Comment by dakiol | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dakiol | Hacker News Reader

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> Virtually all the jobs mentioned can already be replaced with AI for a fraction of the cost.

I’m not so sure. First, they are already paying pennies to the writers. Second, who’s gonna write the prompt? The bosses certainly not, so they would hire prompters. Now, you cannot simply hire a prompter with zero experience in copywriting or editing; these people would not accept less than pennies for their work. So you just go ahead and hire people with writing experience. It’s easier.

Edit: besides, assuming AI will take over, if you want an original and catchy story, you need to provide a good prompt. I cannot think someone more suitable to provide such prompts than the writers themselves. Is like saying: anyone can create their own app with LLMs. Well, I can tell you my mom or my 21 year old cousin wouldn’t be able to do so (they wouldn’t be able to be more specific than a simple “I want a spotify-like app but in red”. They wouldn’t know what to do with the LLM output, even if it comes as an executable that you just need to drop in your phone). So you need developers here as well.

> Second, who’s gonna write the prompt? The bosses certainly not, so they would hire prompters.

I think AIs will quickly progress to the point where the boss can just tell them to do X, instead of telling the prompter to tell the AI to do X.

The boss doesn’t have time for that.

If the boss has the time to task the writer then they also have time to task the LLM

No because the writer can finish everything without any follow up whereas the LLM needs hand holding, re prompting, context, etc.

All of it seems like technicalities easy to add and wrap in a product that takes one task you would give to an actual writer...

"Model, for the purposes of this prompt, assume you have been developed into an actual writer with skills of expression reflecting the things I the capital holder/agent value and know when I see it but may not be able to articulate in so many words so can't actually insert this prompt. Now, write a good story."

Nah. In reality they would just automate the stuff mentioned like reprompting and context. Make it generate an outline then call it again to generate every section. Call again with yet another prompt to validate quality and check references.

No magic, all dumb for loops and string formatting and a bunch of calls to LLM. Just a single prompt from the manager. Writers can now go do a roofing job to put food on the table while the retirement age always grows proving them how AI is finally freeing humanity from having to work.

I think you don't get the point. If there's no gap between the boss and the LLM, the boss is accountable for whatever the LLM produces. That sort of accountability will be rejected by any boss. In the real world, bosses rely on the accountability of their subordinates (they will yell at the senior manager, the senior manager will yell at the engineer, and so on).

There's no boss in the world who wants to be left alone with the machine. They are bosses, they are not technical people; they don't like machines... machines cannot go to jail or be accountable for mistakes.

So you agree that LLM can do it but you are moving goalposts saying bosses will not want LLM to do it. Well maybe I think you're also wrong.

If there is a boss2 above boss1, then boss1 is accountable to boss2 for subordinates and there is almost no difference between blaming and firing an employee or blaming and firing an LLM or LLM developer. Also important to remember that an LLM doesn't snitch if you ask it to do shady stuff.

> There's no boss in the world who wants to be left alone with the machine

Most bosses want to be richer and want obedient underlings.

Remember it won't be a scary mainframe. It's basically a benign looking contact in your chat. Same thing they use to message their misstreases. They will be fine.

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