In reply to a developer on one of the Linux kernel mailing lists, Linux creator Linus Torvalds firmly put a foot down to push back against anti-AI comments.
This argument has, to me, always reeked of naivety. Heroin is a tool, but it has clear ethical implications, and we make attempts as a society to manage those. So is nuclear, and a particularly relevant one, since many leading AI figures have officially and explicitly stated AI is as dangerous as nuclear weapons. There are countless other examples of “tools” that require moral judgement (all of them, really).
I think Linus is being naive, and given his position of power, irresponsible.
And no, AI isn’t perfect.
I could write an essay about how much of an understatement, to the point of being wrong, this is. Many, far more capable than me, already have.
This is NOT some kind of “social warrior” project, never has been, and never will be.
No, of course it’s not, but he seems to be treating it like ethics and context are for children.
It makes me worried for the Linux project. Not that he’s willing to use AI, but that this is how he sees it. This is a learning experience for me.
I’m reminded of this quote that, to be honest I don’t really understand, but feels relevant
Our conventional response to all media, namely that it is how they are used that counts, is the numb stance of the technological idiot. For the ‘content’ of a medium is like the juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind…The effects of technology do not occur at the level of opinions or concepts, but alter sense ratios or patterns of perception steadily and without any resistance.
Friendly reminder that many drugs like heroin and morphin can be life savers if used correctly. Either directly or by changing some of its chemicals. For instance, when people have heavy surgeries, morphin is a life saver to evade the insane pain. Needless to say that many of such these or a production of them are used as meds for mental illnesses.
The effects of technology do not occur at the level of opinions or concepts, but alter sense ratios or patterns of perception steadily and without any resistance.
This is a nice one.
And I see it happening right in front of my eyes at work.
‘How it is used’ will defer by the individual and specially for new tools, there will always be a generation of suffering.
Project Management, Jira/scrum etc had one (I’d say, still ongoing for most workplaces, that haven’t figured out the correct match). This one will too; probably more of it.
oh I thought this “one generation of suffering” only happens in me country! It happens in here for non technical stuff. When some new stuff gets widespread in me country for the first time, a lot of people misuse or abuse it. An example is telephone. Another is Internet itself. And lately, coffee has become widespread in here(Iran) and people don’t know when to have an espresso and how many espressos per day is fine. There was a guy “I take 5-6 espressos per day and I’m fine”.
In a similar way, many people spend too much time on social media rather than doing something productive.
This argument has, to me, always reeked of naivety. Heroin is a tool, but it has clear ethical implications, and we make attempts as a society to manage those. So is nuclear, and a particularly relevant one, since many leading AI figures have officially and explicitly stated AI is as dangerous as nuclear weapons. There are countless other examples of “tools” that require moral judgement (all of them, really).
I think Linus is being naive, and given his position of power, irresponsible.
I could write an essay about how much of an understatement, to the point of being wrong, this is. Many, far more capable than me, already have.
No, of course it’s not, but he seems to be treating it like ethics and context are for children.
It makes me worried for the Linux project. Not that he’s willing to use AI, but that this is how he sees it. This is a learning experience for me.
I’m reminded of this quote that, to be honest I don’t really understand, but feels relevant
– Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media
Friendly reminder that many drugs like heroin and morphin can be life savers if used correctly. Either directly or by changing some of its chemicals. For instance, when people have heavy surgeries, morphin is a life saver to evade the insane pain. Needless to say that many of such these or a production of them are used as meds for mental illnesses.
Pharmaceutical use was primarily what I meant by “a tool”
This is a nice one.
And I see it happening right in front of my eyes at work. ‘How it is used’ will defer by the individual and specially for new tools, there will always be a generation of suffering.
Project Management, Jira/scrum etc had one (I’d say, still ongoing for most workplaces, that haven’t figured out the correct match). This one will too; probably more of it.
oh I thought this “one generation of suffering” only happens in me country! It happens in here for non technical stuff. When some new stuff gets widespread in me country for the first time, a lot of people misuse or abuse it. An example is telephone. Another is Internet itself. And lately, coffee has become widespread in here(Iran) and people don’t know when to have an espresso and how many espressos per day is fine. There was a guy “I take 5-6 espressos per day and I’m fine”.
In a similar way, many people spend too much time on social media rather than doing something productive.