Lobachevsky's recent activity

  1. Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    Yeah, but that doesn't go against the principle of "trying to say something". If you go even deeper at the principles of machine learning, then basically all models are "trying to do something"...

    Yeah, but that doesn't go against the principle of "trying to say something". If you go even deeper at the principles of machine learning, then basically all models are "trying to do something" based on their training. A simple classifier of apples vs oranges is "trying to tell you" whether an image is of an apple or an orange. That's basically all they do. And as we can see with LLMs, we can make this "trying to say something" extremely flexible. I'd argue that the big reason for hallucinations for instance is because generic models are "trying to" be a helpful assistant, and helpful assistants don't refuse orders. Simplified, sure, but the principles are there if you look for them.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on USA asks Sweden for help in the egg crisis in ~food

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    The obvious point of these headlines being that since the US is doing some hostile politics towards these countries, then it's hypocritical to reach out for help. It's 100% what all of the...

    The obvious point of these headlines being that since the US is doing some hostile politics towards these countries, then it's hypocritical to reach out for help. It's 100% what all of the comments on reddit ended up being, god bless that website that cannot possibly stoop any lower in terms of quality of discussion. So yeah, I think it's very much done on purpose.

    1 vote

  3. Comment on USA asks Sweden for help in the egg crisis in ~food

    Lobachevsky
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    I don't think it's honest to label that as "Sweden"...

    The industry organization Swedish Eggs

    I don't think it's honest to label that as "Sweden"...

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Professional writer endorses short story written by OpenAI's new creative writing model in ~books

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    Well no, an instruct model will do what you tell it to. If you tell it to generate text related to a topic, then it'll do that. The story in question seems to have a purpose and a message, which...

    An LLM isn’t trying to say anything, it’s just generating plausible-looking text related to a given topic.

    Well no, an instruct model will do what you tell it to. If you tell it to generate text related to a topic, then it'll do that. The story in question seems to have a purpose and a message, which Ms. Winterson highlights.

    I suppose the solution is to train the models on better writing samples, but that would involve judgment and standards, and no doubt require paying the creators of the samples, too. The people pushing “AI” seem to abhor all of these ideas.

    A strange thing to say considering that collecting and preparing the data set is like one of the biggest problems that countless resources and manpower is poured into. Pretty sure many smart people are thinking about how to solve it too.

    6 votes

  5. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    There's nothing emotional about my argument. By authoritarian I do mean authoritarian, I even gave you an example of Russia, an authoritarian state that started as a democracy increasing the power...

    There's nothing emotional about my argument. By authoritarian I do mean authoritarian, I even gave you an example of Russia, an authoritarian state that started as a democracy increasing the power of the government. Just to double check that I'm not insane and what I meant (and elaborated on) is, in fact, considered authoritarian:

    Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and the rule of law.[1][2] Authoritarian regimes may be either autocratic or oligarchic and may be based upon the rule of a party or the military.[3][4] States that have a blurred boundary between democracy and authoritarianism have some times been characterized as "hybrid democracies", "hybrid regimes" or "competitive authoritarian" states.[5][6][7]

    The political scientist Juan Linz, in an influential[8] 1964 work, An Authoritarian Regime: Spain, defined authoritarianism as possessing four qualities:

    Limited political pluralism, which is achieved with constraints on the legislature, political parties and interest groups.
    Political legitimacy based on appeals to emotion and identification of the regime as a necessary evil to combat "easily recognizable societal problems, such as underdevelopment or insurgency."
    Minimal political mobilization, and suppression of anti-regime activities.
    Ill-defined executive powers, often vague and shifting, used to extend the power of the executive.[9][10]
    Minimally defined, an authoritarian government lacks free and competitive direct elections to legislatures, free and competitive direct or indirect elections for executives, or both.[11][12][13][14] Broadly defined, authoritarian states include countries that lack human rights such as freedom of religion, or countries in which the government and the opposition do not alternate in power at least once following free elections.[15] Authoritarian states might contain nominally democratic institutions such as political parties, legislatures and elections which are managed to entrench authoritarian rule and can feature fraudulent, non-competitive elections.[16]

    Since 1946, the share of authoritarian states in the international political system increased until the mid-1970s but declined from then until the year 2000.[17] Prior to 2000, dictatorships typically began with a coup and replaced a pre-existing authoritarian regime.[18] Since 2000, dictatorships are most likely to begin through democratic backsliding whereby a democratically elected leader established an authoritarian regime.[18]

    And yes indeed a powerful government is a precursor to an authoritarian government. Specifically the government without sufficient checks and balances. That was my point the entire time.

  6. Comment on Mayo Clinic's secret weapon against AI hallucinations: Reverse RAG in action in ~tech

    Lobachevsky
    Link
    If it does indeed work well it could be a big breakthrough in practical applications of LLMs. I wish the article went into more detail on how exactly it works, from the way it's written I was a...

    If it does indeed work well it could be a big breakthrough in practical applications of LLMs. I wish the article went into more detail on how exactly it works, from the way it's written I was a bit lost. Perhaps it's because I'm unfamiliar with CURE.

    Combining CURE with a reverse RAG approach

    For example, seems like there should be a lot of details here, but it's handwaved away.

    8 votes

  7. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    I mean I'm not here to play word definition games. If you don't understand what I'm attempting to communicate then ask for clarification on what is it that's confusing to you. If you do, what's...

    I mean I'm not here to play word definition games. If you don't understand what I'm attempting to communicate then ask for clarification on what is it that's confusing to you. If you do, what's the point of this remark?

  8. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    You don't see it presumably because you keep changing the wording to be different than what is being talked about. Obviously a government changing policy due to public opinion is not linked to...

    So I still don't see how a government changing policy due to public opinion is linked to authoritarianism.

    You don't see it presumably because you keep changing the wording to be different than what is being talked about. Obviously a government changing policy due to public opinion is not linked to authoritarianism. A government being able to change policy unimpeded and without any recourse from the affected parties is what is linked to authoritarianism.

  9. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    Ah. Well the reason I didn't understand that is because you just went from using negative emotional moral language to using positive emotional moral language. Let's actually review what is...

    "...a government of democratically elected officials should be empowered to work in the interest of their citizens" is literally me rephrasing that statement.

    Ah. Well the reason I didn't understand that is because you just went from using negative emotional moral language to using positive emotional moral language. Let's actually review what is happening:

    1. There are established regulations for how to deal with a conflict of the government and an affected company (in this case arbitration).
    2. Your position is that regardless of point 1, the government should be able to avoid the established regulations, be able to punish any companies or citizens without fear of any "retaliation" as you put it, as long as the government was democratically elected by the majority.
    3. If you extend that thinking beyond just "big bad corporation digging up toxins in my backyard must be punished", you're gonna find that in that case, as long as they have majority support, the government then can enact any action against any party for any reason, again, as long as they have majority support. For example, to suppress opposition. To take away private property. To discriminate against minorities. To run state propaganda. Basically exactly what happened in Russia for instance.
    4. Putin and Trump and what have you were democratically elected by the majority. That doesn't mean that their actions should be protected from scrutiny and be "empowered" simply because of majority support. There should be and there are existing regulations that the governments should act within, even if the majority doesn't like that very much.

  10. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    Apparently they already did, everyone actually participating in the conversation understood the necessity for reformulating, so not sure what you're complaining about.

    Apparently they already did, everyone actually participating in the conversation understood the necessity for reformulating, so not sure what you're complaining about.

  11. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    It's the value of the deposit on their property.

    It's the value of the deposit on their property.

  12. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    Sorry, what are you saying? zestier replied saying they cannot see a link, I told them they will see a link if they actually do what I suggested. What's your issue with this?

    Sorry, what are you saying? zestier replied saying they cannot see a link, I told them they will see a link if they actually do what I suggested. What's your issue with this?

  13. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    Actually try this first.

    Maybe try formulating this sentence without unnecessary emotional moral language

    Actually try this first.

  14. Comment on Repeatedly upvoting violent content on Reddit can now get you flagged in ~tech

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    I think it's pretty obvious that this is a reaction to the incessant and downright unhinged Luigi posting that's been going on all over popular subs. I mean the users of that website are the first...

    I think it's pretty obvious that this is a reaction to the incessant and downright unhinged Luigi posting that's been going on all over popular subs.

    Reddit’s automatic moderation tool is flagging the word “Luigi” as potentially violent — even when the content isn’t.

    I mean the users of that website are the first ones to explain in detail what "dog whistles" are and why they should be banned/punished. Turns out these concepts don't only apply to nazis though.

    10 votes

  15. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    Maybe try formulating this sentence without unnecessary emotional moral language and you'll see that the logical conclusion of your beliefs is authoritarianism.

    My point is that governments need to be able to represent and work for their people without fear of retaliation by the worst members of society, and those jerks shouldn't get golden parachutes and the freedom to take another swing at building the Torment Nexus because Number Go Up.

    Maybe try formulating this sentence without unnecessary emotional moral language and you'll see that the logical conclusion of your beliefs is authoritarianism.

  16. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    No, the fact that local people feared the slurry is in the article. Precisely because of misinterpretations like this. Believe it or not, I did a quick search before making my very first post in...

    The health impacts are in the article, though. The slurry can seep out and poison water sources.

    No, the fact that local people feared the slurry is in the article.

    And why do you need us to give you something that can easily be looked up?

    Precisely because of misinterpretations like this. Believe it or not, I did a quick search before making my very first post in this thread and I couldn't find a definitive answer. If it's so easy to look up, then why haven't a single comment among dozens provided anything on the matter, even when I directly mentioned that I'm not sure that it could be just yet another nuclear scare?

    I wonder if you are defending them because of some pro-nuclear ideas you have here, but do keep in mind that this is not a uranium mine. I thought it was at first too, but upon inspection I see that the minerals they are trying to unearth primarily will require them to remove radioactive materials.

    You're right, it's a rare earth mine that got hit with the uranium mining ban. I'm disappointed I missed that, but it would be strange if my stance included only uranium mining.

    1 vote

  17. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    Well, not a single reply has actually substantiated the danger of uranium mining warranting a ban, for one. I have no problems with regulations based in reality, which already exist in Greenland...

    If you will excuse my assumptions here, you will never find my or anyone else’s arguements compelling because you are adamant that the government is in the wrong for regulating against uranium mining.

    Well, not a single reply has actually substantiated the danger of uranium mining warranting a ban, for one. I have no problems with regulations based in reality, which already exist in Greenland and cover the mining industry. Instead of changing that legislation they enacted a targeted ban instead. Combined with nuclear in general being (in my opinion wrongfully) targeted purely based on layman opinion, yes I'm happy to be a devil's advocate here.

    I don't find it compelling that the government ostensibly declared their intentions before getting elected and following through with them. This has in my mind absolutely no relevance - one can campaign on whatever they wish, but if those are wrongful actions, they don't stop being that way simply because you campaigned on them. See the whole Trump situation, for example. I wouldn't consider any immigrants any more deserving of additional punishment just because they didn't do something while Trump was campaigning. Expecting businesses or people stop what they're doing just because there's a party or an individual campaigning on something is absurd in my opinion.

    Another way to think of this is that the ability to sue for future profits essentially allows them to hold the country hostage. It allows them to say “either pay us in the health of your people and the environment and the ecology of the area, or pay us to leave”.

    You're loading the question by assuming there's some sort of "health payment" that the company is demanding. Obviously that would be wrong to do, but I don't see that it's necessarily happening here. I don't view corporations as cackling evil satan worshipping bad guys, which I know is often a view among people online these days.

    Forget the legalities for a moment. Why would they have a legal right to those assumed profits? By most philosophical frameworks, they shouldn’t, right? For one thing, they didn’t do the work, so they shouldn’t get the pay. By what logic does their investment give them the right to future profits?

    It's not future profits, it's the fair market value of the deposit. Kind of like if you found a gold deposit on your property, the value of your property would go up accordingly and if the government bought it from you to put down a railroad, its value would be taken into account. Yes, I believe it's totally okay as a principle to include that value. I don't know if it's appropriate in this particular case as I'm not an expert on Greenland mining permits, but the principle since totally fine to me.

  18. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    Well, you may know more about these matters than me. I'm not an expert, so I defer to them.

    Well, you may know more about these matters than me. I'm not an expert, so I defer to them.

  19. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    The whole point of having the arbitration is to figure out if there was any wrongdoing and if any parties are entitled to compensation. We can't rule this case one way or the other here. I was...

    The whole point of having the arbitration is to figure out if there was any wrongdoing and if any parties are entitled to compensation. We can't rule this case one way or the other here. I was speaking out against many commenters that seem to imply that the company cannot possibly be in the right in circumstances like this.

  20. Comment on Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11billion investor-state dispute settlement. in ~enviro

    Lobachevsky
    Link Parent
    At that point you should be advocating for putting humans to hibernation or something, because our entire existence is polluting. How do you think you're able to have a device to send this message...

    At that point you should be advocating for putting humans to hibernation or something, because our entire existence is polluting. How do you think you're able to have a device to send this message from, genuinely?

    4 votes