Where's Your Ed At

The post critiques the optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and argues that generative AI has failed to deliver meaningful advancements. It highlights the hype cycles perpetuated by media figures like Casey Newton and Kevin Roose, who promote AI without addressing its shortcomings and potential ramifications. The author emphasizes that AI optimism often overlooks the real economic and ethical issues and accuses proponents of creating a comfortable but misleading narrative. The piece calls for skepticism and critical engagement with AI technologies, stressing the need for more realistic assessments of their capabilities and impacts.

The Phony Comforts of AI Optimism

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<p>Maybe worth a read? Zitron has correct critiques of Newton and Roose for not showing their AI hype work. (They are, perhaps, too comfortable with the journalists’ perspective of off-the-record sourcing to actually do the work of presenting evidence.) But there’s not much substance of Zitron in the other direction.  Philosophically speaking, it’s not clear the skeptic or optimist has a more difficult position.  Positions can occupy the spectrum from non-commital, low-bar claims to specific high-bar ones.  The difficult position is the person who makes strong predictions whether that’s an optimist (“AGI will be here next Tuesday at 5pm”) or the skeptic (“No jobs will be lost EVER  from AI”)–those are the ‘difficult’ positions.</p>
<p>Also, the writing isn’t that great, and he goes on about a company he looked into.  If you’re looking for great AI arguments probably look elsewhere; if you consume all things AI, give it a read.</p>
