The problem here is that a GenAI model isn’t exactly governed by randomness as there is distinct information you can pull out in a knowledge graph (not saying there’s a literal knowledge graph here, just referring to what’s encoded in the weights) by composing the appropriate set of prompts, and as such some information will always be more closely linked versus other unrelated or dissimilar sources. So, this operation is unlike the operation of a slot machine, where you pull a lever and you are bound to find some answer within a set of permutations.
I think GenAI models do have some deterministic properties depending on their training data, but it depends on the model settings, prompts, and how you yourself impose your editorial decisions on the outcomes. In that sense, I don’t think it’s fair to say that the writing and code produced with help from GenAI models aren’t the property of the composer because the writing and code wouldn’t exist in the form that they do if they weren’t prompted and processed by the composer (provided that this material isn’t plagiarized).
The instruction-driven process of producing acts from a GenAI model make it more involved than what this writer is describing as the model itself has no thought, purpose, or intention. So it’s not a service, necessarily, where I’d expect a service to take more off my plate, but in the case of GenAI the composition, editorial, and review process take a lot of time and effort. As such, I feel comfortable referring to GenAI as a tool because there is both a deterministic quality to its output, and the tool wielder exercises considerable control over the output.
At some point, we have to figure out how to work smarter, not harder. I am not sure working longer pays more dividends, but working better definitely would.
How do you optimize for better work? It’s unclear to me how the answer lies in caffeine, nicotine, or cocaine. Yes, you’re more active, but are your energies being spent in the right direction or activities? This is where leadership is important, and no amount of nicotine in the world will fix bad leadership or direction.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. If you’re so inclined to share, could you please share the highly improbable event you mention in your bio which reawakened your faith? You don’t have to mention anything you don’t want to.
If summarizing some key points, I'd name at least a few:
1. I learned through over a decade of liberal activism, and history books, that something was fundamentally wrong with humanity, ruined all we did, and was unfixed for thousands of years.
2. While living in sin, I had a sharp realization that shook me to the bones that I was evil and would pay for it. That God or something like that would make it happen. Many things in my life started running through my mind. This is inexplicable for a devout atheist who literally pissed on a Gospel tract. (Biblically, it's called Holy Spirit conviction.)
3.Many random events happened in a short time that were each statistically unlikely. A few catastrophic immediately or looming. Every way I tried to solve them on my own failed in unlikely ways. The odds of this were astronomical against, it wss hopeless, and the clock was ticking fast. That forced me to pause to look up.
4. After praying about changing to a God I didn't believe in, a bunch of coincidences happened that started changing my circumstances. Those who were helping were all Christian, too, but most of my environment wasn't.
5. I read a Bible I kept to make fun of Christians. I had studied and debated many religions. This time, it was different. It's like it spoke to me in a piercing way where I knew it was true. I still didn't want to change and so prayed if I had to literally believe it.
6. At work, I saw a flash of light go through the whole building, felt like a bolt of lightening, heard a coworker's voice on the radio asking for help, and it was distorted in an angelic way. Minutes later, the situation replayed word for word even with the same tone and spacing. That's called a prophecy or revelation of future events. Atheist science said that was impossible. Again, with a Christian involved.
7. Upon trying to believe in God and do good works, my PTSD and night terrors were instantly cured. Not a placebo cuz I thought I'd have a hard life but live better and avoid extreme problems. Imagine my shock when I felt deep peace for the first time in forever. Peace that psychologists' and neurologists' writings said I'd never feel.
8. God caused random events (providence) to put me in a Bible study. They told me it's not about trying to earn our future by good works because we keep sinning all our lives. The Gospel is that we deserve justice (death/hell). While sinners, Christ lived the perfect life, died for our sins, and rose again to earn a future for us. We receive it as a gift by faith and repentance. Then, live right with God's help in gratitude.
Nothing's been the same since I committed to Jesus Christ. I've since met countless people from all walks of life transformed by the same nessage with similar effects and stories. That makes it empirically true with tens of millions of data points. Then, stepping out of my echo chambers, I got to learn more truth about history, science, politics, and more.
It was quite a journey that's far from over. I hope more people repent and put their faith in Christ. I hope this helps you because that's why He commands us to share it.
AI doesn’t have any awareness of me vs. someone else. To wit, I or someone else cannot be in a relationship with it because it has no meaningful connection with me beyond my credit card paying a subscription, or it having a place in my computer memory. There are people who role play relationships with AI, but that’s an extension of a parasocial relationship.
People who say they’re voting “with their gut” lie about that, they’re voting to ensure specific outcomes for themselves or their community, but have no desire to explain any of that. Having six+ year olds vote would just include a population that votes with their gut, but doesn’t have any justification beyond peer or social pressure. While some adults vote based on peer or social pressure, the majority do not. The targeted political messaging at a young age will also create an even more polarized society, maybe with more propensity towards extremism because the longer you’re recruited to a cause the more likely you are to do something violent for it.
Giga-rich dude with massive AI investments extols the virtues of AI while minimizing obvious harms. Are we seriously past the point of questioning such an obvious conflict of interest?
Guns are an equalizer for physical strength, and AI could be an equalizer for mental capability. That’s essentially what many people are saying when they talk about the benefits of AI, maybe without even realizing that’s what they mean. People aren’t very aware or reflective, in general.
In a hypothetical scenario, what’s a better moral option? IMO, kill yourself, instead. There’s no point to any of this to begin with, and what kind of world are you creating for your children in this scenario?
Besides that, where’s the solar punk fiction, or the post-work society fiction? Why is everything and everyone so fixated on dystopian fantasies without any balancing with other types of possible realities?
I’ve found that people who want you to focus only on the negatives in any scenario are motivated by ulterior motives. That is to say, they’re not realists or pessimists, they’re simply conniving, and are manipulating you to gain something else.
It’s not “just 500K” jobs. It’s a pipeline of hiring managers who set up outsourcing to their home countries at the expense of Americans, and this doesn’t change when they naturalize. Immigration is a tool for supplementing the deficiencies of your home country with outside assistance. In America’s case, immigration has been weaponized by both the left and right. The left wants to settle the entire Global South in western countries at the expense of never building the countries where people have to immigrate from. The right scapegoats immigrants for whatever issue ails them. Should there be incentives for creating businesses in America that support work that gets outsourced? Definitely. Will that happen while there is a preserve incentive offered by H1Bs and biased hiring managers? Of course not.
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