Notable Reads
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Epistemic Learned Helplessness
“You could be convinced of anything, and you don’t have the time to spend verifying every argument, hence the optimal strategy for you is to take ideas less seriously and wait from large consensus to form before adopting a position.” While I do think this is largely correct, I still believe in the art of picking where to delve deep and try to verify something from first principles because that is what usually opens new doors for discovery and novelty. The other risky thing about it is that large consensus could be simply false. -
On DeepSeek and Export Controls
Dario Amodei argues that export controls serve a vital purpose: keeping democratic nations at the forefront of AI development. The article contends that DeepSeek-V3 is a predictable step in LLM advancements—though what stands out is that such “predictable innovation” is now emerging from China rather than from western labs. Furthermore, the idea that “this would’ve happened with or without DeepSeek” is akin to arguing that technological progress would remain unchanged even if we randomly eliminated an occasional innovator (reality is that we wouldn’t know). -
Water
Ben Hunt argues that just as fish don’t notice the water they swim in, we often fail to recognize how financial incentives shape every aspect of modern life. The most striking insight from the piece is how financialization doesn’t just mean profit-seeking but rather the restructuring of everything—from companies to government policies—around maximizing financial value rather than intrinsic or social value. The article is a sharp reminder to look beyond surface-level incentives and understand the deeper, systemic shifts at play. -
In Defense of “I’m Sorry You Feel That Way”
This piece challenges the common perception that the expression “I’m sorry you feel that way” is a dismissive, robotic response. Instead, Codex argues that it can come from a place of genuine empathy—acknowledging someone’s emotions even when you fundamentally disagree with their position.