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

There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

kottke.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 87 posts

Re: There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

#51

Post by AlecSchueler »

ashfTq6 wrote: post #44
jstummbillig wrote: post #32

Contrary to the chorus, I find this mad episode in our history has been going surprisingly well. I mean, it's a lot to process and the speed is ludicrous. What did we expect? What is the baseline? 80% approval in face of unprecedented uncertainty? We are adjusting, we talk about things. I hope we will keep doing that.

AI has ruined blogs, programming, killed girls in Iran and is used as an excuse for firing people. And you think it is going surprisingly well? It isn't. People are beginning to wake up now from their propaganda-induced sleep during the first three years. It is always the same. People are trusting and initially believe the con artists.

Don't forget deepfake harassment and spreading misinformation.

Re: There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

#52

Post by throwthrowuknow »

silver_silver wrote: post #24
rhubarbtree wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect there is an unspoken factor here, which is that business leaders are not impressed by the WFH silent quitting attitude of junior staff, they’re happy to replace them with AI, and they don’t have sympathy because “yet another thing is hard.” I’ve seen the silent quitting attitude in a workplace and it is toxic. OTOH young people have had a lot to deal with, and social media is damaging their mental health. O…

This reads like an avocado toast critique. Businesses which respect their staff, particularly junior staff, are few and far in between. Why should anyone not “silently quit” when the attitude of their employer is to extract as much value for the lowest cost before a round of layoffs?

because they do it even when they have a good job with ample pay and respect

Re: There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

#53

Post by jeisc »

Technology is a side effect and distraction from the real problems of matter and the ones which matter. Democracy is not a guarantee of making the right choices nor is theocracy nor is any form of government. We are driven blindly ever forward by our nature to survive the following common factors: hunger, thirst and exposure.

Re: There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

#54

Post by throwthrowuknow »

ramon156 wrote: post #28
rhubarbtree wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect there is an unspoken factor here, which is that business leaders are not impressed by the WFH silent quitting attitude of junior staff, they’re happy to replace them with AI, and they don’t have sympathy because “yet another thing is hard.” I’ve seen the silent quitting attitude in a workplace and it is toxic. OTOH young people have had a lot to deal with, and social media is damaging their mental health. O…

OTOOOH its very naive to think that "quitting social media" is the solution. The earth is rotting from us leeching from it, there is no future for these juniors, and we're on the verge of more war and destruction, fascism, et cetera. There is nothing for them to build towards, other than the typical House, wife and kids, which will be in the same boat. Knowing this, if someone comes up to you and says "yeah, well, yo…

that attitude is a direct result of having your neuroticism farmed by social media

Re: There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

#55

Post by camillomiller »

arjie wrote: post #34
camillomiller wrote: post #7

Wait a minute, the Future of Truth is a book by Werner Herzog... Did this guy published a book with the same title? Why?

This is not uncommon. Indeed, one should find it surprising if book names were routinely globally unique. Some famous dupes are Twilight, and Foundation, and Invisible Man.

I mean, I undersand that. I have two "on writing" on my bookshelf next to each other... but Werner Herzog's has the exact same topic and premise, plus is from a person that is immensely more famous than you, which means your book will be invisible with that title to any search.

Re: There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

#56

Post by sweezyjeezy »

arowthway wrote: post #42
devsda wrote: post #10

The commencement/graduating speeches including AI in the video at the end are infuriating. The message from people giving those speeches is literally "deal with it" and how tone deaf do they have to be to patronize those booing students with "I understand your fear". The graduation episode where the AI readout missing some student names and then the college saying "we used AI to readout and some names were missed. We…

I know calling anti-AI people luddites was considered a shallow strawman in 2024 but now I can't help but feel this position of "we should maybe slow down the developement and adoption of new tech to protect jobs / social order / the old way of life" fits luddism well?

I agree - but it's too easy to just 'call Luddism', and use the insult to not engage with all of the shared issues that make the comparison apt. Issues like:

- no serious plan for mass unemployment

- the risk of an underemployed middle class leading to violent outcomes as it has in the past

- (many) humans wanting to be useful, to have purpose in life and a place to put their natural ambition

- concentration of economic power in the hands of an ever-shrinking pool of people, from a couple of countries making up 20% of the world population

Luddism came from a place of genuine suffering and fear, which was not misplaced - the industrial revolution lead to amazing new jobs, but not for the Luddites themselves. With AI it's not even clear if those new jobs will come - it seems like the goal is a world where humans will not need to worry about thinking anymore.

So is wanting this to slow down really such a ridiculous notion?

Re: There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

#58

Post by soupspaces »

camillomiller wrote: post #55
arjie wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not uncommon. Indeed, one should find it surprising if book names were routinely globally unique. Some famous dupes are Twilight, and Foundation, and Invisible Man.

I mean, I undersand that. I have two "on writing" on my bookshelf next to each other... but Werner Herzog's has the exact same topic and premise, plus is from a person that is immensely more famous than you, which means your book will be invisible with that title to any search.

[dead]

Re: There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

#59

Post by rhubarbtree »

silver_silver wrote: post #24
rhubarbtree wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect there is an unspoken factor here, which is that business leaders are not impressed by the WFH silent quitting attitude of junior staff, they’re happy to replace them with AI, and they don’t have sympathy because “yet another thing is hard.” I’ve seen the silent quitting attitude in a workplace and it is toxic. OTOH young people have had a lot to deal with, and social media is damaging their mental health. O…

This reads like an avocado toast critique. Businesses which respect their staff, particularly junior staff, are few and far in between. Why should anyone not “silently quit” when the attitude of their employer is to extract as much value for the lowest cost before a round of layoffs?

Well, the workplace I referred to was very kind and supportive of staff. Even people who left later sent messages saying it was the best treatment they’d ever had.

So not the reason in this case.

And I personally know another company that seems similar.

Re: There's no earthly way of knowing which direction we are going

#60

Post by rhubarbtree »

throwthrowuknow wrote: post #52
silver_silver wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reads like an avocado toast critique. Businesses which respect their staff, particularly junior staff, are few and far in between. Why should anyone not “silently quit” when the attitude of their employer is to extract as much value for the lowest cost before a round of layoffs?

because they do it even when they have a good job with ample pay and respect

Certainly true in this case.
Post reply on HN