That first bit always feels so false and icky. Like, no I didn't open up chatGPT to have my butt licked every other sentence. I just need the syntax for X or Y, and no I'm not delving into interesting depths of typescript. I'm monkeypatching the code to make a certain thing work and probably leaving a trail of wanton destruction behind every step I go.

It's possible to reduce the privacy issues by using APIs with a local frontend. Given that APIs usually cater to companies instead of end consumers they actually have simple opt-outs for information logging.

Requires a bit of know-how, and you'll be paying for your llm per use (not that bad actually, I've personally averaged <10$/yr in api costs) but at least you get to have all your personal issues on your local device instead.

For a chatGPT-like experience you probably want the ooga booga web generation ui but there's others too.

Tehran Times is completely untrustworthy in this context, they're - essentially a propaganda outlet for the islamist theocratic regime in Tehran. Given that they make such an absurd claim and that it hasn't been independently verified - this is likely false.

See link below regarding Tehran Times:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran_Times#cite_note-regime-1

So... you're essentially carrying around a power bank on the back of your phone all the time? Seems like a gimmick at best.

Honestly, fast charging has turned this into such a non-issue that you'll be hard pressed to find a more convenient solution.

Regardless of the merits of tariffs and protectionism, it is IMO quite necessary that these kinds of companies, that churn out cheap garbage with no regard for pollution be punitively targeted. Not only does it ruin our planet, but it also undermines those businesses who actually try to produce decent products.

Ideally big corps that simply import and resell these types of products (either through willful ignorance or malicious intent) shouldn't get away either, and need to be held accountable.

Now that devices are starting to have built in features with AI automatically combing through all information on them, the idea of this sort of stuff being logged in the first place is concerning.

For instance, should someone prompting an AI to describe them beating up and torturing their boss be flagged for "potentially violent tendencies"? Who decides the "limit" where "privacy" no longer applies and stuff should be flagged, logged and sent off to authorities?

As I see it, the real issue is people being hurt, not text or fictive materials, however sickening they might be.

If the resources invested in spying on people and making databases were instead directed towards funding robust and publicly available psychiatric care I expect that'd be more efficient.

In the Scandinavian countries this sort of software is usually provided by the school/university, so the students don't have to buy it. You may however be (essentially) forced to use that software, since other options aren't supported. The exam software my uni uses for instance only runs on Windows & MacOS.

"So how did they end up being defeated?"

"Well, we pacified them by giving them the love and affection that they refused to give each other."

"Wait really?"

"Yes, the majority were so starved for an emotional connection that they preferred us."

"Where are they now?"

"The majority are withering away in VR warehouses, living 'happily ever after'."

Since it hasn't been mentioned - containers.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers/

Essentially lets you keep have browser tabs with entirely separate cookies from each other (like if you opened it in a different browser). Helps me keep work and personal accounts apart, and also sandbox evil^tm^ webpages I'm forced to visit (by giving them their own container).

I almost forget it isn't included in firefox by default.

I did pirate the game, and then it was so utterly awesome that I went and bought it shortly after they patched in the epilogues.

One of the reasons I have the steam achievement for finishing the game, but not the one for finishing the tutorial xD

The only reason I don't donate to mozilla right now is that mozilla doesn't actually funnel any donation funds to firefox. I want to support firefox with donations, but I can't.