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Google is winning on every AI front

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993 points vinhnx | 4 comments | 12 Apr 25 03:58 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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gcanyon ◴[12 Apr 25 12:35 UTC] No.43663844[source]▶
Several people have suggested that LLMs might end up ad-supported. I'll point out that "ad supported" might be incredibly subtle/insidious when applied to LLMs:

An LLM-based "adsense" could:

   1. Maintain a list of sponsors looking to buy ads
   2. Maintain a profile of users/ad targets 
   3. Monitor all inputs/outputs
   4. Insert "recommendations" (ads) smoothly/imperceptibly in the course of normal conversation
No one would ever need to/be able to know if the output:

"In order to increase hip flexibility, you might consider taking up yoga."

Was generated because it might lead to the question:

"What kind of yoga equipment could I use for that?"

Which could then lead to the output:

"You might want to get a yoga mat and foam blocks. I can describe some of the best moves for hips, or make some recommendations for foam blocks you need to do those moves?"

The above is ham-handed compared to what an LLM could do.

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1. sva_ ◴[12 Apr 25 22:18 UTC] No.43668350[source]▶
Would be illegal in Germany ('Schleichwerbung') and perhaps the EU?

I think it is actually covered in EU AI act article 5 (a):

> [...] an AI system that deploys subliminal techniques beyond a person’s consciousness or purposefully manipulative or deceptive techniques, with the objective, or the effect of materially distorting the behaviour of a person or a group of persons by appreciably impairing their ability to make an informed decision, thereby causing them to take a decision that they would not have otherwise taken [...]

It is very broad but I'm pretty sure it would be used against such marketing strategies.

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2. whiplash451 ◴[12 Apr 25 22:27 UTC] No.43668398[source]▶
The trick is in the « materially ».

The inability to demonstrate incrementality in advertising is going to come in very handy to dodge this rule.

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3. sva_ ◴[12 Apr 25 22:32 UTC] No.43668430[source]▶
Hmm yeah I guess I wasn't completely aware of that term and its implications. That seems like a pretty weird qualifier for such a law. Now it kind of makes it sound like the law wants to prevent people using AI in a way that makes your grandma transfer her life savings to them.

Clearly, most LLMs would work in small increments with compounding effects.

4. Vilian ◴[13 Apr 25 02:25 UTC] No.43669549[source]▶
The broad is proposital to be effective law