under construction LLMs are good at: reasoning, logic, code they are bad at: "will a human being like this thing" --- LLMs enable me to write programs i have been dreaming of, but never had the time to create --- --- users don't care about code --- --- disregarding copyright is good, actually --- --- on art --- there is no question that LLM technology is impacting work. this impact extends far beyond cushy tech jobs - and few are more affected than people who produce text, images, audio -- really most media -- on behalf of clients, customers, or companies. --- using LLMs to produce things that humans touch feels a lot like horseshit --- --- in favor of harm reduction and intentional use --- i am neither a staunch LLM advocate, nor a detractor - i consider myself a skeptic who recognizes the potential - of real harm, but also of real help. ardent readers of mine will know that i learned this lesson the hard way -- in my past, i refused to use discord for a decade out of a misplaced sense of moral absolutism. i admonished it as a fundamentally evil platform, without realizing its potential to connect with longtime friends & kindle relationships. over that decade of abstinence, my relationships atrophied - i sacrificed human connection for nothing. my not participating in the platform had no impact on the platform's reach, or potential for bad. i could only speak with my friends who would download mumble - an unnecessary hostile barrier. instead of abstaining, i advocate for harm reduction - responsible usage, involving critical thought. jenny odell has much to say on this subject in her book "how to do nothing" - here's an excerpt that i found impactful > "I am not saying that we should all permanently renounce social media or smartphones. This would neither be practical nor desirable." ... and: > "For many people, social media is tied up with work, social life, and political organizing." Jenny was talking about Twitter - but the same concepts apply here.