Terence Tao on LLMs: Embracing Change and Resetting Expectations | Hacker News Reader

Terence Tao on LLMs: Embracing Change and Resetting Expectations

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36 pointsAnon849 comments

> When integrated with tools such as formal proof verifiers, internet search, and symbolic math packages, I expect, say, 2026-level AI, when used properly, will be a trustworthy co-author in mathematical research, and in many other fields as well.

I always imagined math would be the very last field to be disrupted by AI, but to hear this coming from Terrence Tao himself (who I consider to be the face of math as someone not in the field) caught me off guard.

Why? Math is "just" a domain specific language with funny symbols.

> One of my colleagues was moved to tears by a GPT-4-generated letter of condolence to a relative who had recently received a devastating medical diagnosis

A world where GPT-4 or systems like it are ghostwriters for everything, including highly personal communication, isn't particularly appealing to me. And yet here we are.

I get pretty depressed when I think about it and try to imagine where this takes us as a society, but then I just snap out of it and try to focus on today.

I can't imagine it would be that different as >80% to 90% of tweets already don't receive any retweets or likes. Most reddit, HN, etc., comments go without a reply.

Tweets and reddit posts (and HN posts) aren't highly personal communication, but currently some of them are written by actual humans in their own voice.

It doesn't matter how personal it is if almost no one reads it. It's like a tree falling in a forest of billions of trees.

Low readership is a typical feature of personal communication, and it doesn't negate its value.

Besides, most people don't send their love letters via public tweet (though I suppose some do.)

In any case, I don't see any argument for increasing the use of LLMs as ghostwriters for highly personal communication.

A tree falling in a huge forest doesn't negate the value of the wood, leaves, etc., in the tree, nor the effect it has on the surrounding trees, animal environment and so on.

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