Mastodawn

Back in January I was looking around for some positive "pro-AI" analysis of the ethics of the problem <https://mastodon.social/@glyph/115908558259725802> and it looks like I finally got what I wanted: <https://types.pl/@wilbowma/116247527449271232>

I definitely don't think I'm fully convinced, but there's more than enough here to sit with for a while and consider. It's such a relief that someone is taking the ethical question *seriously* though.

William J. Bowman🇨🇦 (@[email protected])

I think if I spend any more time on this, I'll risk doing more harm than good: new blog post on "AI" and ethics. https://www.williamjbowman.com/blog/2026/03/13/against-vibes-part-2-ought-you-use-a-generative-model/

types.pl

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Thankful Machine Mar 18

@glyph I didn’t find this terribly compelling, except that utilitarianism is very tired. Talk of pleasure but not of social interaction?

For example, the copyright argument is actually a proxy for “do I have a place in this world among my fellow humans”. It’s not really about monopoly or about money (except for large rights holders). If one studies, thinks, and feels, one wants to relate to (or conflict with) others. That’s what “effort” is really about. It’s about relation.

When you get sycophantic responses, you’re not relating to anything. Just agreement with yourself, barely breathing. When you reach for a tool to ask a question or have a discussion, you’re not having a discussion, you’re just kicking rocks out in the car park.

I think a lot about the neurological effects of being in solitary confinement or the elderly losing social connections later in life. I don’t wish to hurry into that.

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Glyph Mar 18

@thankfulmachine yes, I'm working on a piece myself that heavily features some of these points.

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Glyph Mar 18

@thankfulmachine To be clear, I am not endorsing this post (in fact I disagree with it) but although I think it's got some mistakes, I don't think it's presenting a ridiculous strawman of the critical positions here; there are things to think about. It's a bit sad that, as far as I know, this is the *ceiling* on the discourse right now but at least he tried? I am starved for good-faith counterpoints to engage with.

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Thankful Machine

@glyph For sure. For as many people who are thinking about it, I don’t think people are sharing their thoughts. I suspect that has at least a little to do with the fact that it’s no longer a trivial decision to ignore (the insane marketing).