[legendofbrando]

I’m not equivocating AI to these inventions, but imagine if this dour, pessimistic outlook greeted electricity, the combustion engine, the car? New things aren’t immediately valuable and come with all kinds of tradeoffs. We would hardly recognize our lives without these things now and - even though they come at great cost - no serious person would have given that progress up.

It’s fair that “we” (the collective human race) have been too optimistic about new things and too sanguine about the cost. That’s why climate change is as bad as it is. That’s why having everyone plugged into social networks makes us sad.

This constant stream of pessimism that started in the 10’s for everything (tech, any institutions, the world) etc is just so..small seeming. Complaining like this makes none of these things better and the ideas expressed in this piece are far from unique. So as criticism goes it fails to even meet that definition.

So why even do it? To feel cool I guess to other people who think being pessimistic about everything is cool?

We’re coming up on a decade plus of this prevailing dour attitude and not a single bit of it has helped forestall anything. Maybe we try a new approach where we treat new things as things to be improved when they’re at the beginning (and therefore most able to be shaped). Maybe we try being cautiously optimistic?

[skydhash]

If you look at the history of these inventions, you'll find that the people who've been working on them recognized the limitations at the heart of these criticisms. Even today, it's more a question of tradeoffs where we try to minimize the negative impacts. But if you look at the tech world, there is no such philosophy. It's all about growth, being barely legal, and trying to ignore the negative aspects. All the points listed in the article is true, but there's been no answer other than "give me money".

[silverquiet]

> Am I out of touch? No. It's the children who are wrong.

Maybe the reason people are pessimistic about technology is because it sucks. You note that it started in the 10's and I'm inclined to agree (the 90's were amazing for techno optimism), so what changed?

[skydhash]

Opinion based: It's the focus on growth and not bettering the service. Even Apple who has been constantly focused on experience is trying to lock users in with "We know better than you" as an explanation. Windows XP, 7, and even Vista, has tried to provide an operating system so that the users can utilize their tools. I'm not against business trying to make a profit. I'm very much for it. But more often than not, engaging in a transaction with tech companies feels like doing shady deals in a dark alley, wondering if you're not selling your soul.

[CharlesW]

> I’m not equivocating AI to these inventions, but imagine if this dour, pessimistic outlook greeted electricity, the combustion engine, the car?

It did — all of those inventions had their fair share of opponents. Some of the naysayers simply didn't like change, while others had a pretty good understanding of the negative side effects of mass adoption. https://dangerousminds.net/comments/100_years_ago_some_peopl...