On seeing tools for thought through a historical and anthropological lens
There is a lot of upside in designing good interfaces for ideas, and I think this is particularly important if your work involves producing new knowledge or tools. A well designed interface reduces the barrier to interacting with ideas.
This is a work in progress. Meaning, I haven't entirely made up my mind about the topic written about below. It is subject to change at any time, up to and including being deleted entirely. While the moral, legal, environmental, and ethical questions of generative AI continue to swirl and likely will for some time, I think we’re at a point where the tool’s utility is becoming clearer. I remain deeply skeptical—perhaps even a curmudgeon—about some of big tech’s promises (it’s already proven itself incorrect to the point of being deadly), but I’m still trying to understand the issue to hold a well-informed opinion. This is an attempt to consider its application beyond what Big Tech marketers have attempted to convince us.
Recommended reading about tools-for-thought