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entropicdrifteryesterday at 5:26 PM6 repliesview on HN

Programmers mostly don't. Ordinary people see figuring out how to use the computer as a hindrance rather than empowering, they want Star Trek. They want "computer, plan my next vacation to XYZ for me" to lay out a full itinerary and offer to buy the tickets and make the reservations.

Knowledge work is work most people don't really want to deal with. Ordinary people don't put much value into ideas regardless of their level of refinement


Replies

cortesoftyesterday at 5:45 PM

I have been a programmer for 30 years and have loved every minute of it. I love figuring out how to get my computers to do what I want.

I also want Star Trek, though. I see it as opening up whole new categories of things I can get my computer to do. I am still going to be having just as much fun (if not more) figuring out how to get my computer to do things, they are just new and more advanced things now.

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threetonesunyesterday at 7:48 PM

I was talking about this "plan a trip" example somewhere else, and I don't think we're prepared for the amount of scams and fleecing that will sit between "computer, make my trip so" and what it comes back with.

whstlyesterday at 6:58 PM

> They want "computer, plan my next vacation to XYZ for me" to lay out a full itinerary and offer to buy the tickets and make the reservations.

Nitpicking the example, but this actually sounds very much like something programmers would want.

Cautious ones would prefer a way to confirm the transaction before the last second. But IMO that goes for anyone, not just programmers.

Also I get the feeling the interest in "computers" is 50/50 for developers. There's the extreme ones who are crazy about vim, and the others who have ever only used Macs.

0x457yesterday at 9:01 PM

I did a friends trip where it was planned by ChatGPT recently. It was so bad, also it couldn't figure out japanese railroads.

andaiyesterday at 6:03 PM

> Ordinary people don't put much value into ideas regardless of their level of refinement

This seems true to me, though I'm not sure how it connects here?

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shimmanyesterday at 7:38 PM

Ordinary people absolutely hate AI and AI products. There is a reason why all these LLM providers are absolutely failing at capturing consumers. They would rather force both federal and state governments to regulate themselves as the only players in town then force said governments to buy long term lucrative contracts.

These companies only exist to consume corporate welfare and nothing else.

Everyone hates this garbage, it's across the political spectrum. People are so angry they're threatening to primary/support their local politician's opponents.