Thread

1. jacquesm · 1789726316 · focus · HN ↗

   It's the robbery of all of our culture to sell it back to us at a mark-up. Crimes this large are crimes against humanity. So many people whose life's work got appropriated without consideration, compensation or consent it is baffling.

   It is said that at the heart of every great fortune there is a great crime, so it should be no surprise that the most valuable companies on the planet will most likely result from this crime. And given that justice can be bought by those with the most money you can forget about anything coming of this.

   1. godwinson__4-8 · 1789731119 · focus · HN ↗

      Our "culture" has long been the province of corporations. In prior epochs it was still the product of patronage and power.

      At least with LLMs we can glimpse an escape route to that which generations of humans have strived for - a world in which the labor required of each human to lead a flourishing life approaches zero.

      Instead of fixating on a remedy that seeks to criminalize AI, maybe focus on the relatively rather achievable goal of redistributing LLM gains. Would that not be the most desirable justice? What is your alternative, and would you foreclose the future in the name of a past that never really existed in the first place?

      1. jacquesm · 1789731971 · focus · HN ↗

         > At least with LLMs we can glimpse an escape route to that which generations of humans have strived for - a world in which the labor required of each human to lead a flourishing life approaches zero.

         Let me fix that for you: A world in the the value of the labor of each human approaches zero.

         1. godwinson__4-8 · 1789732446 · focus · HN ↗

            Right, and the consequence is going to be, what?

            Humans with zero economic value can still vote. They can still mass. They will still have needs. Really the script here writes itself. The historical precedents bound the problem rather well. As always, radical social change will not occur until a wide swath of the population is aligned. In this case, due to their broad economic devaluation.

            It would be easier if today's knowledge workers stopped deluding themselves into thinking that their standards of living will maintain. Your acknowledgement of the necessary predicate to change is, in that respect, progress in itself. There is little reason why we cannot accelerate the timing of broad consensus if more people so readily came to that conclusion - and resisted the temptation to then find the answer instead in nostalgia about the past.

            1. yoz-y · 1789733581 · focus · HN ↗

               We are not deluding ourselves that we will maintain our standard of living. If the boss’ dream of replacing all workers by AI that does their job poorly but cheaply will be realized. We will go to the gutter with the rest of the economically worthless people.

               There are many of them today, their needs are not met (but could be, the production output is largely there, but captured) and their political views don’t matter because the votes are captured by populists. I’m sure the powers that are will find a way to go around educated people voting.

               1. 2frrrr · 1789733800 · focus · HN ↗

                  Correct.

                  Humans are animals. We have rules to keep humans in check but that’s it.

                  The wealthy do not care nor need to care. They will justify it as ‘you lot were too weak to organise and stop us’ and there is an element of truth to that.

               2. godwinson__4-8 · 1789734321 · focus · HN ↗

                  I still see a lot of denialism.

                  It is easy to ignore the misallocation of output and the private greed when generally people are still doing fairly well.

                  As the denials give way, the politics will change. You may be right such moments will be hijacked and hope extinguished. That's why we should all aim to think about these problems in the most robust way, so we can all contribute to the coming efforts.

                  Cynicism about the future is easy, but should be resisted. Perhaps ironically, I find hope in your acknowledgement of your own imminent devaluation.

                  1. jaybeavers · 1789735238 · focus · HN ↗

                     “I find hope in your acknowledgment of your own imminent devaluation.”

                     Gave me a chuckle. I think this is my personal ‘best sentence of the year’.

                     Great way to summarize how we will likely look back on 2026.

                     1. qarl · 1789740284 · focus · HN ↗

                        Well... it's true, right?

                        People can't help themselves when they don't believe they're being exploited.

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