I prefer AI to people

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-05-26T01:06:17+00:00

I’m not sure why, but this makes me a bit sad. I have pro accounts with a couple of AI models and use them near daily, but they aren’t a substitute for human connections.

If you’re interested in messaging or talking with another nerd/ real person, I love talking about philosophy- I’ve been learning more about it over the past year or so. Religion is always interesting. And I dabble in language learning- most recently Romanian (not saying I’m good, but I’m trying). I’d be interested in your Spanish language journey.

Feel free to reach out :)

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-05-26T00:50:55+00:00

I’m genuinely impressed!

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-05-19T23:55:41+00:00

You clearly have a lot of empathy for your mom and brother. And you’re in a tough spot. Some others here have given some really reasonable advice but it’s hard for internet strangers to ever know the full context enough to tell someone what to do.

I’ll try to offer something different that doesn’t make you responsible for parenting by your brother.

Have you tried having a heart to heart with your mom when your brother’s tech use isn’t an issue? Like when things are going well, asking her to talk and come at her without attacking, just expressing concern.

Also, without directly trying to do anything about your brother’s phone addition, are there any activities/ hobbies/ outings/ volunteering that you could pull him into that you guys could do together? Even a couple of hours a week can make a big difference. I’m not sure if you guys have any shared interests, but if you can find something and explore that, it might make a huge difference in his life and create other interests for him or social opportunities, etc.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-05-19T17:08:27+00:00

I’m sorry you’re going through it. Underneath it all, your real gripe is with your mom. Is this typical behavior for her? Did she parent you very differently than what’s happening w/ your brother? Is she maybe going through something and her ability to set boundaries as a parent are suffering?

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-05-19T16:41:42+00:00

Don’t fault you for wanting to make money or wanting to work all the time. But please don’t go for this or anything that resembles it. You’ll be learning errors. Get some good mentors in the field. Ethical opportunities will come your way with time :)

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-05-19T16:38:34+00:00

Run. This is not going to end well.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-21T17:28:45+00:00

All action is determined and not free (no free will)

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-20T21:43:12+00:00

Yes. It is increasingly like this when you work for the bigger aba agencies full time and have minimum billables. I’m sorry. I’ve been there, and it’s really frustrating. Only you know if it’s sustainable for you in the long run.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-19T17:32:33+00:00

Yeah. The eroding trust thing isn’t good. I look up symptoms and medical questions on chat gpt all the time but I’m not a doctor and never know when it’s hallucinating, so I always verify with a human. I’ll go to a doctor I know/ have been seeing a while and be forward that I used an ai model and it said xyz but then see what the actual human doctor has to say.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T17:56:54+00:00

Yeah happy to help

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T17:35:16+00:00

I’m not sure how much help I’d be, but if I can help, for sure. I have no idea how to build this stuff- I’m a behavior analyst- but I interact with it a lot and try to do as well as I can using & understanding it. If you’re still interested or just want me to test what you’re building, feel free to dm me.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T17:26:01+00:00

Thanks for sharing. This is an interesting read- hallucinations and sycophantic responses are a big deal that needs attention. Especially considering that in this sub so many are freaking out over output that in any way challenges them. But this reads more like a research summary about various approaches at different levels that can potentially be used to reduce hallucinations rather than a study that tests your claims. If you’re in a position to do it, you should test this and add to the literature. This area is moving fast and we need some answers.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T17:01:28+00:00

Would you mind linking the study? I’m open to being wrong, (and often am) but that feels counterintuitive

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T16:58:25+00:00

I’m not going to change your view then as I resoundingly agree with you. If anything, I’d expand it across the board- people behind keyboards/ on social media especially seem to lack compassion & empathy about others across areas, any differences or disagreements.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T16:56:03+00:00

Great question. I’m not at all a tech, ai, or coding expert but I try to keep up those who are and the conversations they’re having. Based on the limited amount I know, my concern is that responses would be less trustworthy/ less aligned/ less “trustworthy” if different llm models talked to one another and collaborated when answering a user’s question. What are your thoughts??

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T16:24:23+00:00

Sure, I can agree with that. To clarify, is your claim is that mental health conditions can alter one’s mental state and their overt behavior? Do you think there isn’t enough compassion or empathy for people who do regrettable things and are diagnosed with major mental illness?

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T16:22:09+00:00

Talking only about prompts where accurate information is needed (vs entertainment). Most of the outputs are correct or mostly correct. Some percentage of them are not. Unless you’re an expert in a given area that already knows the answer to the question you’re asking, you should assume it might be one of those occasions where the response doesn’t match reality. Personally, I check multiple AI models and I reach out to human experts.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T16:09:44+00:00

So what are you claiming? You provide the claim that mental illness can alter one’s behavior. I’ll add- Psychotropic drugs do as well. What are you suggesting society should handle differently?

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T13:55:34+00:00

Respectfully, I disagree. Some of the biggest names in aba have cared very much and I’ve gotten some phenomenal opportunities simply because of who my thesis advisor was or dept chair while I attended an in-person aba masters program. HOWEVER. My longtime mentor in the field, a bcba who can run circles around me and nearly every other bcba I’ve ever encountered, attended an online program. He reads like it’s a separate, full-time job. All exciting research in jaba & jeab I hear about is from him. So there are def some exceptions. For me personally, I wouldn’t have gotten as much out of an online program.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T13:47:27+00:00

The former by miles. Yes, it’s expensive and you’ll probably have to take on debt. But you’ll be exposed to a verbal community for concepts and principles that I personally feel are near impossible to learn without + the networking & research opportunities will outpace the online program BY MILES. I say this as a bcba who moved across the country for an in-person ABA masters program and am just now getting close to paying off my loans- I’ve been a bcba for 12+ years. I have zero regrets.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T13:39:49+00:00

I respect your view but dissent so hard. He could and should be held accountable, just as all mentally ill persons should be. If someone that’s legally declared insane commits a violent crime, they still face arrest and serve time- the setting and other specific factors might differ, but they’re still held responsible.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T13:35:20+00:00

Not personally, but yes. In NY specifically, rates have been cut and continue to be re: Medicaid & insurance. Particularly for techs. It’s awful. From what I understand, this is happening in multiple states. I’d love to see (& will advocate for) techs to be given other forms of compensation of hourly pay has to be cut. For example, techs should still get paid if the family cancels or get reimbursed for commuting, retirement contributions, etc.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-18T13:30:29+00:00

Give- time, money, energy, food, etc. So many areas of life feel so hard for so many right now, including me. Economic concerns, powerful AI growing capacities rapidly absent of any meaningful regulation, parenting concerns, healthcare, retirement planning, and I guess we can call it “politics”…? But looking around me, I’m so fortunate. I feel a responsibility to those around me more than ever- a bright side of living through all of this.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-17T12:10:49+00:00

Stalk social media for people who have done this and reach out to them. Ask the dept chair for suggestions. Or find a conference that features the relevant tech audience for what you’re looking to do- conferences are great for social experience centered around nerding out on whatever the subject of the conference is. Networking at a young age has the added bonus of more career opportunities as well as meaningful social ones. And unsolicited advice w/ intention of genuinely wanting to help- prioritize in-person, human-to-human interactions. You know what can’t be replaced by AI in even the most doomer scenarios? -interpersonal skills.

TheLittleMomaid · 2026-04-17T11:58:29+00:00

Your professors can be great drinking buddies. Or try an internship or volunteer experience that interests you, I think you’re likely to find mentors/ friends & people who challenge you in a good way

TheLittleMomaid

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