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6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

joanwestenberg.com

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Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#11

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

tmpz22 wrote: post #7
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #3

While this author is of a younger generation, this really resonated with me as a Gen Xer. I feel there is so much disillusionment among folks that came of age during the 90s because there was so much techno optimism then, and it didn't quite turn out like we envisioned. Two things made me think about this recently: 1. I saw a Reddit post that was titled something like "The 90s were peak humanity. Enough tech to make…

Technology innovation's highest priority has always been to move money from the middle class to the ownership class. Why so many people assume altruistic outcomes is beyond me. Why so many people see any other outcome of OpenAI then increased income inequality is beyond me.

That's pretty demonstrably not true, historically. The explosion of the middle class of the 20th century was because technology still required a huge amount of labor, but it increased productivity to the point where that labor could live much more comfortably on their wages.

Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#12

Post by XorNot »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #9
XorNot wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes." Except this quote is just...internet clickbait. As though technological development is a straight line with easily predictable outcomes. Hell it's even engaging in a bait and switch argument: "I want to art and writing" -> well, AI isn't stopping you from doing those…

Well, I interpreted it about as different as possible, but to each their own I guess. Though it makes no sense to me to call it "clickbait". Bait for what? The original commenter was just expressing an opinion, not selling ads or something. I don't think it's a statement about "classic" at all - it's a statement that people generally enjoy writing and making art, and people generally don't enjoy doing their dishes or…

Right but..for whom? Again: AI existing doesn't stop people doing writing or making art.

What it does stop is getting paid for those activities where they are paid for: but then, that's not "unbridled creativity" anymore - that's "corporate says we need a stylized picture of a man standing in a field by tomorrow".

Or it's the exact thing the author in the linked blog here is talking about: what was their actual job?

> One morning, I sat down at my desk to craft yet another press release touting yet another "game-changing" startup that had raised - yet another - $25 million. And I realized I couldn't remember the last time I'd written something I believed in. The words that used to flow felt like trying to squeeze ancient toothpaste from an empty tube.

Literally getting paid to write...just not what they wanted to be writing.

Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#13

Post by zdragnar »

XorNot wrote: post #4
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #3

While this author is of a younger generation, this really resonated with me as a Gen Xer. I feel there is so much disillusionment among folks that came of age during the 90s because there was so much techno optimism then, and it didn't quite turn out like we envisioned. Two things made me think about this recently: 1. I saw a Reddit post that was titled something like "The 90s were peak humanity. Enough tech to make…

> "I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes." Except this quote is just...internet clickbait. As though technological development is a straight line with easily predictable outcomes. Hell it's even engaging in a bait and switch argument: "I want to art and writing" -> well, AI isn't stopping you from doing those…

Nothing about the quote is related to gainful employment or monetary transaction.

It is entirely about the prospect of technology serving people by freeing their time from chores to pursue luxury activities. Instead of that expectation, the reality of technological advancement that AI has given us so far has been to do those pursuits of pleasure for us, while we still have to do mundane, unfulfilling chores in our daily lives.

It's purely a tongue-in-cheek quip about our daily lives. It follows the standard formula for pretty much all one-liners jokes. Some technology- vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, laundry machines- eliminated many hours of work. Instead of advancing this kind of benefit for people, the technology took the benefit for itself.

Setup, juxtaposed by punchline.

Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#14

Post by shrimp_emoji »

daseiner1 wrote: post #6
XorNot wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes." Except this quote is just...internet clickbait. As though technological development is a straight line with easily predictable outcomes. Hell it's even engaging in a bait and switch argument: "I want to art and writing" -> well, AI isn't stopping you from doing those…

If wanting to reduce menial tasks in my life is classist, then sign me up.

Girl, same. I am never going to the grocery store again. Thank god for the economic underclass willing to do delivery. They're like the plankton of the economic ecosystem. Without them, it all falls apart. Sad but necessary. But, as karma, delivery will eventually be the only job left for all of us, until we get deep enough into Moravec's paradox for that to eventually be automated too.

Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#15

Post by thaumasiotes »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #3

While this author is of a younger generation, this really resonated with me as a Gen Xer. I feel there is so much disillusionment among folks that came of age during the 90s because there was so much techno optimism then, and it didn't quite turn out like we envisioned. Two things made me think about this recently: 1. I saw a Reddit post that was titled something like "The 90s were peak humanity. Enough tech to make…

> That viral quote that was making the rounds, "I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes."

We developed machines that would do your laundry and dishes decades ago. The current trend is to make them less and less functional over time.

Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#16

Post by trashtensor »

XorNot wrote: post #12
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I interpreted it about as different as possible, but to each their own I guess. Though it makes no sense to me to call it "clickbait". Bait for what? The original commenter was just expressing an opinion, not selling ads or something. I don't think it's a statement about "classic" at all - it's a statement that people generally enjoy writing and making art, and people generally don't enjoy doing their dishes or…

Right but..for whom? Again: AI existing doesn't stop people doing writing or making art. What it does stop is getting paid for those activities where they are paid for: but then, that's not "unbridled creativity" anymore - that's "corporate says we need a stylized picture of a man standing in a field by tomorrow". Or it's the exact thing the author in the linked blog here is talking about: what was their actual job?…

... There is no AI or anything that can do your laundry or dishes. There is AI that can do your hobby. That's literally all the quote is pointing out.

You can talk about how capitalism ruins art, sure, but that's a different topic than the quote.

Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#17

Post by daseiner1 »

XorNot wrote: post #8
daseiner1 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If wanting to reduce menial tasks in my life is classist, then sign me up.

You're on a website of software developers. Our entire job description is to eliminate white collar work. Not a lot of secretaries and typists anymore. Less and less classic sysadmins as well.

Not entirely clear to me how that’s relevant. I merely disagree with valorization of menial work and the people who do it.

Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#18

Post by monero-xmr »

If you are grounded in religious faith, your whole life won’t revolve around whatever your job is. The author seems very intertwined with his job and the output.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t analyze the meaning of your work, but he seems fairly un-anchored

Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#19

Post by metadat »

shrimp_emoji wrote: post #14
daseiner1 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If wanting to reduce menial tasks in my life is classist, then sign me up.

Girl, same. I am never going to the grocery store again. Thank god for the economic underclass willing to do delivery. They're like the plankton of the economic ecosystem. Without them, it all falls apart. Sad but necessary. But, as karma, delivery will eventually be the only job left for all of us, until we get deep enough into Moravec's paradox for that to eventually be automated too.

Moravec's Paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravec%27s_paradox

Re: 6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

#20

Post by et-al »

BLKNSLVR wrote: post #5

Great summation of how it looks (and smells) from the outside. The only thing that jarred me out of furious agreement was this line: > At least I have my integrity. And I may be throwing stones from a glass house but, in my opinion, they have 6 months of integrity on a backdrop of of years of quite specific non-integrity. Exiting the speeding-train-with-no-brakes saves you. Helping to stop the train has at least the…

It’s easy to wax poetic about integrity when you got a few million in the bank.
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