(TikTok screencap)
Maybe, just maybe, AI should do librarian work? Big virtual library where you can just ask a question and instead of answering it AI just points you to category or proposes some specific books?
this post was submitted on 20 May 2026
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Fuck AI
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A place for all those who loathe AI to discuss things, post articles, and ridicule the AI hype. Proud supporter of working people. And proud booer of SXSW 2024.
AI, in this case, refers to LLMs, GPT technology, and anything listed as "AI" meant to increase market valuations.
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We'd still need librarians to do the work at the physical libraries, and they're always going to be the better people to ask. They're not just people who like books; there is a lot of studying and training to be a librarian - I know 2, and they're both among the smartest people I know, and definitely the most well-read. I'd go to them for a book-related question before I do anything else.
It's not as convenient as just typing something up online, but that's kinda the point. Unchecked pursual of convenience is what got us here - do the tried and true thing that takes a bit more effort, and you'll be surprised at how much better it works than the convenient option.
It's sounds like just a search engine.
LLM is pretty much just a text predictor, predicting next word, next sentence etc in the conversation.
Being a search engine sounds like an upgrade.
In majority of cases LLM is downgrade.
I'm pretty sure it already does that
Looks like a DJ Shadow video clip.
Bro. IDK about other countries, but In India, Library Owners have changed the definition of Libraries. Now it is basically a room with desks and computers where people come to study with their own study material instead of having their own collection of books, study material (neither physical nor digital). It is a nice place to study but it ain't a library, it is just a study room for fuck's sake.
Thats a bit sad.
Where in India? I've never seen this in the South.
Pune, Mumbai, NCR, Jaipur. These are the places where I have searched for a library and found study rooms instead. Normal Libraries still exist but they are not doing well in Tier 1 cities.
I'm half-expecting to see a full-torso apparition in that photo. Maybe some symmetrical book stacking, like the Philadelphia mass turbulence of 1947.
