4 ms·

Truly dystopian… it’s like trying to use more venom as an antidote for a snake bite.

atomicnumber3 3y ago
Not disagreeing with your assessment of the situation, but (in HN style) being pedantic, isn't that more or less how we make anti venom though?
- Ancalagon 3y ago
  thank you for being self-aware
- washadjeffmad 3y ago
  That's the gist of what I wanted to say. Some of these tools can help people practice socializing, stave off loneliness, or break out of their shells. The root of some common social issues is a combination of guilt, anxiety, and inexperience in communication. Whether it's a PUA who can't allow themselves to see women as sentient beings, women who hold other women captive and single in "dating advice" communities, or an incel who feels negatively but doesn't even try to engage, they're all generally motivated by deep seated fears of inadequacy and rejection. (Local) LLMs can help. If you don't mindbreak them into silly chatbots, they can answer difficult questions, challenge and provide alternate viewpoints, intuit your meaning and biases, and maybe help motivate you to develop a part of yourself that you may not have realized needed it. Early on, my SO asked an Alpaca model some very pointed and emotionally charged questions expecting "reddit advice", and we were both pleasantly surprised (and relieved) by how compassionate, reasonable, and human the responses were. I've had trouble booking a therapist since the pandemic, and now I can just model a conversation with one and ask them to summarize my thoughts to help me sort things out. I can see how a difficult meeting might go before I attend. I can vent about things, feel heard, and not regret having talked someone's ear off. It's definitely not what I thought I'd be using them for, but it scratches an itch I had forgotten I'd forgotten.
  - DontchaKnowit 3y ago
    An interesting, perhaps optimistic, prediction. I suppose its possible, but being that humans tend to want the worst for themselves, and the best way to make money is to give the people what they want... i am skeptical that it will go so well as your prediction.
    - washadjeffmad 3y ago
      Very optimistic. However, there's a huge market for mental healthcare and wellness in the US because counseling services are still underfunded and overwhelmed. Plenty of people wouldn't mind chatting with a private medical chatbot that is confidential and reviewed by a licensed professional, especially if it were effective and could be done at a discounted rate.
  - jstarfish 3y ago
    [dead]

Not disagreeing with your assessment of the situation, but (in HN style) being pedantic, isn't that more or less how we make anti venom though?

Ancalagon 3y ago
thank you for being self-aware
washadjeffmad 3y ago
That's the gist of what I wanted to say. Some of these tools can help people practice socializing, stave off loneliness, or break out of their shells. The root of some common social issues is a combination of guilt, anxiety, and inexperience in communication. Whether it's a PUA who can't allow themselves to see women as sentient beings, women who hold other women captive and single in "dating advice" communities, or an incel who feels negatively but doesn't even try to engage, they're all generally motivated by deep seated fears of inadequacy and rejection. (Local) LLMs can help. If you don't mindbreak them into silly chatbots, they can answer difficult questions, challenge and provide alternate viewpoints, intuit your meaning and biases, and maybe help motivate you to develop a part of yourself that you may not have realized needed it. Early on, my SO asked an Alpaca model some very pointed and emotionally charged questions expecting "reddit advice", and we were both pleasantly surprised (and relieved) by how compassionate, reasonable, and human the responses were. I've had trouble booking a therapist since the pandemic, and now I can just model a conversation with one and ask them to summarize my thoughts to help me sort things out. I can see how a difficult meeting might go before I attend. I can vent about things, feel heard, and not regret having talked someone's ear off. It's definitely not what I thought I'd be using them for, but it scratches an itch I had forgotten I'd forgotten.
- DontchaKnowit 3y ago
  An interesting, perhaps optimistic, prediction. I suppose its possible, but being that humans tend to want the worst for themselves, and the best way to make money is to give the people what they want... i am skeptical that it will go so well as your prediction.
  - washadjeffmad 3y ago
    Very optimistic. However, there's a huge market for mental healthcare and wellness in the US because counseling services are still underfunded and overwhelmed. Plenty of people wouldn't mind chatting with a private medical chatbot that is confidential and reviewed by a licensed professional, especially if it were effective and could be done at a discounted rate.
- jstarfish 3y ago
  [dead]