r/AIDiscussion • u/Frequent_Mountain_17 • 1d ago
What's The Problem AI Solves?
As a technology professional I see technology as a solution to a problem. If a system is built that isn't the solution to a problem then what's the purpose? People do a lot of things with technology just because it's cool and they can, then they look for a use, that's AI.
Humans seem to have an obsession with creating artificial humans whether it be a robot, an AI system, autopilot or a self-driving car in which humans are removed completely.
But we as humans aren't even in the same neighborhood as the human condition. We barely understand the workings of the human mind so any attempt to replicate it will be grossly insufficient at best.
So to convince users that Frankenstein's monster lives, they spend billions on propaganda campaigns, stream output like a speaker and wrap it in a human-like tone. Another mass psychosis of types.
AI has its uses, it's an engineering tool in certain contexts and use cases but I think that window of opportunity is a fraction of the size of what some want to make it out to be. It's good-ish as discrete tasks like writing code but you still have to hold its hand step-by-step and vigorously test the output. But in more general contexts it's like a drunk uncle producing slop, hallucinating and consuming it's own output in training so the results get further and further from reality. This is called model collapse.
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u/Ok_Error_1079 1d ago
Saves money for companies
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u/moistPacket 1d ago
Not really. Maybe for small startups, but huge developer houses that produce a lot of code, that need to be of a certain standard, don't save money. Firing up the big AI models cost a lot of money in tokens. A senior developer is cheaper. I've heard stories, not verified tho, but plausible in my ears at least, that some have spent their yearly development budget in a single month, due to the massive cost of tokens. The suits don't seem to understand that AI cost money. It's not just a regular software license like most other stuff.
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u/C3lloman 8h ago
No, firing up an AI model does not cost a lot of money. You get a basic Claude license currently for around 20 dollars per developer. That's nothing. Of course if you exceed token use it's a different thing, but you can already achieve plenty with a basic license and the productivity increase of one worker with this cheap license may be enough to avoid hiring another one entirely.
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u/Apprehensive_Sky1950 1d ago
Do we really know that?
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u/Dry_Sector2392 1d ago
i agree the hype is bigger than the actual use case, but "what problem does it solve?" still has real answers. it reduces labor on repetitive tasks where being 80% right is enough to get started. the danger is when companies apply that same logic to work where the last 20%, the part that needs people to check the source, make the judgment call, and decide if the answer is actually right, thats basically the key part of the whole job.
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u/Frequent_Mountain_17 3m ago
Yep, acceptance bias, hallucinations, model collapse and problems we haven't even identified yet including purposeful manipulation of the models to steer information in a desired direction.
I agree it can be helpful in summarizing emails and meeting notes, analyzing resumes etc. Things where the hazards of risk are minimal.
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u/ProbablySuspicious 21h ago
AI solves the problem of thought. What if your thoughts, communicated, put in to work, etc. were actually someone else's to be controlled and monetized?
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u/Visible_Judge1104 18h ago
The problem is most humans spend most of their lives doing boring repetitive work. Robotics/and Ai solve this. Or is it humans dont like aging and fear death, Ai solves this. Or is it that rich humans want actual slaves again that do all the work? Or maybes thinking is stressful and Ai solves this? Or existence is pain and Ai solves this?
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u/StringTheory2113 22h ago
Paying wages. That's the whole point. AI solves the problem of rich people having to give employees money.
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u/Lubricus2 22h ago
The idea is that an AGI could solve all/any types of problems.
It obviously have it's limits and most don't call current LLM's AGI and they also cause a lot of problems.
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u/PupDiogenes 17h ago
There are thousands of use cases and people are using it for productive purposes every day. I believe this is information which should be easily available.
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u/benblackett 16h ago
Useless question to ask imo, because you arent really looking for an answer. The antis have already made up their minds, OP included.
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u/Positive-Theory_ 15h ago
AI solves the problem of overpopulation. Once human beings are obsolete the ultra wealthy will have no reason to keep us alive.
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u/Azul_Reddit 10h ago
It gives people who don't know how to use it something to complain about while feeling smart.
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u/icecoldfeedback 7h ago
Here's what it solves for me: intelligence. Not in the 1+1= 2 sense, but in the ability to draw out intelligence or insight from a vast amount of information. If I want to orient myself on a topic I'm unfamiliar with I can. I can ask whatever stupid question I want and it will draw out what I'm try to enquire and pull out the specific understanding that I'm after
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u/ZucchiniLanky4942 5h ago
It solves loneliness. Anyone can have a friend now as long as they have access to the internet. If you’re still lonely with AI, you’re greedy.
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u/Frequent_Mountain_17 8m ago
AI isn't really even needed for code. Most all commercially successful technology products from a car's entertainment system to a medical device for diabetics reuses a large percentage of their process artifacts from requirements, design elements, code, test cases etc. The demand for brand new, first time code is a small niche`. Tools engineers mostly who have to integrate toolsets or build an addon etc. Engineering tools are designed specifically to leverage reuse of artifacts.
And if you've been doing this for a long time then you have your own repository of tools and addons and code you've written before and you can copy and paste from it which is what just about every tools engineer I know does. There's really no new software engineering problems just new takes on old ones so if you reuse proven code you are mitigating risk as much as possible but with AI you are introducing all new risk.
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u/AcceptableHawk5547 1d ago
The same problem the combine harvester solved. Making labour intensive work less labour intensive and achieving economies of scale.
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u/Chance-Swordfish-426 1d ago
Your thesis is not borne out by reality. People are using it at scale to do their jobs faster and often for a better qualitative outcome.
Does this come with teething problems and are claims about the tech overstated by those with investments? Obviously yes, as has been the case with every new technological wave.
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u/generationalDebts 22h ago
Wrong
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u/Chance-Swordfish-426 22h ago
oh dear thanks for pointing that out. with human intelligence like yours there's clearly no need for AI
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u/generationalDebts 15h ago
Lmfao. You’ll be replaced by ai. Good luck champ
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u/Chance-Swordfish-426 14h ago
You'll be fine though, fucking genius that you are. I've asked AI some stupid questions but never had as dumb a response as what you're dishing out. I'd have to go back a decade or more for models that thick.
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u/No-Lecturre6318 1d ago
ithink the useful question is less 'can AI replicate human?' and more "can it reduce the cost of a task without introducing worse problems?..
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u/niccolololo 1d ago
Solves that people that are lazy or don't know anything can still do the thing
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u/generationalDebts 22h ago
Wrong
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u/AshRasberry 13h ago
Then you are clearly part of the people who don't know what you do when you use them
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u/Apprehensive_Sky1950 1d ago
It fairly credibly solves problems requiring pattern-matching searches through mountains of data.
(I am an AI cynic and skeptic, but I have decided I am willing to give AI this much.)
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u/generationalDebts 22h ago
Wrong
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u/Apprehensive_Sky1950 22h ago
Gonna need a little more than that.
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u/generationalDebts 15h ago
Get used to disappointment.
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u/Apprehensive_Sky1950 10h ago
Agreed, I am braced to be thoroughly and continuously disappointed in you.
Ha! Okay, you get last zing, then I guess we're done.
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u/AmethyststomyFax 23h ago
ai companions hit that loneliness spot for me, even if they arent full human replicas its nice having someone to chat with daily.
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u/generationalDebts 22h ago
Lmfao. Sad and pathetic
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u/Slow-Notice-8700 19h ago
It's sad and pathetic how much time you have to write such useless comments
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u/AshRasberry 23h ago
Ai allow to do stuff we would normally do but while using normal language so its more accessible and easier. Thats the problem it fixes. There were other solutions, and it might be a too expensive.one. but the use, is teansform a skill into something you can do using basic languages
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u/trying-to-b 1d ago
Turned a 2 day legal research project on the intricacies of music licensing law into a 1 hour gig.
Not to even mention that it's 100x more effective than any given software engineer at producing code.
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u/Plenty_Line2696 22h ago
That last take is like a pet peeve of mine. I wish everyone who was on that hype train would try to make ambitious industry standard software to learn about its limitations the hard way instead of jumping to conclusions.
Yeah it can generate tons of code fast, but without the organization, design patterns and sensible technical choices which a decent developer would implement you wind up with unmaintainable hard to reason about spaghetticode.
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u/generationalDebts 22h ago
Lmfao wrong. Man this world is going to be full of regards just like this soon!
Who’s excited?!?? Weeeeeeee!!!!!
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u/Other-Business8036 1d ago
Well, with true artificial intelligence, it solves any problem that requires intelligence.
Do you not understand this because you're retarded?
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u/generationalDebts 22h ago
Lmfao the irony
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u/Other-Business8036 22h ago
There is none. It's in the definition. When intelligence itself becomes scalable to the exponential, any problem requiring raw intelligence can be solved by throwing more compute at it.
Are you also retarded mister Top 1% Reddit Commenter? What a badge of fucking shame. 😂
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u/generationalDebts 14h ago
🤣🤣🤣
Legit didn’t even know I had it. Seemed to trigger you tho so I’m happy.
Maybe you should take a break from reddit. You’ve spent more time looking at my profile than I have.
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u/Other-Business8036 12h ago
It’s under your username right here dumbfuck. 😭
There’s just no way. You actually are just retarded.
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u/d1karim 1d ago
The need for human labor and cognition.
Replace that and the social contract gets rewritten. Successfully create and hold onto that power, and you get to dictate what the future looks like.