Also on a personal note, even though I know every comment I make is public and indexed etc. etc. I find this kind of creepy. I don't like being part of an AI dataset.
This is understandable, but I'm sure all the HN comments have been a part of training dataset for many chatbots now. In fact, this is a gold mine of sane and valuable sanctuary of comments, so this must have been definitely helpful.
I think the "ick" factor for me comes from the feeling that social engagement shouldn't really be queryable. When I participate here, it's an in-the-moment thing. While I realize my opinions are stored forever and searchable, and I generally stand by most of what I say, I think making meta-products around social engagement changes the flavor and the feeling of how we interact. It's like when someone points a camera at you. Sure, it doesn't really change anything, but also, it completely changes things right?
Be that as it may, I don’t think “everyone does it” is an excuse. An absurdly high number of people throw trash on the floor. I actively pick it up or at a minimum don’t contribute to the problem.
The answer to “many companies are unethically gathering your data” is not “it’s OK for me to be unethical too”.
I think the real thing happening here is the realization that anything you say on the public internet can be used against you - and that concerns you. This is what you need to come to terms with.
I think we're all aware that what we say on the internet lasts forever, and frankly that kind of sucks for pretty much everyone that's ever put their foot in their mouth (so: everyone). But, at least things fade. Putting an AI on it though seems really extra, especially since there isn't anything of particular value here (it's not like this is a Q/A site or something where indexing peoples comments is useful)
Personally when I write things on this site it's to test my ideas or for the hedonic enjoyment of arguing on the internet, but I also gain no value from anyone reading my comments past their sell-by date.
I'm completely aware that the information is available regardless, with some scraping effort. I still think it's a bit gross. Let's not be machine men, with machine minds?
>enormous BigQuery dataset
>used against you
let's set aside the AI questions and just dive back into one of the earliest net problems encountered :
it's not creepy to you to participate in a surveillance culture where everything you do or say is recorded from every angle?
lets add the new angle : It's not creepy to you that every single human interaction is going to flavor and educate a future LLM or bot of some sort in imperceivable ways, and that the collective liability of such a creation is now being shouldered by any and all participants in all of the worlds' discourse?
Well, 'dude' , I think it's pretty creepy, and i've been 'here' for decades.