The Future of AI

[cstreit]

The Industrial Revolution eliminated many jobs but also made man things previously unobtainable by many achievable. Clothes, cars, etc….

[john70t]

Originally Posted by dlockhart

https://x.com/TaraBull/status/2023142018130833684?s=20
Almost 3 boobs

As a small alternative perspective:
1) San Fransisco wasn't built on the gold found in the hills.
It was built on the trains, saloons, and brothels.
And the multitude of disposable hopefuls.

2) Denver was built on people finally crossing the great plains through the hazards of injun territory and cold wind to witness the great mountains in front of them.
"Congratulations. Y'all just got through the easy part. You are halfway there."


But for this new A.I. I'm not quite so sure.
-Look at the Otto cycle. Almost every bandaid has been thrown at it. I've thought of a few myself. So have people a hundred years ago.
-Look at Hollywood movies. They take the same old routine, randomly pick a word from the dictionary, and make a 'new' story line' based on it.

The Industrial Revolution was perhaps the second greatest human achievement, progressing to our modern Electronic Age with all the machines and toys to make life easier. Easy times make for weaker men. And it feels like we today don't match up to the philosophical deep thinkers of the past. The ones who carefully used water clocks, sunlight, sticks, and mathematics to prove the earth was round and the heavenly bodies moved with purpose.

A.I. can all do the above in a few minutes. And it can dig ditches better.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Fresh Air on NPR had a discussion of Claude on Feb 18. To quote Steinbeck in Travels with Charley; "It's not my world anymore."

Thanks Mike, I'll take a listen.

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

There are still local businesses closing because of the impact of CV lockdowns and inflation over the last four years. They simply dug a hole too deep to dig out of.

There are a lot of reasons for bankruptcy, I declared 30 years ago having put 93K into Modern Dad magazine to learn that FirstTime Dad was the right market. Anyway, historical causes aside, the AI paradigm shift has the power to either help or decimate small business, IMHO, in the coming years. That's the discussion and the analysis should prove interesting.

[berettafan]

What AI is doing right now is essentially sending spies in to ALL businesses to work for next to nothing (free or $30/mo for AI services) who document everything they see and report back to the mother company.

Said mother companies being run by a very few tech billionaires who have Trump's ear and are telling us all 'let us do as we please or China wins'.

Said mother companies are also lobbying (as quietly as possible) POTUS and Congress to not have to pay for the infrastructure they need to sell us their services. This is fundamental to the business plan and should not be ignored.

There is no scenario where the outcome is benign.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

There are a lot of reasons for bankruptcy, I declared 30 years ago having put 93K into Modern Dad magazine to learn that FirstTime Dad was the right market. Anyway, historical causes aside, the AI paradigm shift has the power to either help or decimate small business, IMHO, in the coming years. That's the discussion and the analysis should prove interesting.

I’m only parroting what I’ve read from local businesses who close their doors. Fortunately not something that I have experienced.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by berettafan

What AI is doing right now is essentially sending spies in to ALL businesses to work for next to nothing (free or $30/mo for AI services) who document everything they see and report back to the mother company.

But wait, there's more!

Impersonation seems to legal...for interests, product suggestions, relationships, maybe even political matters...you know where this is going.


https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/02/meta-granted-patent-that-allows-facebook-users-post/
A patent granted to META in December gives an inside look at how Facebook users may still be able to post beyond the grave.

According to the patent, the large language model will be “simulating the user when the user is absent from the social networking system, for example, when the user takes a long break or if the user is deceased.”

The AI model would essentially replicate the deceased person’s digital presence by analyzing data such as their writing style, tone, and expressed beliefs, allowing it to continue posting content and even commenting on friends’ posts in their voice.

It gets stranger.

The patent also referenced technology that would allow users to have phone calls with the deceased or even video calls.

[onewhippedpuppy]

[speeder]

Originally Posted by cstreit

The Industrial Revolution eliminated many jobs but also made man things previously unobtainable by many achievable. Clothes, cars, etc….

Yeah, this isn’t going to be like the industrial revolution.

[dlockhart]

NSFW but darn funny.

[Alan A]

You all saw that Dorsey sacked 40% of his company - because AI.

[berettafan]

THE promise of AI, THE thing that spurs investment in it, is the ability to fire most of the workforce and cut payroll.

[KNS]

Originally Posted by john70t

It gets stranger.

The patent also referenced technology that would allow users to have phone calls with the deceased or even video calls.[/I]

As creepy as this sounds, there are people who would do anything to see and speak to their departed loved ones just one more time. I would think most people may find it a bit too weird.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by berettafan

THE promise of AI, THE thing that spurs investment in it, is the ability to fire most of the workforce and cut payroll.

I feel like that will have negative economic, societal, and sociological impacts...?

[berettafan]

It will be the final nail in the coffin for the mental health of a lot of people.

I don't think we are here to maximize profit. I think the human mind desires and needs purpose to be of any worth. The AI tech billionaires want to tell us we'll all be happy and free and spend our time gazing at art in galleries and dreaming up new ways to help each other and solve the mysteries of the universe through the power of the AI computers THEY own. That is obviously, to any thinking person, a lie. If it were not then Sam Altman wouldn't have changed his mind about AI being a free public resource *see footnote

I also believe that our gov'ts are not in charge. They are beholden to these people and are facing a terrible decision- either eschew this tech/legislate a slowdown of the process and be labeled a luddite or grant their demands and accept the trade that you, as the gov't, will get to spy on every aspect of The People's lives. The federal gov't will be reduced to the role of a crooked third world police chief while the tech overlords consolidate all the riches of the world into their own coffers. Our gov'ts will not be able to resist the lure of apparent total control. Micromanaging everything from the news you see to the comments you make. Look at the UK if you don't believe me.

No doubt some or many here might read this and think 'lunatic' but i'm telling you now once this tech is solidly in place we are all ****ed and the planet earth has seen the last of individual freedom.



*a quote from Google AI search; if you can read this and not get very uncomfortable you may need to see a doctor-
Based on recent developments and statements in early 2026, Sam Altman has not necessarily "changed his mind" about keeping AI free in principle, but his perspective has shifted toward a more intense focus on the immense energy, infrastructure, and financial costs required to deliver that AI, as well as the need for rapid scaling.
Forbes

While OpenAI has historically sought to make its technology widely available, Altman’s recent commentary highlights a shift toward justifying the high costs of AI development by comparing them to human energy consumption.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Anthropic refuses to bend to Pentagon on AI safeguards as dispute nears deadline

At least Anthropic doesn't want us to become China, so that's good.

[berettafan]

From the article-

if it would meet the demands or face consequences, Parnell said.

Wtf Don, get your people in line. We do NOT support an omniscient gov't.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Alan A

You all saw that Dorsey sacked 40% of his company - because AI.

Profits are way up! Lets jettison almost half the work force right now so we're not just delaying the inevitable.

Wow. That's a first, right?

Aaaand, who's to say that in a year or so, another 3000 employees are redundant, so maybe the inevitable hasn't been delayed at all?

I can't even imagine what it must be like to be working in a tech-rich sector right now.

(In a previous life I used photoshop to create digital images. Because of AI, what could take a day or longer can now be done in seconds. Literally. The job I made a pretty decent living at for a couple of decades no longer exists.)

[Shaun @ Tru6]

^^^

Not just high tech, and as you say, graphic artists too, almost anyone in the professional sector. My company taxes are too complicated for me (really just don't want to do them) but will be cake for an AI tax prep application. I've got years of old taxes to compare to make sure it all makes sense before sending in to the IRS.

The group I'm most concerned about are college grads this May, they don't have much time to create a new path. Every morning I hear on Bloomberg that AI can do in seconds what the the hosts used to do in hours as new minions in the financial sector.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by berettafan

From the article-

if it would meet the demands or face consequences, Parnell said.

Wtf Don, get your people in line. We do NOT support an omniscient gov't.

They have gotten in line.