mandy brownThis is not a fully formed thought, but I have a visceral reaction to seeing coverage of Altman’s firing treated as a top-left news headline. It feels part of the hagiography of these dudes, that we cover them like kings and we cover their companies like nations, but somehow we don’t cover what their tech is going to do to real people.
Ethan Marcotte@aworkinglibrary God, yeah. The fact that there’s an “AI” “industry” even being discussed right now feels like an extension of that, too.
@beep Right, it’s just this totally uncritical acceptance of an entirely self-serving narrative.
Lyre Calliope@aworkinglibrary @beep Not to mention that the messaging of "AI could destroy humanity" FROM these industry leaders so easily begs the question: "Could the AI industry destroy humanity?" The lack of commitment to ask real questions every which way.
zilla@captaincalliope @aworkinglibrary @beep Fear not, AI will not destroy humanity. Humanity's hubris related to grand challenges e.g., Climate Change, Biodiversity loss, MDR pathogens, and corporate greedy will do humanity in far quicker than AI. The 🌎 will be in a better place too.
@ZillaMon @aworkinglibrary @beep oh, of course. Not to mention the long history of the powerful scapegoating accountability by hiding behind mechanization and corporatization. My main point is the media isn't being critical even when the people they're lifting up truly believe they're risking everyone's lives. When someone threatens you, don't ignore it, no matter how out there it is. The media is willing to be complicit in an AI apocalypse. No surprise given negligence across real challenges.
sunshine@aworkinglibrary Sounds fully formed to me.
Tim Carmody@aworkinglibrary i think it can take that form, just like it can take the form of a gossip column or fantasy sports. But it also clues us in to the fact that these companies are never the creation of single auteurs, but are always juggling opposed coalitions, visions, stakeholders (including their users and other people caught in their wake)
Aviva Gary@aworkinglibrary Well it is easier for media to cover stories like this (so better for the 🤑), just like they do for money/politics/entertainment but also does the media who only live for the money/clicks/quarterly earnings care about the icky, icky real people. Do they? 🤔
(Yeah... system is not great)
Jon (now at neuromatch.social)@aworkinglibrary I saw a screenshot of a tweet where a techno described it as “literally SF’s 9/11”. Literally!!!!!
DavidIt's real-time history making and it's complicated. He deserves critique and I look forward to his next project.
Aron Pilhofer 🍩@aworkinglibrary Thank you! I’ve been plowing through everything written on the subject desperate for a nutgraph — why should I care? No one is standing purely on principal. It’s a question of a lot commercial or a lot a lot commercial. I guess? Anyway, 1000 percent yes.
jimray@aworkinglibrary I just came here to tweet a less smart version of this. What is going on at the Times specifically?
@jimray wish i knew