4 ms·

This reminded me of "When the Yogurt Took Over" by John Scalzi[0]. It's story about just letting superintelligent yogurt tell us what to do and solve all of our

This reminded me of "When the Yogurt Took Over" by John Scalzi[0]. It's story about just letting superintelligent yogurt tell us what to do and solve all of our problems. The story is purposefully silly, but to be honest, in a way, just trusting something/someone else solve all our problems sounds so relaxing. [0] https://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/10/02/when-the-yogurt-took-over-a-short-story/ https://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/10/02/when-the-yogurt-took-...

khafra 2y ago
A slightly darker twist on the idea, by ACX author Scott Alexander: https://web.archive.org/web/20121008025245/http://squid314.livejournal.com/332946.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121008025245/http://squid314.l...
- AndrewDucker 2y ago
  Assuming that's The Whispering Earring, that link is broken for me. I backed it up myself a year ago though: https://andrewducker.dreamwidth.org/4246314.html https://andrewducker.dreamwidth.org/4246314.html
  - khafra 2y ago
    Accuate assumption, and thanks for doing your part to immortalize the story.
nujsii 2y ago
[flagged]
sgt101 2y ago
Issac Asimov wrote a classic that always makes me smile in this context [0]. A bit dated to say the least, but short and pointed. [0] https://mcraenglish.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/8/7/15876062/the_machine_that_won_the_war01.pdf https://mcraenglish.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/8/7/15876062/the_...
- brabel 2y ago
  I don't find that so dated: "He groped in his own pocket for cigarettes, and brought out a package along with a scattering of small change; old-fashioned coins dating to the first years before the metal shortage had brought into being a credit system tied to a computer-complex." Basically predicting credit cards in 1961?? The part about him still smoking, but being one of the few people with the "privilege": well, today a lot of people still smoke despite knowing of the dangers, and I don't think that, in the distant future, it's obvious that this will not continue to be the case.
  - Y_Y 2y ago
    > predicting credit cards in 1961?? A mere decade or two after they came into use!
    - mlyle 2y ago
      Computerizing it all was a new thought about at that time. In early 1961, my dad was just implementing one of the first highly-computerized systems for demand deposits and commercial banking at MNB. Magnetic marking of checks had only been standardized a couple of years before. Credit cards were not really computerized until the mid-70's.
0xEF 2y ago
Aren't we basically doing that by injecting LLMs into everything, now? Maybe that's what Scalzi was warning of; an absurd and possible future that seems to actually be happening.
arethuza 2y ago
So that's how the Culture got started!
- treetalker 2y ago
  The story milks the jokes for all they’re worth.

khafra 2y ago

A slightly darker twist on the idea, by ACX author Scott Alexander: https://web.archive.org/web/20121008025245/http://squid314.livejournal.com/332946.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121008025245/http://squid314.l...

AndrewDucker 2y ago
Assuming that's The Whispering Earring, that link is broken for me. I backed it up myself a year ago though: https://andrewducker.dreamwidth.org/4246314.html https://andrewducker.dreamwidth.org/4246314.html
- khafra 2y ago
  Accuate assumption, and thanks for doing your part to immortalize the story.

nujsii 2y ago

[flagged]

sgt101 2y ago

Issac Asimov wrote a classic that always makes me smile in this context [0]. A bit dated to say the least, but short and pointed. [0] https://mcraenglish.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/8/7/15876062/the_machine_that_won_the_war01.pdf https://mcraenglish.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/8/7/15876062/the_...

brabel 2y ago
I don't find that so dated: "He groped in his own pocket for cigarettes, and brought out a package along with a scattering of small change; old-fashioned coins dating to the first years before the metal shortage had brought into being a credit system tied to a computer-complex." Basically predicting credit cards in 1961?? The part about him still smoking, but being one of the few people with the "privilege": well, today a lot of people still smoke despite knowing of the dangers, and I don't think that, in the distant future, it's obvious that this will not continue to be the case.
- Y_Y 2y ago
  > predicting credit cards in 1961?? A mere decade or two after they came into use!
  - mlyle 2y ago
    Computerizing it all was a new thought about at that time. In early 1961, my dad was just implementing one of the first highly-computerized systems for demand deposits and commercial banking at MNB. Magnetic marking of checks had only been standardized a couple of years before. Credit cards were not really computerized until the mid-70's.

0xEF 2y ago

Aren't we basically doing that by injecting LLMs into everything, now? Maybe that's what Scalzi was warning of; an absurd and possible future that seems to actually be happening.

arethuza 2y ago

So that's how the Culture got started!

treetalker 2y ago
The story milks the jokes for all they’re worth.