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Tom Flannery's avatar

For the record, Jonathan is one of the "smart friends" referenced in the text. Depending on my mood a conversation with him about this stuff makes me feel hopeful, or sends me screaming to the bar

Limited Edition Jonathan's avatar

So the economy thing is one thing, and I've written extensively about that. I agree a new paradigm will be necessary, one we haven't even thought of yet, because we just can't conceptualize a world where labor is not necessary.

But as for your thoughts on exponential growth etc. You forget it goes the other way as well. Efficiency gains are becoming more exponential. Capability has been increasing While power requirements have been plummeting.

on top of that, we are very close to new Solid state battery technology that can make a lot of this moot very quickly. I don't know if you remember the transition from NiCad and Alkaline to Lithium, but you could make a strong case that's impossible to refute, hat battery technology is the reason we are as technologically advanced as we are right now. Full stop.

So if you will allow, I will make an attempt at a Tom Flannery-ism;

You can stop worrying about data centers popping up like Starbucks. The exponential growth rate of AI can and is being mitigated by the simultaneous exponential increase in efficiency.

Tom Flannery's avatar

as for this..."The exponential growth rate of AI can and is being mitigated by the simultaneous exponential increase in efficiency".....it may in fact be true, but the Archbald council has already been paid off....so that's a problem

Tom Flannery's avatar

well it did give me the excuse to do the penny thing...which is WILD. Also, in my never-ending quest to be clever the Karloff and the Charlton Heston references have me stretching my arm to pat myself on the back. All that being said, I'll forever believe that we're doomed unless I receive some startling sign.....like Jeff Bezos getting run over by a DC cab outside of the newly gutted Washington Post newsroom. When that stuff starts happening, let's re-convene.

Limited Edition Jonathan's avatar

“Hat battery technology”

This is what I get when I edit what I wrote with an iPhone keyboard.

I officially love that typo, and I will be leaving it in my comment.

Limited Edition Jonathan's avatar

“At the end of the year you will have $23,283,064,365,386,962,922,993,458,483,701,209,377,007,718,975,940,461,590,710,916,634,841,600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. So yea”

I'm going to finish reading this post in a minute, but I stopped real quick to say this: I hope you know what an absolute and kind of epic troll this is for people like me who hit the play button to listen to your posts. 😂😂😂

Tom Flannery's avatar

OH MAN! Does it blow up?

Limited Edition Jonathan's avatar

It just goes on forever 😂😂

Tom Flannery's avatar

I could not love this more....