Posts by zenkat@sfba.social
(DIR) Post #AtYVmiDUx1w2q9mOZM by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-04-28T16:44:36Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@interfluidity As predicted by Orwell.
(DIR) Post #AyZDVgnkwrYRfEbGl6 by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-09-25T14:15:03Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex If only the US had a functioning Congress and court system, Trump would have been in jail for similar shenanigans with Russia ... and the works would be very different today.
(DIR) Post #AyfJZbk9SgFFoAvQmW by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-09-28T12:51:14Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird The problem is, there are a large number of people who cannot distinguish TV from reality. It's all just a blur of X-Files and Fox News and YouTube, completely unconnected from any grounding in truth or reality. The age of Mind Plagues has arrived.
(DIR) Post #AyrppmEZkn4tPMQekC by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-10-04T13:49:17Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Y el sur de los Estados Unidos fue un parte de México hasta mucho siglos. Siempre la gente allí habló español. Siempre nuestro país tuve muchos idiomas. Dice lo contrario significa que ellos no son "real 'Murcans". A la mierda con eso.
(DIR) Post #Ayu5l5Vge673KI8dqi by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-10-05T15:57:05Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird No. LLMs are *transformers* and one thing they do well is reframing the same underlying information in different styles. So the original voice of the authors is gone, it's all based on your prompt and/or what was favored by RLHF.eg, Think about the early graphic LLMs that would repaint a picture in the style of a famous artist. Retaining the underlying information while outputting in a different style is foundational to what these models do.
(DIR) Post #AyvzUbXw4V5OLxrooq by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-10-06T13:56:20Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird I made the same argument with a VP of Software Engineering. VP: LLMs can write code, and even design docs. They will transform the industry. Me: Can they get two TLs that hate each other to agree on a common design? VP: ...
(DIR) Post #AzAPfxOoTteEKr747c by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-10-13T12:55:39Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Honestly I think some people (subconsciously) choose had relationships because they are bored, and want some drama in their life. People love drama.
(DIR) Post #AzLmaOeSgCdInvJEC8 by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-10-18T21:50:28Z
0 likes, 2 repeats
I finally found those dastardly Ant Eefa agents! #NoKings
(DIR) Post #AzM0lLADO1PiWxH3Ls by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-10-19T03:13:02Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Thought you might enjoy that. 😸
(DIR) Post #AzZJpIogTnKCapHjk0 by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-10-25T13:17:55Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebird @Jirikiha @sinituulia Ads in human social networks are effectively eusocial parasites, colonizing and exploiting the natural behaviors of their host species (us humans) for their selfish gains. Compare to the behavior of Formica ssp, where queens from one species take over another species's hive, exploiting the workers's natural behaviors for their own gain.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formica
(DIR) Post #AzZKpGpDz0beN55PzE by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-10-25T13:29:06Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @Jirikiha @sinituulia Yes -- since the worker species DNA is also being replicated, there's mutual benefit ... weird and cool.
(DIR) Post #AzbL1uoXWGYGBaiQCm by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-10-26T12:40:49Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird oh the horror!
(DIR) Post #B05zeqvsAGdtEJnQA4 by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-11-08T14:50:41Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird He's literally done this billions of times.
(DIR) Post #B0lxNKHRzD3Em3kyUC by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-11-30T13:29:38Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebird I was at Molasses Books in Bushwick last night, taking with my cousin about TBL's latest book, and the design of online systems. A shy but brave young woman asked if she could listen in. I introduced myself and welcomed her in to the conversation. We talked a bit about various things, twitter and theater and art and connection. She was bright abd curious, made great points and asked great questions, had a charming sweet smile. Near the end of it conversation, as we were getting ready to roll to our reservation at Win Son, she said something strange. "Right now I think that ChatGPT has become my best friend."I stopped and looked at her. "Don't trust it. It's lying to you. It's only pretending to be your friend.""So I should trust people instead?""Yes. I mean, don't be foolish, but trust people over machines."And then it was time to go. But I still want to go back and find her, give her a big hug, sit her down over a coffee, and tell her ...DON'T TRUST THE ROBOTS #ai #llm
(DIR) Post #B0lzavRhJlDdiHA7MG by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-11-30T13:54:33Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird I think the problem started when we started doing what we are doing now ... communicating with strangers via snippets of text over the Internet.I mean, I don't really know you, and you don't really know me. Sure, I have some idea of who you are, but mostly what I am doing is talking with a fictitious character I've made up in my head, based on your texts. And you are doing the same.We all do this so naturally. It's automatic and instinctual so as to be almost invisible. We create personas, ways we imagine people to be. And then we talk with them very directly in our heads, mediated by these short text prompts flying across the web.And to be fair, we do this in real-life as well. If you have been betrayed by a friend knows what I mean. But in real life, we have so much more rich data to create those characters, facial expressions and body language and tone. Here it is just text. But how small a step it is to do the same with a chatbot. It's the same text. But no person behind it.
(DIR) Post #B0lzq9xvcDuP5bVBei by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-11-30T13:57:18Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird There's a good cautionary tale about this ...https://amandaguinzburg.substack.com/p/diabolus-ex-machinaRead all the way to the end for maximum effect.
(DIR) Post #B0m0djQYYfjPGHWwPw by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-11-30T14:06:16Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird One of our most fundamental human needs is connecting with others. We are social beings, hive creatures just like ants and bees, and communication is core to that. It's just that instead of communicating with pheromones and antennae, we use words and text.But the need is the same -- to connect with those around us, so that we know we are not alone in the universe. This is at the core of what it means to be human. We need to be understood, be validated. So that we know all this stuff inside us is shared by those around us. ChatGPT short-circuits that need. That's why it's so insidious. It pretends to be another human that you are connecting with, but it is not. It's just an endless void of silicon and electricity and math.And all of your need for connection, all of your thoughts and words and soul, and dropped into that void. It may seem like your friend, but it's not.
(DIR) Post #B0m1IZMWssypv17Tfc by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-11-30T14:13:37Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Exactly! We need to connect with other humans. We *need* to be understood, and know that we aren't alone in the universe. The yearning for this can be intense. Especially if you don't quite fit with normal (boring) people.
(DIR) Post #B0mIgQptw0uPe5p2rg by zenkat@sfba.social
2025-11-30T17:28:27Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird PS -- this is a great poem ♥️
(DIR) Post #B1utiLbztUWnrL2s1A by zenkat@sfba.social
2026-01-03T18:53:10Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird You didn't need to be an expert, just let them soeak for themselves ...https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/us/politics/venezuela-maduro-fallout-trump.html