I’ll repost comment I did recently:
I remember how few yesrs ago I said “capitalism exists because perfect replicators do not exist”. Eventually I realised that perfect replicators of information already exist and capitalists made sure we can’t use them against capitalism.
When computers became mainstream and all sorts of media got into the open Web, many have seen this as the end of copyright history.
But it wouldn’t be capitalism if it wouldn’t build sophisticated instruments and twist legislation in unprecedented ways only to protect publishers.
Same goes for any technology, from power loom to AI.
Convincing the working class it’s the tools that are the problem, and not the system that abuses them (both working class, and tools), is one of capitalism’s greatest achievements.
https://www.globallearning-cuba.com/blog-umlthe-view-from-the-southuml/marx-on-automated-industry
Convincing the working class that tools the system creates are free of the system’s agenda may be an even greater achievement.
Conspiring to jack up rent prices is exploitative when people do it. Is it any different when the RealPage algorithm does it indirectly?
I don’t see any value in saying that human behavior is the problem but then specifically carving out an exception for the automated agents we create to amplify specific behaviors.
When RedBubble ganks art and sells it on t-shirts, how is that different from when Stability ganks art and sells it at a text prompt?
the RealPage algorithm
Which was programmed by humans, with biases and vested interests based in and fuelled by capitalism and the rest of the kyriarchy
I don’t see any value in saying that human behavior is the problem but then specifically carving out an exception for the automated agents we create to amplify specific behaviors.
Human behaviours. Machines don’t have their own behaviours, only those humans have programmed them to have, again, with those same biases and vested interests based in and fuelled by capitalism and the rest of the kyriarchy
When RedBubble ganks art and sells it on t-shirts, how is that different from when Stability ganks art and sells it at a text prompt?
It isn’t, both are automated systems designed by humans, you guessed it - with those same biases and vested interests based in and fuelled by capitalism and the rest of the kyriarchy
Convincing the working class that tools the system creates are free of the system’s agenda may be an even greater achievement.
And only picking examples of ways in which technology is used that are explicitly for profit is cherry picking and twisting reality. The existence of things like FOSS and other ways in which people share technology or otherwise use it to improve society without any profit motive proves you wrong.
AI isn’t intrinsically capitalist, just like computers aren’t, nor were steam engines or power looms. Capitalism convincing you that its way is the only way to use tools doesn’t mean that’s the reality, it only means the propaganda is working.
So is RealPage not a tool, or are tools not inherently agenda-less?
I’m not saying all technology is bad, but I am saying all technology is biased.
And I’m not saying all AI must be exploitative, but its mechanics are such that the easiest path forward for it is exploitative.
Hence the Free Software Movement.
Nooooo we don’t want to do critical thinking and systemic analysis of root causes! Modernity bad! People lived better before antibiotics! Math is evil! /s
were soviet computers ruined too?
