5d ago

Is It Just Me?

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I'm mostly annoyed that I have to keep explaining to people that 95% of what they hear about AI is marketing. In the years since we bet the whole US economy on AI and were told it's absolutely the future of all things, it's yet to produce a really great work of fiction (as far as we know), a groundbreaking piece of software of it's own production or design, or a blockbuster product that I'm aware of.
We're betting our whole future on a concept of a product that has yet to reliably profit any of its users or the public as a whole.
I've made several good faith efforts at getting it to produce something valuable or helpful to me. I've done the legwork on making sure I know how to ask it for what I want, and how I can better communicate with it.
But AI "art" requires an actual artist to clean it up. AI fiction requires a writer to steer it or fix it. AI non-fiction requires a fact cheker. AI code requires a coder. At what point does the public catch on that the emperor has no clothes?
- it's yet to produce a really great work of fiction (as far as we know), a groundbreaking piece of software of it's own production or design, or a blockbuster product
  Or a profit. Or hell even one of those things that didn’t suck! It’s critically flawed and has been defying gravity on the coke-fueled dreams of silicon VC this whole time.
  And still. One of next year’s fiscal goals is “AI”. That’s all. Just “AI”.
  It’s a goal. Somehow. It’s utter insanity.
  
  The goal is "[Replace you money-needing meatsacks with] AI" but the suits don't want to say it that clearly.
- Anyone in engineering knows the 90% of your goal is the easy bit. You’ll then spend 90% of your time on the remainder. Same for AI and getting past the uncanny valley with art.
- What if the point of AI is to have it create a personal model for each of us, using the vast amounts of our data they have access to, in order to manipulate us into buying and doing whatever the people who own it want but they can't just come out and say that?
  
  I'm sure that's at least part of the idea but I'm yet to see any evidence that it won't also be dog shit at that. It doesn't have the context window or foresight to conceive of a decent plot twist in a piece of fiction despite having access to every piece of fiction ever written. I'm not buying that it would be able to build a psychological model and contextualize 40 plus years of lived experience in a way that could get me to buy a $20 Dubai chocolate bar or drive a Chevy.
  
  Im pretty sure I said "the point of it and not that it was 100% ready to go now.
  Also, no one thinks advertising works on them. So, I'm sure you don't believe it 👍
  
  It's not going to get there. The idea it's going to turn smart and capable at some undisclosed point in the future as long as we keep giving them billions in investments IS marketing.
  
  It's our own version of The Matrix
  
  When you order your Matrix from Wish...

349 comments