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For some people, including me, a big part of the enjoyment comes from thinking that I could become one of the best in [my region/my country/the world] at a part

For some people, including me, a big part of the enjoyment comes from thinking that I could become one of the best in [my region/my country/the world] at a particular skill. Maybe I'm more competitive than the average person, but I'm sure that there are millions of people out there that feel the same way as me. And I think that when we realize that we're not the dominant species in the planet anymore, it's going to be a big emotional shock to a lot of people. We need to feel superior, or at least we need the possibility of being superior.

ShamelessC 4y ago
Here’s something - for every “best” person in a given field, there is almost certainly several other people alive who could perform similarly but didn’t have the same opportunities. In your given scenario, there are _already_ so-called “losers” who lose “fairly”, but also lots of “losers” who really shouldn’t have lost. Did you ever consider any of those people before this? Don’t you think they’ve been similarly depressed by the unfair advantages it seems others have in life? How is that _at all_ different from being inferior to an automatic process, in terms of the impact, and why are you only worrying about this issue now that it’s more likely to effect your chances specifically? Is it possible that viewing the world through a competitive lens is toxic? That humans should seek out happiness rather than awards? Peace rather than conflict? I’m not saying it isn’t going to be hard for people to readjust. But certainly, the notion that “I’m gonna be the best” is something that results in a more toxic world, AI or no.
jancsika 4y ago
> We need to feel superior, or at least we need the possibility of being superior. As far as I know, Jimmy Hendrix never got depressed due to an inability to make those distorted guitar effects using only his mouth. These large language models are instruments. While I'm uneasy about camping out feeding data to a prompt controlled by a company I know nearly nothing about, I'm certainly excited by the prospect of playing with a decent local, low-octane open source version. To not play with these things out of a feeling of inferiority seems like the height of vanity to me. Either that, or a signal that someone didn't get a decent liberal arts education.
hnick 4y ago
But there are also sub-divisions. In most sports, the best female athlete knows she won't ever beat the best male athlete, so they generally compete in separate divisions. I think people will still want to be the best human, even if just outdoing their personal best isn't a good enough reason. No one can run as fast as a motorbike, or a cheetah, but they still run.

ShamelessC 4y ago

Here’s something - for every “best” person in a given field, there is almost certainly several other people alive who could perform similarly but didn’t have the same opportunities. In your given scenario, there are _already_ so-called “losers” who lose “fairly”, but also lots of “losers” who really shouldn’t have lost. Did you ever consider any of those people before this? Don’t you think they’ve been similarly depressed by the unfair advantages it seems others have in life? How is that _at all_ different from being inferior to an automatic process, in terms of the impact, and why are you only worrying about this issue now that it’s more likely to effect your chances specifically? Is it possible that viewing the world through a competitive lens is toxic? That humans should seek out happiness rather than awards? Peace rather than conflict? I’m not saying it isn’t going to be hard for people to readjust. But certainly, the notion that “I’m gonna be the best” is something that results in a more toxic world, AI or no.

jancsika 4y ago

> We need to feel superior, or at least we need the possibility of being superior. As far as I know, Jimmy Hendrix never got depressed due to an inability to make those distorted guitar effects using only his mouth. These large language models are instruments. While I'm uneasy about camping out feeding data to a prompt controlled by a company I know nearly nothing about, I'm certainly excited by the prospect of playing with a decent local, low-octane open source version. To not play with these things out of a feeling of inferiority seems like the height of vanity to me. Either that, or a signal that someone didn't get a decent liberal arts education.

hnick 4y ago

But there are also sub-divisions. In most sports, the best female athlete knows she won't ever beat the best male athlete, so they generally compete in separate divisions. I think people will still want to be the best human, even if just outdoing their personal best isn't a good enough reason. No one can run as fast as a motorbike, or a cheetah, but they still run.