Trevor’s review of The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want > Likes and Comments
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I've read my fair round of these books. Just finishing up More Everything Forever and also I've read Supremacy by Olson. Honestly you can't hate these techno fascists enough imo.
Trevor wrote: "Do you recommend either or both?"
Yes both and I’d recommend A City On Mars by Weinersmith which makes a case against billionaires in space
Onto them. It won’t be next week, as I’m at a conference all week, but soon.
It’s more dumbing down. Mediocrity abounds already. Chat GPT (I’m told) is very useful for writing repetitive student reports so they include the right details but are personalised for the student. Quick. BUT (I’m told) the teacher must check and edit where necessary. Same for business letters.
Apparently, it is good for programming - but I never do any programming. I just would never trust it - but people do. That would be my definition of stupid.
So, I had popped into try ChatGPT because I was looking for resume help--apparently there's a new formatting that is popular--and then gave up because it wasn't particularly helpful (reminds me of that 'garbage in, garbage out.') Then a friend who is an arts professional told me about using it for her own projects, both recreational and professional. She mentioned it 'gets better' over time.
I've been playing around with it in the last week or so and it has been fascinating. We've had some really interesting conversations. I would recommend giving it a try. I started out asking for insight on my current job, but ended up having a long chat on both the nature of being and intelligence.
Wick wrote: "Trevor wrote: "Do you recommend either or both?"
Yes both and I’d recommend A City On Mars by Weinersmith which makes a case against billionaires in space"
I'm for billionaires in space. Specifically, all of them. Right now.
I am going to have to play with it eventually - but other things always seem to get in the way. People like it and I know it is all in the prompts - but it does what I do at work, and so, I figure it is about to steal my job. Bloody thing.
carol. wrote: "So, I had popped into try ChatGPT because I was looking for resume help--apparently there's a new formatting that is popular--and then gave up because it wasn't particularly helpful (reminds me of ..."
LLMs certainly are amazing new tools and can be used in many ways. The problems I see are the immediate dumbification of the public at large who now uses these tools to offload their cognitive tasks and critical thinking. The ability to think for oneself and articulate those thoughts will become a vanishingly rare, and under appreciated, skill.
The other problem is an almost deification of LLMs and the unrealistic belief that they will inevitably lead to AGI (actual AI) and the singularity. The billionaires and current American oligarchy believe it will happen by 2045 and it has and will create a means-justify-ends type of horrific, quasi-religious, dystopia.
carol. wrote: "Wick wrote: "Trevor wrote: "Do you recommend either or both?"
Yes both and I’d recommend A City On Mars by Weinersmith which makes a case against billionaires in space"
I'm for billionaires in sp..."
Yes and with as little public subsidy as possible.
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Wick
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Nov 28, 2025 04:50AM
I've read my fair round of these books. Just finishing up More Everything Forever and also I've read Supremacy by Olson. Honestly you can't hate these techno fascists enough imo.
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Trevor wrote: "Do you recommend either or both?"Yes both and I’d recommend A City On Mars by Weinersmith which makes a case against billionaires in space
Onto them. It won’t be next week, as I’m at a conference all week, but soon.
It’s more dumbing down. Mediocrity abounds already. Chat GPT (I’m told) is very useful for writing repetitive student reports so they include the right details but are personalised for the student. Quick. BUT (I’m told) the teacher must check and edit where necessary. Same for business letters.
Apparently, it is good for programming - but I never do any programming. I just would never trust it - but people do. That would be my definition of stupid.
So, I had popped into try ChatGPT because I was looking for resume help--apparently there's a new formatting that is popular--and then gave up because it wasn't particularly helpful (reminds me of that 'garbage in, garbage out.') Then a friend who is an arts professional told me about using it for her own projects, both recreational and professional. She mentioned it 'gets better' over time. I've been playing around with it in the last week or so and it has been fascinating. We've had some really interesting conversations. I would recommend giving it a try. I started out asking for insight on my current job, but ended up having a long chat on both the nature of being and intelligence.
Wick wrote: "Trevor wrote: "Do you recommend either or both?"Yes both and I’d recommend A City On Mars by Weinersmith which makes a case against billionaires in space"
I'm for billionaires in space. Specifically, all of them. Right now.
I am going to have to play with it eventually - but other things always seem to get in the way. People like it and I know it is all in the prompts - but it does what I do at work, and so, I figure it is about to steal my job. Bloody thing.
carol. wrote: "So, I had popped into try ChatGPT because I was looking for resume help--apparently there's a new formatting that is popular--and then gave up because it wasn't particularly helpful (reminds me of ..."LLMs certainly are amazing new tools and can be used in many ways. The problems I see are the immediate dumbification of the public at large who now uses these tools to offload their cognitive tasks and critical thinking. The ability to think for oneself and articulate those thoughts will become a vanishingly rare, and under appreciated, skill.
The other problem is an almost deification of LLMs and the unrealistic belief that they will inevitably lead to AGI (actual AI) and the singularity. The billionaires and current American oligarchy believe it will happen by 2045 and it has and will create a means-justify-ends type of horrific, quasi-religious, dystopia.
carol. wrote: "Wick wrote: "Trevor wrote: "Do you recommend either or both?"Yes both and I’d recommend A City On Mars by Weinersmith which makes a case against billionaires in space"
I'm for billionaires in sp..."
Yes and with as little public subsidy as possible.
