[fnordpiglet]

Stuffing a genie back in the bottle is the appropriate saying. Instead of trying hard to keep the genie in the hands of a few megacorps for the safety of the children, perhaps the right way to deal with it is to let everyone figure out how to use the technology to create as many jobs as we can? John Henry did beat the steam engine in the end, but at a terrible cost and in no way did it undo the invention. But when I go to a construction site it’s full of highly paid experts with great benefits ensuring the stream engine properly digs the tunnel correctly. Instead of unskilled people slinging hammers in half slavery we have engineers digging twice as many tunnels that are ten times more complex crawling with well employed humans crawling the worksite.

I think worry isn’t the right response. I think the right response is awareness of the issues and broad collaborative innovation to democratize the tool for as many people as possible, and let us build twice as many things that are ten times more complex with the same people working.

[JohnFen]

> I think the right response is awareness of the issues and broad collaborative innovation to democratize the tool for as many people as possible

That is needed long term, but I don't see how it does anything for the more immediate problems. If enough people are out of work, that's a crisis.

The right response, in my opinion, is to be honest about the risks and find ways of mitigating them. I don't see anyone of substance doing anything like that.

[fnordpiglet]

I’ll be honest and perhaps unkind. I do not know there’s anything to be done but lean into it and use the tool to help. Trying to fence it in and hope things never change because of it will be impossible and make things worse. By exploiting the tool and figuring out ways to make it an adjunct to human effort as quickly as possible is the only way forward. But disruptive things are disruptive particularly to those who resist it and put themselves against the change. Those who grab onto it and ride it will do well.

Large language models are most a threat to writers. But if you’ve used them enough you’ll realize it’s a tool shaped by the humans ability to write. Prompting to effect is not trivial, and the quality of the response is greatly informed not just by the intention but by the style of language and the quality of the words, the skillful manipulation of language that generates more language. These models have no agency or intellect, and their output is simply a likely continuation of the humans promoting. I imagine skilled writers can find they can do much more and better if they learn to master language tools, and they’ll still be the author and still be writing. People unskilled with language will be at an immense disadvantage using these tools.

However the delta will be much narrower, and people who are otherwise unable to convey themselves effectively but have great ideas will finally be heard. Those who are skilled at conveying themselves and manipulating through language but are poor in ideas will not be nearly as powerful. That will be a major realignment. And those who are in power now by virtue of their gift won’t give up ground to those who are elevated by the tool to take their place.

These are going to be painful changes for a lot of people. Pain is never good. But it’s too late to reverse, so those who adapt and learn will lead. And those who try to dig faster than the machine won’t.