[coffeefirst]

That’s the point.

AI marketing is dystopian. They describe a world where most people are suddenly starving and homeless, and just when you start to think “hey this sounds like the conditions to create something like a French Revolution but where Bastille is a data center” they pivot to BUY MY PRODUCT SO YOU DON'T GET LEFT BEHIND.

It’s advertising straight through the amygdala.

I have no idea if they actually believe this. But it’s repulsive behavior.

[almostdeadguy]

I'm legitimately terrified by these people, and seriously worried now that this is not just hype and that they truly don't care about what will happen. And that they may use these models to insulate themselves from the consequences when that time comes.

The fact that Nick Land has taken hold as a philosopher in some circles in Silicon Valley truly scares me: https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-faith-of-nick-land/

[gom_jabbar]

Nick Land is arguably the most influential philosopher in SV (at least over the past 3 years). Marc Andreessen's acknowledgment of Land in his 2023 The Techno-Optimist Manifesto has brought his underground influence more to the surface.

Land's explicit anti-humanism can be repulsive to some on first encounter, but some of his ideas -- e.g. about the identity of capitalism and AI, the autonomization of capital, the technological singularity as capitalism's inherent teleology -- are interesting and can provide a very unique perspective.

It's also important to note that he tends to resonate more with creative types. Historically, these were mostly artists. Today, they are also founders (who are psychometrically similar to artists at the population level).

[almostdeadguy]

Congrats, guy who shows up to every post about Nick Land. Fuck your fascist hero.

[coffeefirst]

Jesus Fucking Christ I don’t know what I was expecting when I looked this up but it definitely was not open rejection of freedom/western civilization.

[KellyCriterion]

EXCELLENT analogy! :-) ++1

>French Revolution but where Bastille is a data center”<