I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture • Hacker News Board

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#11

Post by jacquesm » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:36 PM UTC

automatic6131 wrote: post #10

A_D_E_P_T wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "article" (I don't know what else to call it; "fantastical screed"?) has also gotten ahead of events a little bit. The operation in Iran doesn't seem like it was planned by a superintelligent AI. It seems as though it was an impulse decision, and poorly thought out at that, with the end result likely to be far worse than its planners anticipated. As for Venezuela, that was literally an inside job, lol.

The hezbollah pagers op, now that was an operation. And I'm willing to bet 99% of the work was done the usual way, many years in the making.

And totally pales when compared to operation spiderweb both in precision and the amount of damage done.

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#12

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:36 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#13

Post by timdiggerm » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:38 PM UTC

automatic6131 wrote: post #2

This is pure delusion. Completely dry of any data, based on vibes and a vague whiff that maybe a chatbot did all the hard work done by hardworking spooks. Effective operations have happened just like this long before chatgpt launched.

The key line "I’m getting a similar sense for the recent US foreign interventions and wars. They all seem to work slightly better than they should."

There is no measurement of efficacy here. It feels like these things are working better because the US military is now doing big public things, but that is not necessarily a good change over not-doing-big-public-things.

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#14

Post by flowerbreeze » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:39 PM UTC

I understand the attempted analogy, but it's more like dealing with AIs that Ferengi have built than with one of the Minds of Culture.

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#15

Post by zer00eyz » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:41 PM UTC

The failure here is to see that the "plan" has been on the books, and being refined for well over 30 years (1979 the Shah is deposed).

This is the JOB of the military... and it has been for a long time. I would think there is even modern version of "war plan red" (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Plan_Red ) somewhere.

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#16

Post by yacin » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:42 PM UTC

not sure i'd lump Iran in with Venezuela here. also far too early for either to say if either will lead to a "win" whatever that means.

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#17

Post by pavlov » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:44 PM UTC

The prize for the most insane take on the Iran War has been awarded to this piece.

Let's see how many days until something else tops it.

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#18

Post by alistairSH » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:44 PM UTC

Or, the US military is just that good. I mean, we spend orders of magnitude more than our closest adversaries, let alone other smaller nations. It should be that good. No AI necessary. Maybe.

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#19

Post by SpaceL10n » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:44 PM UTC

flowerbreeze wrote: post #14

I understand the attempted analogy, but it's more like dealing with AIs that Ferengi have built than with one of the Minds of Culture.

The Ferengi may have funded it, but it was built by Binars...I hope.

Re: I'm Getting a Whiff of Iain Banks' Culture

#20

Post by keybored » Mon, Mar 09, 2026, 4:45 PM UTC

Uninformative title? I’m getting a whiff of AI cont— oh right there it is.

Today it’s how AI is a superpower for the already by-far the most powerful military in the world. Okay sure why not.

In the case of Maduro was that an amazing feat? Massacring the whole bodyguard entourage? Capturing a head of state who might have been a willing accomplice?

How does this square with bombing civilian targets in Iran? Another superhuman stalker-micro move?