4 ms·

At least when it comes to apps and software, the term "AI powered" automatically gives me the impression of "bloated crapware" these days! But I'm sure sales fo

by pyeri 2y ago

At least when it comes to apps and software, the term "AI powered" automatically gives me the impression of "bloated crapware" these days! But I'm sure sales folks must be making good use of that term to get more projects and revenues from non-technical or less aware managers.

aikinai 2y ago
Crapware maybe, but I don’t see a correlation between AI and bloat. If anything, AI features are correlated with less bloated software since the AI is supposed to smooth over complexity. And some companies are using it to deliver real value. Adobe has been killing it with AI features. I switched back to Lightroom and Photoshop specifically for the new automasking, generative AI fill and such.
- SpicyLemonZest 2y ago
  I wouldn't deny that some companies are using it to deliver real value, but I feel like the typical case I see is barely above the level of the Logitech AI mouse. (For anyone who's not familiar, the mouse itself doesn't use AI in any way - it just has a built-in keybind to a ChatGPT integration, and of course is sold at a $10 premium to the same model with no AI button.)
- kube-system 2y ago
  Few in the consumer mass market have ever even opened photoshop before. The average person’s experience with “AI” is Siri telling them “I found this on the web” as a response to half of their questions. Or some streaming service suggesting a show they don’t want to watch. Or the Will Smith spaghetti meme. People who understand LLMs are on average fairly excited about what is happening recently. But those who don’t know what LLM stands for are skeptical about why anything today is going to be better than the last 20 years of snake oil “AI”.
  - l33t7332273 2y ago
    Many people who do know what LLM stands for (and could implement the architecture themselves) are also skeptical about why anything today is going to be better than the last 20 years of snake oil “AI”.
  - lawn 2y ago
    I'd say that many who know how LLMs work are both excited and annoyed at the hype machine that overstates their current and future capabilities.
- autoexec 2y ago
  And some companies are doing massive amounts of harm with AI https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/11/ai-with-90-error-rate-forces-elderly-out-of-rehab-nursing-homes-suit-claims/ https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/11/ai-with-90-error-rate... What passes for AI these days is a fun toy, sometimes a useful one, but it isn't anything I want to have to depend on.
Gigachad 2y ago
It gives me the vibes of those NFT companies from a few years ago. All marketing, no substance.
- bruce511 2y ago
  I'd agree the marketing vibe is very hype-y. And just like every other hype cycle (crypto, and nft included) it feels very scummy. But there's a lot more substance behind AI than NFTs. As much as the hype? Maybe not. More than 0 (NFTs had 0 substance)? Very much so. I'm more hype-adverse than the next guy, but I've gotten value from AI (just plain old ChatGPT) recently as I've deep-dived into a new area. It's kinda like having a tutor in the room to whom I ask questions as they occur to me. My "tutor" isn't perfect, but neither are humans, Google, or the internet. So I wouldn't categorize this as "no substance". There is a lot of substance here, even if it's not quite as much as the marketeers are selling.
  - Nullabillity 2y ago
    That's a lot of words to say nothing.

by pyeri 2y ago

aikinai 2y ago

Crapware maybe, but I don’t see a correlation between AI and bloat. If anything, AI features are correlated with less bloated software since the AI is supposed to smooth over complexity. And some companies are using it to deliver real value. Adobe has been killing it with AI features. I switched back to Lightroom and Photoshop specifically for the new automasking, generative AI fill and such.

SpicyLemonZest 2y ago
I wouldn't deny that some companies are using it to deliver real value, but I feel like the typical case I see is barely above the level of the Logitech AI mouse. (For anyone who's not familiar, the mouse itself doesn't use AI in any way - it just has a built-in keybind to a ChatGPT integration, and of course is sold at a $10 premium to the same model with no AI button.)
kube-system 2y ago
Few in the consumer mass market have ever even opened photoshop before. The average person’s experience with “AI” is Siri telling them “I found this on the web” as a response to half of their questions. Or some streaming service suggesting a show they don’t want to watch. Or the Will Smith spaghetti meme. People who understand LLMs are on average fairly excited about what is happening recently. But those who don’t know what LLM stands for are skeptical about why anything today is going to be better than the last 20 years of snake oil “AI”.
- l33t7332273 2y ago
  Many people who do know what LLM stands for (and could implement the architecture themselves) are also skeptical about why anything today is going to be better than the last 20 years of snake oil “AI”.
- lawn 2y ago
  I'd say that many who know how LLMs work are both excited and annoyed at the hype machine that overstates their current and future capabilities.
autoexec 2y ago
And some companies are doing massive amounts of harm with AI https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/11/ai-with-90-error-rate-forces-elderly-out-of-rehab-nursing-homes-suit-claims/ https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/11/ai-with-90-error-rate... What passes for AI these days is a fun toy, sometimes a useful one, but it isn't anything I want to have to depend on.

Gigachad 2y ago

It gives me the vibes of those NFT companies from a few years ago. All marketing, no substance.

bruce511 2y ago
I'd agree the marketing vibe is very hype-y. And just like every other hype cycle (crypto, and nft included) it feels very scummy. But there's a lot more substance behind AI than NFTs. As much as the hype? Maybe not. More than 0 (NFTs had 0 substance)? Very much so. I'm more hype-adverse than the next guy, but I've gotten value from AI (just plain old ChatGPT) recently as I've deep-dived into a new area. It's kinda like having a tutor in the room to whom I ask questions as they occur to me. My "tutor" isn't perfect, but neither are humans, Google, or the internet. So I wouldn't categorize this as "no substance". There is a lot of substance here, even if it's not quite as much as the marketeers are selling.
- Nullabillity 2y ago
  That's a lot of words to say nothing.