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I can't see the (intended) endgame of AI as anything other than (1) replacing vast amounts of human labor and/or (2) inventing a new form of advertising that's

I can't see the (intended) endgame of AI as anything other than (1) replacing vast amounts of human labor and/or (2) inventing a new form of advertising that's conversational, obfuscated, undisclosed. Something dramatic has to justify the crazy level of investment.

brookst 2y ago
Sure, most technology replaces human labor. The printing press put thousands of book copiers out of work. The word processor destroyed the entire job description of “typist”. The promise of AI is that it will free human labor to focus on higher value areas rather than copying books or typing up the boss’ scribbled notes.
- crmd 2y ago
  Automation is a shitty deal for the workforce because in every case those who are not made redundant are expected to create more work product for the same wage. The introduction of Photoshop generative fill, Office 365 Co-pilot, etc means that my team will only hire one marketing grad instead of the usual three-four this year, and the one will be responsible for the same amount of work product as last year if they don’t die from the panic attacks. In February, the excess profits go to the owners by way of a stock buyback and the 3-4 designers we didn’t hire are free to work at a coffee shop. I’ve not experienced a single case where automation has enabled the workforce to have more leisure time, or more technically, where efficiency gains have accrued to labor rather than capital.
  - lurking_swe 2y ago
    it’s a greed problem. No automation will fix that.
    - mitjam 2y ago
      In competitive markets, the services should get cheaper, in the end, the consumer profits from AI-increased productivity.
  - yoyohello13 2y ago
    I really think there is no way out of it. Things will continue to get worse before they get better. Eventually there will be so many unemployed working age people that violence will be the only logical course.
Telemakhos 2y ago
I could see the endgame of AI as surveillance and manipulation of information to achieve political goals. In the old days, expensive intelligence agencies and security services had to work hard to figure out targets' affiliations and beliefs, to propagandize, and to subvert opponents (or one's own society). Social media then persuaded users that it was a good idea to list their family, friends, and associates in a giant database along with their political beliefs, hopes and fears, and pictures of their lunch, and its algorithms surfaced whatever the makers wanted (cf. TikTok). Now, AI is poised not only to comb through what e-mails and files hadn't been available before, but also to surface or even generate information, giving it a prime spot to censor or manipulate what we see.

brookst 2y ago

Sure, most technology replaces human labor. The printing press put thousands of book copiers out of work. The word processor destroyed the entire job description of “typist”. The promise of AI is that it will free human labor to focus on higher value areas rather than copying books or typing up the boss’ scribbled notes.

crmd 2y ago
Automation is a shitty deal for the workforce because in every case those who are not made redundant are expected to create more work product for the same wage. The introduction of Photoshop generative fill, Office 365 Co-pilot, etc means that my team will only hire one marketing grad instead of the usual three-four this year, and the one will be responsible for the same amount of work product as last year if they don’t die from the panic attacks. In February, the excess profits go to the owners by way of a stock buyback and the 3-4 designers we didn’t hire are free to work at a coffee shop. I’ve not experienced a single case where automation has enabled the workforce to have more leisure time, or more technically, where efficiency gains have accrued to labor rather than capital.
- lurking_swe 2y ago
  it’s a greed problem. No automation will fix that.
  - mitjam 2y ago
    In competitive markets, the services should get cheaper, in the end, the consumer profits from AI-increased productivity.
- yoyohello13 2y ago
  I really think there is no way out of it. Things will continue to get worse before they get better. Eventually there will be so many unemployed working age people that violence will be the only logical course.

Telemakhos 2y ago

I could see the endgame of AI as surveillance and manipulation of information to achieve political goals. In the old days, expensive intelligence agencies and security services had to work hard to figure out targets' affiliations and beliefs, to propagandize, and to subvert opponents (or one's own society). Social media then persuaded users that it was a good idea to list their family, friends, and associates in a giant database along with their political beliefs, hopes and fears, and pictures of their lunch, and its algorithms surfaced whatever the makers wanted (cf. TikTok). Now, AI is poised not only to comb through what e-mails and files hadn't been available before, but also to surface or even generate information, giving it a prime spot to censor or manipulate what we see.