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The problem is that I don't really trust a big company to have an agent monitoring me let alone all the phoning home it does, but in an alternative universe, I

The problem is that I don't really trust a big company to have an agent monitoring me let alone all the phoning home it does, but in an alternative universe, I can see the vision here as creating something that is closer to a starship-type OS from scifi where interactions are increasingly natural. That's interesting, but at the same time, what does it mean when the computer has its own kind of volition and is more loyal to the company than to you?

wvenable 1y ago
Computers are too complicated for the average user. So many people have me on speed-dial to fix issues or walk them through stuff. And AI is surprisingly good at this stuff. If someone can simply say "Connect my bluetooth headphones" and the computer does it that's a big deal. But this is balanced by the fact that we live in a world where all our software is effectively user hostile -- look for whatever means possible to extract more value from us. This is the society that we live in now.
- vorpalhex 1y ago
  I think the "my computer is too complicated" is mostly a Windows issue. I don't think I can pair a bluetooth headset on Windows 10! Folks don't seem to have these problems on macs or their phones.
  - wvenable 1y ago
    To be fair, Windows runs on an infinite combination of devices and Airpods only work fully on Apple devices.
AnimalMuppet 1y ago
Yeah, if I have an agent in my computer, I want it to work for me, and nobody else. Not the company that sold it to me, not the FBI or CIA, nobody but me. Otherwise it's not my computer.
pndy 1y ago
> I can see the vision here as creating something that is closer to a starship-type OS from scifi where interactions are increasingly natural Then you're a real optimist. I'm afraid this whole AI technology once settles down will be nothing more than a corporate tool to manipulate populations economic behavior and perception of the world. An antithesis to what for example was seen in Star Trek, and something even worse than HAL9000.

wvenable 1y ago

Computers are too complicated for the average user. So many people have me on speed-dial to fix issues or walk them through stuff. And AI is surprisingly good at this stuff. If someone can simply say "Connect my bluetooth headphones" and the computer does it that's a big deal. But this is balanced by the fact that we live in a world where all our software is effectively user hostile -- look for whatever means possible to extract more value from us. This is the society that we live in now.

vorpalhex 1y ago
I think the "my computer is too complicated" is mostly a Windows issue. I don't think I can pair a bluetooth headset on Windows 10! Folks don't seem to have these problems on macs or their phones.
- wvenable 1y ago
  To be fair, Windows runs on an infinite combination of devices and Airpods only work fully on Apple devices.

AnimalMuppet 1y ago

Yeah, if I have an agent in my computer, I want it to work for me, and nobody else. Not the company that sold it to me, not the FBI or CIA, nobody but me. Otherwise it's not my computer.

pndy 1y ago

> I can see the vision here as creating something that is closer to a starship-type OS from scifi where interactions are increasingly natural Then you're a real optimist. I'm afraid this whole AI technology once settles down will be nothing more than a corporate tool to manipulate populations economic behavior and perception of the world. An antithesis to what for example was seen in Star Trek, and something even worse than HAL9000.