Some of it's simply a benign failure in pattern recognition -- despite my argument below that AI isn't the same as blockchain, you can certainly see the surface

Some of it's simply a benign failure in pattern recognition -- despite my argument below that AI isn't the same as blockchain, you can certainly see the surface level similarities if you're not familiar with the technologies involved. It's also triggering a lot of people's anti-capitalist sentiments, which I personally relate to in spades. They're just applying metrics that they've been applying for years, and they're backed up in their feelings by legions of peers. Plus, I think we can all agree that unexpectedly-effective AI is fucking terrifying -- Vinge didn't call it a "Singularity" out of admiration, but fearful respect. It's fascinating though, in a way... a lot of HN's rules are about "flaming", and I think this issue might be the first to really bring that out since the end of the distro/OS wars (I don't think Xbox v. Playstation ever made a splash here?). Perhaps there was a bit with Crypto, but IMO it never really took hold here in earnest, either. But AI brings out the vitriol, my god! "AI slop" is just the start -- just yesterday I saw someone on Substack call a random and obviously good faith data blogger a purveyor of "demonic machine filth". That's a new one!