Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

hn.curiosity.ai

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 148 posts

Re: It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

#41

Post by loudmax »

I think Amara's law applies: "We overestimate the impact of technology in the short-term and underestimate the effect in the long run."

The development of effective LLMs really feels like a tectonic shift. We're still in the process of working out where they're useful and where they aren't, but it's clear that the number of areas where LLMs are demonstrably useful is quite significant. And this stuff is developing at an explosive pace.

So most of our lives aren't likely to be immediately turned upside down by LLMs. But this stuff is likely to have some impact on all of us. If your livelihood depends on interpreting and producing information, you really ought to be paying attention to these developments.

Re: It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

#42

Post by newswasboring »

dmreedy wrote: post #27
csantini wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see 3 kind of people, all common on HN: - The luddites: it's just hype. - The doomers: AI will kill us all. - The AI indie hackers: dunno about AI, I'm trying to make money with it. Somehow the intersection is right: AI is not really smart, but it will replace a lot of human activity anyhow.

For what it's worth, and at the risk of sounding like I'm nitpicking, traditional Luddism is not dismissal of technology as overhyped or smoke-and-mirrors. Quite the opposite; the technology is recognized as very real and very impactful. The question instead becomes, "what happens to us, the ones it replaces?". And at least in the original incarnation, given an insufficiently satisfying answer, you smash some looms u…

Agreed. That makes the AI will kill us all crowd the real luddites for this topic.

Re: It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

#43

Post by roflyear »

Lendal wrote: post #33
sph wrote: post #3

I know it's controversial during this incredible AI hype cycle on this site, but as a AI skeptic and increasingly neo-Luddite, I've reduced the amount I spend on this site by 90% since the start of the year. If only I could add my userscript on my iOS Firefox to just hide any post containing the words "GPT", "AI" or "LLM", but alas, I guess I will have to be productive instead of slacking off reading HN. I honestly m…

It does feel a bit like Bitcoin hype, in that I know there's something wrong with it but I can't quite put my finger on it or explain it. But this is why it's also likely to last a long time, just like Bitcoin did, because it's so enticing and yet so difficult to articulate exactly what it is that's wrong. I'm at that level where I'm just smart enough to know something is wrong here, but not smart enough to say what…

Partially, it is hard to "prove the negative" in a way.

The real issue and logical fallacy is people are frontrunning the argument: they are making extraordinary claims of either the current capabilities of the tech or future capabilities, without offering evidence beyond "it's obvious!" or "have you tried it?" or "use the latest model, it's much better!" etc.. and maybe they don't realize it, but these are not good-faith conversations/arguments.

So, you can't respond to these - there really isn't anything to respond to, and the person is not conversing in good faith (they are assuming you're unfamiliar with the tech, they are assuming a bunch of things, really), though I do give them the benefit of the doubt and would say they aren't doing this to be trolls, they're just excited about the tech.

Same with BTC, but BTC had some extra benefits: with BTC it had a "dual use" really, the currency made promises "of course BTC is going to take off, it's obvious!" and the tech made promises "wow, can you imagine the uses of a blockchain!?"

I mean, I had my CTO still saying in 2023 that we should use blockchain tech for a CENTRALIZED platform. Unbelievable!

Re: It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

#44

Post by pcf »

fennecfoxy wrote: post #8

"Unavailable" Well of course there is, it's one the most exciting new technologies we've had in a long time. For so many years all the best models could do was identify handwritten digits, then semi-recently identify subjects in photos and now more recently (all of a sudden, really) generate beautiful and detailed images from plain English as well as converse in English and perform a variety of tasks to varying succe…

I totally get where you're coming from, and I'm also excited about the leaps and bounds we're seeing in AI technology, especially with models like ChatGPT. The potential impact across various fields is truly fascinating.

That being said, I think it's important for us to keep a balanced view on these advancements. As awesome as AI is, we should also remember its limitations and the potential risks that come with widespread use. For example, AI models can sometimes produce biased or even harmful outputs, which can lead to real-world problems if we don't address them properly.

Another point to consider is that having so much AI-related content on platforms like Hacker News might create a bit of an "echo chamber" effect. It's easy to get swept up in the AI excitement and lose sight of other equally innovative tech developments. While AI is definitely a hot topic, I think it's also valuable for us to discuss and explore a variety of other tech breakthroughs.

So yeah, AI and ChatGPT are definitely game-changers, and it's no wonder they're getting so much attention. But at the same time, let's not forget to keep an eye on other cool tech breakthroughs happening around us. After all, innovation isn't just about AI, and having diverse conversations helps us all stay informed and excited about the broader tech landscape.

[THE REPLY ABOVE WAS WRITTEN ENTIRELY BY CHATGPT4.]

Re: It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

#45

Post by trundler_ »

My attitude towards AI has gone very negative lately. Like many new technologies, I believe it has great uses and some drawbacks. In the last year, it feels like we have crossed a threshold with AI where we are never going to hear the end of it for years, maybe decades. I am already tired of the cyclical conversations, and it has affected my enjoyment of the technology. Perhaps I should spend less time online.

Re: It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

#46

Post by chongli »

throwaway049 wrote: post #36
unshavedyak wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Somehow the intersection is right: AI is not really smart, but it will replace a lot of human activity anyhow. Which will really show how much busywork we humans do in a lot of areas. If -- before AI is "smart" -- it can impact humanity.. well, i feel it says more about our current society foundations than it does AI heh.

Microsoft is bringing OpenAI into Office 365. I predict no loss of employment in busywork, just a bigger output of boring reports per worker.

“The bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.”

And we thought there was an epidemic of bullshit jobs before! Not only will everyone be spending their days churning out this garbage, but everyone will be forced to read it as well!

This is not the dystopia I had in mind! It’s much more boring and missing the cool mirrored shades.

Re: It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

#47

Post by roflyear »

tnel77 wrote: post #37
Lendal wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does feel a bit like Bitcoin hype, in that I know there's something wrong with it but I can't quite put my finger on it or explain it. But this is why it's also likely to last a long time, just like Bitcoin did, because it's so enticing and yet so difficult to articulate exactly what it is that's wrong. I'm at that level where I'm just smart enough to know something is wrong here, but not smart enough to say what…

I’m sure this is going to make you laugh and/or annoyed, but what about Bitcoin is exactly “wrong?” Curious if after all these years you’ve found the words.

Well, I wouldn't say "what bitcoin got wrong" but rather "what people who were overly hyping bitcoin got wrong"

It hasn't totally played out yet, but it doesn't seem like it is on track to be a currency, and the underlying tech hasn't proven to have a ton of uses beyond crypto currencies.

Not trying to straw man here, just trying to honestly reply to your comment.

Re: It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

#48

Post by gspencley »

dmreedy wrote: post #27
csantini wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see 3 kind of people, all common on HN: - The luddites: it's just hype. - The doomers: AI will kill us all. - The AI indie hackers: dunno about AI, I'm trying to make money with it. Somehow the intersection is right: AI is not really smart, but it will replace a lot of human activity anyhow.

For what it's worth, and at the risk of sounding like I'm nitpicking, traditional Luddism is not dismissal of technology as overhyped or smoke-and-mirrors. Quite the opposite; the technology is recognized as very real and very impactful. The question instead becomes, "what happens to us, the ones it replaces?". And at least in the original incarnation, given an insufficiently satisfying answer, you smash some looms u…

From a historical standpoint, you're spot on.

Neo-Luddism is still opposition to a lot of modern technologies, but for a very disparate set of reasons. For example, many oppose the mass adoption of social media due to perceived mental health and social impacts. Others oppose smart phones and "screen addiction." These things can qualify as "neo-luddism" even though the opposition is not rooted in job displacement.

I've often said that I am myself becoming more and more of a "neo-luddite" but it's purely for personal reasons. I don't want to see social media or smart phones disappear as I couldn't care less about what other people do with their lives. I just find that the older I get, the less I want to use modern tech in general.

It might just be burnout and boredom. I am now middle aged and I've been coding since I was 10. I used to be extremely enthusiastic about technology but as time progresses I have less and less interest in it. The industry in which I have based my entire career just doesn't excite me anymore. Today I just couldn't care less about ChatGPT / "AI" / LLMs, Bitcoin, smart phones, video games, social media, fintech etc. In my free time I find myself doing more things like reading books, going hiking in the backcountry and pursuing craft-related hobbies like performing stage magic with my wife and partner.

Re: It's not only you, there's an explosion of ChatGPT on HN

#49

Post by troad »

sph wrote: post #3

I know it's controversial during this incredible AI hype cycle on this site, but as a AI skeptic and increasingly neo-Luddite, I've reduced the amount I spend on this site by 90% since the start of the year. If only I could add my userscript on my iOS Firefox to just hide any post containing the words "GPT", "AI" or "LLM", but alas, I guess I will have to be productive instead of slacking off reading HN. I honestly m…

I'd dearly love it if HN had tags. I could skip to all the weird quirky gems, and past all the $LATEST_FAD, or - worse - the VC broetry.
Post reply on HN