"the demand for philosophers with A.I. training is, if anything, outstripping the supply right now. It’s an area I encourage students to go into"...

There's about 20 philosophers employed by AI labs worldwide, vs 1000s of software engineers, product managers, designers, etc. There's probably more economists working in these labs than philosophers...

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datakan an hour ago | parent | next [-]

If the AI is digesting all the philosophy material ever published then why do they need philosophers?

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genxy 25 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

That is not what AI is. AI is a powerful tool, a semiautonomous set of wood working tools that still need a master craftsperson to use. You need the tool+genius to drive it. Everyone wants to shoot down AI but they think AI will do everything. Being proud of a creation where someone did style transfer between spongebob and Rembrandt and they think they made art. About as responsible for actual art as just downloading images from google.

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The_Blade 39 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

knowing all the philosophy every published is not being a philosopher

there was literature about 15 years or so ago stating Philosophy as being an uncommonly lucrative course of study, in part citing Reid Hoffman

it is a way of thinking

	▲	antonvs 36 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		> knowing all the philosophy every published is not being a philosopher Debatable. We may need to ask a philosopher.

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yepyoukno 35 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

Philosophy is a living process of integrating ideas. Classical materials are the wet stone upon which the mind is sharpened. Unlike history, where literal established accounts are ideal, in philosophy one is expected to view today (or the future) through the lens of contextual discourse.

While there is “no right answer” understanding what the issues are and how the discussion plays out is relevant.

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deadbabe an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Starbucks employs orders of magnitude more philosophers than any AI labs.

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jayd16 an hour ago | parent | next [-]

If pay, hours, benefits, and type of work mean nothing to you, then maybe this is an apt point.

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appreciatorBus an hour ago | parent [-]

If service to others and to society mean anything to you, working in Starbucks or any fast food job will teach you more about humanity and human society than most college grads learn from a humanities degree.

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OtherShrezzing 30 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

It’s difficult to articulate the tedium and monotony of a Starbucks gig. There’s so little intellectual stimulation available in that setting. If you managed to learn more from your fast food than your humanities degree, then I think that’s on you for not paying attention at college (perhaps because you were exhausted from your job?).

	▲	ElProlactin 11 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		> If you managed to learn more from your fast food than your humanities degree... It's not about learning "more". It's that earning a degree is an academic undertaking whereas working at a coffee shop is "real life". There is no need to treat one as more or less valuable/useful than the other. They're just different kinds of human experiences. Learning is possible from both.

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quixoticaxolotl 32 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Helping a mega-corporation make an extra buck is not "service to society".

If you meant doing a service job at a small business, where you can have real ownership over how it treats its customers, I would agree with you.

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pohl 38 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

But will it help those baristas pay off the student loans that paid for their philosophy degrees?

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fearmerchant 39 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Ok, you got me. It took me a minute.

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airstrike an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

and famously doesn't require a degree

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sleepybrett 15 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

... and why would they train for a job where everything they say that seeks to curtail expansion would be ignored.