[verdverm]

I'll be frank, tried this with a few other people recently and they

1. Open this line of debate similar to you (i.e. the way you ask, the tone you use)

2. Were not interested in actual debate

3. Moved the goalposts repeatedly

Based on past experience entertaining inquisitors, I will not be this time.

[libraryofbabel]

Yeah. At this point, at the start of 2026, people that are taking these sorts of positions with this sort of tone tend to have their identity wrapped up in wanting AI to fail or go away. That’s not conducive to a reasoned discussion.

There are a whole range of interesting questions here that it’s possible to have a nuanced discussion about, without falling into AI hype and while maintaining a skeptical attitude. But you have to do it from a place of curiosity rather than starting with hatred of the technology and wishing for it to be somehow proved useless and fade away. Because that’s not going to happen now, even if the current investment bubble pops.

[verdverm]

wholehearted agreement

If anything, I see this moment as one where we can unshackle ourselves from the oligarchs and corporate overlords. The two technologies are AI and ATProto, I work on both now to give sovereignty back to we the people

[somebehemoth]

> I see this moment as one where we can unshackle ourselves from the oligarchs and corporate overlords.

For me, modern AI appears to be controlled entirely by oligarchs and corporate overlords already. Some of them are the same who already shackled us. This time will not be different, in my opinion.

I like your optimism.

[CamperBob2]

It's already different. Spend some time on /r/localllama, for example.