Why insane model capabilities haven't translated into real-world impact
benzevgreen · x · 2026-10-08
Derek Thompson observes AI prophets nailed the pace of model improvement but overrated near-term impact — low unemployment, few devastating cyber attacks. He floats an "Engel's Pause for consequences" or a "Messy World Hypothesis" where inertia and friction blunt new tech. An HCI researcher responds: the most powerful model is often not the most usable tool, and the industry's obsession with superintelligence distracts from building practically useful systems.
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