'Hacker' 'News' Makes Dumb Assertions Against Smart People
A logical fallacy:
We already published a number of very lengthy videos explaining all the bad things (which we're aware of) about 'Hacker' 'News', which is neither news nor for hackers. A few days ago someone (whom we won't link to) said something foolish. Yes, days ago a comment (no link, no feeding the trolls) said "maybe if [Richard] Stallman used ChatGPT he could credibly claim he wouldn't have used it if it hadn't marketed its claims around goodness. But I'm deeply sceptical a rando has the same standing."
Dr. Stallman calls it a "bullshit generator" and his explanation of it was covered in the press 2 weeks ago (at Heise): Richard Stallman: "Chatbots sind Bullshit-Generatoren" | Richard Stallman: "Chatbots are Bullshit Generators" (this talk was in English; we have the full audio of it).
I never used LLMs, ever. I need not use them in order to criticise them either. I know what they are (and aren't) capable of. It's a lot of hype and the resultant text tends to be identifiable as mindless rubbish. I already have a smell or taste or sixth sense for it. I can often detect slop without even a scanner or mechanical-technical tool/s. There are all sorts of giveaways, both in the style and substance (the lack thereof).
Dr. Stallman didn't need to "use" (be used by, manipulated by) ChatGPT to say that it is rubbish. As we noted some hours ago in IRC, "[t]hat's like saying, don't criticise car accidents until you get run over?"
Another person said, it is the "see or feel yourself to believe" (get hurt or get sadism to realise the masochism therein).
I will openly admit that I never prompted an LLM. I see no reason to. What would be the actual use case? Seriously, what? If I wanted some answers about some subject, I'd look for an authoritative page about it, not some automated, plagiarised copycat of it.
LLMs have no real use cases. After all those years we also see news reports about usage levels of LLM-based chatbots decreasing, as the number of users gradually declines (people lose interest).
Dr. Stallman is not a "real fan" of what he calls "bullshit generators"; he has done actual AI since the earlier 1980s (45+ years ago), so don't try to lecture him on this. He may dress differently and act differently, but that does not make him a fool. █
