν χρόνος στιγμή, ἡ δὲ οὐσία ῥέουσα, ἡ δὲ αἴσθησις ἀμυδρά, ἡ δὲ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος σύγκρισις εὔσηπτος, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ ῥεμβός, ἡ δὲ τύχη δυστέκμαρτον, ἡ δὲ φήμη ἄκριτον˙ συνελόντι δὲ εἰπεῖν, πάντα τὰ μὲν τοῦ σώματος ποταμός, τὰ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ὄνειρος καὶ τῦφος […] Πομπῆς κενοσπουδία, ἐπὶ σκηνῆς δράματα, ποίμνια, ἀγέλαι,διαδορατισμοί, κυνιδίοις ὀστάριον ἐῤῥιμμένον, ψωμίον εἰς τὰςτῶν ἰχθύων δεξαμενάς, μυρμήκων ταλαιπωρίαι καὶ ἀχθοφορίαι,μυιδίων ἐπτοημένων διαδρομαί, σιγιλλάρια νευροσπαστούμενα. […]

Yesterday a drop of semen, tomorrow a handful of spice and ashes. […] In the life of a man, his time is but a moment, his being an incessant flux, his senses a dim rushlight, his body a prey of worms, his soul an unquiet eddy, his fortune dark, and his fame doubtful. In short, all that is of the body is as coursing waters, all that is of the soul as dreams and vapours […] An empty pageant; a stage play; flocks of sheep, herds of cattle; a tussle of spearmen; a bone flung among a pack of curs; a crumb tossed into a pond of fish; ants, loaded and labouring; mice, scared and scampering; puppets, jerking on their strings […] that is life.

(Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE), Meditations [writings to himself], IV: 48, II:17, VII:3)

A Farewell to Dave,

It is with a heavy heart, but also with a sense of peace that I share the news of Dave’s passing. He died peacefully in his sleep on July 19, 2025, in Roermond, the Netherlands.
The period leading up to his death saw him grapple with dementia, an illness that is hard to define rationally. His passing was, in the words of the Stoic Seneca the Younger, a “good death.”

“It is not a question of dying earlier or later, but of dying well or ill. And dying well means escape from the danger of living ill”.

(Seneca, Moral letters to Lucilius, LXX:6)

Dave was Dave until the very end: full of energy and an enigma. He wore his heart on his sleeve, misanthropic, dramatic, empathetic, generous, show-offy, difficult at times, and, above all, tremendously loving. Almost everyone I’ve spoken to since he passed said that Dave was one of a kind, and he truly was. I’ll miss him!

Dave and his friend and companion, Erik Wampler, who passed in 1996, were great admirers of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the Stoic philosophy he left behind. Dave even included the above-quoted lines from Aurelius’s Meditations in Erik’s eulogy.

Funeral and Scattering of Ashes

Dave’s remains will be cremated on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. CET (1:30 a.m. PST).

In a final tribute to their enduring friendship and shared passions, Dave and Erik’s ashes will be scattered in Québec, Dave’s deuxième patrie. I am currently in touch with our Québec friend, Alain Durand, to finalize the details of when and where this will take place. Further information will follow. You are welcome to be there.

Staying in Touch

If you have any questions, thoughts, or simply wish to connect, please feel free to reach out to me at [my email address] or find me on WhatsApp or Signal at [number redacted].

Thank you,

Vincent,
my brother Merlijn, who made the obituary,
and my friend Ros, who edited the text.

p.s. How better to remember Dave than through the music he liked.

Dave has also been memorialised on the home page of the GNR (Great North Road).

Obituary of Dave Cooper, from Vince

Obituary of Dave Cooper, from Vince.