> I’m in constant awe at what LLMs have brought us in terms of speed and how they act as a force multiplier when used cleverly, but previous experiences with di

> I’m in constant awe at what LLMs have brought us in terms of speed and how they act as a force multiplier when used cleverly, but previous experiences with disruptive technologies that shaped society (like the Internet, search engines and social networks) show us that these will inevitably be turned into ad-selling machines, enshittified like everything before them. IMO, if that's the case, then it's yet another example of "We can't get anyone to pay for this stuff" So, it sediments and is used to sell "real" things, ones that people actually pay money for, like phones. Thinking about this, phones, computers, toasters, thermostats, you name it, becomes not a "bicycle for the mind" but a "chauffeur for the mind" ... you don't have to think; just go along, and "things" just become gateways to some replacement mind out there. Being such, their value decreases to roughly zero, and (oops) that external mind out there makes all your decisions for you, including what to buy that's of real value, or political decisions. It all starts with ceding decisions to some outside source rather than using an outside source for information with which to make decisions. Let's face it, trusting humans to help make decisions has always been risky business. Trust is earned, and you can at least look a human in the face, for what that's worth. Now, humans compete for your dollar, and depending on your politics/philosophy, that either gets you better products and services through competition or is a giant waste that depletes resources through duplication and leads to exaggerated claims (lies at times). Now, extend that to AI "agents" that left unchecked, can steer you wrong. So you set up a competing agent, and the world fills up with "AI wars". "AI, find a way to swindle Pop out of his home and belongings" "AI, find a way to protect Pop from swindlers" This Pop just needs friends he can trust. We are problem-solvers by nature. It keeps us sharp. If we could just cooperate more, life would be better. Don't forget, the forces of racism, nationalism, religious enmity are propaganda, with no basis in our fundamental nature, and they create "stories" and color facts. Oh, that's advertising. In French, avertissement means warning. Cooperation implies and requires trust. Competition usually involves coercion of some sort. First, they poison information (Google, you bastards) and then "steer" you wrong. I use that word because, much as I could use a fully self-driving auto, I also believe that if I ask it to go to the place I like for pizzas, it will lock the doors and take over steering, and head out to the one it is paid to. With trust, you don't need "control" When will we learn that?