this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2024
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The Dredge Tank

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The Dredge Tank. For posting all the low tier reactionary bullshit that you can't post anywhere else. Got some bullshit from Reddit with 2 upvotes and want to share, post it here.

This community was created with the purpose that Rule 8 fans will just block it.

The rules are literally The Dunk Tank's rules, just without rule 8.

Rule 1: All posts must include links to the subject matter, and no identifying information should be redacted.

Rule 2: If your source is a reactionary website, please use archive.is instead of linking directly.

Rule 3: No sectarianism.

Rule 4: TERF/SWERFs Not Welcome

Rule 5: No ableism of any kind (that includes stuff like libt*rd)

Rule 6: Do not post fellow hexbears.

Rule 7: Do not individually target other instances' admins or moderators.

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The only use for this that I think would be worthwhile would be tricking my-hero into believing he found a "based" community to call him the Meme Maestro while he's confined in some goon cave far away from levers of power.

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[–] AlbedoORourke@hexbear.net 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I think we agree on several fundamental points, such as the inefficiency of current AI applications and the problematic capitalist motivations driving much of its development.

That being said, completely dismissing the technology because of its current misuse may prevent us from exploring and identifying genuinely valuable applications. For instance, in research and industrial settings, AI has shown promise in optimizing processes, reducing waste, and performing complex data analysis. These are areas where the potential benefits might rightly justify the resource expenditure. China's approach, which includes heavy state involvement and regulation, might offer some insights.

Let's focus on creating specific and actionable plans that address the root issues rather than being caught in the binary of defense vs. criticism.

[–] Belly_Beanis@hexbear.net 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

And again, here you are defending things lol. Nobody is dismissing the technological advancements of the future. What we're talking about is what's happening right now. And right now the """"AI"""" tech doesn't justify its resource consumption.

You want there to be "specific and actionable plans" but so far you haven't said any of those. What algorithms are you hoping to implement that reduce carbon footprints? Which models have real world applications that humans or existing tech don't already do?

All you've done is "Okay it sucks now but if we keep doing this same thing it's gonna get better just trust me China will solve it and then American companies will totally be left behind (please ignore solar panels and electric cars and how the US just puts a tariff up or actively punishes green energy)."

[–] AlbedoORourke@hexbear.net 2 points 1 month ago

I'm going to ignore the sort of hostile tone you're taking with me for the sake of an earnest discussion.

But yeah, to get more specific... for example, we could try to advocate for a law that companies like X and Facebook that have consumer-facing image generation to at least fund it with renewables as opposed to just burning natural gas generators. A blanket law that new data centers can only use nuclear or renewables period, regardless of application. I know you'll just say that's "lib-shit" but what do you want me to do say we should start kidnapping politicians or something? It's hard to target this stuff since you can do it at home on a gaming GPU, so I think going after larger providers like social media companies makes sense.

Also energy usage HAS gone down significantly for a lot of these inference requests since some of the original findings. We're finding out that a mixture of experts (small models trained on specific tasks that can be routed to by a top level model that specializes in routing) can rival the output of previously very expensive foundational models for a fraction of the cost. There's new hardware coming out that makes the matrix math more performant and I think it's not unreasonable to say we should put public funds behind such research for the sake of the planet.

And I'm not just saying "it sucks now". That's my whole point... it's more nuanced than that. You're seeing a lot of the most wasteful applications of it on social media because you're not seeing how individuals and businesses aren't necessarily publishing their workflows that use this tech.

To give an example, video generation, something we didn't have even two years ago worth a shit, is getting better every week. If you're a filmmaker and you're in the field filming something, but realize you need a few seconds of establishing shot, or maybe you notice a continuity fuckup or something, you'd normally have to go back on site and reshoot more footage. That includes getting a crew into one or more vehicles, driving somewhere, and using probably lots more fossil fuels. With transformer based video tech, you can use generative fill or just generate a transition or clothing change for those few seconds and save loads of time and money. It's not all black and white is all I'm saying.

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Let's focus on creating specific and actionable plans

Yours seem to involve concern trolling people for being concerned, implying that it's wrong somehow to express negative feelings about the damned things, as though your own feelings on the subject are lofty, logical, and enlightened by default.

[–] AlbedoORourke@hexbear.net 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What I'm advocating for is a more nuanced conversation that goes beyond the binary of "it's all bad" vs. "it's all good." Expressing frustration and concerns is absolutely valid.

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

more nuanced conversation

Bullshit. If that was your intention you'd drop the concern trolling about what I'm posting (especially when it doesn't even concern you, or at least I have to assume it doesn't, like dunking on my-hero which is a fun thing to do on a leftist shitposting forum) and do that instead of trying to attack the character of people that don't like the industrial, environmental, social, and energy problems of treat printers under capitalism.