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.
> You don't study mathematics or computer science and information theory to produce commodities. You study them to transform your mind.
As a taxpayer I do not fund CS and math research because it "transforms minds." I fund it because it produces commodities. If you want to transform your mind, whether through math or meditation retreats, you are free to do so, but don't expect research funding to do it.
That's only relevant insofar as it can be a long time before the commercial viability is realized or apparent.
If an AI can make 100 commercially unviable discoveries (for now) on its way to each immediately commercially viable discovery, that's great - bank them in the discovery library for later.
Still doesn't mean we need mathematicians doing everything with pencils instead.
>At least historically, we haven’t really been able to tell what will be transformative in terms of real world applications ahead of time.
This is mostly false. There are certainly some famous cases where math pursued for theoretical reasons later resulted in major practical applications but historically a great deal of math was developed either in response or alongside practical problems with anticipated real world applications, with war, industry and commerce being the major drivers.
metalspot · · focus · HN ↗
levocardia · · focus · HN ↗
As a taxpayer I do not fund CS and math research because it "transforms minds." I fund it because it produces commodities. If you want to transform your mind, whether through math or meditation retreats, you are free to do so, but don't expect research funding to do it.
camdenreslink · · focus · HN ↗
At least historically, we haven’t really been able to tell what will be transformative in terms of real world applications ahead of time.
generalizations · · focus · HN ↗
If an AI can make 100 commercially unviable discoveries (for now) on its way to each immediately commercially viable discovery, that's great - bank them in the discovery library for later.
Still doesn't mean we need mathematicians doing everything with pencils instead.
Maxatar · · focus · HN ↗
This is mostly false. There are certainly some famous cases where math pursued for theoretical reasons later resulted in major practical applications but historically a great deal of math was developed either in response or alongside practical problems with anticipated real world applications, with war, industry and commerce being the major drivers.