Schuetzler.net

I've been working on a million different software projects lately, and I've noticed that the less I actually have opinions about something, the easier it is to get AI to do what I "want." But conversely, the more I care what it actually looks like, the harder it is to get AI to align with me.Below are iterations of designs for a kids' savings app where I want to visualize progress toward a goal. Currently the site just shows a number, and I wanted more. First, Claude decided that filling a…

A non-exhaustive list of principles I aim to follow with my use of AI:Don't Slop Grenade. With AI it's trivial to generate multiple (even hundreds) pages of content that support literally any idea. Doing so is roughly the equivalent of a gish gallop, where you give so much (mediocre-to-bad-to-sometimes-okay) content that it's impossible for someone to effectively respond. For most things, shorter is better.Own what you produce and share. Don't make any arguments you don't understand. This is…

The idea that using AI for educational tasks is like taking a forklift to the gym has been around for at least a couple years. AI art has been compared to wanting congratulations for driving a marathon. I think especially in an educational setting it's important for students and faculty to think about what they're getting out of it, what's the purpose, and how to align AI use (or non-use) with those goals. It's also valuable to remember, though, that you're not always at the gym, and sometimes…

A couple weeks ago I listened to the new "Humans" podcast from Hank Green, and a line from that stuck out to me. Wyna Liu, editor of the NYT Connections game, said this:I sort of believe that... the number of hours you spend doing something or thinking about something, ... that no effort's wasted. I like being interested in things, and learning how to make stuff... I think if it's something you really enjoy, it'll come out somewhere, you know?That line resonated with the host (enough that he…

Author: Nikki ErlickRating: 4/5One day, the whole world wakes up to find a box on their doorstep containing a single string that represents their lifespan. The book follows the stories of 8-ish people as they deal with the consequences of these strings.Overall, I liked it a lot, and would recommend it. It's an interesting concept, and the story is well executed. Erlick does a good job exploring the universe of possibilities: would you open the box? How would you handle your life if you got a…

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It…

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.We hold these truths to…

I've been working on a project with a friend involving a 128x64 LED Matrix display (more on that another time), but the display part of it isn't quite ready yet, so I decided to put that display to use for the World cup season.Introducing the World Cup Tracker:Upcoming games displayDuring the game, you get an up-to-date score display and timer.Live score for FRA v SENSince I'm more or less a neutral observer, I made a goal animation that plays for every team that scores (even if I'm cheering…

Boy... I knew AI being sycophantic was a problem, but it hadn't really occurred to me how much of a problem it could be until I read a couple papers I saw recommended on LinkedIn today.This all feeds into what will be discovered only in the long term to be harmful (at the individual level) effects of AI use. I'm concerned about it with education, and now I'm also more concerned about it in interpersonal relationships.Decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependenceCheng, M., Lee, C.,…