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Arguably one of the worst new technologies to come along in recent years is “AI”. Specifically Large Language Models, commonly referred to as LLMs. They frequently hallucinate, and frequently provide information that is either unrelated and useless, or outright wrong.
And they’re being crammed into absolutely everything imaginable. Riding a wave of undeserved hype so huge that even companies that make products that have nothing to do with “AI,” are tripping all over themselves and confusing the crap out of their customers by adding “AI” to the names of their products when it makes absolutely no sense. Anything to make a buck off that hype train.
However in reality, these products are so horrible, that they’re forced inclusion in everything is doing massive harm to many commonly used internet tools, like search engines. And they’re creating so much garbage, like “AI” generated web pages and other content, that soon the internet as we know it will be practically useless. I always thought that the “Dead internet theory” was kind of a joke, but we’re literally watching it happen in real time.
So what’s the good side of this? As the search engines and resources we’ve come to rely on fail us, it’s forcing us to go back and use older methods of finding out information and getting things done. Namely, going out and finding answers in real books, going out to libraries and doing research there, or contacting people that have some level of expertise that know the things we want to know and asking them directly. In short it’s making us go from just looking to a computer for all the answers, to actually talking to one another again.
We’re asking each other for answers, and if we can’t find them that way, we’re looking up the people that know and asking them. For the first time since internet search became the default, we’re being forced to actually look to one another, have conversations, and find out answers. Sometimes we have to go to go and find them at the library, sometimes we have to contact an expert. Most of the time people that have worked to gain a level of expertise on something are happy to share it as long as you are courteous and don’t waste their time. And all of this increased contact with other people even if it’s still done somewhat online is bringing people out of their shells and making them use their interpersonal skills again. Bringing them back out into the world. Regardless of what technology brings, as a species we thrive on contact, and while the internet has brought us that in some ways, it’s taken it away in others.
“AI” may eventually get better. Maybe even good enough at some point, 20, 30, 100 years down the road to live up to the hype of today. Or it might fade away once the hype wears off. And eventually we will pick up the pieces of the broken internet and put it back together again. But for now, maybe it’s time we all learned a little more from one another. And spent a little more time engaging with the people that have put so much effort into knowing how things work. I for one am looking forward to having more conversations with real people again.
And they’re being crammed into absolutely everything imaginable. Riding a wave of undeserved hype so huge that even companies that make products that have nothing to do with “AI,” are tripping all over themselves and confusing the crap out of their customers by adding “AI” to the names of their products when it makes absolutely no sense. Anything to make a buck off that hype train.
However in reality, these products are so horrible, that they’re forced inclusion in everything is doing massive harm to many commonly used internet tools, like search engines. And they’re creating so much garbage, like “AI” generated web pages and other content, that soon the internet as we know it will be practically useless. I always thought that the “Dead internet theory” was kind of a joke, but we’re literally watching it happen in real time.
So what’s the good side of this? As the search engines and resources we’ve come to rely on fail us, it’s forcing us to go back and use older methods of finding out information and getting things done. Namely, going out and finding answers in real books, going out to libraries and doing research there, or contacting people that have some level of expertise that know the things we want to know and asking them directly. In short it’s making us go from just looking to a computer for all the answers, to actually talking to one another again.
We’re asking each other for answers, and if we can’t find them that way, we’re looking up the people that know and asking them. For the first time since internet search became the default, we’re being forced to actually look to one another, have conversations, and find out answers. Sometimes we have to go to go and find them at the library, sometimes we have to contact an expert. Most of the time people that have worked to gain a level of expertise on something are happy to share it as long as you are courteous and don’t waste their time. And all of this increased contact with other people even if it’s still done somewhat online is bringing people out of their shells and making them use their interpersonal skills again. Bringing them back out into the world. Regardless of what technology brings, as a species we thrive on contact, and while the internet has brought us that in some ways, it’s taken it away in others.
“AI” may eventually get better. Maybe even good enough at some point, 20, 30, 100 years down the road to live up to the hype of today. Or it might fade away once the hype wears off. And eventually we will pick up the pieces of the broken internet and put it back together again. But for now, maybe it’s time we all learned a little more from one another. And spent a little more time engaging with the people that have put so much effort into knowing how things work. I for one am looking forward to having more conversations with real people again.
