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0 pointsthe_snooze1y ago0 comments

It's a design that's in companies' best interests. You can have a computer that's a "friend." One that you trust but ultimately has a mind of its own. This contrasts with a computer that's merely a tool, that serves you exclusvely at your pleasure and has zero agency of its own.

Which approach gives companies more control over users? Which one allows companies to sell that access to the highest bidder?

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rsynnott1y ago

Based on the experience of 20 years ago, though, users are _extremely_ turned off by it. There's little reason to think this has changed (if anything it is likely more pronounced because Clippy came in kinda without baggage, whereas LLMs have a lot of baggage and most of it ain't great).

> It's a design that's in companies' best interests.

I really don't think it is. Clippy was reputationaly damaging to Microsoft and they had to get rid of it. There's little reason to think this will be different.

the_snoozeOP1y ago

Modern Big Tech doesn't particularly care what users think. They know they have network effects on their side and that switching costs are high. So what if it's "reputationally damaging?" What are users going to do? They're just resources to be exploited. Microsoft, Google, and their ilk can treat users with contempt if it means more control and more shareholder value.

singleshot_1y ago

Third option: the computer is your enemy, which will follow any sufficiently clever adversary’s orders.

Thinking of a computer as a tool seems reasonable, but thinking of your computer as your friend is clownish (which, I think you agree with based on your last comment).

LoganDark1y ago

> You can have a computer that's a "friend."

Slightly offtopic, but I have a friend with synesthesia who sees inanimate objects like people, and they call their computer "macbook friend" (since it's a MacBook Air).

giancarlostoro1y ago

> but ultimately has a mind of its own

Kind of. Ask a Chinese AI about Tianament Square historical military events.

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