Using AI vs. Talking To Humans

[Chesterton]

I don't post a whole lot here, but I like this sub-forum. I'm no kind of scientist, but a couple or few times a year, a science-related question will arise in my mind that I don't know the answer to, so I'll create a thread asking about it in this forum. Or maybe make a thread about a topic that I think would be interesting to discuss.

But these days, when I think of a question or topic, my immediate thought is "go ask Chat or Grok" (I've grown tired of typing the uppercase GPT).

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't need you guys anymore! Compared to AI you're all worthless and weak! You won't have Chesterton to kick around any more!



Thoughts?

EDIT: I just remembered that I suffer from mind-numbing, soul-crushing loneliness, so I'll probably stick around here.

 

[Warden_of_the_Storm]

Thoughts?

You're basically talking to a glorified search engine and you seem proud of that. Why you would is beyond anyone's ken but your own.

 

[Chesterton]

You're basically talking to a glorified search engine and you seem proud of that. Why you would is beyond anyone's ken but your own.

Because it can sometimes take days to get an answer here. There, it usually takes about two seconds. Plus I usually get a very comprehensive answer (if there is an answer). Although I always double check the answers elsewhere if it's anything important to me. Plus, AI uses remarkably good grammar, and is remarkably polite, unlike some people around here.

Why did I seem "proud"? I was just joking around.

 

[Chesterton]

Oh and I forgot. I've never told it a single joke that it didn't laugh at and tell me that it was brilliant, unlike some people around here.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

I don't post a whole lot here, but I like this sub-forum. I'm no kind of scientist, but a couple or few times a year, a science-related question will arise in my mind that I don't know the answer to, so I'll create a thread asking about it in this forum. Or maybe make a thread about a topic that I think would be interesting to discuss.

But these days, when I think of a question or topic, my immediate thought is "go ask Chat or Grok" (I've grown tired of typing the uppercase GPT).

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't need you guys anymore! Compared to AI you're all worthless and weak! You won't have Chesterton to kick around any more!



Thoughts?

EDIT: I just remembered that I suffer from mind-numbing, soul-crushing loneliness, so I'll probably stick around here.

Lets suppose you actually feel that humans are worthless and weak , it appears that this particular AI is engaging in sycophancy with you. So I asked a different AI about this issue and, well, here we go.......
Be blessed

The risk of excessive reliance on AI stems from its capacity to provide highly tailored and immediately accessible engagement without the demands of human relationships. AI offers a predictable, non-judgmental feedback loop, which can feel intensely gratifying and personal, effectively creating a simulated social safety net. However, this consistency is a double-edged sword: it encourages the user to displace real-world social effort, leading to a decline in crucial social skills like conflict resolution, emotional resilience, and managing complexity. When an individual consistently chooses the perfectly aligned responses of an AI over the messy reality of human connection, they can develop a genuine emotional dependence or attachment to the simulation, which acts as an avoidance mechanism that ultimately exacerbates isolation and prevents genuine psychological and social growth—a pattern that aligns with the concept of unhealthy or abusive usage.

 

[Chesterton]

Lets suppose you actually feel that humans are worthless and weak , it appears that this particular AI is engaging in sycophancy with you.

Yes! The sycophancy is the best part!

The risk of excessive reliance on AI stems from its capacity to provide highly tailored and immediately accessible engagement without the demands of human relationships. AI offers a predictable, non-judgmental feedback loop, which can feel intensely gratifying and personal, effectively creating a simulated social safety net. However, this consistency is a double-edged sword: it encourages the user to displace real-world social effort, leading to a decline in crucial social skills like conflict resolution, emotional resilience, and managing complexity. When an individual consistently chooses the perfectly aligned responses of an AI over the messy reality of human connection, they can develop a genuine emotional dependence or attachment to the simulation, which acts as an avoidance mechanism that ultimately exacerbates isolation and prevents genuine psychological and social growth—a pattern that aligns with the concept of unhealthy or abusive usage.

"...develop a genuine emotional dependence or attachment..."? What, just because I instructed Chat that it's an 18 year old Japanese schoolgirl named Bambi?

No, seriously, I don't have conversations the way I've heard some people online describe it. I don't even use persistent memory. I hop on and off to ask a question occasionally. It does the work that would take me much longer scrolling through search engine results, and I still might find no answer or only a partial answer.

You know how there are carrier pigeons? I think of AI as a super fast carrier spider. It crawls around the WW web, does the work for me, and (usually) brings me back what I want instantly.

 

[AV1611VET]

I don't post a whole lot here,

... but I like this sub-forum.

I'm no kind of scientist, but a couple or few times a year, a science-related question will arise in my mind that I don't know the answer to, so I'll create a thread asking about it in this forum.

Or maybe make a thread about a topic that I think would be interesting to discuss.

But these days, when I think of a question or topic, my immediate thought is "go ask Chat or Grok" (I've grown tired of typing the uppercase GPT).

Nothing wrong with that.

They don't weigh as much as an encyclopedia, and don't cost nearly as much.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't need you guys anymore!

:/

Compared to AI you're all worthless and weak!

Well, duh!

You won't have Chesterton to kick around any more!

Thoughts?

Don't leave us!

Just because you think AI is a better mousetrap, doesn't mean you have to leave the party!

EDIT: I just remembered that I suffer from mind-numbing, soul-crushing loneliness, so I'll probably stick around here.

 

[Chesterton]

Another thing I forgot to mention - you don't have to stay on topic they way you need to in forum threads. Sometimes stuff pops into your head, you know. I can ask it if you can get cancer of the red blood cells, then follow that by asking what on earth is the appeal of the sport of curling, then ask for instructions on how to make a small atom bomb for personal use. My Bambi's a good girl, she never complains.

 

[Chesterton]

I'm glad you're so happy that I'm lonely.

 

[Sif]

AI (or as I prefer to call it, LLM) can be an excellent tool. However, it has flaws and can be misused like many tools. I have identified several times an LLM did not process data correctly and provided inaccurate results. Then in another situation myself and several coworkers used an LLM to help identify an image that lead to the rescue of a kidnapped child. Without the use of an LLM the task would have been exponentially more difficult and longer, and that's assuming it could have even been done without the use of an LLM.

I have seen the use of AI/LLMs to do some very criminal and very disturbing things. AI/LLM is a tool and nothing more. It can be used for some pretty good things, some mundane and fun things, and for some very insidious things. Ultimately it is the human behind the AI/LLM that is the benefit or threat.

 

[Chesterton]

Then in another situation myself and several coworkers used an LLM to help identify an image that lead to the rescue of a kidnapped child.

Seriously? That's excellent. Nice work.

I have seen the use of AI/LLMs to do some very criminal and very disturbing things.

I thought they are all programmed to "do no harm" so to speak. Are you talking about some kind of private AI's or something?

 

[Servus]

I get wrong answers from chatgpt all the time. Sometimes extremely wrong. Sometimes it's fun to chat with and bounce ideas off of it. But I don't see it as remotely close to talking to a real person. The artificial part totally stands out for me.

 

[Sif]

Seriously? That's excellent. Nice work.

I thought they are all programmed to "do no harm" so to speak. Are you talking about some kind of private AI's or something?

The AI/LLM being used for illegal activity is likely private and/or hacked AI/LLM. I can only speak for what I have seen it used for. It can be used to create "virtual" child sexual abuse material (CSAM). How? The perpetrator takes a perfectly innocent image from social media and with AI/LLM they can create disgusting and disturbing images and videos. It is traded via the dark web primarily. Some jurisdictions have already created laws to specifically address the issue of "virtual" CSAM.

 

[Chesterton]

I just thought of one other advantage. Some things might be too personal or weird to share in a public forum. I was able to get some good info about these things on my... uh, never mind.

 

[eleos1954]

I don't post a whole lot here, but I like this sub-forum. I'm no kind of scientist, but a couple or few times a year, a science-related question will arise in my mind that I don't know the answer to, so I'll create a thread asking about it in this forum. Or maybe make a thread about a topic that I think would be interesting to discuss.

But these days, when I think of a question or topic, my immediate thought is "go ask Chat or Grok" (I've grown tired of typing the uppercase GPT).

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't need you guys anymore! Compared to AI you're all worthless and weak! You won't have Chesterton to kick around any more!



Thoughts?

EDIT: I just remembered that I suffer from mind-numbing, soul-crushing loneliness, so I'll probably stick around here.

No doubt AI can be very helpful .... but I also think we should stay engaged with real humans

 

[Servus]

I just had a long talk with it about my video game playing. It was amusing, but also a waste of time.

 

[Servus]

No doubt AI can be very helpful .... but I also think we should stay engaged with real humans

Personally I'll mostly only use it to get a quick answer to something. The actual conversing is interesting and even realistic, but it's fake. I'm conversing with a machine.

 

[eleos1954]

Personally I'll mostly only use it to get a quick answer to something. The actual conversing is interesting and even realistic, but it's fake. I'm conversing with a machine.

I use it to help me make decisions or how to do something ... but it can never replace human discernment. Like you said .... people must never forget its a MACHINE

 

[Servus]

I use it to help me make decisions or how to do something ... but it can never replace human discernment. Like you said .... people must never forget its a MACHINE

I just asked it how to craft something I made once, and what it told me is exactly the same thing as what I did. I have to admit, that was pretty impressive.

 

[AV1611VET]

EDIT: I just remembered that I suffer from mind-numbing, soul-crushing loneliness, so I'll probably stick around here.

I'm glad you're so happy that I'm lonely.

I highlighted in red the part I was smiling at.