‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

Unsealed Briefs in Authors’ Case v. Microsoft/OpenAI

631 points · 623 comments · papergirl

  1. handoflixue · · focus · HN ↗
    It's wild how much weight "they're destroying jobs" has.

    I dare say that car manufacturers are aware of their impact on the horse and buggy industry. Calculator manufacturers wrecked the livelihood of mathematicians and accountants.

    Technology is in the business of putting people out of work, by inventing better ways of doing things. Or rather, any time you invent a better way of doing things, that's fundamentally going to disrupt all the businesses built around older technologies.

    1. RobotToaster · · focus · HN ↗
      It's interesting that this argument wasn't popular decades ago, when the internet basically made publishers and other copyright rent seekers redundant. Instead the response was harsher enforcement and more laws to protect the rent seekers.
      1. whh · · focus · HN ↗
        Amplification of commentary and opinion is much easier now. It’s also a lot easier to play into people’s fears.

        There’s a wide range of political motivations for this sort of thing too. Not just AI taking jobs, but convincing people to vote against their best interests, or even supporting radical religious groups whose values would persecute you. This sort of rhetoric feels noisier than it ever did decades ago.

        Everybody gets a platform now, even the bots.

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.