“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0
Charles Ferguson, a pioneer in website development, looks at the hype surrounding AI and hears a rhyme from his early career. Here’s a tiny bit from his article (emphasis added):
But sincerity often accompanies naivete, as I know all too well. Thirty years ago, I founded the startup that developed the first software tool enabling anyone to build a website — and I totally drank the Kool-Aid. We told ourselves that our product would allow truth-tellers and innovators to bypass gatekeepers, liberating and enlightening everyone. Social networks would, of course, do the same and together we would create a decentralized, egalitarian paradise of unfiltered truth. How wrong we were.
When I look at the AI landscape, heavily populated by extremely young founders, I see the same naivete.
I commend his article to your attention as a timely read.
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*Mark Twain.
