Skiluros

I am not sure if I read the correct thread, but I personally didn't find your arguements convincing, although I think a full ban is excessive (at least initially).

Keep in mind that I do use local LLM (as an elaborate spell-checker) and I am a regular user of ML based video upscaleling (I am a fan of niche 80s/90s b-movies).

Forget the technical arguments for a seconds. And look at the social-economic component behind US-style VC groups, AI companies, and US technology companies in general (other companies are a separate discussion).

It is not unreasonable to believe that the people involved (especially the leadership) in the abovementioned organizations are deeply corrupt and largely incapable of honesty or even humanity [1]. It is a controversial take (by US standards) but not without precedent in the global context. In many countries, if you try and argue that some local oligarch is acting in good faith, people will assume you are trying (and failing) to practise a standup comedy routine.

If you do hold a critical attitude and don't buy into tedious PR about "changing the world", it is reasonable to assume that irrespective of the validity of "AI safety" as a technical concept, the actors involved would lie about it. And even the concept was valid, it is likely they would leverage it for PR while ignoring any actual academic concepts behind "AI safety" (if they do exist).

One could even argue that your arguementation approach is an example of provincialism, group-think and generally bad faith.

I am not saying you have to agree with me, I am more trying to show a different perspective.

[1] I can provide some of my favourite examples if you like, I don't want to make this reply any longer.

How so?

The first ~15 seconds of discussion before BBC's Steve Rosenberg asked his question really shows how pathetic the russian authoritarian model is.

Symmetrically in the West, you will find angry people who, momentarily discarding any regards for human life, would find it “interesting” to destroy ruSSia in a nuclear Holocaust.

Is that really true, though (with respect to the "west" specifically)?

And why is it wrong to disregard the lives of people (not a few people but somewhere between a strong majority at minimum to an overwhelming majority [*]) who wish you, your family and your fellow citizens harm?

[*] With majorities holding across any and all demographic segments; age, income, rural vs urban, education.

I disagree. You are infantilizing the russian population.

Russia has been involved in genocidal imperialism even before putin (Moldova, Chechnya, Georgia, mercantile involvement in Nagorno Karabakh - all this happened in the 90s).

In the 90s, TV stations were openly critical of the government, yet putin was elected again in 2004 even though he shut down much of the mass market independent press.

Since ~2010, most major European news agencies (DW, BBC) launched russian language YT services. The rise of smartphones and lack of YT censorship meant that almost everyone had access to independent news in a few clicks. They could even access local independent-leaning news services (TV Dozhd also launched their YT channel around ~2010).

Russian genocidal imperialism and authoritarianism is a direct product of the choices russians make. There is nothing inherent to the russian population/culture that stops them from showing humanity. They just don't want to.

They need to realize that they hold responsibility for their actions and that no one is buying their victimhood polemics.

This guy has just, out in the open, bought himself into a position of power. This is the type of shit you see in a movie. Next thing you know, he’ll be scowling at a local detective reminding him of his diplomatic immunity.

Is it really something you only see in a movie (even in the context of the US). This is being reported because Musk's diva persona, but I would speculate a lot of US oligarchs have previously had massive influence on government processes and some even got themselves into positions of power ala Musk.

Don't forget, it's not only putin, it also at least a strong majority of russian society (if not an absolute majority) that support genocidal imperialism.

This is a bullshit article:

Biden has erroneously viewed the war as a conflict over territory, believing Ukraine’s leverage depends on pushing Russian lines back. But for Russia, this war is primarily about defusing the threat posed by the United States and NATO. Putin cannot secure Russia against the 32-member NATO alliance or new U.S. missile technology by winning the war in Ukraine.

Anatol Lieven is a known russian shill. This war was never about NATO or threat from the US. It is a genocidal imperialist war.

Ukraine was neutral on a legal level before the beginning of the russian invasion in 2014. Russia already had a border with NATo by that point and now Finland has also joined NATO.

What Liiven is basically saying is that it is OK for russians to invade independent countries, exterminate Ukrianian identity and send 10 of thousands of people to torture camps in the occupied territories.

I hope one day Lieven and his family end up in a russian torture camp.

With the US civil rights movement it's worth considering the international context too. The cold war was was it's early phase of intensity and it was difficult for US to compete in terms of soft power with formal discrimination laws. The world was undergoing intense decolonisation during that period.

That being said, I don't support a defeatist view of the viability of protest. But you do need clear goals and a sufficiently large core group of people willing to take risks.

I am not from the US, so I might be out of league here, but haven't recent US protest movements been somewhat ineffectual?

In a global context, successful protests movements tend to take active measures; blockading of transport and key commercial zones, organisation on a level that makes security forces ask themselves uncomfortable questions.

To be fair, such movements also tend to have very strange support (be it broad based or high approval amongst a very large minority).

It is not my intention to be defeatist or overly critical, just some thoughts. I could be wrong.

Will need to try this. Grabbing the thumbnail via an external site is annoying.

Instances running 0.19.5 (I think) allow manually adding a thumbnail.

I extract them from https://youtube-thumbnail-grabber.com/ and manually add them in.

Really annoying.