Hofstadter was an early and lasting influence on me too. The most consistent thing in his writing is a sense of intellectual joy, playfulness, and curiosity. Wh

Hofstadter was an early and lasting influence on me too. The most consistent thing in his writing is a sense of intellectual joy, playfulness, and curiosity. When tools or toys are venues for people to create those experiences he's excited about them, and that was the position of "AI" for most of his career. He now perceives AI to be a tool that will limit, deny, or replace these feelings & experiences, and so has shifted his relationship to its potential. I'm slightly surprised that he sees AI this way, but not at all surprised this is how he feels about it given that he does. I think it's too early to say if he's right but his feelings are certainly consistent with his views and long history of playful curiosity.