Are AI Execs Too Out of Touch To Build For the General Public? (techcrunch.com) 74
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Former Yahoo CEO and early Google engineer Marissa Mayer is catching a lot of flak for how she uses AI. In an interview about her new app Dazzle, an AI assistant that learns from your camera roll, Mayer poses what she believes is an impressive flex for the product: It helped her come up with three bullet points about her 10-year-old daughter for a birthday presentation at school, describing her as "empathetic, creative, and an animal lover."
It's a vague description, like a generic horoscope -- it could probably describe a lot of 10-year-olds. Some onlookers, like progressive activist Leah Greenberg, marveled that "the fact that Marissa Mayer would voluntarily disclose this to a reporter is a pretty good demonstration of how deeply the culture of Silicon Valley has diverged from the rest of humanity." [...] After publication, Mayer defended herself in a long X post. She claims she was not relying on Dazzle to explain her child to her, but rather, she was testing what her prototype could do -- it resurfaced photos of "forgotten kindergarten projects," like a "snake devenomer" or "sandcat playground," illustrating her daughter's creativity and care for animals.
Fair enough. But Mayer remarks in the same interview that people could also use her AI to outsource the mental load of "figuring out the theme for your child's birthday party." She says she's used her app to plan a playdate for her daughter, book family activities on vacation, and decide what to be for Halloween. She even proposes that her AI assistant could coordinate plans with her husband's AI assistant. When the reporter asks her if it's depressing to imagine this "frictionless future planned by AI," Mayer replies, "I haven't really thought that through." The bigger question is: What should we outsource to AI? "What feels like grunt work to someone might be a meaningful part of parenthood for someone else," says Fortune's Emma Hinchliffe.
Michael Tasner, Founder and CEO of No Joke Marketing, adds: "Customers are drowning in AI slop, and they can spot it. Use AI for the low-stakes work behind the scenes. Keep the moments that matter to your customers human. Human connection is becoming the new premium."
It's a vague description, like a generic horoscope -- it could probably describe a lot of 10-year-olds. Some onlookers, like progressive activist Leah Greenberg, marveled that "the fact that Marissa Mayer would voluntarily disclose this to a reporter is a pretty good demonstration of how deeply the culture of Silicon Valley has diverged from the rest of humanity." [...] After publication, Mayer defended herself in a long X post. She claims she was not relying on Dazzle to explain her child to her, but rather, she was testing what her prototype could do -- it resurfaced photos of "forgotten kindergarten projects," like a "snake devenomer" or "sandcat playground," illustrating her daughter's creativity and care for animals.
Fair enough. But Mayer remarks in the same interview that people could also use her AI to outsource the mental load of "figuring out the theme for your child's birthday party." She says she's used her app to plan a playdate for her daughter, book family activities on vacation, and decide what to be for Halloween. She even proposes that her AI assistant could coordinate plans with her husband's AI assistant. When the reporter asks her if it's depressing to imagine this "frictionless future planned by AI," Mayer replies, "I haven't really thought that through." The bigger question is: What should we outsource to AI? "What feels like grunt work to someone might be a meaningful part of parenthood for someone else," says Fortune's Emma Hinchliffe.
Michael Tasner, Founder and CEO of No Joke Marketing, adds: "Customers are drowning in AI slop, and they can spot it. Use AI for the low-stakes work behind the scenes. Keep the moments that matter to your customers human. Human connection is becoming the new premium."
Wrong question. (Score:5, Insightful)
It's mildly comical when they attempt to emulate humanity; but the important bit isn't the cluelessness; it's the malice.
Re:Wrong question. (Score:5, Insightful)
I agree. I think by now we have arrived as "malice" for what the LLM pushers do. Time to stop them and put them away. But humanity seems to be incapable of dealing with its worst members, and not only in this area.
Re: (Score:2)
While I'm inclined to agree, who gets to decide who's the asshole?
The wrong people in charge would have me in jail for smoking a joint. Plenty of countries are still this way.
Re: (Score:2)
That is the key problem. There needs to be a balance. But the "these people are powerful, so hands-off" approach is worse.
Re: (Score:2)
As to whoever moderated this "troll": The thing all scammers totally love is scam-victims that have eaten up the FOMO and and try to rope others into getting scammed as well for free!
In the real world, nobody that does professional works is really saving much time using LLMs (no, slop creation does not count as "professional work"), with some people (the more perceptive ones) noticing they need to invest more. There are also no desperately needed skills that are LLM specific. Even if this works out as a ma
Re: Wrong question. (Score:2)
This place is run by crypto thugs who are also invested in AI. It's not a surprise when they mod down posts which threaten their portfolios.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
we are talking about people who are, busily and intentionally, building 'AI' products against the public.
Why on gods soon to not be green earth would you cater to them when you could enslave them instead?
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Wrong question. (Score:4, Interesting)
It's mildly comical when they attempt to emulate humanity; but the important bit isn't the cluelessness; it's the malice.
With a little less context your statement would be deliciously ambiguous; my first fleeting thought was that you were referring to the LLMs. Then my eye caught the word "malice", and I understood.
I've been having a LOT of interaction with GoogleAI and ChatGPT lately. At first glance they seem human - as do the aforementioned C-suite occupants. On deeper examination though, it becomes obvious that both groups are - in a very disturbing way - not quite human.
The models have a valid excuse for living in Uncanny Valley. But the parasite class? Not so much.
Re: (Score:3)
There have been some interesting threads on Twitter recently where they discovered that by flipping two bits in a local AI model they could convert it to full "KILL ALL HUMANS!" mode where everything it generates looks like posts from the deep, dark depths of Reddit.
Wrong question. (Score:4, Insightful)
Are AI Execs Too Out of Touch To Build For the General Public?
Build what, exactly?? Perhaps this should be determined first.
Re:Wrong question. (Score:4, Funny)
Build what, exactly??
If we build it, then it will frictionlessly tell us what to build.
Re:Wrong question. (Score:5, Insightful)
The idiots trying to figure out uses for AI remind me of the Kalahari bushmen with the coke bottle.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
I hate when I run out of mod points. Gods Must Be Crazy is one of the best movies, ever.
Re: (Score:2)
The idiots trying to figure out uses for AI remind me of the Kalahari bushmen with the coke bottle.
Which is an unfair comparison as people in developing countries often devise new uses for junk we throw away, that coke bottle can be turned into a water purifier. Devices made from discarded PET plastics are being used to create clean drinking in Africa.
AI execs on the other hand couldn't tell what's useful from their sisters left tit. Hence they're trying to sell the tit.
Re: (Score:2)
that's a deep thought
Re: (Score:2)
Good question. I am on board with "somewhat better search", but that does not even justify 1% of the effort currently invested and damage done. The rest seems to be more of a problem than a solution and I do not think that will change.
Re: (Score:1)
Are you honestly summarizing the current state of advancement in LLM capabilities as "somewhat better search"?
It's apparent from that statement that you've not even been paying a slight bit of attention to state of the art. It isn't 2023; we're a far sight further than you conceptualize, and you'd be well suited to start familiarizing.
Re: (Score:2)
My view of reality seems to be much, much clearer than yours. And no, the "you do not know what the state of the art is" claim just marks you as the asshole here.
Re: Wrong question. (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
There's an established way to answer that question. It's called market research. You talk to a lot of people and ask them what products would make their lives better. You try to understand their problems. That's what any competent product manager spends a lot of their time doing.
I wonder how much market research Ms. Mayer's company did? How many people told them, "I really want a product that tells me what to wear for Halloween so I don't have to think about it?" I'm going to guess somewhere between n
Re: (Score:2)
Instead of asking us what we want, they try to tell us what we ought to want.
Nothing new about that. It's been standard marketing practice for decades.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah... long enough for them to believe that's how the system actually works, even as their reach gets smaller and smaller with every marketing campaign.
The internet has changed how people see advertising and broadcast. It's not just that the wealthy are out of touch, it's also that they're using approaches from a time before everyone could share their personal experiences of a product or service while believing they're in control of the new medium.
I feel like this interaction explains a... certain amount o
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, clearly the problem isn't the AI tools or the methodology or the underlying belief that all forms of work are equally reducible.
Ironically, the answer is 'yes'... they are too out of touch. It's sufficient. There are other conditions at play though.
Re: Wrong question. (Score:2)
Nonononono. Build prosperity. Build progress. Build civilization. Build job... Uh, timeout on that one.
Please don't look too closely or ask what any of it means in practice, because we can't have you standing in the way of prosperity and progress.
Re:Wrong question. (Score:4, Insightful)
If you haven't read the interview, in it she relates a story where her young daughter's teacher asked her to write three things that made her child special. Apparently she is such an awful mother that she couldn't do that, and turned to AI for assistance. The AI shat out some generic Hallmark style platitudes, and she was delighted.
People like her want to dehumanize all of us to that level.
Re: (Score:3)
What they promised??
Cure cancer. Solve world hunger. Fix climate change. Etc.
They can't even be profitable, whereas my niece can make money from selling lemonade on a hot Saturday.
AI execs are a waste of space.
Wrong question. (Score:2)
Well the answer is of course they are out of touch and I don't actually have a 'right question', I just wanted to fit in.
Out of touch? Maybe. Greedy as hell? Definitely. (Score:4, Insightful)
They all just want to get rich and society (or humanity) be damned. Reminds me of oil executives and weapons peddlers. The scum of the scum, unfortunately having floated to the top as crap has a tendency to do.
Something wrong (Score:5, Insightful)
But I suppose the real pressure comes from having to top everyone else with dramatic, over-the-top social media photos of The Most Amazing Birthday Party Theme of All Time and Aren't I Just the Most Amazing Mother / Parent to Walk on Planet Earth? Like and subscribe.
Everyone would be much happier if you just threw that stupid phone and its lame AI app in the recycling bin and got on with living your real life with the real people right in front of you.
Re: (Score:2)
It's insane and so dystopian to see the same decision making that entices developers to "just have AI write something" to avoid paying that mental tax then applied to even understanding your own *child*. I mean by god.
And you know a human wrote that prior sentence because by god the words sometimes don't come easy or as profoundly as I would like, but at least they're *mine* in all their shitty glory
Re: (Score:2)
Unfortunately, there are a significant and growing number of people who, if they threw their phone away, would have no life left, and no ability to ever create one. By deliberate choice.
Re: Something wrong (Score:2)
You will not replace us!!!
But with a little stretching of English grammar, we might replace us.
Re: (Score:2)
Personally, I'd feel pretty disappointed if I thought my aristocratic mother had actually put effort into something for me like that... only to find out it was done entirely by a servant and my mother simply took credit.
Maybe I'm not a modern child who needs 3 bullet points about themselves for a school presentation. I guess. Maybe that's why this whole premise doesn't make sense to me...
but really? Is this some kind of 'pitch culture for babies' thing? why does the kid need to dotpoint about herself on her
Re: (Score:2)
But I suppose the real pressure comes from having to top everyone else with dramatic, over-the-top social media photos of [...]
Perhaps, but in this case the real pressure comes from having to justify multiple trillions of dollars of debt, using a technology whose actual scope of applicability is much smaller than you've been leading investors to believe. You can practically see the flop-sweat at this point.
Re: (Score:2)
Nail hit on the head. Are you actually living your best life a the best mom in the world with the best daughter and the best birthday party, or are you just aura farming? Mom's hitting the Zinfandel as soon as the post gets 5000 likes.
YES, YES, YES!!! (Score:2)
Just YES!
Yes (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Money changes you (Score:5, Insightful)
When your whole life is focused on that, you really lose sight of what is good for other people, you'll make decisions on what is good for your bottom line and then deal with the fallout. We have seen this time and time again from the tech industry, take social media for an example (We'll enslave humanity if it increases ad revenue). AI as a product is nice now because no enshittification yet. They are currently still trying to get their hooks into people with freemium models, once they need to extract revenue it's going to get scary.
OG AI (Score:1)
Will they let the AI (Score:2)
And if they do, will she and her husband both be there. That Woody Allan movie with the orgasmatron was so ahead of its time.
Re: (Score:2)
They've got that automated too, now. I've seen it on one of them porn-o's.
Re: (Score:2)
\o/ (Score:1)
Maybe she's not completely out to lunch. Maybe she's exposed to a culture where every whim is catered for by an app and unconsciously feels pressure to create something unique and is finding it a challenge.
OR maybe she thinks there are people who don't know what their children like.
Re: \o/ (Score:2)
And she's right, she has herself as an example.
Unfortunately she's incapable of understanding this means that she is a terrible parent.
Re: \o/ (Score:1)
Thanks for revealing a problem for which there is currently no available solution. The 'good-parent' MVP, codenamed 'suck-less' will be out ASAP.
Re: \o/ (Score:2)
There's an easy and available solution, spend time with your kids. She can afford to do so, so SHE has no excuse.
Re: \o/ (Score:1)
I missing the monetisation opportunity.
Re: \o/ (Score:2)
You're supposed to monetize other people's kids, not your kids. Your kids are there for the purpose of producing propaganda for growing your brand, not for direct profit.
Re: \o/ (Score:1)
Are you sure?
I'm pretty sure we're supposed to monetise everything - at least that's what the constitution says, right? At least the new update trumpstitution.
What should we outsource to AI? (Score:2)
"What should we outsource to AI?"
That's the key question. Because people who ask the question "What should *we*" usually mean "I want (us) to define what you are allowed to do"
What about deciding for yourself? If someone wants to plan the birthday party, let them do. If you never would, don't. Also try to extend you horizon a bit. They probably don't just ask for a theme for the birthday party, but then have a long chat about how to organize all details, how to fit the schedule, to sort out what may be too
General public? (Score:2)
The proper use of AI is in science and engineering
It's also valuable to general public as a source of information.
It's a mistake to push it for creating "art" and "music". We already have artists and musicians who do what they do perfectly.
The problem is that AI CEOs want to be the next Apple
I would prefer that they focus on solving intractable problems, not pop culture.
Re: (Score:2)
Yup. This. I'll repeat it until I'm dead - AI has helped me understand scientific, medical and legal jargon.
The behavior only makes sense when you realize... (Score:5, Insightful)
The behavior only makes sense when you realize that it is all about getting investor money. Keep in mind that investors are giving a sh*t ton of money that would normally be considered a movie gag. It's literally free money and people are showing just about anything that they think that investors will bite on. This explains *all* behavior. It isn't any more complicated than that. Everyone knows there is a bubble, but talking about it isn't going to get you that sweet VC.
I'm also going to repeat: the rotton core of America is coming from Wallstreet. The rewords for business regarding AI is all coming from there and there needs to be some reforms... I don't really need my 401K investment money being used to try to create technology to remove my job *before* I retire. But for some reason I don't get that choice in the American economy?
The businessmen have taken over silicon valley. It is no longer about people trying to make people's lives better. It is no longer about fun. It is no longer about making a business that will stand the test of time. It is about where to funnel that venture capital.
Are Execs Too Out of Touch ? (Score:3)
I mean, it's one banana, Michael. What could it cost? Ten dollars?
Non Profits don't have this problem (Score:2, Insightful)
Remember "quality time" (Score:2)
Yes (Score:2)
"Are AI Execs Too Out of Touch To Build For the General Public?"
"Yes"
Next dumb question please...
What should we outsource to AI? (Score:2)
Cleaning, dammit! I would definitely buy an AI-driven robot to eliminate the following completely from my life:
- washing, drying, folding, and putting away clothing
- washing, drying, and putting away dishes that can't go into the dishwasher
- *effective* vacuuming, dusting, mopping, sponging tubs & showers, etc. (don't say Roomba, they are pathetic compared to a human with a Miele vacuum)
These activities are so frequent and so time-consuming. They continue pretty much unchanged for your whole life, so th
AI isn't for you (Score:2)
It's a labor saving device. Automation. In other words a job killer.
There are studies that clearly indicate that factory automation is responsible for approximately 70% of the Lost middle class jobs since the 1980s.
We have been automating away high paying jobs as fast as we can for decades and AI is just another extension of that.
The Epstein class doesn't want to sell you products. Th
What? Only AI Executives?!?!? (Score:2)
Honestly, nearly all C-levels of large companies are out of touch with reality.
They're high enough on the totem pole to not live like the "plebes", so don't live a normal life anymore and have enough power/money to have a cloud of sycophants hovering around them feeding them what they want to hear (even if the C-level exec wants to hear the "real" truth, the sycophants will always win since they're the ones that don't tell the executives bad news, so don't get pushed aside for being "difficult/negative".).
CEOs out of touch (Score:1)
Managers still did not get the memo that giving your heart or colluding with such hearty people does not improve company's reputation
Obligatory Simpsons Joke (Score:2)
The "mental work"? (Score:2)
Of planning a theme to your kid's birthday party? You mean, other than cake and cookies with lots of sugar, so that they leave footprints on the ceiling?
"Mental work"? Really? Maybe she should have a job as a telephone cleaner, per Doug Adams.