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Meta’s chaotic AI strategy

wired.com

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Re: Meta’s chaotic AI strategy

#61

Post by sumeno »

SilverElfin wrote: post #30
xnx wrote: post #18

> “It's literally the gulag,” one of the employees claims. “You have zero purpose in life all of a sudden, you barely interact with anyone, you just have these tasks every week." May I be blessed with a life so comfortable that I would be able to complain in such a way.

Yea isn’t that basically all “normal” work? You do tasks and have little ownership or fun. It’s also obviously not “literally” the gulag. Do these children know what a gulag is and what happens there? It’s quite offensive to equate their luxurious spoiled lives with people getting tortured and murdered over politics.

The emphatic literally has been in use for over 300 years, it's time to let it go

Re: Meta’s chaotic AI strategy

#62

Post by qwerpy »

tjwebbnorfolk wrote: post #41
jcgrillo wrote: post #28

For real, though. Why in the fuck do you still work at Facebook? Just quit.

Same reason any of us work: money.

If I had taken a Reddit/HN approved job instead of working at FAANGs for 20 years, I’d be looking at another 20 years of soul crushing work. Instead, I’m retired. Sure you have to roll your eyes at the corporate nonsense sometimes but I’m happy I made that trade-off.

Re: Meta’s chaotic AI strategy

#65

Post by nvme0n1p1 »

rdedev wrote: post #59
xnx wrote: post #18

> “It's literally the gulag,” one of the employees claims. “You have zero purpose in life all of a sudden, you barely interact with anyone, you just have these tasks every week." May I be blessed with a life so comfortable that I would be able to complain in such a way.

Due to "politics" my teams main responsibility went from developing ai agents to just testing out a chat it developed by another team. When you spend 8 hours a day doing mind numbing tasks, tasks that won't help you land another job and is constantly under stress of being fired, its bad for your mental health

Sounds like you already have the skills to automate your new responsibilities.

Re: Meta’s chaotic AI strategy

#66

Post by ComplexSystems »

inopinatus wrote: post #34
epgui wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think everyone deserves to participate in meaningful and dignified work.

That is why I have no sympathy to spare for anyone who chose to work for Zuckerberg's social toilet.

Yes, they certainly should have taken one of the many other jobs that are widely available right now.

Re: Meta’s chaotic AI strategy

#67

Post by nozzlegear »

g023 wrote: post #43
xnx wrote: post #18

> “It's literally the gulag,” one of the employees claims. “You have zero purpose in life all of a sudden, you barely interact with anyone, you just have these tasks every week." May I be blessed with a life so comfortable that I would be able to complain in such a way.

How come people these days treat jobs like its a social gathering?

We are social creatures and naturally want to socialize.

Re: Meta’s chaotic AI strategy

#68

Post by jcgrillo »

qwerpy wrote: post #62
tjwebbnorfolk wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same reason any of us work: money.

If I had taken a Reddit/HN approved job instead of working at FAANGs for 20 years, I’d be looking at another 20 years of soul crushing work. Instead, I’m retired. Sure you have to roll your eyes at the corporate nonsense sometimes but I’m happy I made that trade-off.

Nothing wrong with that in principle, I just can't imagine it. I've never worked at FAANGs, but I have at some pretty closely adjacent outfits (swarming with ex-FAANGs) and 3-4yr is just about the most I can stand before I have to quit (or get myself fired) for a while and reset. Whenever push comes to shove between the medieval politicking and just.. engineering fact, I just can't bring myself to throw what I know to be true and accurate under the wheels of petty nonsense. Surely there must be some middle ground, where companies can grow beyond O(100) people and not lose the plot entirely?

Re: Meta’s chaotic AI strategy

#69

Post by jcgrillo »

hackable_sand wrote: post #64
tjwebbnorfolk wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same reason any of us work: money.

Gas stations pay money They could be truck drivers Like

I quite like welding. Every time a tech job has gotten to the point where it's like "fuck you, fire me or I'll quit" I always fall back on that. If nobody will hire me to program computers, I'm a pretty good fabricator and I can lay down decent welds all day long. MIG, stick, torch, TIG.. whatever you got. It's less money but life isn't all about that.

Re: Meta’s chaotic AI strategy

#70

Post by yallpendantools »

epgui wrote: post #29
kajman wrote: post #7

It sounds like these people would otherwise be laid off if they were not parked in this department instead. I imagine they are quite unhappy, but getting paid 200k+ to do tasks that are usually gig work is hardly the most heart wrenching story in this tech market.

I think everyone deserves to participate in meaningful and dignified work.

From the article, it seems to me they've been "relegated" to coming up with Leetcode problems for AI. Which, let's face it, a bunch of them probably already did before for their SWE interview circus. I can see why they may feel under-employed/under-utilized but aside from the dystopian data gathering, I really find it hard to see what they are complaining about.

The article even admits that their current tasks are easier than before. For the same paycheck! For 200K I will dredge through the most obscure IMO/Leetcode/ICPC problems and the palm of my hands will remain delicately smooth, in danger only of drying from the air conditioning. If there is no meaning and dignity in that I'm sure I'll have plenty leftover from that comp to find meaning and dignity elsewhere be it a side gig, charity work, or heck even just good times with my family and my social circle. A lot of people "just do a job" for much, much less and still live rich inner lives.

Really, an orchestra of small violins playing while I read this one.

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