I like you idea. Since it only asks questions, such a collaborator chat could be achieved with an algorithm simillar to Phillips ELZA from 1960s. Then you would not need any AI to drive it
133 karma · joined April 27, 2025
I try to teach my students that mathematics is, first and foremost, a very precise language of communication. It’s sometimes amusing to ask those who don’t like math to do without it entirely, just to see how much harder it becomes to describe the things around them.
Second thing I tell them, formulas are the essence of mechanisms in their purest form. And in this form, they’re much easier to grasp and mentally manipulate. It always amused me, after taking a mechanics course, to imagine that for any formula, you could visualize a mechanism or process that implements it.
And third thing, I suppose, the ability to verify one’s own statements as proof. Although, of course, mathematicians would probably tear me apart here for my heresy:sorry, I’m not a mathematician, but an engineer. You can make mistakes by using incorrect assumptions, but at some point, analysis itself will show you that you were mistaken. There’s a wonderful book, How to Prove It by Daniel Velleman, which provides an introduction to proof for the uninitiated like me. I really enjoyed it.
We did so, please do not repeat it at home.
Yeah, life always becomes more enjoyable when someone else did the job for you. Especially enjoyable, when your problems become smb's else problems.
E.g. your mother as a teacher is now solving a quality-control problem : "When i give A mark to this student, do I characterize their actual level or it was ai-generated." If it turns out in the future that this evaluation was wrong, it is a responsibility of a teacher and the reputation of the school that suffers. I talk here as a teacher myself and this "delegatative thinking" is currently at a disasterous scale. Unfortunately, this effect works one-way : if you are a prodigy, only a few people will know your alma mater. People will think about your personal hardwork. In the opposite case, especially if someone suffered because your ai-consulting sessions, people do not tend to blame your work style, they tend to complaint about the institution that quallified your intelligence. And then other people with simillar evaluations start suffering,too
But i would like to share something that keeps me alive: if i see an opportunity to make someone happy, I do that. If i see someone feeling lost, i try to give them a bit of confidence : will everything around break but they can rely at least on me. A human being needs a human being. Although it is hard, i forgive more. There is so much suffering in the world these days, so many people lost their relatives, got injured, lost homes because of wars, that feeling any comfort these days, feeling "happy" just hurts. It just does not feel right.
It is very unfortunate that we start value creativity and imagination only when we lose them. Although a good pill for creativity in my case is ... boredom and routine. I cant stand doing the same thing again and again in the same fashion. Maybe you might give it a try :)
2. Click on your profile icon and select New Chat icon.
3. Formulate a polite prompt in the regard of subscription cancellation.
4. Wait for a reply from Mr. Altman.
Instant fun! Honestly, whatever tech I look for, I use built-in search engine of Hacker News first before googling it.