There is a failure to understand that the process is the result. You don't study mathematics or computer science and information theory to produce commodities. You study them to transform your mind. The output of an LLM is useless without a human mind to comprehend it. We can have Super Intelligence, but if humans are incapable of comprehending it, it is just another useless dead artifact. Practice, applied over a lifetime, is what creates the capability for comprehension. Asking an LLM to give you an answer creates an artifact. Humans being humans, most of their requests boil down to "make me rich without having to work for it," so the request itself is paradoxical and impossible to satisfy. Philosophers have only been saying this for all of human history, so don't hold your breath for any breakthroughs.
> The output of an LLM is useless without a human mind to comprehend it.
I don’t understand mRNA vaccines, but they are useful to me. The output of an LLM could at least in theory be the design to a major technological advancement, and its implementation with automatic tooling. We don’t have to understand that for it to be useful.
mRNA vaccines were created by humans who understood them. You exist within a society (a networked distributed information system) where you accept the judgement of the humans who understand and create this things, which is how you end up benefiting without personally understanding.
If we imagine Super Intelligence, where NO human is capable of understanding, then how would it ever be possible for any human to identify what is actually beneficial or not?
This resolves in a paradox, common to all magical thinking. You can certainly wish that some all powerful benevolent entity will solve all of your problems for you, but it is not likely to work out well.
None of this is new. It is the same delusions as alchemy and the same thing that tales about genies warn of.
> mRNA vaccines were created by humans who understood them
If authors understood them, why most of their predictions were wrong? Time to decompose spike proteins, side effects, distribution through brrast milk....
Event the most basic promise 100% protection against infection was wrong! They lied and we allowed infected people into hospitals!
It's incorrect to assume that the information you heard is 100% an accurate representation of the scientific understanding and not information filtered through "public health" which balances that with other interests. I'm not aware specifically what was known at the time about the initial vaccine formulation, but there are several examples where there was a disconnect:
- ~Feb 2020: COVID is known to spread through and linger in the air, not just spread via droplets or fomites; public health messaging fixated on simultaneous 6ft distancing and surface cleaning rather than air filtration and masking
- Spring 2020: it's known that masks reduce the risk of acquiring and spreading infection; in the US, public health messaging stated the opposite, in order to keep as many masks in supply to healthcare workers despite a major shortage of masks
- Jan 2022: it's know that an infected person can remain contagious for over two weeks; in the US, public health isolation guidelines are reduced to 5 days due to noncompliance and in response to pressure from the airline industry, which was experiencing a significant shortage of flight staff due to COVID infection
> in the US, public health messaging stated the opposite, in order to keep as many masks in supply to healthcare workers despite a major shortage of masks
I'm saying that "experts" here is not one group. The politicians and public figures choosing what information to publicize and disseminate are not the same people as those who worked on developing the vaccines.
There isnstrong scientific consensus around masks and vaccinees! They work 100%, are 99.999999999999999% effective and there are no measurable side effects (bellow 70%)!
I'm not conflating them. They were one of the examples I've used to say that the messaging promoted by public health officials is not the same as the expert understanding.
metalspot · · focus · HN ↗
gjskngnf · · focus · HN ↗
I don’t understand mRNA vaccines, but they are useful to me. The output of an LLM could at least in theory be the design to a major technological advancement, and its implementation with automatic tooling. We don’t have to understand that for it to be useful.
metalspot · · focus · HN ↗
If we imagine Super Intelligence, where NO human is capable of understanding, then how would it ever be possible for any human to identify what is actually beneficial or not?
This resolves in a paradox, common to all magical thinking. You can certainly wish that some all powerful benevolent entity will solve all of your problems for you, but it is not likely to work out well.
None of this is new. It is the same delusions as alchemy and the same thing that tales about genies warn of.
throw93038383 · · focus · HN ↗
If authors understood them, why most of their predictions were wrong? Time to decompose spike proteins, side effects, distribution through brrast milk....
Event the most basic promise 100% protection against infection was wrong! They lied and we allowed infected people into hospitals!
duskdozer · · focus · HN ↗
- ~Feb 2020: COVID is known to spread through and linger in the air, not just spread via droplets or fomites; public health messaging fixated on simultaneous 6ft distancing and surface cleaning rather than air filtration and masking
- Spring 2020: it's known that masks reduce the risk of acquiring and spreading infection; in the US, public health messaging stated the opposite, in order to keep as many masks in supply to healthcare workers despite a major shortage of masks
- Jan 2022: it's know that an infected person can remain contagious for over two weeks; in the US, public health isolation guidelines are reduced to 5 days due to noncompliance and in response to pressure from the airline industry, which was experiencing a significant shortage of flight staff due to COVID infection
throw93038383 · · focus · HN ↗
So experts also lied about masks!!!
So many people died because of those lies!!!!
They spread misinformations!!!
duskdozer · · focus · HN ↗
throw93038383 · · focus · HN ↗
Anyone who says otherwise is not scientist!
pfdietz · · focus · HN ↗
duskdozer · · focus · HN ↗
pfdietz · · focus · HN ↗