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Arrbee's avatar

AI is the first civilization changing breakthrough since the Korean war? How about the transistor? Which led to the semiconductor? Which led to computers, automation, the telecommunications revolution, and . . . made AI possible.

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this thing onтАж?'s avatar

How about the internet?

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Obamawasafool's avatar

Perhaps the author is a product of American public schooling. Keep expectations low...

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Awilson's avatar

I too was struck by that comment. This article https://www.humanprogress.org/have-our-screens-been-the-only-major-tech-achievement-since-the-1970s/ points out the many many changes that have occured in the last century including the last few decades.

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Celia M Paddock's avatar

Yeah, as soon as I read that, I just couldn't read any further. As a Gen-Xer, my childhood was defined by rapid technological change.

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Dean R.'s avatar

I was thinking the same thing. The personal computer wasn't around when I was a kid and then it was everywhere.

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Sghoul's avatar

I was thinking the same kind of thing when I read this. Most of human history is stasis with brief periods of upheaval. Yes, we in America have had it pretty stable, relatively speaking, but we have also witnessed great change. Going to the moon, the ability to talk instantaneously all across the world. he acts like these things didn't happen. Just because they didn't cause millions to lose their jobs doesn't mean they didn't have huge impacts. I mean the internet alone change everything. And we are still studying the changes it has wrought on the generations who have grown up in its shadow.

These last 2 tech articles are making me feel that Bari is not the right journalist to cover tech topics.

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Arrbee's avatar

Bari didn't write this. It was written by an economics professor from George Mason University. Bari solicits diverse viewpoints, which I think is one of the great attributes of the Free Press.

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R. G. Atmajian's avatar

The problem isnтАЩt that itтАЩs a different view. The problem is, as Dominic so succinctly pointed out, that itтАЩs not deeply thoughtful, but rather deals in meaningless language.

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Sghoul's avatar

I realize she didn't write it, but as you said, she approved it. And from my POV, it is not a good technical look at this issue. And the person the other days was VERY obviously biased and Bari didn't really put him on the spot. My overall point being that I do not feel like Bari is doing a great job at really digging into this issue. Hopefully she has more on the way that will.

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

I like that Bari posts things that I might not agree with. I don't want to read pap. I want to read thought provoking articles. Articles that stimulates "the little gray cells".

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Sheluyang Peng's avatar

Exactly. Only reading articles one agrees with is just mentally vacuous. The true test of oneтАЩs beliefs is to read something you disagree with and still not have your mind changed.

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Lynne Morris's avatar

But a true test of intelligence is being open to being proved wrong. OOW blind allegiance is not good.

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

Or read something you disagree with and have your mind changed. If we don't get different perspectives, how does one grow?

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Sheluyang Peng's avatar

Definitely. No one has the same opinions they had when they were a child. We've all changed our thinking somehow.

Which is why it's frustrating when Bari has a guest author with an unpopular opinion and people in the comments section are like "We don't want to see this. This isn't what I paid for." But it's like... this is what you paid for. The Free Press was founded to give a wide variety of viewpoints.

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

Exactly! Free Press should mean free press not left wing press or conservatives press. It should enlighten and at times stir controversy. Get "the little gray cells" working.

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LonesomePolecat's avatar

"the little gray cells" from Agatha Christie's, Hercule Poirot.

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Steverino's avatar

Spot on! There will always be bad actors that will do their worst. If not for transistors and semiconductors we wouldn't be constantly having our Facebook account hacked by...hackers. Hell, there wouldn't be a Facebook for them to hack. We have to believe there is still a vast majority of good people to balance the existential, extreme good AI will present over the few that will wish to do us harm.

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