I tried using AI. It scared me.
I tried using AI. It scared me. on HackerTube: recommended by 4 Hacker News commenters across 3 separate months, 2023–2025.
Tom Scott describes trying ChatGPT to fix his Gmail labels and being unsettled by how capable it was. He argues that we cannot know where we are on the technology curve, comparing it to Napster.
What HN commenters said
6 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.
chiiOct 2024Recommends
> get an LLM that can write production code reliably it depends on what that user wanted the code to do, and how important it is. For example, an average, non-technical user could use this to generate a script to sort out their email, or a script for automation in MS Office VBA. Just because it's not perfect, doesn't mean it doesn't have a good use, and won't improve. Tom Scott's video[0] makes a very good argument: we don't know where we are on the technology curve. [0]: ▶ this video
in “Headstart accelerates software development by up to 100x with Claude” · View on HN
ortusduxDec 2023Recommends
I enjoyed Tom Scott's YT video monologue about this. To summarize, he postulates that most major innovations follow a sigmoid growth curve, wherein they ramp up, explode, and then level off. The question then becomes, where are we on this curve? He concludes that we will probably only know in hindsight. ▶ this video
in “Ask HN: Why is it taken for granted that LLM models will keep improving?” · View on HN
shagieDec 2023Recommends
I tried using AI. It scared me. - Tom Scott ▶ this video I'm also gonna recommend Accelerando - [link] As an aside, I'd also recommend Glasshouse (also by Charles Stross) as an exploration into the human remnants post singularity (and war)... followed by Implied Spaces by Walter Jon Williams... > “I and my confederates,” Aristide said, “did our best to prevent that degree of autonomy among artificial intelligences. We made the decision to turn away from the Vingean Singularity before most people even knew what it was. But—” He made a gesture with his hands as if dropping a ball. “—I claim no more than the average share of wisdom. We could have made mistakes.” for a singularity averted approach of what could be done. One more I'll toss in, is The Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts which feels like you're missing a lot of the story (but it is because that's one book of a series) and... well... spoilers.
in “The Singularity Is Nigh!” · View on HN
neomFeb 2023Recommends
Tom Scotts video today re where we are on the AI's impact to society curve was interesting : ▶ this video I think he's probably right that we're very early on the adoption curve. (even though I always get downvote and call a dumbass when I mention it here, I still think progress in quantum computing (predictive) and AI go hand in hand towards AGI.)
in “The AI Bubble of 2023” · View on HN
ortusduxMay 2025Cites it
> I think the big question everyone wants to skip right to and past this conversation is, will this continue to be true 2 years from now? I don’t know how to answer that question. I still think about Tom Scott's 'where are we on the AI curve' video from a few years back. ▶ this video
in “Human coders are still better than LLMs” · View on HN
a_wild_dandanFeb 2024Cites it
Tom Scott elaborated on this experience last year.[1] We should form a support group to commiserate. [1] ▶ this video
in “Sora: Creating video from text” · View on HN