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I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

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Re: I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

#21

Post by cheschire »

mrbluecoat wrote: post #13

I avoided cell phones too when they first came out. I didn't want the distraction or "digital leash". Now it's a stable fixture in my life. Some technology is simply transformational and is just a matter of time until almost everyone comes to accept it at some level. Time will tell if AI breaks through the hype curve but my gut feeling is it will within 5 years.

smart phones became a fixture because they were a key enabler for dozens of other things like fitness tracking fads, logging into key services, communication methods that were not available on desktop, etc. If AI becomes a key enabler of business, then yeah people won't have a choice.

I expect this will be around the time that websites are no longer a thing and we see companies directly pumping information into AI agents which are then postured as the only mechanism for receiving certain information.

As an example, imagine Fandango becoming such a powerful movie agent that theaters no longer need websites. You don't ask it questions. Instead, it notifies YOU based on what it knows about your schedule, your preferences, your income, etc. Right around 5pm it says "Hey did you know F1 is showing down the street from you at Regal Cinema in IMAX tonight at 7:30? That will give you time to finish your 30 minute commute and pickup your girlfriend! Want me to send her a notification that you want to do this?"

People install a litany of agents on their smartphones, and they train their agents based on their personal preferences etc, and the agents then become the advertisers directly feeding relevant and timely information to you that maximizes your spend.

MCP will probably kill the web as we know it.

Re: I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

#22

Post by ants_everywhere »

My writing style is pretty labor intensive [0]. I go through a lot of drafts and read things out loud to make sure they work well etc. And I tend to have a high standard for making sure I source things.

I personally think an LLM could help with some of this, and this is something I've been thinking about the past few days. But I'd have to build a pipeline and figure out a way to make it amplify what I like about my voice rather than have me speak through its voice.

I used to have a sort of puritanical view of art. And I think a younger version of myself would have been low key horrified at the amount of work in great art that was delegated to assistants. E.g. a sculptor (say Michelangelo) would typically make a miniature to get approval from patrons and the final sculpture would be scaled up. Hopefully for major works, the master was closely involved in the scaling up. But I would bet that for minor works (or maybe even the typical work) assistants did a lot of the final piece.

The same happens (and has always happened) with successful authors. Having assistants do bits here or there. Maybe some research, maybe some corrections, maybe some drafts. Possibly relying on them increasingly as you get later in your career or if you're commercially successful enough to need to produce at greater scale.

I think LLMs will obviously fit into these existing processes. They'll also be used to generate content that is never checked by a human before shipping. I think the right balance is yet to be seen, and there will always be people who insist on more deliberate and slower practices over mass production.

[0] Aside from internet comments of course, which are mostly stream of consciousness.

Re: I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

#23

Post by threatripper »

mrbluecoat wrote: post #13

I avoided cell phones too when they first came out. I didn't want the distraction or "digital leash". Now it's a stable fixture in my life. Some technology is simply transformational and is just a matter of time until almost everyone comes to accept it at some level. Time will tell if AI breaks through the hype curve but my gut feeling is it will within 5 years.

What AI currently lacks is mainly context. A well trained, experienced human knows their reader very well and knows what they don't need to write. And for what they write they know the tone they need to hit. I totally expect that in the future this will totally turn around, the Author will write the facts and framework with the help of AI and your AI will extract and condense it for your consumption. Your AI knows everything about you. Knows everything you ever consumed. Knows how you think and what it needs to tell you in which tone to give you the best experience. You will be informed better than ever before. The future in AI will be bright!

Re: I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

#24

Post by ryeats »

moregrist wrote: post #10
jml78 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not a writer. My oldest son,16, started writing short stories. He did not use AI in any aspect of the words on the page. I did however recommend that he feed his stories and ask a LLM for feedback on things that are confusing, unclear, or holes in the plot. Not to take any words it gives but read what it says and decide if those things are true, if so, make edits. I am not saying it is a great editor but it is b…

Have you looked for: - Writing groups. They often have sessions that provide feedback and also help writers find/build a sense of community. Your son would also get to listen to other writers talk about their work, problems they’ve run into and overcome, and other aspects of their craft. - School (sometimes library) writing workshops. This helps students develop bonds with their peers and helps both students: the one…

The open question is will someone who learns this way actually develope taste and mastery. I think the answer is mixed because some will use it as a crutch but it will also be able to give them a little bit of insight beyond what they could learn by reading and inquisitive minds will be able to grow discerning.

Re: I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

#25

Post by sampl3username »

cheschire wrote: post #21
mrbluecoat wrote: post #13

I avoided cell phones too when they first came out. I didn't want the distraction or "digital leash". Now it's a stable fixture in my life. Some technology is simply transformational and is just a matter of time until almost everyone comes to accept it at some level. Time will tell if AI breaks through the hype curve but my gut feeling is it will within 5 years.

smart phones became a fixture because they were a key enabler for dozens of other things like fitness tracking fads, logging into key services, communication methods that were not available on desktop, etc. If AI becomes a key enabler of business, then yeah people won't have a choice. I expect this will be around the time that websites are no longer a thing and we see companies directly pumping information into AI ag…

>smart phones became a fixture because they were a key enabler for dozens of other things like fitness tracking fads, logging into key services, communication methods that were not available on desktop, etc. If AI becomes a key enabler of business, then yeah people won't have a choice.

This. I need access to banking , maps and 2FA. If I could use a dumb phone, with just a camera, GPS and whatsapp, I would use it.

Re: I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

#27

Post by ryeats »

threatripper wrote: post #19
ryeats wrote: post #14

You know that teammate that makes more work for everyone else on the team because they do what they are asked to do but in the most buggy and incomprehensible way, that when you finally get them to move on to another team and you realize how much time you spent corralling them and fixing their subtle bugs and now when they are gone work doesn't seem like so much of a chore. That's AI.

You sound bitter. Did you try using more AI for the bug fixing? It gets better and better.

My interest tend to be bleeding edge where there is little training data. I do use AI to rubber duck but can rarely use it's output directly.

Re: I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

#28

Post by DavidPiper »

ryeats wrote: post #14

You know that teammate that makes more work for everyone else on the team because they do what they are asked to do but in the most buggy and incomprehensible way, that when you finally get them to move on to another team and you realize how much time you spent corralling them and fixing their subtle bugs and now when they are gone work doesn't seem like so much of a chore. That's AI.

We need to update Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to AI that which is adequately explained by incompetence.

Re: I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

#29

Post by SV_BubbleTime »

jml78 wrote: post #5
mobeets wrote: post #3

I’m with you—-I think you did a good job of summarizing all the places that LLMs are super practical/useful, but agreed that for prose (as someone who considers themselves a proficient writer), it just never seems to contribute anything useful. And those who are not proficient writers, I’m sure it can be helpful, but it certainly doesn’t contribute any new ideas if you’re not providing them.

I am not a writer. My oldest son,16, started writing short stories. He did not use AI in any aspect of the words on the page. I did however recommend that he feed his stories and ask a LLM for feedback on things that are confusing, unclear, or holes in the plot. Not to take any words it gives but read what it says and decide if those things are true, if so, make edits. I am not saying it is a great editor but it is b…

Large Language Model, not Large Fact Model.

Re: I avoid using LLMs as a publisher and writer

#30

Post by IanCal »

jml78 wrote: post #8
zaphod420 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not sad, it's using modern tools to learn. People that don't embrace the future get left behind.

Exactly, I would rather read his stories and discuss them with him. My advice on anything outside of pure opinion is invalid

Having something else help doesn’t preclude reading with them - it also may have better advice. Very rarely is anyone suggesting an all or nothing approach when talking about adding a tool.
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