diff --git a/blogo-input/blogo.json b/blogo-input/blogo.json index a6903b3..68fc0de 100755 --- a/blogo-input/blogo.json +++ b/blogo-input/blogo.json @@ -8,6 +8,17 @@ "metadescr": "arnaucube blog", "metaimg": "img/logoArnauCube.png", "posts": [ + { + "thumb": "ai-connections_thumb.md", + "md": "ai-connections.md", + "metadescr": "A short note on aiccelerationism, hyperreality, and the recovery of human connections.", + "metaimg": "img/posts/ai/two-worlds.jpg" + }, + { + "thumb": "sonobe-talk_thumb.md", + "metadescr": "[zkSummit12 talk] Sonobe, a modular folding schemes library", + "outsideArticle": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3FH9I8klDk" + }, { "thumb": "protogalaxy_thumb.md", "md": "protogalaxy.md", diff --git a/blogo-input/img/posts/ai/idiocracy-couch.jpg b/blogo-input/img/posts/ai/idiocracy-couch.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..619b3c3 Binary files /dev/null and b/blogo-input/img/posts/ai/idiocracy-couch.jpg differ diff --git a/blogo-input/img/posts/ai/two-worlds.jpg b/blogo-input/img/posts/ai/two-worlds.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..71cd84f Binary files /dev/null and b/blogo-input/img/posts/ai/two-worlds.jpg differ diff --git a/blogo-input/posts/ai-connections.md b/blogo-input/posts/ai-connections.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8ec9d3c --- /dev/null +++ b/blogo-input/posts/ai-connections.md @@ -0,0 +1,140 @@ +# Human connections in the early days of AI +*2025-06-03* + +*Special thanks to [dhole](https://dhole.github.io) for review and suggestions.* + +### 1. Online world as an extension of physical world +IRL stands for 'in real life', used to describe the *offline* life of a person. +Many years ago, people started to notice that the online world is not +disconnected from the physical world, furthermore, it can be seen as an +extension of it. This was observed by the Invisible Committee: + +> *[...] if the hacker is ahead of his time it’s because he “didn’t think of this tool [the Internet] as a separate virtual world but as an extension of physical reality.”* +> 'To our friends' - by The Invisible Committee, 2014 +>
+ +We've seen examples of this over the past couple of decades; with social +networks and their impact on professional politics and people's lives, but also +with cryptocurrencies, which on the early days most people considered them not +real money (not part of *reality*), while few hackers already saw them as a valid +form of currency. + +Another example was the [usage of "AFK"](https://youtu.be/KCAGb7oSwDs?t=72) by +the ThePirateBay founders, to refer to the world offline (instead of "IRL"): + +> *"We don't use the expression IRL, we say 'Away From Keyboard", AFK; we think +the internet is for real"* - Peter Sunde, 2009 + +### 2. HyperReality +The offline world being extended by the online world brings us a form of +[*hyperreality*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality). +The simplified idea is that on top of *the reality* we create the hyperreality, +where traits from reality are enhanced, exaggerated, to the point where it's not +the original reality but something more, still to be consumed as reality. + +The music analyst Jaime Altozano [links](https://youtu.be/ySa67e0jKNA?t=759) +this concept (hyperreality) together with the [supernormal +stimulus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernormal_stimulus) to the widespread +usage of autotune and similar tools, not for robotic-voice effects that we +usually identify as 'autotune', but for any singer that thanks to autotune +sounds 'more natural' with better pitch, without notes out of place (both live +and on record). + +Another example are the instagram filters, which while allowing people to +'enhance' their pictures, they define a new hyperreality of (among others) +smooth skin and white teeth, which renders the physical world not good enough +compared to the online filtered and enhanced hyperreality; this affects back to +the physical world, with people wanting to emulate the hyperreality that they +get in the online world into the physical world, resulting, for example, in the +increase of plastic surgery interventions and into teeth whitening treatments. +
People want to see their instagram filters in their mirror. + +### 3. Moving from content production to content consumption +Before the era of AI-content-generation tools, we were already seeing the normal +users (non-socialmedia-influencers) reducing their amount of posts creation on +the various social networks. The main chunk of the population was already on a +timid trend of reducing active production of content towards a more consumerism +role of social networks, where the production of content is left mostly in the +hands of a reduced minority (influencers, 'content creators'). + +
+ +
Optimized couch from Idiocracy movie. +
+
+ +In the early days of social networks, people were sharing their daily life +experiences. As attention-gathering professionals (aka. influencers & marketing +professionals) started to proliferate, people reduced their rate of post +publishing, moving from a content-creation usage of social networks towards a +content-consumption kind of usage. + +Part of it might be due to just tiredness of the dynamics, in part as +consequence of the algorithms of the social networks being silently reshaped +towards exploiting human psychology for the respective app profit, or even due +cyber-maturing of the users; but it seems plausible that part of the reasons are +related to the attention-gathering professionals dominating those networks. + +
+On top of all those trends, this past year we've experienced an acceleration of +the enshittification of the major online social networks, the catalyst of it +being the usage of AI to generate content. + +### 4. aicceleration of the enshittification + +Social networks like reddit, since are mostly text based, were the first to be +hit by the first wave of AI-generated content. They suffered a substantial +[increase](https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/comments/1jojjdj/anyone_else_noticed_many_aigenerated_text_posts/) +of the [AI bloat](https://www.reddit.com/r/singularity/comments/1ap2fzi/reddit_slowly_being_taken_over_by_aigenerated/) +over [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/DeadInternetTheory/comments/1kauscy/spotted_on_reddit_ai_responding_to_an_aiwritten/) +past year, with 'real' users not being happy about it, usually flagging the +AI-generated posts, which become more common each day. In the long term, users +get fed up and migrate to other similar platforms with less AI bloat for the +moment. + +A potential conclusion is that, generally speaking, people don't feel eager to +spend (or waste) time to read AI-generated content that tries to appear as +human-generated. They want to read content from other real humans. As mentioned, +the result is that people get burned out from the platform. + +
+With the [refinement](https://youtu.be/zmlbAbWQCVY) of AI-generated video, +similar effects can happen on other social networks; it's now easier to generate +attention-gathering content for instagram, facebook, tiktok, etc. + +### 5. Two overlapping worlds + +Leaving aside the implications around political manipulation and social +disinformation, this can lead to two main outcomes with regards users relations +with the online social networks (which both can overlap at different ratios): + +The obvious one is a bit of a dystopian future where people get more addicted to +social networks to get the daily dopamine shots +([soma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soma_(Brave_New_World)) style), and they +prefer that to the physical world experiences. + +I would like to be a bit more optimistic and imagine a trend of people getting +burned out by the AI-bloat and moving away from online social networks; valuing +more real-human connections (which can happen also online, but filtering out AI +content). +This might result in a deepening of physical world connections, together with a +revaluation of the physical world experiences (the famous *"touching grass"* +meme), as a counterweight to the fake AI-generated hyperreality of the online +social networks. + +
+ +
+ +Online social networks could stop being *"the place where you get news from your +friends lifes"* as it was some years ago, to become another cog of the +machinery that provides passive entertainment (together with streaming services +such as youtube, netflix, etc.), while the real-social connections happen +offline, where AI can not easily inject content. + +
+It could be the case too, that the platforms react to the AI-bloat and adapt the +algorithms to avoid exhausting their users, therefore avoiding the mass exodus, +since it would affect their bussiness. In any case, I encourage you to +strengthen your bonds with your friends, family and communities :) diff --git a/blogo-input/posts/ai-connections_thumb.md b/blogo-input/posts/ai-connections_thumb.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7ae518a --- /dev/null +++ b/blogo-input/posts/ai-connections_thumb.md @@ -0,0 +1,5 @@ +### Human connections in the early days of AI + +A short note on aiccelerationism, hyperreality, and the recovery of human connections. + +*2025-06-03* diff --git a/blogo-input/posts/sonobe-talk_thumb.md b/blogo-input/posts/sonobe-talk_thumb.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9f40fab --- /dev/null +++ b/blogo-input/posts/sonobe-talk_thumb.md @@ -0,0 +1,5 @@ +### [zkSummit12 talk] Sonobe, a modular folding schemes library +(link to youtube video of the talk) + + +*2024-11-21* diff --git a/public/ai-connections.html b/public/ai-connections.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bafeb6f --- /dev/null +++ b/public/ai-connections.html @@ -0,0 +1,312 @@ + + + + + + + Human connections in the early days of AI - arnaucube - blog + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+

Human connections in the early days of AI

+ +

2025-06-03

+ +

Special thanks to dhole for review and suggestions.

+ +

1. Online world as an extension of physical world

+ +

IRL stands for ‘in real life’, used to describe the offline life of a person. +Many years ago, people started to notice that the online world is not +disconnected from the physical world, furthermore, it can be seen as an +extension of it. This was observed by the Invisible Committee:

+ +
+

[…] if the hacker is ahead of his time it’s because he “didn’t think of this tool [the Internet] as a separate virtual world but as an extension of physical reality.” +‘To our friends’ - by The Invisible Committee, 2014 +

+
+ +

We’ve seen examples of this over the past couple of decades; with social +networks and their impact on professional politics and people’s lives, but also +with cryptocurrencies, which on the early days most people considered them not +real money (not part of reality), while few hackers already saw them as a valid +form of currency.

+ +

Another example was the usage of “AFK” by +the ThePirateBay founders, to refer to the world offline (instead of “IRL”):

+ +
+

“We don’t use the expression IRL, we say ‘Away From Keyboard”, AFK; we think +the internet is for real” - Peter Sunde, 2009

+
+ +

2. HyperReality

+ +

The offline world being extended by the online world brings us a form of +hyperreality. +The simplified idea is that on top of the reality we create the hyperreality, +where traits from reality are enhanced, exaggerated, to the point where it’s not +the original reality but something more, still to be consumed as reality.

+ +

The music analyst Jaime Altozano links +this concept (hyperreality) together with the supernormal +stimulus to the widespread +usage of autotune and similar tools, not for robotic-voice effects that we +usually identify as ‘autotune’, but for any singer that thanks to autotune +sounds ‘more natural’ with better pitch, without notes out of place (both live +and on record).

+ +

Another example are the instagram filters, which while allowing people to +‘enhance’ their pictures, they define a new hyperreality of (among others) +smooth skin and white teeth, which renders the physical world not good enough +compared to the online filtered and enhanced hyperreality; this affects back to +the physical world, with people wanting to emulate the hyperreality that they +get in the online world into the physical world, resulting, for example, in the +increase of plastic surgery interventions and into teeth whitening treatments. +
People want to see their instagram filters in their mirror.

+ +

3. Moving from content production to content consumption

+ +

Before the era of AI-content-generation tools, we were already seeing the normal +users (non-socialmedia-influencers) reducing their amount of posts creation on +the various social networks. The main chunk of the population was already on a +timid trend of reducing active production of content towards a more consumerism +role of social networks, where the production of content is left mostly in the +hands of a reduced minority (influencers, ‘content creators’).

+ +
+ +
Optimized couch from Idiocracy movie. +
+
+ +

In the early days of social networks, people were sharing their daily life +experiences. As attention-gathering professionals (aka. influencers & marketing +professionals) started to proliferate, people reduced their rate of post +publishing, moving from a content-creation usage of social networks towards a +content-consumption kind of usage.

+ +

Part of it might be due to just tiredness of the dynamics, in part as +consequence of the algorithms of the social networks being silently reshaped +towards exploiting human psychology for the respective app profit, or even due +cyber-maturing of the users; but it seems plausible that part of the reasons are +related to the attention-gathering professionals dominating those networks.

+ +


+On top of all those trends, this past year we’ve experienced an acceleration of +the enshittification of the major online social networks, the catalyst of it +being the usage of AI to generate content.

+ +

4. aicceleration of the enshittification

+ +

Social networks like reddit, since are mostly text based, were the first to be +hit by the first wave of AI-generated content. They suffered a substantial +increase +of the AI bloat +over this +past year, with ‘real’ users not being happy about it, usually flagging the +AI-generated posts, which become more common each day. In the long term, users +get fed up and migrate to other similar platforms with less AI bloat for the +moment.

+ +

A potential conclusion is that, generally speaking, people don’t feel eager to +spend (or waste) time to read AI-generated content that tries to appear as +human-generated. They want to read content from other real humans. As mentioned, +the result is that people get burned out from the platform.

+ +


+With the refinement of AI-generated video, +similar effects can happen on other social networks; it’s now easier to generate +attention-gathering content for instagram, facebook, tiktok, etc.

+ +

5. Two overlapping worlds

+ +

Leaving aside the implications around political manipulation and social +disinformation, this can lead to two main outcomes with regards users relations +with the online social networks (which both can overlap at different ratios):

+ +

The obvious one is a bit of a dystopian future where people get more addicted to +social networks to get the daily dopamine shots +(soma style), and they +prefer that to the physical world experiences.

+ +

I would like to be a bit more optimistic and imagine a trend of people getting +burned out by the AI-bloat and moving away from online social networks; valuing +more real-human connections (which can happen also online, but filtering out AI +content). +This might result in a deepening of physical world connections, together with a +revaluation of the physical world experiences (the famous “touching grass” +meme), as a counterweight to the fake AI-generated hyperreality of the online +social networks.

+ +
+ +
+ +

Online social networks could stop being “the place where you get news from your +friends lifes” as it was some years ago, to become another cog of the +machinery that provides passive entertainment (together with streaming services +such as youtube, netflix, etc.), while the real-social connections happen +offline, where AI can not easily inject content.

+ +


+It could be the case too, that the platforms react to the AI-bloat and adapt the +algorithms to avoid exhausting their users, therefore avoiding the mass exodus, +since it would affect their bussiness. In any case, I encourage you to +strengthen your bonds with your friends, family and communities :)

+ +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + diff --git a/public/img/posts/ai/idiocracy-couch.jpg b/public/img/posts/ai/idiocracy-couch.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..619b3c3 Binary files /dev/null and b/public/img/posts/ai/idiocracy-couch.jpg differ diff --git a/public/img/posts/ai/two-worlds.jpg b/public/img/posts/ai/two-worlds.jpg new file mode 100644 index 0000000..71cd84f Binary files /dev/null and b/public/img/posts/ai/two-worlds.jpg differ diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html index d520c49..47d7867 100644 --- a/public/index.html +++ b/public/index.html @@ -62,7 +62,25 @@
-
+
+

Human connections in the early days of AI

+ +

A short note on aiccelerationism, hyperreality, and the recovery of human connections.

+ +

2025-06-03

+ +
+ +
+

[zkSummit12 talk] Sonobe, a modular folding schemes library

+ +

(link to youtube video of the talk)

+ +

2024-11-21

+ +
+ +

Notes on ProtoGalaxy

The idea of these notes is to provide some extra intuition and explainations on ProtoGalaxy’s paper.