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by mysterydip 2684 days ago
I think the sooner this kind of thing gets out in the open, the sooner sites being propped up in valuation based on fake users today can change.

On another note, think back to how general people responded to things like Eliza and other chatbots, or the sims and other emergent storytelling games. What if there was a "social media" platform where all your connections were purposely AI, like your own personal TV sitcom/drama/comedy/whatever. Surroubd yourself with people who think like you that you can finally have "intelligent discussions" with without heated arguments from all the idiots who disagree. People love gossip; what if you had an endless supply from fake people? "You'll never believe what Frank said to Janice!" "I thought Bob and Alice would be together forever."
3 comments
arcturus17 2684 days ago
A social media that is part Her, part Westworld. I think that could be a multi billion dollar idea.
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ccozan 2684 days ago
Arguably, this is the best and the worst idea I've ever heard on HN.
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sanxiyn 2684 days ago
A novel by William Hertling titled "Kill Process" follows the story of a startup building such a social media. It is depicted in the positive light.
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PavlovsCat 2684 days ago
> And in her ears the little Seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight, and an electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talking coming in.

-- Ray Bradbury, "Fahrenheit 451" (1953)

> Having lived through the horrors of the pre-smartphone days

> the agonizing pain of [..] standing in line at a grocery store

-- HN, 2017 ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15912378 )

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kkarakk 2684 days ago
"intelligent discussions" with things that have the biases of their creators? no matter what you do that will filter in, guess we truly are heading towards an age where the engineer decides what society [will] think
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mysterydip 2684 days ago
I'm not saying it's a good idea, but from my experiences on social media (forums, mailing lists, chat rooms, and the modern facebook/twitter/etc), most people want an echo chamber, surrounded by people who can discuss whatever event but generally agree with their opinion.
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