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   Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Wednesday, 13-Mar-2024 21:38:57 JST Charlie Stross

   Remember folks, ChatGPT lies with total conviction about easily verified facts, like this claim that solar eclipses can't happen anywhere in our solar system.

   https://mathstodon.xyz/@gregeganSF/112088372260024798

   • Embed this notice
     pettter (pettter@mastodon.acc.umu.se)'s status on Wednesday, 13-Mar-2024 21:38:56 JST pettter

     in reply to

     @cstross Slight nitpick: It doesn't 'lie' so much as generate text that contains false information. There's no interiority or intentionality to it, it's just the most probable continuation (weighted by a preference model)

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     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Wednesday, 13-Mar-2024 22:51:25 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     • pettter
     • FeralRobots

     @FeralRobots @pettter If you are trying to explain "AI" to ordinary folks they will zone out the instant you use any word longer than "lying". So don't do that. Frame it in terms they can understand. If they ask for more details, then supply them. OK?

     We have a HUGE mass education problem ahead of us. Don't let's make it harder by overestimating the level we've got to work at.

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     FeralRobots (feralrobots@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 13-Mar-2024 22:51:26 JST FeralRobots

     in reply to

     • pettter

     @pettter
     I'd argue for #bullshit in the Frankfurtian sense of it not caring about truth, just about outcomes - but it doesn't actually care about *anything* because, yeah, it's not capable of caring.
     @cstross

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     FeralRobots (feralrobots@mastodon.social)'s status on Wednesday, 13-Mar-2024 22:56:50 JST FeralRobots

     in reply to

     • pettter

     @cstross @pettter
     Sure, but I think we're mostly shitposting on this. (FWIW, though, I think there's an argument for 'bullshit' vs 'lying.' It's more dismissive - I'd map 'bullshit' to contempt, & 'lying' to anger. Contempt is often more damaging than anger.)

   • Embed this notice
     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Wednesday, 13-Mar-2024 22:56:50 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     • pettter
     • FeralRobots

     @FeralRobots @pettter "Bullshit" is a culture-specific colloquialism that may not have the same connotations to all English speakers, especially where it's not their first language. "Lies" are more widely understood. And I ALWAYS have to consider that stuff I say on social media might go viral, so I try to make it count.

   • Embed this notice
     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Wednesday, 13-Mar-2024 22:56:51 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     • pettter
     • FeralRobots

     @FeralRobots @pettter

     It's similar to anthropogenic climate change. Which HAS TO be shorted to "global warming" in the vernacular or a chunk of the public just won't get it.

     And you're up against BP, Exxon, Shell, Aramco &c's propaganda.

     You can be technically correct and still lose the argument because most people can't handle abstract factual reasoning. And we can't afford to lose these arguments.