What does a realistic pro-AI take look like?
One thing that has irritated me for years is the claim AI will change everything — it's just an article of faith, and I'm not inclined toward religion. Here is a rational argument about how AI will change programming, and it also level-sets by saying what that means: 'If you're making requests on a ChatGPT page and then pasting the resulting (broken) code into your editor, you're not doing what the AI boosters are doing.' We all deserve better arguments for AI actually being useful, like the one Thomas Ptacek makes here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hypebeast
9 minutes ago
- Hypebeast
Capcom's New ‘Pragmata' Trailer Showcases Unique Dual-Character Gameplay
Summary Capcomhas officially unveiled a new trailer forPragmataduringPlayStation'sState of Play, offering a fresh look at the long-awaited sci-fi action-adventure game. Originally announced in2020, the game has faced multiple delays, but the latest trailer confirms its 2026 release window. Set in a futuristic lunar research station,Pragmatafollows spacefarer Hugh and android Diana, who must navigate a hostile AI-controlled environment to return to Earth. The trailer showcases stunning visuals, blending haunting lunar landscapes with dynamic action sequences, reinforcing the game's mysterious and immersive atmosphere. One of the standout features revealed in the trailer isPragmata's distinctive dual-character gameplay. Players control both Hugh and Diana simultaneously, with Hugh often carrying Diana through much of the action. Each character possesses unique abilities, requiring players to strategically switch between them to overcome obstacles. The game introduces a novel hacking-based combat system, allowing Diana to manipulate enemy systems and disrupt their functions. Concurrently, Hugh engages in direct combat and leverages his skills for environmental navigation, creating a synergistic gameplay loop that emphasizes both action and strategic planning. The trailer teases tense encounters with rogue machines, emphasizing the blend of action and strategy inPragmata's gameplay. The cinematic sequences suggest a story-driven experience, where players will uncover the secrets of the lunar station and its enigmatic AI overlord. With its striking visuals, innovative mechanics and compelling premise,Pragmatais shaping up to be a standout sci-fi adventure when it launches in 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Business Insider
9 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Google's AI CEO explains why he's not interested in taking LSD in his quest to understand 'the nature of reality'
Demis Hassabis prefers gaming over acid trips. The Google DeepMind CEO said he's never taken LSD and doesn't want to. In a recent interview with Wired's Steven Levy, the AI boss was asked about his pursuit of understanding the "nature of reality," as his X bio states. More specifically, Hassabis was asked if acid had ever helped him get a glimpse of the nature of reality. The short answer is no. "I didn't do it like that," Hassabis said. "I just did it through my gaming and reading a hell of a lot when I was a kid, both science fiction and science." Hassabis set out as a child to understand the universe better, and the quest is ongoing. He's hoping AI and, eventually, artificial general intelligence will help reach his goal. While some tech leaders have talked about using psychedelics, Hassabis said he's "too worried about the effects on the brain." "I've sort of finely tuned my mind to work in this way," he said. "I need it for where I'm going." Google DeepMind is the research lab behind the company's AI projects, including chatbot Gemini. Hassabis is leading Google's charge toward the AI race's holy grail — AGI. Google DeepMind didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Over the years, Silicon Valley has embraced the use of psychedelics, such as microdosing to improve productivity or going on ayahuasca retreats. Some investors have banked on their popularity, backing psychedelic startups that are seeking to turn the drugs into medical treatments or expand the industry in other ways. However, that's not a green light to take acid or magic mushrooms on the clock. In 2021, CEO Justin Zhu, cofounder and CEO of a startup called Iterable, said he was fired for microdosing LSD before a meeting. He hoped it would improve his focus, he said. Some of Hassabis's tech peers have been open about using LSD as established bosses or as college students. Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, for example, took acid for the first time as a teenager, according to his memoir, " Source Code: My Beginnings." For Gates, dropping acid was exhilarating at first and a "cosmic" experience when he did it again. However, he ended up thinking his brain could delete his memories like a computer. "That would be one of the last times I would do LSD," Gates said. It didn't have that effect on Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, who told his biographer, Walter Isaacson, that it was "a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life." OpenAI's Sam Altman has also spoken positively about his experience with psychedelics. Although he didn't specify exactly what drug he took, he said it changed him from a "very anxious, unhappy person" to "calm." "If you had told me that, like, one weekend-long retreat in Mexico was going to significantly change that, I would have said absolutely not," Altman said. "And it really did." For Hassabis, he's seeking other ways to find answers to life's deepest questions. "We don't know what the nature of time is, or consciousness and reality," he told Wired. "I don't understand why people don't think about them more. I mean, this is staring us in the face."
Medscape
13 minutes ago
- Medscape
GLP-1 Users Should Fast 24 Hours Before Anesthesia
Patients taking the new class of weight-loss drugs do not need to stop these medications prior to procedures requiring anesthesia, but they should adhere to longer preoperative fasting times, according to a new multidisciplinary consensus statement. The statement, led by the Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement, recommends patients without significant gastrointestinal symptoms associated with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) should fast from solid foods for 24 hours and stick to clear liquids prior to a procedure requiring anesthesia. This extended fasting time can help mitigate aspiration risk in these patients with delayed gastric emptying while retaining the benefits of continuing GLP-1 RAs, such as improved glycemic control. The statement is 'the first to provide recommendations for perioperative management of patients taking GLP-1 RAs based on an in-depth systematic literature review of both clinical perioperative studies and gastric emptying data,' Adriana Oprea, MD, the first author of the document, and her colleagues wrote. Changing Guidance In June 2023, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) released the first guidance statement regarding preoperative management of patients on GLP-1 RAs, after some case reports documented aspiration events in these patients. While the number of these events is generally low and rates of aspiration appear to be similar between patients on GLP-1 RAs and the general population, 'people got really worried with these drugs because of [the] delayed gastric emptying,' Oprea, an associate professor of anesthesiology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, told Medscape Medical News . The 2023 ASA guidance recommended holding GLP-1 RAs for one half-life — a week for patients on long-acting medication and a day for short-acting GLP-1s. Due to a lack of adequate evidence at the time, the document suggested these patients should follow the standard ASA fasting guidelines of 8 hours after a full meal. However, evidence suggests stopping GLP-1s for one half-life is not enough for the effects on gastric emptying to subside, according to the new statement. For longer-acting drugs like dulaglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, patients would need to discontinue these medications for several weeks to restore normal gastrointestinal motility. For patients with type 2 diabetes, discontinuation of these medications over this period could lead to poor glycemic control, which is linked to worse postoperative outcomes. For patients taking GLP-1 RAs for weight loss, restarting these medications can result in increased gastrointestinal symptoms, Oprea said, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. 'Because adverse effects are more prevalent at higher GLP-1 RA doses, discontinuation of these medications might lead to a high likelihood of side effects upon medication reinitiation or require reinitiation of therapy at lower doses followed by dose reescalation,' Oprea's group wrote. 'This is logistically difficult for both patients and treating clinicians.' In October 2024, the ASA, along with other professional societies, published updated practice guidance stating GLP-1 RAs may be continued preoperatively in patients without an elevated risk for delayed gastric emptying and aspiration. Those defined as 'higher risk' included patients in the escalation phase, on weekly dosing, on higher doses, and with gastrointestinal symptoms. The guidance advised these patients at higher risk for delayed stomach emptying can help mitigate aspiration risk by following a 24-hour liquid diet. This updated guidance also received some criticism. 'As of yet, no studies have reported a difference in the incidence of increased residual gastric content that would justify treating patients differently on the basis of dose regimen and/or treatment phase,' wrote Glenio B. Mizubuti, MD, PhD, of the Kingston General Hospital, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and his colleagues in a letter to Anesthesiology . 'Similarly, the absence of ongoing digestive symptoms, while somewhat reassuring, should not be taken as a definitive sign of an empty stomach in GLP-1 RA users,' they wrote. Continue Meds, Extend Fasting Times This new consensus statement, published last month in the British Journal of Anaesthesia , recommends patients doing well on GLP-1 RAs should continue these medications preoperatively and follow a clear liquid diet for 24 hours before procedures requiring anesthesia. The recommendations were based on a systematic review of 112 studies and a modified Delphi process and were co-sponsored and endorsed by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. 'From our review of the literature, we feel that the fasting times are the most important factor that could decrease the risk of having residual gastric content in the stomach in a patient on GLP-1 RAs when they're scheduled to have a procedure that requires anesthesia,' Oprea said. The consensus also recommends patients on GLP-1s fast from high-carbohydrate-content clear liquids (containing 10% or more glucose) for 8 hours before and stop drinking any liquids four hours before these procedures. Inpatient and outpatients can restart GLP-1 RAs when they resume their original diets. Patients with significant gastrointestinal symptoms including severe nausea, vomiting, and inability to tolerate oral intake should postpone elective procedures that require anesthesia and refer to their prescribing physician for diet and medication modifications to manage symptoms, the authors advised. 'Our recommendation for a clear liquid diet for 24 hours preprocedurally might appear overly restrictive. However, evidence points to the safety of this approach in patients on GLP-1 RAs,' they wrote.
