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Language models feel currently a bit like blockchain: a solution looking for a problem. But unlike the latter where the actual problems are fairly niche and dep
by college_physics 4y ago
Language models feel currently a bit like blockchain: a solution looking for a problem. But unlike the latter where the actual problems are fairly niche and depend on myriad other constraints, its more likely that language algorithms will be adopted more widely. The question is how. People are currently slotting this tool into "search" (as we have come to know it) as it is obviously information retrieval machinery at its core. But the best, most useful, least risky way of using this may be still forthcoming. Remember that "search" is a very recent concept. Most likely this is just another step towards the long journey of "organizing the world's information" :-)
- wongarsu 4y agoThere is a great need for a better solution to information retrival, a problem we have always struggled to solve at scale. LLMs are being shoehorned into solving it because while they are pretty bad at it, they are much better than anything else we've come up with. There are plenty of other usecases people have identified, but they are overshadowed by the large need people are expressing for better information retrival methods.
- herculity275 4y agoI was recently reminded how in the Harry Potter books random appliances/tools/visual media all have a tiny bit of intelligence and can speak back to you. They typically have no agency and don't appear sentient, but they make the magical world a lot more interactive. I do wonder if the near-short term for LLM adoption looks a bit like that.
- college_physics 4y agothe experience with voice assistants seems to suggest that lowering expectations would be a good thing, as people are both gullible and ready to believe in magic and quickly come to get disappointed by fake magicians. alas lowering expectations is exactly the opposite of VC culture.