glesica's recent activity

  1. Comment on OpenAI, Google and Anthropic are struggling to build more advanced AI in ~tech

    glesica
    Link Parent
    It occurs to me that a reasonable next step (in terms of making the things more useful, not in terms of getting the hype train revved up) is to go back to the 80s and start building things like...

    It occurs to me that a reasonable next step (in terms of making the things more useful, not in terms of getting the hype train revved up) is to go back to the 80s and start building things like expert systems with LLM building blocks. I mean, in a way, this is basically what the whole "tool use" thing is, but I bet there's a whole lot more that could be done there to do really magical things, though with a lot more effort than just having some "intelligent" agent and telling it to do the thing.

  2. Comment on How self-driving cars will destroy cities in ~transport

    glesica
    Link Parent
    Oh man, I just realized someone is eventually gonna create an "anti-woke" self-driving F-350 service and do exactly this.

    doesn't roll coal

    Oh man, I just realized someone is eventually gonna create an "anti-woke" self-driving F-350 service and do exactly this.

    2 votes

  3. Comment on The world’s first wooden satellite was launched into space, will begin testing in December in ~space

    glesica
    Link Parent
    It's adorable! I don't know why, but I kinda expected rough cut plywood.

    It's adorable! I don't know why, but I kinda expected rough cut plywood.

  4. Comment on Vivaldi 7.0 has been released in ~tech

    glesica
    Link Parent
    True, but one of the most important benefits of engine diversity, to me, is diversity of who controls the engines. So even if WebKit and Blink are similar technically, Apple controls WebKit and...

    True, but one of the most important benefits of engine diversity, to me, is diversity of who controls the engines. So even if WebKit and Blink are similar technically, Apple controls WebKit and faces a very different set of incentives. This means it is valuable in terms of weakening Google's hegemony over the market.

    8 votes

  5. Comment on Vivaldi 7.0 has been released in ~tech

    glesica
    Link Parent
    Safari is also not based on Chromium, and integrates with the system keychain quite elegantly, though you obviously have to be a Mac user. I wish Apple hadn't discontinued Safari for Windows.

    Safari is also not based on Chromium, and integrates with the system keychain quite elegantly, though you obviously have to be a Mac user. I wish Apple hadn't discontinued Safari for Windows.

    9 votes

  6. Comment on Young Donald Trump appointed US judge declares centuries old qui tam case practice unconstitutional in ~society

    glesica
    Link Parent
    I think, ultimately, no matter what vetting processes you have in place, it's still possible for a motivated group of people to undermine them. The important thing here is to reflect on whether we...

    I think, ultimately, no matter what vetting processes you have in place, it's still possible for a motivated group of people to undermine them. The important thing here is to reflect on whether we want to elect someone who ignores social norms that, as it turns out, appear to be quite important (appointing experienced, conscientious people to judicial positions).

    3 votes

  7. Comment on While web browsers warm to AI services, holdouts remain including Vivaldi in ~tech

    glesica
    Link Parent
    Thanks for that! I do wish there was more software that could just be paid for with money, but this seems pretty reasonable.

    Thanks for that! I do wish there was more software that could just be paid for with money, but this seems pretty reasonable.

  8. Comment on While web browsers warm to AI services, holdouts remain including Vivaldi in ~tech

    glesica
    Link Parent
    I clicked around a bit, but couldn't find any info on their website, but how does Vivaldi make money? I'm extremely hesitant to use a product if I don't understand its business model, just because...

    I clicked around a bit, but couldn't find any info on their website, but how does Vivaldi make money? I'm extremely hesitant to use a product if I don't understand its business model, just because that often leads to unpleasant surprises down the road.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on Ukraine launches 144-drone barrage on Russia, targeting Moscow and key regions in ~news

    glesica
    Link Parent
    That's some fascinating perspective! I do wonder if there is a difference when a war is already controversial. For example, my understanding is that the Japanese and German people broadly...

    That's some fascinating perspective! I do wonder if there is a difference when a war is already controversial. For example, my understanding is that the Japanese and German people broadly supported their respective countries' aggressive actions in WW2. But, I'm not sure if the US population, for instance, would have been willing to fight in Iraq (which was already highly controversial) if it meant getting bombed randomly from time to time. I guess I could see it going either way in that case.

    5 votes

  10. Comment on Where do you fit in the US political typology? in ~society

    glesica
    Link Parent
    I also thought the military question needed more nuance. My answer changes depending on who we're talking about becoming a superpower and what their policies are. Ideally we'd all scale back on...

    I also thought the military question needed more nuance. My answer changes depending on who we're talking about becoming a superpower and what their policies are. Ideally we'd all scale back on military spending, but that's difficult to make happen.

    25 votes

  11. Comment on Nothing CEO Carl Pei gives employees two months to return to office full-time in ~tech

    glesica
    Link Parent
    Kinda depends on what he means by "the right decision", doesn't it? Like, if you have to run out to pick up your kids or something, is the right decision to then work until 9pm? :-)

    Kinda depends on what he means by "the right decision", doesn't it? Like, if you have to run out to pick up your kids or something, is the right decision to then work until 9pm? :-)

    6 votes

  12. Comment on Condé Nast joins other publishers in allowing OpenAI to access its content in ~tech

    glesica
    Link
    This feels like it's going to get expensive for LLM companies at some point. Kinda like having to subscribe to 17 streaming services in order to watch all the popular shows.

    This feels like it's going to get expensive for LLM companies at some point. Kinda like having to subscribe to 17 streaming services in order to watch all the popular shows.

    9 votes

  13. Comment on Hydrogen powered Toyota Mirai turned into bomb by Ukrainian forces explodes with the force of 400 pounds of TNT in ~transport

    glesica
    Link Parent
    I have to admit, I expected the war to be over in a few weeks, maybe a month or two. I suspect that US and European policymakers thought similarly. It's been really impressive to see how resilient...

    I have to admit, I expected the war to be over in a few weeks, maybe a month or two. I suspect that US and European policymakers thought similarly. It's been really impressive to see how resilient the Ukrainian people and military have been. It's also been frustrating because of how reluctant their allies have been to fully assist them.

    8 votes

  14. Comment on Replika CEO Eugenia Kuyda says it’s okay if we end up marrying AI chatbots in ~tech

    glesica
    Link
    I mean, isn't this just straight out of the "I need publicity for my company so I'll make an absurd claim that will attract headlines and controversy" playbook? It irks me that news outlets have...

    I mean, isn't this just straight out of the "I need publicity for my company so I'll make an absurd claim that will attract headlines and controversy" playbook? It irks me that news outlets have an incentive to go along with this nonsense to get impressions.

    60 votes

  15. Comment on Webcam recommendations? in ~tech

    glesica
    Link Parent
    I typically use my MacBook Pro speakers. I use it mostly for work, so it's generally just one person speaking clearly at a time and everyone else has a decent setup, so my needs are pretty simple.

    I typically use my MacBook Pro speakers. I use it mostly for work, so it's generally just one person speaking clearly at a time and everyone else has a decent setup, so my needs are pretty simple.

    1 vote

  16. Comment on Webcam recommendations? in ~tech

    glesica
    Link Parent
    What's your mirrorless setup look like? I've thought about doing that in the past, but the choices are just so daunting.

    What's your mirrorless setup look like? I've thought about doing that in the past, but the choices are just so daunting.

  17. Comment on Webcam recommendations? in ~tech

    glesica
    Link Parent
    Tend to agree. I wanted slightly better quality (and something that looked nicer, IMO) so I went with https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/webcams/4kprowebcam.960-001390.html (I got it on sale,...

    Tend to agree. I wanted slightly better quality (and something that looked nicer, IMO) so I went with https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/webcams/4kprowebcam.960-001390.html (I got it on sale, I believe) and it has been pretty amazing! Really can't go wrong with a Logitech.

  18. Comment on IVF alone can’t save us from a looming fertility crisis in ~health

    glesica
    Link Parent
    The point about societies being either way above or way below the replacement rate is interesting, and that would certainly complicate things. A good answer to a lot of this is, perhaps, and I can...

    I don't know what the answer is, but I do think it's a problem if fertility rates go off of a cliff. A gradual decline in population (and therefore population aging) would certainly be easier to manage. But that doesn't seem to be what societies do when they become prosperous.

    The point about societies being either way above or way below the replacement rate is interesting, and that would certainly complicate things. A good answer to a lot of this is, perhaps, and I can only speak for what I can see in the US, that our societies need to become more "communal". If services can be provisioned to many people at once, then less labor is required. Obviously this doesn't apply to everything (it wouldn't make sense to have a group doctor appointment).

    7 votes

  19. Comment on IVF alone can’t save us from a looming fertility crisis in ~health

    glesica
    Link Parent
    That's fair, I should have specified that my frustration is with the US, other countries have their own specific circumstances.

    Maybe you realize that and you're only talking about the US

    That's fair, I should have specified that my frustration is with the US, other countries have their own specific circumstances.

    3 votes

  20. Comment on IVF alone can’t save us from a looming fertility crisis in ~health

    glesica
    Link Parent
    I understand the concern, but I think it's a very solvable problem, particularly given that the aging people currently hold an enormous amount of wealth relative to the younger people. Plus, it...

    I understand the concern, but I think it's a very solvable problem, particularly given that the aging people currently hold an enormous amount of wealth relative to the younger people. Plus, it would probably be healthier for the economy if that wealth transferred sooner as taxes and payment for care services rather than later as inheritance.

    8 votes