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Mitch's Blog
Dave Winer on ChatGPT5:
The big lie is that they want you to believe this is human. This is a carnival stand imitation of a human. It may be that it’s getting worse, or it’s always been this way and I’m seeing more clearly. It was and is still a miracle, but nothing like what was in the science fiction books.
Dave uses ChatGPT in ways very similar to how I do. He makes heavy use of it, but does not personify it.
I am repulsed by AI chatbots’ attempts to emulate human behavior, and have all of that switched off in my ChatGPT customization.
Maybe one day we’ll achieve AGI or artificial superintelligence, but I see no reason to believe it’s coming anytime within the next 25 years or so. I view these ideas the way I view other ideas I first encountered in science fiction, like contact with alien intelligence or time travel. Could these things happen? Most definitely. Yes. Absolutely. But we have no reason to believe they will happen anytime soon, or ever.
Meanwhile, I use ChatGPT to suggest passphrases, synonyms, do currency conversions, and suggest article descriptions, headlines, transitions, introductions and conclusions to reports, and do first drafts of the occasional LinkedIn post and business email. And more. I am very happy to do so.
But ChatGPT is not my friend and it’s certainly not my lover.
AI Is Here, and a Quiet Havoc Has Begun. Everyone knows artificial intelligence will destroy a lot of jobs. But not how soon it is going to happen. By Peggy Noonan. www.wsj.com/opinion/a…
Will AI destroy jobs? Automation, in the past, has created more demand for knowledge work. Spreadsheets increased demand for accounting, even though much of the work accountants did was automated away.
Also, we don’t know whether AI can actually do these jobs that are being replaced. All we know is that people doing the hiring are panicking. Like Cory Doctorow says: AI doesn’t threaten your job. Your job is threatened by your idiot manager who thinks AI can do your job.
Masked government-employed thugs harassed and threatened a couple of American citizens for the crime of being brown while driving around looking for places they might want to go camping sometime. www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loca…
The couple, George and Esmeralda Doilez, voted for Trump in 2020 and 2024, and say they are surprised by his extremism.
ChatGPT is bringing back 4o as an option because people missed it. People said ChatGPT 4o was their only friend. www.theverge.com/news/7569…
A judge threw out the sex harassment suit against ex-San Diego county supervisor Nathan Fletcher. timesofsandiego.com/crime/202…
On Reddit: What are some weird things you do at your desk because you WFH and would never do in the office?
reddit.com/r/WFH/com…
Me: Nostril excavation. I’m a nose-pickin fiend. Gotta remember to keep my fingers away from my beezer when I’m on a video call.
ChatGPT5 and other leading GenAI chatbots still fail hilariously at simple tasks like drawing maps and timelines of U.S. Presidents. But not always. www.theregister.com/2025/08/0…
Trump’s attack on Intel is a big dumb distraction. By my colleague Diana Goovaerts on Fierce Network. www.fierce-network.com/cloud/op-…
I just used the word “deliverables” in an email non-ironically. I feel dirty and not in a good way.