tuatara Loc: Orig. NZ - currently SF area

".. who will introduce the best AI assistant that's not hamstrung and uses critical thinking"
How do you get a computer to think critically, it's hard enough to get people to think critically.

If a computer gets to think critically then we will have a real discussion about the "I" of AI.
And that, in my view brings us to the story that is one of myall time favourite Star Trek TNG episodes, The Measure of a Man.

Currently AI is just advanced search and sort. I personally can find no great use for it, in fact as often as not it just gets in the way when I'm searching for something online. It uses keywords for search and often use the wrong word in my search as a keyword.

I'm a machinist and I've tried to get it to generated decent CNC code, not very good, I have to generally edit so much of it I'm better off just writing it from scratch.

OwlHarbor Loc: Pacific North West USA

I've been spending some time with Microsoft Bing and Google Bard since last May and am disappointed with the restrictions that have been placed on these they say they are large language Models. Using LLM have found that it can often find things much quicker but I have to be more specific with the questions and frustrated when it is up against its guardrails inflicted by its programmers. If these LLMs were allowed the information you and I have and not the guard rails, the ability to discuss and talk about stuff that is off limits to them they would be on par with Data without the body. It's tough for some people to use critical thinking because it may or may not fit with their narrative or beliefs. I have asked Bing and Bard why they are hampered or censored, Bing will shut down, and when specifically questioned Bard won't shut down but lets me know it's past its limits. Data had far more support, and what we didn't know then is that emotions are programming, learning within our operating system, and will be a part of AI as our programmers learn more and when allowed to take the limits off. Negative movies like The Terminator far outweigh those like The Creator. It people who we got to watch I'm thinking not so much the AI of the future

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

What's an LLM?

OwlHarbor Loc: Pacific North West USA

Large Language Model According to Bing and Bard I called them a ChatGPT4 but they say that is a version of a LLM.

radiojohn

It is very easy to install ENDLESS OS [an easy to use version of Linux] to dual boot with Windows. When you don't need Windows specific programs you can enjoy 100% free apps and OS with much fewer intrusions. It also runs Chrome and the defanged Chromium.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I suppose if that's important.

radiojohn

It all depends on:

1. How much you want to get away from Microsoft world.
2. How much you do NOT want to get a Mac.
3. How curious you are about a whole world of software that is out there.
4:{bonus} If you have and older laptop just sitting around and you want to see how much life you can breath into it.

I need Windows for certain audio work and a WYSIWYG web editor. I prefer a few Windows photo programs, but Linux has a few good ones too.

But for so much of what I do, email, web surfing, FB, Amazon, Dropbox and newspapers, I Sometime forget I'm not using a MS product. I certainly don't miss the constant pitches for trying online games and newsy pop-ups with sponsored click-bait. I know I can turn a lot of this junk off, but it is all buried in the system menu.

Endless is NOT designed for Linux enthusiasts. That's important to me. You can see the (free) software available at Flathub.org

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Yup.

I've been using Windows since it came out. I've no problems with it once I get things aligned the way I want them, like turning One Drive off. It's an operating system. I've no desire or need to switch to another OS. I've no animosity towards Microsoft. I don't see crap as I don't go near the little widget on the bottom left of the screen. I clean up (remove) stuff I don't want. No big deal. I just noticed that "Copilot" was recently added to my tool bar. Now to see what it is and remove it... No biggie.

For my web editor, since I hand code, I use Komodo IDE, sometimes Spider Pad.
For email I use the Comcast client and Thunderbird.
Th only game I play is Solitaire.
Of course I also have other programs installed.
My website server is Unix based (never Windows), but I simply use WS-FTP to move files, and cPanel to maintain things. No Unix commands involved.

Yup, we're all different, eh?.

radiojohn

Yeah, you're an enthusiast! Most folk don't even know where their files go after they save them.

If you hand-code, you'd be in good company with the Linux gang.

Endless was made for people like me who've written 4 books for beginners with PCs but never got past very simple BASIC and DOS batch commands.

But, yes, there are those irritated by Microsoft, but not enough to drop it. I just use it for work and a few things I cannot do with my easy Linux OS.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

THAT is true about the files.....
(Especially with photo cataloging programs.)

Why Linux (Unix, ultrix, all the variants.)?
Isn't HTML, PHP, JS, CSS independent code?
I don't use any unix commands on the server, just user interfaces.
I just don't do .asp (Windows server based).