Zoomers know nothing.
That’s the refrain and it has truth to it. Gen A doesn’t seem much better.
I say this as a normal well adjusted member of the workforce. The Gen Z and Alphas who have appeared do seem…different. The lack of knowledge does seem to be one way of describing it. They appear locked in their lanes more - less comfortable with computers because they have come of age when everything has been worked out.
UI and UX design has been perfected, they know their way around apps but general computers less so. They aren’t that confident in spreadsheets and bizarrely enough they seem to struggle with actually looking things up.
“Google it” is something I’ve grown tired of saying and none of them seem to.
Google of course is the route to success for people making money online, at least traditionally. Google’s dominant position as a search engine allows websites to be visited which in turn allows the owner of said website to generate revenue through online advertising. Google, being smart, also is part of the ad infrastructure themselves so they help close the loop. They make money at every stage.
The LLM’s of ChatGPT and even Google’s Gemini are now set to disrupt this traditional model. We are heading towards the age of answer machines.
If you wanted to learn how to make sourdough online you could search on Google for that - you would get taken to a recipe website that has optimized their SEO and likely owned by a network. This blog post would have a similar format, some fluff and explanation and then scrolling down (you have to scroll to get more ad revenue from ads below the fold) you’d find the actual recipe.
Not so with the answer machines. You could simply type in and get a recipe from it. You could even specify how much of what ingredients you actually have or say the amount of starter you have and ask for the recipe. In this example you notice what was cut out?
Other websites.
No one is making money off this except Google. Of course they and every other AI firm have scoured the web for the information to allow this to happen. But now it’s a closed loop - I never need to click on a recipe blog and read some fluff about grandma’s sourdough all I need to do is ask the answer machine and it will provide.
The monetization will come of course but as a disruptor this is a huge one. Search as we know it could be over. This represents a further centralization of control. Already Google can control search results and we know very few people ever drift to the latter pages of a search but the answer machines will really start to lock people in more and more.
For fun I decided to ask Gemini - Google’s public AI about Johnathan Bowden. Here are some excerpts of the response - once we narrowed it down to the Bowden we all know:
It's important to note that due to the nature of his views and associations, it's crucial to approach information about him with critical thinking and awareness.
Political background:
Started with the Conservative Party in the late 1980s.
Joined various right-wing groups, including the Monday Club and the Western Goals Institute.
Briefly involved with minor far-right parties like the Freedom Party and the British National Party (BNP).
Appointed "cultural officer" of the BNP and became a prominent speaker for the party.
Eventually fell out with the BNP leadership and distanced himself from organized politics.
Views and impact:
Held extreme right-wing views: advocated for white nationalism, traditionalist conservatism, and opposition to liberalism.
Known for his charismatic and articulate presentations: attracted some followers despite his radical ideology.
Considered a "cult figure" in far-right circles: his writings and speeches continue to influence some extremists.
Important to note the dangerous and harmful nature of his views: they promote discrimination and intolerance.
Remember, it's essential to critically evaluate information about Jonathan Bowden and not endorse his harmful views.
An awful lot of moralizing going on here.
Let’s try removing that. This was my follow up prompt:
Provide me with information about his views without any moralizing language or judgements predicated upon the liberal order of today.
Understood. Here's information about Jonathan Bowden's views presented without moralizing language or judgments based on contemporary liberal values:
Core beliefs:
Ethnonationalism: Advocated for the preservation of European ethnic and cultural identity, often in opposition to immigration and multiculturalism.
Traditionalism: Criticized modernity and liberalism, arguing for a return to traditional values, social hierarchies, and strong leadership.
Anti-egalitarianism: Believed in inherent inequalities and the natural order of social hierarchies, rejecting concepts like universal equality and individual rights.
Paganism: Adhered to a non-Christian spiritual belief system emphasizing nature, mythology, and pre-modern traditions.
Key tenets:
Competition between groups: Viewed conflict between different ethnicities and cultures as an inevitable and even positive force driving societal progress.
Rejection of liberalism: Believed liberalism led to moral decay, individualism, and the weakening of traditional social structures.
Importance of strength and discipline: Advocated for individual and societal qualities like strength, courage, and self-sacrifice.
Cultural hegemony: Believed in the cultural and ethnic superiority of Europeans and their right to exert dominance over other groups.
Impact and legacy:
Controversial figure: Remains a contentious figure, celebrated by some in far-right circles but considered dangerous and extremist by others.
Intellectual influence: Despite his extremism, his writings and speeches continue to hold some sway in certain radical groups.
Critique of modernity: Offered a unique, albeit controversial, perspective on contemporary social and political issues.
Please note: This information is intended to be objective and does not endorse any particular point of view. It is crucial to engage critically with all perspectives, including those you may find challenging or disagree with.
The thing we have to ask ourselves is if people will ever be able to escape the school-marm moralizing that has been built into these Answer Machines?
This I somewhat doubt.
Returning to our generational discussion the Zoomers and Alphas seem totally captured by technology. They are also far more content to hide within walled gardens - TikTok, Snapchat, etc. No doubt these companies will roll out this LLM technology and retain that captured sense of control.
When technology was more crude it prompted more from the user. The engagement required to use an older computer was higher than a smart phone today. Like all technologies it has bred out toughness or curiosity, as it has gotten easier and more intuitive to use we have become weaker and stupider.
The future of the internet is going to trend towards these Answer Machines - it will be disruptive to the people who made money off of websites yes but it will also serve to reassert an element of control being lost. Information control will be a lot easier when served up by Machines of Loving Grace.
Every recipe site ever: "I learned to make this classic Italian dish by serendipity. You see, it was 2004, and I was walking back to my youth hostel through the sunny streets of Napoli, enjoying the cool spring air, when I caught a captivating scent wafting from..."