The biggest problem with “AI” is probably that it’s used as label for two completely different things:
1. Specialized neural networks trained to do highly specific tasks (e.g. cancer screening) which often work reasonably well as a tool to support human experts
2. Generative AI which thoroughly produces the most mid bullshit
It doesn’t help that neither are intelligent in any way, they’re both statistical pattern matching.
The biggest problem is that those things have their names: Machine learning (ML) and large language models (LLM), both are widespread and well known, but "marketing experts" love to use AI to market everything, no matter what it does, it could be as simple as a single if statement
@gloopsies @thomasfuchs
Hey, how many people remember what "Meme" was really coined to mean, as opposed to "smart-assed text over a JPG"? Or what "Avatar" meant, before they repurposed it to "web forum profile image".
"The street finds uses for things" - William Gibson, 'Neuromancer'. In like sense the intarweb finds spectacularly dumbed-down uses for words.
@pieist @thomasfuchs
There is a big difference between naturally evolving language that people use which ends up with words fluidly changing meaning over time and big corporations trying to sell stuff so they purposefully use the wrong name because they want to build hype and mislead customers