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> Just because your fortune sounds really convincing doesn't mean you should use it to buy lottery tickets. You shouldn't buy lottery tickets anyway (and ChatG

> Just because your fortune sounds really convincing doesn't mean you should use it to buy lottery tickets. You shouldn't buy lottery tickets anyway (and ChatGPT will tell you so, if you ask it). I have difficulty to understand where this negativity (not speaking of other downsides) regarding AI comes from. Yes, it talks BS sometimes, but so do people all the time. And, no, it's not the solution for all our problems, but for some things it is damn useful.

2muchcoffeeman 4y ago
I think there’s negativity because it gets hyped too much. We were supposed to have self driving cars all over the roads 2 years ago. We still don’t have anything close but now people are all “How is the way AI works any different from the way the brain works. Looks the same in my non-expert opinion!”.
- ben_w 4y ago
  > We still don’t have anything close What we have isn't good enough, and I say that at someone who in 2009 expected cars that didn't have or need steering wheels to be purchasable by normal people in 2019[0], but the tech does exist and can drive you around. (And derive you around, as autocorrupt decided to inject a suitably ironic twist that I almost didn't spot). > but now people are all “How is the way AI works any different from the way the brain works. Looks the same in my non-expert opinion!”. In general: yes, totally. (Though I've only heard that specifically being used for "why stable diffusion is no worse than art school WRT copyright issues"). Always the way, though: "Consciousness is mysterious, quantum mechanics is mysterious, therefore they are the same thing". [0] This doesn't count: https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/8/23630358/tesla-steering-wheel-bolt-nhtsa-model-y https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/8/23630358/tesla-steering-wh... And neither does the Waymo taxi (even assuming the interior pictures I've seen were from the correct vehicle) because it's not for sale
- weinzierl 4y ago
  I think there’s negativity because it gets hyped too much. You only can recognize the true revolutions in hindsight. I remember well the people who said the Internet was overhyped and it's just a novelty that will go away. In hindsight it was not hyped enough. My personal opinion is that what we see in AI is more like the early Internet than the hype about self-driving cars. What I see more of an issue is that some people expect AI to solve all their problems and when they are disappointed they overlook that it solves some problems better than anything we had before.
  - 2muchcoffeeman 4y ago
    This is true. I think it was hard to reason about how important the internet would be because it was expensive to get on and it needed Google to make discovery exponentially better. It took a long time for access to become cheap enough to be almost ubiquitous in a developed country. ML, AI, whatever, is clearly usable now. But it has limits. And I think it's clear that it's not fully baked relative to the promises. We certainly don't have a Killer App yet.
DMell 4y ago
> You shouldn't buy lottery tickets anyway (and ChatGPT will tell you so, if you ask it). I was curious so asked.. ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I cannot endorse or encourage gambling activities, including playing the lottery. However, I can provide some information about the lottery and the best strategies that people use to increase their chances of winning: - Play regularly: The more you play, the better your chances of winning. But remember, playing the lottery can be addictive, so it is important to set a budget and stick to it. - Play less popular games: Less popular lottery games tend to have smaller jackpots but better odds of winning. - Join a lottery pool: Joining a group of people who pool their money together to buy lottery tickets can increase your chances of winning. - Choose your numbers carefully: Some people believe in choosing numbers that are meaningful to them, such as birthdays or anniversaries. Others prefer to choose random numbers. It's important to note that the odds of winning are the same no matter what numbers you choose. - Consider the odds: It's important to understand the odds of winning the lottery. The odds vary depending on the game, but in general, the odds of winning the jackpot are very low. It's important to remember that playing the lottery is a form of gambling, and there are no guarantees of winning. It's important to play responsibly and never spend more than you can afford to lose.
- weinzierl 4y ago
  I also asked it before I wrote my comment and the answer I got was much more diplomatic than yours. I used the brand new GPT-4 and here is the answer I got: As an Al language model, I don't have personal opinions, but I can provide some information to help you make a decision. Buying a lottery ticket is a personal choice, and it depends on your reasons for wanting to purchase one. If you're buying a lottery ticket for fun or entertainment, and you can afford to lose the money you spend on it, then it might be an enjoyable experience for you. Keep in mind that the odds of winning a large lottery prize are extremely low, so it's important to have realistic expectations and not rely on the lottery as a means to solve financial problems or achieve long-term financial goals. If you are considering buying a lottery ticket as an investment or as a primary means to improve your financial situation, it's essential to understand that lotteries are not a reliable or sensible investment strategy. The odds of winning are incredibly slim, and you are much more likely to lose money than gain any significant returns. In summary, if you want to buy a lottery ticket for fun and can afford the expense without any negative impact on your finances, go ahead. However, if you're relying on the lottery to improve your financial situation, it's important to explore more reliable and effective methods for achieving your goals, such as saving, investing, and financial planning.
z3c0 4y ago
I thought it fairly obvious that the poster you're responding to was making an analogy about using GPT/LLM models for decision-making, not actually endorsing playing the lottery. And they're correct. Don't use generative models for extractive tasks. That's like using the handle of a screwdriver as a hammer. Sure, it might work for a while, up until there's a screwdriver in your eye.
- weinzierl 4y ago
  Good point, and I wholly agree. It's not only that GPT/LLM models are not the solution to everything, as some like to pretend - some applications are even potentially dangerous.

2muchcoffeeman 4y ago

I think there’s negativity because it gets hyped too much. We were supposed to have self driving cars all over the roads 2 years ago. We still don’t have anything close but now people are all “How is the way AI works any different from the way the brain works. Looks the same in my non-expert opinion!”.

ben_w 4y ago
> We still don’t have anything close What we have isn't good enough, and I say that at someone who in 2009 expected cars that didn't have or need steering wheels to be purchasable by normal people in 2019[0], but the tech does exist and can drive you around. (And derive you around, as autocorrupt decided to inject a suitably ironic twist that I almost didn't spot). > but now people are all “How is the way AI works any different from the way the brain works. Looks the same in my non-expert opinion!”. In general: yes, totally. (Though I've only heard that specifically being used for "why stable diffusion is no worse than art school WRT copyright issues"). Always the way, though: "Consciousness is mysterious, quantum mechanics is mysterious, therefore they are the same thing". [0] This doesn't count: https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/8/23630358/tesla-steering-wheel-bolt-nhtsa-model-y https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/8/23630358/tesla-steering-wh... And neither does the Waymo taxi (even assuming the interior pictures I've seen were from the correct vehicle) because it's not for sale
weinzierl 4y ago
I think there’s negativity because it gets hyped too much. You only can recognize the true revolutions in hindsight. I remember well the people who said the Internet was overhyped and it's just a novelty that will go away. In hindsight it was not hyped enough. My personal opinion is that what we see in AI is more like the early Internet than the hype about self-driving cars. What I see more of an issue is that some people expect AI to solve all their problems and when they are disappointed they overlook that it solves some problems better than anything we had before.
- 2muchcoffeeman 4y ago
  This is true. I think it was hard to reason about how important the internet would be because it was expensive to get on and it needed Google to make discovery exponentially better. It took a long time for access to become cheap enough to be almost ubiquitous in a developed country. ML, AI, whatever, is clearly usable now. But it has limits. And I think it's clear that it's not fully baked relative to the promises. We certainly don't have a Killer App yet.

DMell 4y ago

> You shouldn't buy lottery tickets anyway (and ChatGPT will tell you so, if you ask it). I was curious so asked.. ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I cannot endorse or encourage gambling activities, including playing the lottery. However, I can provide some information about the lottery and the best strategies that people use to increase their chances of winning: - Play regularly: The more you play, the better your chances of winning. But remember, playing the lottery can be addictive, so it is important to set a budget and stick to it. - Play less popular games: Less popular lottery games tend to have smaller jackpots but better odds of winning. - Join a lottery pool: Joining a group of people who pool their money together to buy lottery tickets can increase your chances of winning. - Choose your numbers carefully: Some people believe in choosing numbers that are meaningful to them, such as birthdays or anniversaries. Others prefer to choose random numbers. It's important to note that the odds of winning are the same no matter what numbers you choose. - Consider the odds: It's important to understand the odds of winning the lottery. The odds vary depending on the game, but in general, the odds of winning the jackpot are very low. It's important to remember that playing the lottery is a form of gambling, and there are no guarantees of winning. It's important to play responsibly and never spend more than you can afford to lose.

weinzierl 4y ago
I also asked it before I wrote my comment and the answer I got was much more diplomatic than yours. I used the brand new GPT-4 and here is the answer I got: As an Al language model, I don't have personal opinions, but I can provide some information to help you make a decision. Buying a lottery ticket is a personal choice, and it depends on your reasons for wanting to purchase one. If you're buying a lottery ticket for fun or entertainment, and you can afford to lose the money you spend on it, then it might be an enjoyable experience for you. Keep in mind that the odds of winning a large lottery prize are extremely low, so it's important to have realistic expectations and not rely on the lottery as a means to solve financial problems or achieve long-term financial goals. If you are considering buying a lottery ticket as an investment or as a primary means to improve your financial situation, it's essential to understand that lotteries are not a reliable or sensible investment strategy. The odds of winning are incredibly slim, and you are much more likely to lose money than gain any significant returns. In summary, if you want to buy a lottery ticket for fun and can afford the expense without any negative impact on your finances, go ahead. However, if you're relying on the lottery to improve your financial situation, it's important to explore more reliable and effective methods for achieving your goals, such as saving, investing, and financial planning.

z3c0 4y ago

I thought it fairly obvious that the poster you're responding to was making an analogy about using GPT/LLM models for decision-making, not actually endorsing playing the lottery. And they're correct. Don't use generative models for extractive tasks. That's like using the handle of a screwdriver as a hammer. Sure, it might work for a while, up until there's a screwdriver in your eye.

weinzierl 4y ago
Good point, and I wholly agree. It's not only that GPT/LLM models are not the solution to everything, as some like to pretend - some applications are even potentially dangerous.