Ask HN: How will HN transition to allowing AI writing when society accepts it?
1•amichail•1h ago
In the near future, using AI to write will be just as acceptable as using glasses to read.
How will HN make the transition when this happens?
Comments
gnabgib•58m ago
Strange assumption. Why would it want to?
HN is already struggling with losing valued members, mods, and contributions because of significantly more low value/high noise submissions and comments. As are many community sites (forums, advice, professional assistance).
Sites that don't ban and remove AI will become entirely AI, if that's your thing there's plenty of them around, why does HN have to morph into that? It resisted morphing into a self-promotion site (eg. ProductHunt, GumRoad), a crypto site, a security-vulnerability site (some exceptions), a political battleground (struggling), a blog repost site (some exceptions), a version release site, an unofficial big-tech support site.
amichail•52m ago
At some point it will become untenable to resist AI posts/comments especially from an accessibility point of view.
In fact, it might become legally required for web sites to accept AI writing in the near future just as it is for web sites to provide accessibility accommodations.
gnabgib•38m ago
A web site is a private space, unless it wishes to operate otherwise.. so first of all it would be opt-in. Second that would be country based, the internet crosses borders. I don't think there are many countries that would legislate that (perhaps that'll change). One of the only that might right now, will ban you for calling it AI for the next 2 years.
A more likely legal requirement is that use of AI is full disclosed, if it's even allowed. We're seeing the court systems say no, not only no but "the whole process was tainted by the use, and this is now a mistrial". There's likely to be professional repercussions codified soon - any professional practice governed by a recognized society (engineers, doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, some accountants) will either have to disclose use but accept liability or certify it wasn't used to maintain their professional status.
benoau•18m ago
> HN is already struggling with losing valued members, mods
I can still remember when they hired dang and he's still around, I see people posting I recognize from 18 years ago when I first started reading this site...
The youngest "top ten" account is from 2020, most of them are from 15-20 years ago. Two of the top ten have not posted for months, seven have posted today.
dabinat•24m ago
Why post at all if you don’t consider it important enough to spend time writing yourself?
amichail•18m ago
Maybe you would like the post to be written better than what you are capable of doing without AI?
gnabgib•58m ago
HN is already struggling with losing valued members, mods, and contributions because of significantly more low value/high noise submissions and comments. As are many community sites (forums, advice, professional assistance).
Sites that don't ban and remove AI will become entirely AI, if that's your thing there's plenty of them around, why does HN have to morph into that? It resisted morphing into a self-promotion site (eg. ProductHunt, GumRoad), a crypto site, a security-vulnerability site (some exceptions), a political battleground (struggling), a blog repost site (some exceptions), a version release site, an unofficial big-tech support site.
amichail•52m ago
In fact, it might become legally required for web sites to accept AI writing in the near future just as it is for web sites to provide accessibility accommodations.
gnabgib•38m ago
A more likely legal requirement is that use of AI is full disclosed, if it's even allowed. We're seeing the court systems say no, not only no but "the whole process was tainted by the use, and this is now a mistrial". There's likely to be professional repercussions codified soon - any professional practice governed by a recognized society (engineers, doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, some accountants) will either have to disclose use but accept liability or certify it wasn't used to maintain their professional status.
benoau•18m ago
I can still remember when they hired dang and he's still around, I see people posting I recognize from 18 years ago when I first started reading this site...
https://news.ycombinator.com/leaders
The youngest "top ten" account is from 2020, most of them are from 15-20 years ago. Two of the top ten have not posted for months, seven have posted today.