whenever someone uses the term empowerment you should treat them like they're waving a gun in your face - ThreadSky

iwriteok.bsky.social • 51 days ago

whenever someone uses the term empowerment you should treat them like they're waving a gun in your face

"Imagine a world in which an A.I. can analyze your reading patterns and alert you that you’re about to buy a book where there’s only a 10 percent chance you’ll get past Page 6..."

Fuck off. That's not empowerment, that's outsourcing your soul. That's outsouling.

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/25/o...

Comments

smallangryqueer.bsky.social•50 days ago

Sounds like an elaborate way to control what people "choose" to read but okay

umberhulk.bsky.social•50 days ago

How would it even do that? Just reference a giant tag list? Legitimately how in any substantial way could AI understand my opinion on a book that wasn't just a spreadsheet? I know the answer is it can't, but I want someone who likes AI to try and explain it without sounding like a psycho

futchdipshit.bsky.social•51 days ago

what if you had a human friend who shared your interests and could recommend a book you might like. hell they maybe even have a copy so you don't have to buy anything, what a nightmare

duchessofsnark.bsky.social•51 days ago

Or if we had some kind of a community funded book repository where you could borrow them.

unionhands.bsky.social•51 days ago

Q-up the cyanide tooth if this is what the future is. And I say that as someone who's not a great reader, but I'm an excellent listener. Audio books and podcasts are my jam but I don't want to restrict readers rights. That's just dumb. Dumb as hell.

aurelienmorel.bsky.social•50 days ago

Imagine an AI that uses your "reading habits" as analysis, but the only thing it's based on is e-books, and the only e-book you ever read was a stolen copy of Atlas Shrugged.

Man that would make for some weird content.

nerdy-licious.bsky.social•50 days ago

Pretty wild this was 24 hours before the AI bubble burst

sapphicintrapphic.bsky.social•50 days ago

I’d rather imagine a world where the New York Times reported some actual news.

girlwhon3rds.bsky.social•50 days ago

If you frequently read for entertainment you already have this ability. If you don't know if you are going to like a book you can check it out on Goodreads and read the feedback.

The group that is frequently reading doesn't need a bot to scrape the internet for them.

collynmccoy.bsky.social•50 days ago

While yes, always, he’s also using “empower” as a direct contradiction of its actual meaning. “Hey you know all that stuff you had the ability to do if you just put a tiny bit of effort into it? We’re gonna let robots do it for you until you revert to a larval state.”

snorthover.bsky.social•50 days ago

"Imagine a world on which we can tell you exactly what to read, with the assumption that we know best."

owen-symes.bsky.social•50 days ago

Until the AI tells me never to read the NYT opinion section, I won't be convinced that the algorithm actually works

squeakins85.bsky.social•50 days ago

Fuck ai

mostlyharmless.bsky.social•50 days ago

Alternate title: "Learn how to give up more books before page 3."

jeffbeard.bsky.social•50 days ago

Same with the term “democratize”. It’s a synonym for armed robbery.

fffanatic06.bsky.social•51 days ago

this is like listening to a music album on fast forward. who actually reads like this?

gregoryhugh.bsky.social•50 days ago

AI, mind your own f-ing business

ipaige.bsky.social•51 days ago

Imagine a world where everything sounds like LinkedIn comments.

babylonfuntimes.bsky.social•51 days ago

Imagine a *hellscape

kdiannerule.bsky.social•50 days ago

"Enhance individual empowerment" is Alex Jones brand vitamin seaweed powder ad speak

tackgnol.bsky.social•50 days ago

After what the tech bros did with social media and how they shepherded it, and the consequences of their actions visible during the inauguration. Yeah sure I support them making a robot that will tell people what to do and read! Sure! What could go wrong?
This is the worse timeline...

kaylinwrites.bsky.social•51 days ago

I saw a manager use the phrase “we’ve empowered you* to task better!” yesterday.

*(us, the disposable contract workers with no job security or benefits).

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a word abused that badly before.

kaylinwrites.bsky.social•51 days ago

I contract for a big RLHF LLM training company.

tastyfriedcats.bsky.social•50 days ago

Hey, you want to stay in an ever shrinking bubble and degenerate into a shorter and shorter attention span? Then do I got the snake oil for you !

artfuldecorum.bsky.social•50 days ago

Listen. If I could go back in time and have an AI tell me not to buy all of those $50 video games I quit after 10 minutes and save that money for bitcoin instead…..

henzington.bsky.social•50 days ago

I have bounced off a book only to come back later and really enjoy

rzepatowarzywo.bsky.social•50 days ago

I work at trade shows and did some e-mobility shows. Guess what’s the favourite buzzword of every e-mobility company. A lot of guns pointed in my face.

bryyyyguy.bsky.social•51 days ago

This is how I feel whenever I see companies use "democratize."

sinfoid.bsky.social•51 days ago

When have Silicon Valley’s egalitarian promise ever been bullshit designed to shunt wealth upwards, except every other time they have made these same promises.

mobking.bsky.social•50 days ago

some of the most foundational moments of my life have been me fighting against sneering authority promising that I wouldn't like or wouldn't finish something.

professorotaku.bsky.social•51 days ago

Is that 'de-escalate and disarm' or 'cold-cock them'?

mi-mawmarcia.bsky.social•50 days ago

I feel like the people that trained this AI have no idea how readers think, and why we read.

robinseattle.bsky.social•51 days ago

Nope. Not interested. At all. Ever

donnyboy43.bsky.social•50 days ago

You know, and I’m gonna say this too- fuck algorithms. A computer wasn’t going to tell me that one of my favorite new authors is Abby Jimenez. It sure as hell wouldn’t have put Travis Baldree on my list. But here I am, irritated that their new books haven’t dropped yet.

donnyboy43.bsky.social•50 days ago

Sorry, but if i can’t stand there in the bookstore in no one in particular’s way for five minutes and peruse first chapters and cover flaps to my little heart’s content, then the whole world can just fuck right off.

authumbla.bsky.social•50 days ago

You can just go to your library and take the three minutes to read the first ten pages to see if you like it, or just ask readers in your knitting circle or at work. That AI would remove all of the joy of finding a book to read.

dangurski.bsky.social•50 days ago

Ten pages in three minutes??? Are you reading Dr. Seuss?

authumbla.bsky.social•50 days ago

I was exaggerating but am a fast reader. Maybe 5 minutes, less if skimming? But if you have dyslexia or something it probably would take longer.

hkninja.bsky.social•50 days ago

Robert, you are one of my favourite people. This is the first time I’ve ever posted or made a comment on anything, and I’ve been following you for years.
Never change. Stay awesome.

docparadox.bsky.social•51 days ago

Reid Hoffman: Co-founder LinkedIn, Cryptobro and an investor in the SV planned community California Forever. Of course he's all in for an AI future; he probably would let it choose what he wears and eats too. He probably programmed an Alexa to cuck him.

dylanwignall.bsky.social•51 days ago

Is this the logical endpoint of algorithmic video brain-hacking

"Do not think or experience friction ever again, let your phone plug you in to whatever media is most likely to Retain Your Attention"

upper90wood.works•51 days ago

Sometimes I feel like a Luddite, butI genuinely do not need technology “advising” my viewing habits anymore.

bindieyez.bsky.social•50 days ago

Luddite’s were actually really cool and not anti technology. They wanted tech to enrich everyone and not the few!

upper90wood.works•50 days ago

My understanding has always been they opposed technology afraid that it would ruin or take away their work. I’m interested in learning more now though.

bindieyez.bsky.social•50 days ago

Here’s a cool place to start https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-cool-people-who-did-cool-96003360/episode/part-one-all-hail-king-ludd-159850054/

upper90wood.works•50 days ago

Rad. Thank you

tubapeter.bsky.social•51 days ago

tell them to empower deez nutz

anarchymarshmallow.bsky.social•51 days ago

Empowerment =/= feeling good, hot, convenience, etc. Empowerment is bodily autonomy, freedom, security, financial independence, access to necessary resources, collective bargaining, freedom from discrimination, exploitation, etc. Like, actual power in the system we find ourselves in.

caffeinated.bsky.social•50 days ago

Okay fuck that, picking a book is an important part of reading. Wandering the library with no goal in mind is wonderful, and everyone should do it. Better than a spa day to relax you.

emilgson.bsky.social•51 days ago

And this is why an armed citizenship has been bad since at least the Viking age. Cuz boy those lads were empowered and showed it when drunk , angett , horny , mildly irritated , put upon , sleepy , or just having a sour day.

checkthatout.bsky.social•50 days ago

Next thing you know they’ll be training ai to wave guns in your face and then we’ll truly have given the robots everything that makes us human

indridrook.bsky.social•51 days ago

unless whatever you're selling gives me literal superpowers I'm not interested

damascus.bsky.social•50 days ago

folks is it "empowerment" to let shitty robots tell you what to do and what not to do in your free time

teslashark.bsky.social•49 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/teslashark.bsky.social/post/3lgs2ukhjdc2v

jaxsmellington.bsky.social•50 days ago

alexstaniforth.bsky.social•50 days ago

Imagine a world where Clippy pops up and says, “You appear to be buying a book…”

havelockvetinari.bsky.social•50 days ago

Empowerment is to power what sugar-free gummi bears are to ketamine.

havelockvetinari.bsky.social•50 days ago

If you are told you are empowered, it means you'll never be given any real power.

havelockvetinari.bsky.social•50 days ago

Empowerment is always given, not taken.

Power is always taken, not given.

honkeygeorge.bsky.social•51 days ago

The NYT opinion section is bottom barrel ass.

tubbles.bsky.social•51 days ago

You can just scrub out the "opinion" section from there and it'd work just as well.

peachesmchee.bsky.social•50 days ago

istg people will do anything other than therapy and introspection to try to figure out their deepest desires. we're so desperate to know what will make us happy as long as we don't have to get to know/spend time with ourselves

fplfail.bsky.social•51 days ago

If I lived a thousand years, I would never have enough words to describe my loathing of and disdain for this. Kill it with fire

phemme.bsky.social•50 days ago

i’m listening to the Bastards techbro-AI-cult episode

The Rabbit R1 guy is basically Jian Yang w/this

tofuoni.bsky.social•51 days ago

With the demeanor of a 2 am coke fueled movie pitch.

uneasywriter.bsky.social•50 days ago

Empowered like a surge protector.

adamscottglancy.bsky.social•51 days ago

quillbo.bsky.social•50 days ago

"Are you tired of the interesting parts of being a human and just want to get to making a tech broligarch rich?"

aurelienmorel.bsky.social•50 days ago

"You say you want to roam free and do art, but our AI overlord says you actually yearn for the mines"

itchystarfish.bsky.social•51 days ago

Whenever someone shares an NYT piece with you, you should waive a gun in their face.

bourbonsaurus.bsky.social•50 days ago

Consumer Products, The Profit motive, Empowerment, and YOU - starring Troy McClure, presented by United Tech Conglomerates

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