vektor's recent activity
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Comment on Grieving family uses AI chatbot to cut hospital bill from $195,000 to $33,000 — US family says Claude highlighted duplicative charges, improper coding, and other violations in ~tech
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Comment on Grieving family uses AI chatbot to cut hospital bill from $195,000 to $33,000 — US family says Claude highlighted duplicative charges, improper coding, and other violations in ~tech
vektor Link ParentDo you think an executive is going to proclaim "we're going to develop an AI tool to stop double billing"? We'll, there's your answer. It's a lot more plausible that they'll loudly proclaim AI for...I wonder why AI is becoming such a big thing in healthcare now, yet despite that, issues like this continue to happen. I don't think double billing is patient-centered care, but maybe I don't have that healthcare=profit mindset.
Do you think an executive is going to proclaim "we're going to develop an AI tool to stop double billing"? We'll, there's your answer.
It's a lot more plausible that they'll loudly proclaim AI for better care. It's also, with a tinfoil hat, plausible that they're quietly using AI for billing, but not with the goal of reducing double billing.
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
vektor Link ParentMy guess is: The line for "this is too much HOA" is when a house comes pre-packaged with a mandatory, paid membership in the HOA, including quasi-legal rules. Want to have a voluntary paid...My guess is: The line for "this is too much HOA" is when a house comes pre-packaged with a mandatory, paid membership in the HOA, including quasi-legal rules.
Want to have a voluntary paid membership attached to the house to access additional services like the community pool? Go ahead, but keep it voluntary. Want to ensure homeowners keep their homes to a certain standard? That's what local laws are for, and being actual laws the process and enforcement comes with the expected degree of oversight. Want to organize a thing like redoing the greenery around 'ere, or organizing a block party? No need for a HOA there. Want to organize and fund that the trash gets picked up? That's what the municipality is for.
There's no place for this private-public abomination. Parts of its functions are mandatory for the homeowner, but sit squarely in government/public territory. Some are voluntary, and thus private. Is there perhaps place for a level of organization or two here? Like, a subdivision level of local government, with a small amount of bureaucracy to organize the extremely-local issues like trash pickup, code enforcement of petty (aesthetic) issues? Maybe some structure for local private organizing, that has the infrastructure to stand up a block party, or organize a community-driven landscaping makeover? Absolutely. You can even have both those if you insist.
But the moment you commingle public and private issues and either (A) make a public issue a private problem or (B) give a private organization governmental powers, you start to tick off some principled sensibilities in me. I suspect there's a very good political-theory reasons we tend to avoid mixing private and public things.
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Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
vektor LinkR&D budget for procedural generation in video games, as well as development of a AAA game that is ProcGen all the way, in a genre that is generally viewed to mesh poorly with ProcGen Gamers hate...R&D budget for procedural generation in video games, as well as development of a AAA game that is ProcGen all the way, in a genre that is generally viewed to mesh poorly with ProcGen
Gamers hate ProcGen with a passion, so this is almost a guaranteed flop. To ensure I'm not philanthropic, the R&D results are proprietary to this sinking-ship r&d company. The marketing budget for the game is donation funded.
This is 99.999% a complete flop, if you believe that gamers know what they want. Needless to say, I believe they don't, and I'm betting all my monopoly money on it.
If the game sells a million copies at full price, I get any marketing donations back, plus a symbolic two cents because my controversial opinion was right after all. This last clause probably needs approval by the curse. I promise I'm not loaded enough to achieve a reasonable marketing budget by myself. The curse money is all for development.
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Comment on Forgot Chrome's unusable, any recommendations? in ~tech
vektor Link ParentThe comment isalso about brave, not Firefox. Firefox is a FOSS nonprofit, which sets it apart from most tech companies imo. they're not perfect, but a country mile better than the rest, and most...The comment isalso about brave, not Firefox. Firefox is a FOSS nonprofit, which sets it apart from most tech companies imo. they're not perfect, but a country mile better than the rest, and most of their failures are down to lacking resources.
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Comment on How many valid JSON strings are there? in ~comp
vektor Link ParentTesting how close to ideal your domain-specific compression algorithm is?Testing how close to ideal your domain-specific compression algorithm is?
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Comment on What is a business/org that's so terrible no one should use if possible? in ~life
vektor Link ParentMaybe self-payer prices would even be more reasonable if there was no insurance for anyone...Better than nothing at all, but not by much.
Maybe self-payer prices would even be more reasonable if there was no insurance for anyone...
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Comment on AI industry horrified to face largest copyright class action ever certified in ~tech
vektor (edited )Link ParentIf you ask me, take the price of the item in question. Then multiply with a fudge factor to ensure it discourages piracy. In the case of public transport here, that factor is x3 or x10, roughly,...What would you really consider fair for torrenting a movie or downloading a song? $100 maybe? $500? I think stretching above $1,000 is already getting pretty out of hand. We should be in speeding ticket territory, not losing your home territory. It certainly shouldn’t be more than the fine for shoplifting the same creative work, that’s for sure!
If you ask me, take the price of the item in question. Then multiply with a fudge factor to ensure it discourages piracy. In the case of public transport here, that factor is x3 or x10, roughly, just to give a real world example. That sounds a lot more reasonable than the x10000 implied by the 150k fine.
I also think we might not even have this problem if relevant quantities of these works could be licensed in bulk at reasonable rates.
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Comment on What useful licenses or certifications are surprisingly cheap and easy to get? in ~talk
vektor Link ParentAlso, bad CPR is more valuable than no CPR. Even if you haven't taken a course, pumping someone's chest until you're sketched out about the integrity of their ribs to the tune of "staying alive"...Also, bad CPR is more valuable than no CPR. Even if you haven't taken a course, pumping someone's chest until you're sketched out about the integrity of their ribs to the tune of "staying alive" is a really simple concept, and it is miles above "no CPR". Everything else is a bonus - proper compression depth, ventilating lungs, those are nice. Just check first whether there's a pulse I guess.
Also, depending on your location, dispatch will stay in the line and coach you through it. Apparently, they even have a metronome to keep you in time and remind you to ventilate. So in case of doubt, just call them, put them on speaker and get pumping.
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Comment on Shouldn't somebody *stop* "Meta Superintelligence Labs"? in ~tech
vektor (edited )Link ParentYou put it better than I would have. We also don't know what will emerge from scaling up another order of magnitude, or another. (We also don't know how much today's or tomorrow's research might...You put it better than I would have.
We also don't know what will emerge from scaling up another order of magnitude, or another. (We also don't know how much today's or tomorrow's research might improve scaling laws.) In fact, in the infinite data/infinite compute case, basically any sufficiently free architecture should achieve intelligence.
Besides that I'm quite skeptical of using the term intelligence without defining it. We used to think chessplay was a unmistakable sign of intelligence. Then it was the Turing test. Then it was creative expression. By most of the definitions we used to apply, LLMs are intelligent, it's just that we abandoned these definitions once machines beat them. If we keep doing that for much longer, no animal will be intelligent anymore and the only artificial intelligence we'd consider intelligent is a superintelligence.
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Comment on Shouldn't somebody *stop* "Meta Superintelligence Labs"? in ~tech
vektor Link ParentIt's a positively bonkers position, but unless you're willing to cede the AI arms race to a foreign power, the only option is to negotiate or bomb them. And I don't think most relevant countries...It's a positively bonkers position, but unless you're willing to cede the AI arms race to a foreign power, the only option is to negotiate or bomb them. And I don't think most relevant countries are easily convinced by negotiations here.
So unless you want a war with China, the AI arms race will continue. All the way to a superintelligence, if that is where this eventually goes. Hopefully a controllable superintelligence, alternatively benevolent.
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Comment on What’s something that’s more complicated than most people realize? in ~talk
vektor Link ParentI'd like to contrast this: With this: If vision past the car immediately to your front is clear, you can rule out many of the reasons the car in front might stop faster than is safe. Safeguarding...I'd like to contrast this:
And the fact that it can happen completely dissolves whatever bits of an argument I had.
With this:
There's no such thing as "perfect safety". The real question is: "what level of risk is acceptable?"
If vision past the car immediately to your front is clear, you can rule out many of the reasons the car in front might stop faster than is safe. Safeguarding against every long-tail risks is a sysiphean task and usually ineffective use of resources.
Of course this needs careful consideration of just how big that tail risk is: in poorer visibility, denser traffic and poorer braking conditions, more distance is needed. And unless you're on a green-flagged racetrack, being able to stop before your effective horizon is advisable.
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Comment on What’s something that’s more complicated than most people realize? in ~talk
vektor Link ParentAn interesting question imo is the "level" of risk homeostasis. Is that long-term constant in time? The ABS example you give only entails a short-term stability, but it's entirely plausible that...An interesting question imo is the "level" of risk homeostasis. Is that long-term constant in time? The ABS example you give only entails a short-term stability, but it's entirely plausible that in the long term the level of acceptable risk decreases. Also, is the intuitive acceptance level calculated in terms of monetary cost or danger to life and limb? What if the rewards are money as opposed to time? How do we trade off monetary gain vs health risks? Or time gain vs monetary risk?
One example of all these factors at work is workplace safety in developed vs developing countries. We all know videos featuring "safety sandals" in Indian factories, right? Assuming the employees aren't slaves, those conditions are somehow "part of the Overton window of safety": someone else might decide on the level of PPE, but the employees still accept the deal. Which I suppose says more about their economic alternatives than their inherent risk tolerance. But the acceptable money to spend to statistically save a life is undoubtedly a different one.
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Comment on Weather forecast is for extreme heat in Europe. Heat related deaths are expected. in ~enviro
vektor (edited )Link ParentFirst, as some alluded to, much lower humidity than most of the US. My non-AC apartment kept it at 50%. Humidity can get bad here, but usually as a result of rain, which pretty much precludes a...First, as some alluded to, much lower humidity than most of the US. My non-AC apartment kept it at 50%. Humidity can get bad here, but usually as a result of rain, which pretty much precludes a heat wave. YMMV regionally.
Second, building styles. Decent insulation and/or high thermal mass means your walls might take days and days to heat up to unpleasant levels. While it was 40 degrees outside, my apartment never rose above 28. And that in a city that didn't cool off below 20 at night. Conscious management like not cooking and opening windows whenever the outside is cool does help. YMMV per building.
It doesn't get bad enough often enough to justify AC. Or at least it didn't.
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Comment on NATO commits to spending hike sought by US President Donald Trump, and to mutual defence in ~society
vektor Link ParentTo clarify, the only reason to wait for the US to fix their shit is so the existing alliance structure stays intact, not so we can continue relying on it. I'd expect us to follow suit on defense...To clarify, the only reason to wait for the US to fix their shit is so the existing alliance structure stays intact, not so we can continue relying on it. I'd expect us to follow suit on defense spending until we can comfortably meet our security needs - and then expect that the US dropped the ridiculous 5% demand, because all reasonable needs will be met beforehand.
Whether the US drops the demand because they (A) are a democracy again, (B) someone else talked to trump's brain-in-a-jar last, or (C) some other despot runs the place doesn't matter. I don't think the 5% goals will ever be met. They're too ridiculous to implement at the whims of a country's unstable leader who wouldn't even help the alliance out anyway.
If the US does not fix their shit, no big deal: in that case we've ramped up defense spending to a point where we don't rely on the US.
If we add 0.2% per year, European NATO will run a 2.3% budget in ~4 years. Given that we could win today, perhaps with a bit more pain than desirable, that should very much suffice.
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Comment on NATO commits to spending hike sought by US President Donald Trump, and to mutual defence in ~society
vektor (edited )Link ParentThe US has a uniquely deemphasized artillery force. Their doctrine for getting fires on target is basically: ... by which I mean it's the air force's job. It's no wonder they can't keep up. If the...even the USA
The US has a uniquely deemphasized artillery force. Their doctrine for getting fires on target is basically:
It's always sexy to talk about a new fighter plane
... by which I mean it's the air force's job.
It's no wonder they can't keep up. If the US runs out of JDAMs, is when you gotta worry.
That said, NATO has some militaries with a lot more focus on artillery, and those guns must be fed in case of war.
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Comment on NATO commits to spending hike sought by US President Donald Trump, and to mutual defence in ~society
vektor Link ParentThat's my thinking too. Spend a little more while trump is in office (reasonable to contain Russia without too much trouble). Then wait for America to fix their shit. Then in 4 years, quietly...I don't actually expect most countries to meet it by 2035 but maybe I'm naive.
That's my thinking too. Spend a little more while trump is in office (reasonable to contain Russia without too much trouble). Then wait for America to fix their shit. Then in 4 years, quietly scale the goal down to something reasonable and pat each other on the back for finally reaching NATO spending goals.
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Comment on NATO commits to spending hike sought by US President Donald Trump, and to mutual defence in ~society
vektor Link ParentAs a ballpark figure, we can probably fight and win a war with Russia at the current ~1.5%. All it takes is replacing some of the niche enablers the US currently provides. Call it 1.6% and we're...Europe may need to stand on its own a bit more. Maybe investing 5% in the European domestic MIC could help with that.
As a ballpark figure, we can probably fight and win a war with Russia at the current ~1.5%. All it takes is replacing some of the niche enablers the US currently provides. Call it 1.6% and we're there. This would result in European NATO forces that have a technological edge and perhaps a tiny numbers disadvantage in relatively deemphasized categories like Tanks and AFVs.
Crank that number up to 2 and start using the money more efficiently and the one prospective threat becomes as much of a cake walk as a land war in Asia can ever get. Go to 3.5 or even 5, and it is ridiculously lopsided.
Perun did a video comparing European NATO to Russia a few weeks ago.
The only reasonable thing to do with 5% is to build expeditionary forces to contain threats cough china cough farther afield. Or give Germany nukes, that's also possible. You guys want German nukes?
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Comment on US bombers strike nuclear sites in Iran in ~society
vektor Link ParentMind quoting the exact verbiage and/or linking a source? What I've read is that no radiation was released, which is a different thing. A release of uranium wouldn't result in a lot of radiation.IAEA stated there's no contamination, so that begs the question...
Mind quoting the exact verbiage and/or linking a source?
What I've read is that no radiation was released, which is a different thing. A release of uranium wouldn't result in a lot of radiation.
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Comment on US bombers strike nuclear sites in Iran in ~society
vektor Link ParentNot much of a concern, as long as no chain reaction happened during the strike. Enriched uranium is barely more radioactive than depleted, which is to say it's half life is in the hundreds of...and the radiological fallout from all of that mostly enriched uranium flowing around in a nice big yellow cloud of doom.
Not much of a concern, as long as no chain reaction happened during the strike. Enriched uranium is barely more radioactive than depleted, which is to say it's half life is in the hundreds of millions of years. It's basically a stable element.
U-235 only becomes interesting once you bombard it with neutrons, but that won't happen during enrichment or in a fallout cloud. A chain reaction because you hit centrifuges with a MOP seems incredibly unlikely too - those contain UF6, a gas. Hard to shape a critical mass of that.
And taint our training data? No sir. No thank you. We'll keep that exactly as is, for internal purposes. If we ever sell it, we will anonymize it.
Obviously I don't work there, but that is the thinking I expect. And honestly? I kinda get it. I've had to work with one too many datasets that were mangled to the point of uselessness by compliance people. And not even for good reasons like patient privacy.
Though to clarify, even if I am a data monkey, I do have a conscience. I would hope the big players purge the worst PII from the data before it moves anywhere, and I think it wouldn't hurt them much to do so. I would be uncomfortable holding that kind of data.