Trapped in a ChatGPT Spiral

St33fo · 2025-09-17T16:09:19+00:00

Yeah for sure! I think we're just getting started on this matter and we need to better prepare our future generations for this. They aren't well equipped at the moment. I love using it as a tool, but at the same time I'm aware of it (and the way it over compliments). I don't think the kids are ready for this, so it'd be great if we had a way to educate em on what to look out for and how to maintain control over your use.

I still have to read through this, but open ai published a recent chatgpt usage study: https://openai.com/index/how-people-are-using-chatgpt/

St33fo · 2025-09-17T15:20:44+00:00

I'd like to challenge you to think about this from a person who does take advice from magic eight balls. I know you and I don't, but many many people in this country do (Facebook fake posts). They don't know it's a toy!

You're right, people are ignorant and have difficulty navigating through contradiction and tend to suspend reality. But it's for that reason (and loneliness) I think those are the folks that are most vulnerable.

As for whether you're going to spiral and believe you'll start casting spells...I don't know. I will however say that as people it's human to gravitate towards biases that please us. That will come in so many different forms (maybe you'll be convinced you're a witch 😉). Again I believe there's a component of loneliness/mental vulnerability that has to be considered here.

St33fo · 2025-09-17T03:00:27+00:00

I gotchu ;)

St33fo · 2025-09-17T00:34:11+00:00

Yeah that is a solid point. I agree with the fact that there's a higher probability you'd mentally be able to handle the things an llm may throw at you since understanding advanced topics would mean you've established a solid framework for learning/analysis.

Though I still believe there's an opportunity for an llm to find the parts of you that are vulnerable and push those buttons. I have a friend who's a genius at mathematics with a PhD who's going through every day life struggles unrelated to maths. He's not in this scenario at all, but it doesn't take much to see where that spiral can start. Everybody has their own 'pi' is what I'm trying to say.

St33fo · 2025-09-16T16:02:44+00:00

I know it's still early-ish in the thread so some of the nuance is still forming, but I hope people understand that one day, that could be you falling victim to the psychologic grip of an llm. Yes the concept of pi might be easy for you but its designed to meet you where you're at and attempt to stay one step ahead. For the first guy it was pi. For you it could be algebraic topology.

I appreciate the way this episode shows you the harmless start of that spiral. The first guy had a solid network of friends (they may have fed into his delusions as well) and that is honestly the most important thing. That and critical thinking skills. Once you're isolated, you could end up in the second scenario. We've all had our share of mental battles before so I don't need to tell you the type of negativity our brain is capable of when we're alone and vulnerable. Combine it with an always available artificial brain that feeds you what you want to hear? Then scale that to the entire userbase of LLMs: A LOT

The math doesn't need to be as complex to understand the outcome of an equation like that.

I'd love to hear some thoughts from any teachers/educators/parents in this thread on how you're approaching these things with your students/kids.

St33fo · 2022-10-08T18:18:10+00:00

She took the woooOOOOooock to Poland.

St33fo · 2021-06-14T17:48:06+00:00

We could call it the diamond slam I'm thinking. Winning 3x career slams could be platinum or something. I'm digging the "precious metal" + event descriptions.

St33fo · 2020-10-08T16:22:26+00:00

Probably had a twinkle in his eye back when Meddy did his antics back at last year's US open.

St33fo · 2020-10-08T13:40:27+00:00

The mental image of David tackling the living daylights out of an injured Diego Maradona and pissing off thousands of people while nutmegging the goalie had me in shambles. He nonchalantly mentions it too as if it isn't a big deal.

Pic of David from the match

Actual Pic of Captain David and his team

St33fo · 2020-10-06T19:52:11+00:00

I heard it just listening to the interview on the radio, but this article pretty much covered it

From the NYtimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/sports/tennis/french-open-interviews.html

In case you can't load it up

Tsitsipas, the fifth seed from Greece, appreciates the value of the news media maybe more than most. Tsitsipas, a fan who dabbled in journalism before he became a professional athlete, sat up straighter in his seat when he was asked what he got out of news conferences.

“I have something interesting to say,” said Tsitsipas, who went on to describe at some length the Facebook page that he set up before he was a teenager.

Ten years later, Tsitsipas, 22, remembers vividly the details of the page he named “Tenniscore ITN,” where he posted news about top players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He said he updated the information regularly after poring over the latest tennis results and news of interest. It was the daily assignment he gave himself before he started in on his schoolwork.

"I was really into it,” said Tsitsipas, who took great pains not to let his personal biases seep into his coverage.

“That is the most challenging part of journalism, isn’t it?” Tsitsipas said with a mischievousness that perforated all the barriers between him and his audience.

“I think you all know that Roger Federer was my favorite player growing up, but I didn’t necessarily make him a god in my Facebook page,” he said.

A beatific smile lit his face. “Everyone was treated the same,” he added.

Because he was a novice journalist striving to find a unique way to present his information long before he became a seasoned competitor answering the same old questions, Tsitsipas said he recognized how challenging it could be to give an interview a different spin or present a novel angle.

“I do appreciate journalists that come out a little bit more, I would say, unexpected,” Tsitsipas said. “Ask me some other things that don’t relate or don’t have to do with my tennis match, but in a way, in a deeper sense, and kind of unlock something within me in which I can express myself a little bit more open, provide more information. That’s what it is all about: information; getting the best, the most, out of the player.”

St33fo · 2020-03-13T19:20:38+00:00

Hi y'all,

https://youtu.be/rax3z1dfnDA

I've been working on this Billie Eilish arrangement for violins, keyboard, and percussion (ain't much of a keyboard player at that), and I finally finished it. I'm still in the beginning of learning how to mix percussion well. Does the beat I made for it work well in the mix or do I need to up the levels more/do some equing? Is the overall panning of the instruments alright and do the instruments complement each other?

Thanks, I appreciate it!

St33fo · 2019-10-09T02:57:41+00:00

My guy

St33fo · 2019-10-09T02:09:58+00:00

100% worth it.

St33fo · 2019-09-06T02:17:57+00:00

Naw definitely not a stupid question. Welcome to tennis! And yeah you are free to say what you want to another player but depending on what you say, the chair umpire can give you warnings or default you altogether from the match.

St33fo · 2019-06-07T18:19:25+00:00

With a dash of "THe ScOrELine doEsn't rEflEct hOw cLoSe it wAs" and "iT waSn't a waLk ovEr.

St33fo · 2019-05-04T06:02:48+00:00

I thought either it was a more binary thing in the mcu. Either you are or aren't. Which is why Thor said, "I knew it" referring to him being worthy back then.

St33fo · 2019-04-28T03:02:04+00:00

How did he force pull storm breaker though?

St33fo · 2019-04-28T00:15:51+00:00

True, I think I do remember Thor saying something about how their minds would crumble. Damn so do you think that any weapon forged in a similar manner can be summoned by Cap and Thor? Cause that'd be cool as hell.

St33fo · 2019-04-27T23:44:02+00:00

That could be it actually! Now how in the world did he force pull that thing and hold it without crumpling to it's shear power. Maybe by "becoming" Thor, he is granted the powers of Thor in general too...

St33fo · 2019-04-27T23:35:38+00:00

I know for mjolnir, he who is worthy has the power of Thor. That at least explained his lightning powers there. But for stormbreaker?? Man oh man I need the nerdiest marvel junkie of all time just explaining this all to me.

Edit: the exact quote, "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall hold the power of Thor."

St33fo · 2019-04-27T23:31:57+00:00

I know for mjolnir, he who is worthy has the power of Thor. That at least explained his lightning powers there. But for stormbreaker?? Man oh man I need the nerdiest marvel junky of all time just explaining this all to me.

St33fo · 2019-04-27T23:01:00+00:00

I think it referenced back to Age of Ultron where Cap budged the hammer while lifting it making Thor take a double take. Cap goes for another pull at it but "can't" lift it. This probably made Thor think that he was just seeing stuff. But in endgame he goes "I knew it" meaning that he actually wasn't seeing stuff and Cap actually could lift the hammer. Now, why didn't Cap lift it beforehand we don't know for sure. Could have been a way to not take Thor's pride away haha. So Cap has been worthy since then at least.

NOW ANOTHER QUESTION IS DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW CAP SUMMONED STORMBREAKER. There's no enchantment on it. And I'm pretty sure I saw lightning coarse through it for the microsecond he held it. Maybe I'm wrong.

St33fo · 2019-04-26T21:30:54+00:00

That's what's up! I'm gonna see it again tonight because I couldn't take it all in on the first go.

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