Thread

1. lordnacho · 1790070279 · focus · HN ↗

   AI is my default for just about any search now. From today:

   How did Cantor come up with his diagonal proof? It seems to have been dreamed out of nowhere

   Why are there advertisements for a shampoo containing caffeine? Does caffeine do something useful other than when you drink it?

   What happens in sense and sensibility?

   All of them give a decent answer, with the ability to ask follow ups. Eg, how does S&S compare with Pride and Prejudice? What about more recent novels connecting romantic choices with economic choices?

   All of them give you links to source material, in case you suspect they are just making it up.

   At the start of the millennium, Google search changed everything about how I look for information. Now it seems outdated.

   1. yoavm · 1790072546 · focus · HN ↗

      It's interesting — "knowing how to search" used to be a skill. One wouldn't search for "How did Cantor come up with his diagonal proof?", but rather "cantor diagonal proof origin". You would see "normies" searching and wanted to bang your head against the wall seeing them searching like they're talking.

      But seems like they won? Why know how to search when you can simply ask your question. You can even tyipe it layke dat and it would still work.

      1. nottorp · 1790073850 · focus · HN ↗

         But today neither of your search phrases will give any useful results on google search, while LLMs get it right once in a while.

         1. Eddy_Viscosity2 · 1790076257 · focus · HN ↗

            This is under-appreciated part of it. Search had been deliberately degraded for some time now as part of the usual enshittification arc. Where as AI is still in the early part of the arc where its trying to do better, so the difference between them seems even bigger.

            But seeing disney+ now go all ads for all tiers just shows that's the way they arc bends. Eventually AI will take over and when it does, it will then turn into the shittiest shit ad-infused service the world has ever known.

            1. palmotea · 1790091522 · focus · HN ↗

               > This is under-appreciated part of it. Search had been deliberately degraded for some time now as part of the usual enshittification arc. Where as AI is still in the early part of the arc where its trying to do better, so the difference between them seems even bigger.

               That's how AI will surpass us. Once we enshittify humans sufficiently, AI will flourish. That's why I support extensive AI use in school classrooms, the younger the better, it's the best policy for OpenAI and Anthropic investors.

         2. memcg · 1790095352 · focus · HN ↗

            [dead]

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