This is a really timely take-down of the idea that we should all feel happy in coming to rely too readily on technology to provide answers to complex questions. However, I do speak as a sceptic who still does a quick spot of mental arithmetic when using a calculator - just to check that the answer the machine is giving is in the right ball-park.
Friendly users indeed, great write up I enjoyed the broad exploration and sketch of the trajectory of things, and your assessments. Makes me think of the recent Atlantic piece (by ted chiang I believe) "Is AI the new McKinsey" and it would seem friendly "compliant" users are what benefits Capital best
Thanks Matthew, i appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. Ted Chiang does some great writing about AI. I think he has a knack for choosing alternative metaphors that cut through the metaphor of 'intelligence' and shows it for what it is - just one perspective, serving a particular interest. I'm also really happy he is writing not only about the limits of Generative AI (e.g. in 'The Machines we have now are not conscious' https://www.ft.com/content/c1f6d948-3dde-405f-924c-09cc0dcf8c84 and 'ChatGPT is a blurry jpeg of the web' https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/chatgpt-is-a-blurry-jpeg-of-the-web) but also about what they *are* good at, which is extracting profit within a particular order.
This is a really timely take-down of the idea that we should all feel happy in coming to rely too readily on technology to provide answers to complex questions. However, I do speak as a sceptic who still does a quick spot of mental arithmetic when using a calculator - just to check that the answer the machine is giving is in the right ball-park.
Friendly users indeed, great write up I enjoyed the broad exploration and sketch of the trajectory of things, and your assessments. Makes me think of the recent Atlantic piece (by ted chiang I believe) "Is AI the new McKinsey" and it would seem friendly "compliant" users are what benefits Capital best
Thanks Matthew, i appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. Ted Chiang does some great writing about AI. I think he has a knack for choosing alternative metaphors that cut through the metaphor of 'intelligence' and shows it for what it is - just one perspective, serving a particular interest. I'm also really happy he is writing not only about the limits of Generative AI (e.g. in 'The Machines we have now are not conscious' https://www.ft.com/content/c1f6d948-3dde-405f-924c-09cc0dcf8c84 and 'ChatGPT is a blurry jpeg of the web' https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/chatgpt-is-a-blurry-jpeg-of-the-web) but also about what they *are* good at, which is extracting profit within a particular order.