25 votes

“We have built a giant treadmill that we can’t get off”: Sci-fi author Ted Chiang on how to best think about AI

Posted by winther
Tags: authors, science fiction, ted chiang, interviews, artificial intelligence, author.delia cai, source.vanity fair, paywall
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2023/06/ted-chiang-on-how-to-best-think-about-about-ai

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Authors
Delia Cai, Bess Levin, Savannah Walsh, Caleb Ecarma, Monica Lewinsky, James Pogue, Joy Press
Published
Jun 29 2023
Word count
809 words

8 comments

  1. [6]
    Casocial
    Link
    I don't know about calling him a prophet, but Ted Chiang's certainly a thought-provoking author. He's also written an article on ChatGPT which might be of interest: LINK

    I don't know about calling him a prophet, but Ted Chiang's certainly a thought-provoking author. He's also written an article on ChatGPT which might be of interest: LINK

    10 votes
    1. [4]
      winther
      Link Parent
      It happens annoyingly often with science fiction writers that they are seen as someone who is trying to predict the future. Science fiction is usually more about the present even though it often...

      It happens annoyingly often with science fiction writers that they are seen as someone who is trying to predict the future. Science fiction is usually more about the present even though it often takes place in the future. I don't think many science fiction authors have it as a goal to make prophecies about the future. That aside, along with that article you are linking to, Ted Chiang does have some valuable things to say about AI.

      8 votes
      1. [3]
        cfabbro
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I have edited the title to remove “prophet”, since even you seem to disliked that part too. :P It’s okay to edit the titles before submitting them to make them less clickbaity. We’re not sticklers...

        I have edited the title to remove “prophet”, since even you seem to disliked that part too. :P It’s okay to edit the titles before submitting them to make them less clickbaity. We’re not sticklers for people using original titles here.

        cc: @Casocial

        3 votes
        1. Casocial
          Link Parent
          Ah, good to know. Some platforms prefer to retain original titles even if they're inflammatory or misleading, but I'm in favour of rephrasing them too.

          Ah, good to know. Some platforms prefer to retain original titles even if they're inflammatory or misleading, but I'm in favour of rephrasing them too.

          5 votes
        2. winther
          Link Parent
          Ah force of habit but good to know for next time.

          Ah force of habit but good to know for next time.

          2 votes
    2. rickartz
      Link Parent
      That's a fascinating article! It took a mathematician an awesome YouTube video essay, for me to understand Bitcoin's blockchain technology (just the basics, thank you 3Blue1Brown), and now this...

      That's a fascinating article!

      It took a mathematician an awesome YouTube video essay, for me to understand Bitcoin's blockchain technology (just the basics, thank you 3Blue1Brown), and now this article explained really good the idea behind AI. Not in a technical way, but it's better than what little I knew before.

      Some people are pretty good at explaining things, and I appreciate the opportunity to know about them, so thank you for sharing.

      1 vote
  2. sparksbet
    Link
    I absolutely love this quote. So much of current AI discussion is absolutely plagued with metaphors that don't reflect reality well enough bc they tell a better story. It's very refreshing seeing...

    By personifying things, it's easy to tell a dramatic story. If you think of what is currently called “AI,” it’s more like a system. There are stories about the effects of bureaucracy and systems crushing people, but those are a little harder. They’re not as visceral.

    I absolutely love this quote. So much of current AI discussion is absolutely plagued with metaphors that don't reflect reality well enough bc they tell a better story. It's very refreshing seeing someone more eloquent than me put that into words so succinctly.

    There probably was a time in history where most people were thinking, “This is old and therefore good,” and they carried the day. Now I think that we live in a time where everyone says, “This is new and therefore better.” I don't believe that the people who say that are right all the time, but it is very difficult to criticize them and suggest that maybe something that is new is not better.

    ALSO THIS 👏 I have nothing to add this is just a good quote.

    8 votes
  3. the9tail
    Link
    Yeah, kinda don’t care about fiction writers when shit like Scientology was sourced by one. They ain’t prophets, they are one of the million monkeys on a million typewriters predicting the future.

    Yeah, kinda don’t care about fiction writers when shit like Scientology was sourced by one.

    They ain’t prophets, they are one of the million monkeys on a million typewriters predicting the future.