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   Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Thursday, 23-Nov-2023 12:57:09 JST Nathan Schneider

   We need to be really clear: the bonkers part of OpenAI circa a week ago was not that a nonprofit was involved. That models works fine—think companies from Bosch to Zeiss: https://purpose-economy.org/en/file/364/

   The bonkers part is the utter disconnection between the purpose and the pragmatics, and that the purpose was in the hands of unaccountable ideologues. Now it is in the hands of unaccountable pragmatists.

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Thursday, 23-Nov-2023 12:58:11 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     This is why accountability is key. Most companies solve this the wrong way: accountability to external profiteers, because at least that is something, even though it is basically psychotic.

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Thursday, 23-Nov-2023 12:59:48 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     So what would a better kind of accountability look like?

     How about to those workers, who know the tech better than anyone. Ginkgo Bioworks, for instance, has invested both in a strong culture of employee ethics and in a controlling stake for employee stock. It's a public company.

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Thursday, 23-Nov-2023 13:01:00 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     How about the users, the people who are paying for AI tech and who have a stake in it not turning on them? Maybe subscribers should have a vote on board members. Not crazy.

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Thursday, 23-Nov-2023 13:03:54 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     How about a set of organizations that represent communities that have historically been harmed by AI? Like the AFL CIO, the NAACP, and SEIU? Those could pick some board members who aren't weird EAs but are actually grounded in the experience of working people today.

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Thursday, 23-Nov-2023 13:05:19 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     We need ethical governance for powerful technologies. But not unaccountable-elite governance.

     There are SO MANY better options than OpenAI last week or OpenAI this week. Don't make the mistake of getting caught up in those.

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     Zane Selvans (zaneselvans@social.coop)'s status on Friday, 24-Nov-2023 03:18:03 JST Zane Selvans

     in reply to

     @ntnsndr Man, a Zeiss for public-interest AI would be amazeballs.

     So much badness flows from the desire for massive up-front investment and rapid early growth.