Google's harmful and careless use of AI | Hacker News Reader

Google's harmful and careless use of AI

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I cannot think of anything more harmful to already struggling small businesses, than an AI calling with questions.

https://www.theverge.com/news/708210/google-ai-phone-calls-ai-mode-gemini-upgrade

Let's take an example. Curl. They've been having endless issues with AI bug reports. It's a time waste, useless, and literally sapping their strength:

https://daniel.haxx.se/blog/2025/07/14/death-by-a-thousand-slops/

Do you think people clicking to call will fare any better? It's opt-out! Busy small business owners will finding themselves pummeled with weird random calls. The literally will not understand what is being asked, who is calling, or why.

I find this to be highly dubious, ethically. I cannot imagine any good coming from it.

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Google probably should be left alone (other parties stop investigating its traffic patterns and users). It's a delicate position, either all nations should have access to its workings or none of them. Finding the right combination of measures to ensure it serves all humans in a just way, without putting people in harm, serving its purpose of organizing knowledge, is hard. So many pitfalls in this kind of discourse.

The curl thing is probably not related to any of the major concerns regarding harmful AI use. It's just a popular project that attracts bounty hunters.

I don't see any reason to tie those two things. If you do, I expect more reasonable signs.

> Google probably should be left alone

Why?

Already explained. If you have any doubts, please quote the part that you don't understand and explain how far you got in understanding it.

I suppose that I didn't understand any part of your explanation, then. I mean, I understand the words, but I don't see how they lead to the conclusion that Google should go unexamined.

It's ok, I don't need you to understand.

It seems you're holding back. There's a lot to talk about it, and all you had to say was "why?". I gave you a chance to better explain your doubts, you didn't make good use of it. That demonstrates disregard to the discussion.

I haven't held back anything at all. I was genuinely trying to understand what you were saying, but if you don't want be understood, I'll indulge you your desire.

You're right, I don't want to be understood.

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