I wonder if that was an automated HN edit?

Similarly to how titles that start with "how" usually have that word automatically removed.

And the HTTP headers

    x-clacks-overhead GNU Terry Pratchett

Agreed--I clicked to read an article about the physics of time or something. Was sorely disappointed.

Heh - that went right off the cliff, when... well, I will let the reader research that themselves...

> and we'll be able to see if all the hype was warranted.

Umm, what? For the past 3 years, every year I've said something along the lines of "even if models stop improving now, we'll be working on this for years, finding new ways to use it and make cool stuff happen". The hype is already warranted. To have used these tools and not be hyped is simply denial at this point.

A technology is a set of methods and tools for achieving the desired results (generally in a reliable and reproducible way). Or, in a broader sense of the word, it's the idea of applying scientific knowledge to solving practical problems, and the process of such application.

What is meta-technology?

Or (taking the other side) failure to notice the distinction between a technology and a pump-and-dump. The technology (attention/diffusion) is awesome. The hype is unbelievable. Literally.

It's not unsubstantiated though. The claim is "People frequently assert that 'this time is different' and they are almost always wrong" and it proceeded to provide a reasonable list of analogous manias.

This only doesn't feel like substantiation if you reject the notion that these cases are analogous.

"You shouldn't eat that."

"Why not?"

"Everyone else who's eaten it has either died or gotten really sick."

"But I'm different! Why should I listen to your unsubstantiated claims?"

"(lists names of prior victims)"

"That doesn't mean anything. I'm different. You're just making vague and dismissive unsubstantiated claims."

The claim isn't "AI bad" the claim is more along the lines of "there's a lot of money changing hands and this has all the earmarks of a classic hype cycle; while attention/diffusion models may amount to something the claims of their societal impacts are almost certainly being exaggerated by people with a financial stake in keeping the bubble inflated as long as possible, to pull in as many suckers as possible."

If you want another example (which you won't find analogous if you've already drunk the koolaid):

https://theblundervault.substack.com/p/the-segway-delusion-w...

OP here. Unless you're still watching Quibi on your curved TV, delivered via WiMax then, yeah, I'd say it was pretty bloody substantiated.

I like technology. I made a decent living from it. But if I had chased every hyped fad that was promised as the next big thing, I doubt I'd be as happy as I am now.

That sounds like an interesting article. You should write it.