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Comment by bmitc | Hacker News Reader

> The models currently pose no more of a risk than someone going to the library and learning how a bomb or weapon is made.

That is absolutely not true. Books in libraries do not dynamically and non-deterministically withold, distort, falsify, provide, etc. information based upon a generative algorithm that no one understands.

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Any, but how we know that the models lie. Anyone who is just blindly trusting the models is being reckless like someone who drives without a seatbelt or texts and drives.

Keep in mind human bias let's us believe things we know arnt true, and people who author books can lie on purpose.

The models are sold as being accurate. Techie-types know the limitations but they are not the average population.

The models also present themselves as completely accurate until pushed on the issue. And even then, the models will say something like "I'm sorry for the confusion" and then proceed to tell you what you're doing wrong when what you did is what the model previously presented you. It's quite infuriating. It's like talking to a sociopath.

This thing called "the internet" is already 10,000x as bad and we're doing just fine.

Are we doing just fine?

(I knew this exact reply was going to come up)

Yes, we are. The internet has been a massive game changer for humanity. For the better.

Here's some of the benefits it brought, FYI:

* The internet provides instant access to vast amounts of information from around the globe.

* It enables efficient communication through email, messaging apps, and social media platforms.

* Online shopping allows people to conveniently purchase goods and services from anywhere.

* Education has been revolutionized with e-learning platforms offering courses on diverse subjects.

* The internet facilitates remote work, allowing individuals to collaborate regardless of location.

* Social networking sites help people connect with friends, family, and like-minded individuals.

* Streaming services offer endless entertainment options, from movies to music to podcasts.

* Online banking allows for secure management of finances and transactions.

* Information sharing platforms like Wikipedia promote knowledge exchange and dissemination.

* Telemedicine services provide access to healthcare professionals and advice remotely.

* Crowdfunding platforms empower individuals and organizations to raise funds for projects and causes.

* The internet has democratized publishing, allowing anyone to share their ideas through blogs and websites.

* It serves as a platform for political activism and social movements, fostering global solidarity.

* Online forums and communities offer support and resources for people with shared interests or challenges.

* Digital maps and navigation tools simplify travel and exploration, making the world more accessible.

* The internet facilitates innovation by providing a platform for collaboration and idea sharing.

* It has transformed the job market, creating opportunities in fields like digital marketing and programming.

* Online forums and communities offer support and resources for people with shared interests or challenges.

* The internet enables cultural exchange and appreciation through platforms like YouTube and social media.

* It has empowered individuals with access to tools for self-expression, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

... and I could go on for hours.

So, yes, despite its downsides, the internet is a net positive technology.

Thanks for the LLM spam. I'll not bother to rebut your gish gallop point by point, but one phrase sticks out like a sore thumb:

  fostering global solidarity

Bull. Shit.

Yawn.

I'd have preferred to read a rational argument on why you think that's not true, but some people here forget the purpose of this forum ...

gestures broadly. Half of the world has an entirely different set of facts than the other half. As a society (the medical / scientific community is at a near consensus) we still can't agree on whether a vaccine works, or whether masks can slow the spread of a virus. The sheer amount of bad actors spreading wildly bogus information is astonishing.

Solidarity !== cultural homogeinity.

You are confused on what both concepts mean.

Btw, a community where there is one single set of beliefs shared by everybody is a terrible place to be.

My honest opinion is that the people (30-50% of the population?) voting for authoritarians like Trump, Orban, Bolsonaro, Meloni, Bukele, Ergodan, etc are not at all in Solidarity with what I'll call "the rest of us". From the ones I've spoken to there's legitimately a theme of wanting the chaos that these people bring to the world. Sticking a wrench in society for fun and profit.

And what I'm talking about isn't everyone having a single set of beliefs, that would be absurd. It's bad actors spreading what they know to be misinformation, and people falling hook line and sinker for the false rhetoric because it's repeated so often. People like Tucker Carlson who privately says Trump is a massive evil, publicly praises him. Or Russian troll farms that just constantly post the most controversial takes on social media until they become normalized.

What used to be a fringe group of conspiracy theorists that read rags like "The National Inquirer" and believed it has exploded because it's easy to make a website/podcast/twitter handle that looks legit and spreads like wildfire.

solidarity: unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group

If the feeling or action is something you don't like, that doesn't detract it from its meaning.

But I am now curious, would you say that, because of this, the internet is a net negative? (Even after considering the 20 points I've listed earlier, well, 19 I guess?).

> Even after considering the 20 points I've listed earlier, well, 19 I guess?

Gish gallop. Just because I didn't respond to the entirety of your list doesn't make any of it valid.

I do think so far the internet is a net negative, yes. People's brains have been rewired to have less attention span, more outrage, more instant dopamine hits they don't have to work for, and just generally we're in an era where instead of learning anything people spend time watching 10 second videos. "But I learn a lot from tiktok/instagram" is the most depressing sentence I've heard in a long time.

There are positives to it, but none of them matter if the current trends don't change. We're headed into an authoritarian / populist hellscape worldwide, with leaders who will ignore climate change and every other problem that is existential, while probably creating some of their own. And while all this is happening we have a population that has their head so far into social media they're more worried about transgender identity politics than the world literally burning down around them.

I'm not hopeful for the future, and most of it is because of what the internet has done to our culture.

I disagree with you but respect your opinion.

To me, the internet is one of the greatest things we're lucky to have.

I also think despite those things you mentioned (climate change, yada yada) we're going to be fine. I am hopeful for the future.

I can only wish life gives us both what we are hoping for :).

Politicians are openly discussing civil war as an imminent possibility in the US. What the hell do you mean by solidarity? If both sides agree that civil war is imminent, is that solidarity?

I'd have preferred to read a thoughtful paragraph of your own writing than an obvious LLM bullet list, but here we are. You get out what you put in.

The internet is not 10000x as bad. The models we are discussing basically ARE the internet but you only get a one-paragraph summary with no sources or context.

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