DynamoSunshirt's recent activity
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Comment on The center has a bias in ~tech
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Comment on Allbirds announces pivot from running shoes to AI compute; stock surged over 700% in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentAgreed. Sure, you can run a "closed loop" system, but unless you do water processing and filtration on site, you still need large amounts of water on a fixed cadence. Similar with electricity:...Agreed. Sure, you can run a "closed loop" system, but unless you do water processing and filtration on site, you still need large amounts of water on a fixed cadence. Similar with electricity: sure, you can generate it onsite! If you choose to do so with renewables, it might be hard to complain. But the simplest and cheapest generators seem to be... natural gas or diesel.
In a good world, where these things are regulated, individuals might trust that The Powers That Be will limit externalities. But that is not this world.
And it goes without saying that when these datacenters consume upwards of a gigawatt of electricity, the externalities can be similarly massive. IIRC the entire state of Vermont typically uses a little over half a gigawatt of electricity, and peak usage is still less than 1.5GW.
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Comment on Allbirds announces pivot from running shoes to AI compute; stock surged over 700% in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentIsn't training only the most energy-intensive part right at release, before a model actually gets used? I would think that over time the inference cost catches up since the inference cost keeps...Isn't training only the most energy-intensive part right at release, before a model actually gets used? I would think that over time the inference cost catches up since the inference cost keeps adding up over time.
That's kind of like saying the vehicle manufacturing is the most energy-intensive part of making a car: surely true for a lot of vehicles, but if something gets heavily used, I'm sure the operation costs catch up.
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Comment on AI populism's warning shots in ~society
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI'm aware of the definition, having read the book. Obviously abundance and trickle-down economics are different. But especially if you focus on the "roll back onerous regulations" and "build...I'm aware of the definition, having read the book.
Obviously abundance and trickle-down economics are different. But especially if you focus on the "roll back onerous regulations" and "build faster" parts of abundance, there are a lot of similarities.
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Comment on AI populism's warning shots in ~society
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentGood lord... is "abundance" just trickle-down economics wearing a progressive skin suit?Good lord... is "abundance" just trickle-down economics wearing a progressive skin suit?
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Comment on How are we all feeling about piracy these days? in ~movies
DynamoSunshirt LinkI always buy whenever I can buy the product in a way that: rewards the original artist allows me to consume the product how and when I want hasn't compromised the product The first goal applies...I always buy whenever I can buy the product in a way that:
- rewards the original artist
- allows me to consume the product how and when I want
- hasn't compromised the product
The first goal applies mostly to music: Spotify (and most streaming services) pay artists so little that even if I buy a single album a year from an artist on Bandcamp; they're probably coming out ahead.
Unfortunately, surveillance capitalism and enshittification are directly at odds with the second goal, constantly shoving shit in my face when I'm just trying to watch a favorite show on a streaming service. If Spotify allowed users to remove podcasts and audiobooks and opt out of their payola recommendation system, it might be tempting. But their offline experience is also trash, as is most of their UX, and you can tell their goal is not to make a good music player. But of course you basically have no choice but to use their crappy, nonperformant app, especially on mobile, and exclusively if you want any level of offline playback support (inferior as it may be).
The third goal mostly has issues in older TV shows: when shows lose the rights to their original music, the replacement is... not correct. When you have your own copy, it can't change out from under you. The same logic applies to scenes: while I don't approve of the use of blackface in certain sketches in Scrubs, it doesn't feel right to me to just... erase those things. Sometimes whole episodes disappear! I think a disclaimer on the episode description, or maybe a footnote subtitle on problematic scenes, would be a better way to say "we don't approve of this; learn from it" while not disrespecting the original artist.
Used blurays and CDs are remarkably cheap these days. bandcamp provides a way to pay artists with minimal carveouts right from your home. Streaming services have garbage UIs that disrespect you no matter how much you pay for the Ultra Premium 4K Family Plus tier. Jellyfin is so superior it's laughable.
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Comment on Young people are falling behind, but not because of AI in ~finance
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI've seen this so many times, too. It's even worse with the upper-level management class, who have become completely decoupled from actual work. There's a whole community of creeps who cycle from...I've seen this so many times, too. It's even worse with the upper-level management class, who have become completely decoupled from actual work. There's a whole community of creeps who cycle from startup to startup, mismanaging the hell out of product, marketing, even engineering groups at the C and VP level. All they have to do is pretend to have vague expertise and clueless startups will give them months or even years of runway. And they of course have no respect for the underlying culture of the company, let alone the product or any hard-learned lessons from the early years.
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Comment on Rat Park in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link Parent"perhaps the best engineer in the world" ...so this is someone who, while admittedly quite skilled, already has quite the complex?"perhaps the best engineer in the world"
...so this is someone who, while admittedly quite skilled, already has quite the complex?
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Comment on AI populism's warning shots in ~society
DynamoSunshirt LinkLoved this quote: I'm not sure why anyone needs to spend so much time and effort building an "AI policy" when the answer is simple: give working people a way forward. People think cryptocurrency...Loved this quote:
The telescope, whose invention allowed astronomers to gaze at the moons of Jupiter, did not displace laborers in large numbers—instead, it enabled us to perform new and previously unimaginable tasks. This contrasts with the arrival of the power loom, which replaced hand-loom weavers performing existing tasks and therefore prompted opposition as weavers found their incomes threatened. Thus, it stands to reason that when technologies take the form of capital that replaces workers, they are more likely to be resisted.
I'm not sure why anyone needs to spend so much time and effort building an "AI policy" when the answer is simple: give working people a way forward. People think cryptocurrency is dumb, for instance, but it didn't garner significant political opposition until it started to spike GPU and electricity prices. LLMs are doing that on a whole new order of magnitude. Of course people will oppose a policy that will take their job, make remaining jobs more miserable, and drive up the cost of living. Until AI companies meaningfully address that concern, they're going to grow more and more unpopular.
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Comment on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home targeted with molotov cocktail in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentAI psychosis, right? Or is that more specific?AI psychosis, right? Or is that more specific?
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Comment on The center has a bias in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt LinkInteresting, but I think the author isn't carving out enough space for people like myself. For example: The author seems to miss the idea of someone who pushed through the first failure and...Interesting, but I think the author isn't carving out enough space for people like myself. For example:
This matters because from the perspective of the outright rejecter, all of these people can look the same. If someone spent serious time with coding agents, found them useful in some areas, harmful in others, and came away with a nuanced view, they may still be thrown into the same bucket as the person who thinks agents can do no wrong.
The author seems to miss the idea of someone who pushed through the first failure and honeymoon period, but concluded that they reject the technology, and thus stepped away from it. I (and some of my favorite former and present coworkers) did exactly that. I gave LLMs a few months. I didn't like the results.
But now all I hear is accusations that I "never gave them a chance" or folks blowing smoke about how "the latest models are so much better." Maybe. But they don't address any of my issues with the underlying technology.
Funnily enough, back in high school I did the exact same thing (maybe with more memes) with cryptocurrency. It was neat! And then I decided it wasn't useful and didn't need space in my life.
To have an informed opinion you absolutely need some level of practical experience, sure (though this doesn't apply to everything: I don't need to drive one to know that I don't need a truck or large SUV, and I don't need to try adderall to know that it would probably make me much more focused). But once I've come to a conclusion, I don't need to keep immersing myself. Once I know the water is cold, I'm not going to jump fully back in just because someone tells me it's warmer now. I'll dip a toe in from time to time, and have a chuckle to myself when it was, indeed, an enthusiast trumping up a 1 degree difference as a "game changer". If it's balmy, I'll be more than happy to jump right in. But I do not (and simply don't have time to) explain every. single. time. my full stance. It is simply too tiring. Let me read my book by the water's edge in peace!
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Comment on US begins blockade in Strait of Hormuz in ~society
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI was under the impression that the mines blocked all traffic until removal. Mind sharing a source for allies of Iran passing through? I can certainly understand Iran continuing to export, but I...I was under the impression that the mines blocked all traffic until removal. Mind sharing a source for allies of Iran passing through? I can certainly understand Iran continuing to export, but I was imagining their vessels bypassing, not navigating through the strait.
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Comment on US begins blockade in Strait of Hormuz in ~society
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI suspect it'll work out about as well for us as it worked out for Arthur. See you on Earth 2!I suspect it'll work out about as well for us as it worked out for Arthur. See you on Earth 2!
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Comment on US begins blockade in Strait of Hormuz in ~society
DynamoSunshirt LinkBrilliant. If the USA blockades the strait directly, Iran can save a lot of money on mines!Brilliant. If the USA blockades the strait directly, Iran can save a lot of money on mines!
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Comment on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home targeted with molotov cocktail in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link Parentregarding your Dead Internet Theory thought, it has been very sad to see so many communities "polluted" by LLM output text. Used to be, writing coherent longform text was enough of a barrier that...regarding your Dead Internet Theory thought, it has been very sad to see so many communities "polluted" by LLM output text. Used to be, writing coherent longform text was enough of a barrier that most spam was obvious. But now, for example, an Amazon review farm can use LLMs to create dozens of pretty credible, detailed 4 and 5 star reviews. You'll only know when the product turns out to be dogshit.
That's to say nothing of the LLM spam on forums these days, I get pretty annoyed when I realize I'm reading a few bullet points bloated out into multiple paragraphs. Blog posts, too.
It's very sad to see this tragedy of the commons playing out in real time. It honestly makes me want to totally drop the internet some days; I'm here to meet with minds, not lap up slop.
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Comment on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home targeted with molotov cocktail in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentDebateable. Are toothbrushes really an alternative to dentistry? I suppose in the medieval sense of dentists as "people who remove rotten teeth", but if anything I would think modern dental care...Debateable. Are toothbrushes really an alternative to dentistry? I suppose in the medieval sense of dentists as "people who remove rotten teeth", but if anything I would think modern dental care actually brings more business to dentists through crowns, fillings, and cleanings?
I think the idea that innovations inevitably displace existing industry is a tad reductionist, is all.
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Comment on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home targeted with molotov cocktail in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentThat's a good point. Right now the AI boosters aren't doing a good job of showing where these "gaps" in AI ability might actually exist, mostly because they're optimists who refuse to acknowledge...That's a good point. Right now the AI boosters aren't doing a good job of showing where these "gaps" in AI ability might actually exist, mostly because they're optimists who refuse to acknowledge the shortcomings of AI. IMO LLMs aren't likely to do much autonomous work, but I'm definitely not excited at the prospect of a gig where I babysit and fact-check a dozen or more LLMs who do my old job worse than me.
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Comment on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home targeted with molotov cocktail in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentI don't think that definition is even loosely true. I can think of literally hundreds of products that don't take away someone's job (bicycles, food, shoes, toothbrushes, podcasts, video games, my...I don't think that definition is even loosely true. I can think of literally hundreds of products that don't take away someone's job (bicycles, food, shoes, toothbrushes, podcasts, video games, my favorite text editor, my favorite IDE, etc etc etc). I guess that definition holds if you assume a zero-sum world where no product can create new opportunities and abilities that didn't exist before?
The difference this time is the order of magnitude of jobs AI boosters are threatening to take away. Literally all white collar work (including the jobs of the AI boosters, mind you) is fair game. If AI can do varied white collar jobs, it can likely also manage itself with vanishingly few humans in the loop. I'm not sure any technical innovation has threatened a gun to the head of so many careers simultaneously before; even the industrial revolution typically replaced one job at a time with a dedicated machine like the loom, sewing machine, or the tractor.
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Comment on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home targeted with molotov cocktail in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt LinkSam's reaction blog post to this is pretty interesting: https://blog.samaltman.com/2279512 A paragraph explaining how his family is the most important thing in his life. Then 10x that amount of...Sam's reaction blog post to this is pretty interesting: https://blog.samaltman.com/2279512
A paragraph explaining how his family is the most important thing in his life.
Then 10x that amount of text for... yet another AI sales pitch? And, in classic tech bro fashion, a Lord of the Rings reference that, much like Peter Thiel's Palantir, feels like either a malicious interpretation of the source text or the ravings of someone who didn't actually read the books:
“Once you see AGI you can’t unsee it.” It has a real "ring of power” dynamic to it, and makes people do crazy things. I don’t mean that AGI is the ring itself, but instead the totalizing philosophy of “being the one to control AGI”.
The only solution I can come up with is to orient towards sharing the technology with people broadly, and for no one to have the ring.
First: is the AGI in the room with us right now, Sam? How did we go from "attacks on my home make me sad" to "AGI AGI AGI" this fast?
Second: if controlling AGI is the One Ring (if Sam had read the books, he might have learned that there are quite a few Rings of Power, but I digress), is Sam Sauron in his own analogy? And we're supposed to trust Sauron's selfless gift to all of the free peoples of the earth? What could possibly go wrong!
Maybe the scariest thing about this analogy is that it implies that Sam thinks he's as personable as Sauron was before he revealed his true nature. Quite the ego.
On one hand, obviously nobody should be throwing molotovs at anyone else's house. That is a bad thing. On the other hand, a guy who can't separate the safety of his family from a sales pitch and one of the worst LotR analogies I've ever read... is not exactly easy to empathize with.
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Comment on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home targeted with molotov cocktail in ~tech
DynamoSunshirt Link ParentThe link to Jan 6th is interesting. Intentionally or otherwise, Trump has somewhat normalized (and even legitimized and pardoned!) physical violence against the ruling class. One wonders if that...The link to Jan 6th is interesting. Intentionally or otherwise, Trump has somewhat normalized (and even legitimized and pardoned!) physical violence against the ruling class. One wonders if that could ultimately be his downfall.
So very similar to vegetarianism. But I don't see many people complaining about how those damned vegetarians just don't have enough experience with meat to know better than their initial biased position.