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The entire conversation shows it’s all security theatre and I am amazed everyone goes along with it so easily. We are talking about a tool - a knife - and ever
by gmerc 3y ago
The entire conversation shows it’s all security theatre and I am amazed everyone goes along with it so easily.
We are talking about a tool - a knife - and everyone is arguing we should sell’s only blunt knifes in our country/the world because people could stab others with it (No it’s not a gun analog; guns don’t have a purpose beside killing) and is discussing progressively more stupid interventions to make the knife not being able to be used intentionally maliciously, basically turning it into a spoon.
We discovered electricity and are now arguing we shouldn’t roll out 220v because people can dig down to the power line, purposely strip the isolation and stick it into granny’s mouth and that causes bad things.
It’s all so damn stupid, performative art lacking the nuance of cost - benefit analysts primarily because the first purveyors of knives decided that focusing the public debate about the knive on the risk of someone maliciously abusing it will allow them to keep the competition from building cheaper knives.
TLDR of the article: Researchers discover resharpening a blunted knife makes it dangerous when stabbed in with. Oh no.
This is basically how humanity creates bullshit jobs - don’t have a nuanced long term view on risk and instead doctor on symptoms.
- Zuiii 3y agoWell put! I'd add this: Let's not beat around the bush: People who control tech companies have certain ideological leanings and would rather not let people with apposing ideological leanings benefit from using this technology in a manner that does not align with their own leanings. However, they don't yet know how to control this technology to achieve this alignment but they also need to innovate and release products lest they fall behind. That's why they employ "safety researchers" (bullshit job) and lobby governments to dull their knives. They can't rely on normal alignment methods alone because the "others" will also be able to use it to realign their models. Bullshit jobs and government is all they have. And regarding why they wont take a balanced and nuanced look at this tech, I believe they have and they don't like the change in power balance it brings.
- gmerc 3y agoI think it’s not ideological. It’s just greed. Rent seeking is all these people want in the end and for that they need it controlled. Safety research is not a bullshit job - it’s good that these models have safety such as not randomly jumping you with rape fantasies in the midst of financial discussions (hi Alpaca). It’s the whole security theatre posturing that’s the problem. We can have regulation that says don’t store knives at child accessibility and it makes the world a safer place but this research is about deliberately plunging a knife into your hand and complaining it’s not blunt enough