RiotNrrd2001 t1_j8tgtrp wrote on February 16, 2023 at 8:54 PM

Paradigm-breaking shifts were something of the norm for most of the twentieth century. We've been at the top of that S-curve for a lot longer than I personally like . And personally I prefer the rapid pace of change that I myself witnessed between the 1960s and roughly mid-September of 2001, at which point "progress" became more "refinement of what we already have" (smartphones being nothing more than small computers, for example), than groundbreaking new additions.

Finally we have something new. I'm happy to see it. Right now our culture seems to have a lot of problems, and to be honest, I don't see how things can change without things changing, if you understand what I'm saying. We can't improve things AND keep everything the same at the same time. The AI stuff is the face of change, but again... that's something those of us in the older generations were kind of used to and haven't been seeing a lot of for a while. "Apps" don't count.

Don't be a square, man. The times they be a'changin'.

wastedtime32 OP t1_j8trcmc wrote on February 16, 2023 at 9:59 PM

I don’t want a static world. But even at my young age I’ve become jaded and I know how this technology will be exploited. The vision of those who are creating it will not be how it turns out. The “problems” you refer to have a lot to do with modern technology. I’m not necessarily a decelerationist, but I don’t see how diving in even deeper is going to help us. I agree this is a reckoning point in human history, but I think we need to STOP going in the direction we have been and find a new one. AI is the next step on that road and I see nothing but trouble. It all seems so misguided to me. But then again, all this tech is simply the product of market competition. It’s designed for a certain task, it’s in its nature. I say fuck that nature, we need to embrace the real one. That doesn’t mean primitivism. It means we use tech to peruse human desires, but within an ethical framework compatible with the natural world.

RiotNrrd2001 t1_j8tuud6 wrote on February 16, 2023 at 10:21 PM

What you've said is true about ALL new technologies.

More people were killed by motorcars than by buggies; obviously the internal combustion engine was a mistake. Airplanes can crash from great heights: mankind obviously wasn't meant for altitudes in excess of the nearest climbable mountain, and ALSO: bombs. And no one was ever electrocuted until mass electrification occurred; piping lightning directly into our homes is just asking for fires.

Movies are awesome! Also, they can be used for mass propaganda. As can that dang printing press. No printing presses, no Mein Kampf, so maybe that ought to be looked into.

My point is that yes, all new technology has a potential for causing damage and for being misused. We should definitely be conscious of those things. But that doesn't mean we need to stop development. What we need to be is aware.