> recent hype about deep learning
Does anyone really look at contemporary AI as a Platonic quest for objective truth? It seems to me that there is pretty widespread clarity about the fact that this is mostly a commercial endeavor. If you want to talk about Platonic quests for objective truth we should talk about, say, mathematics or fundamental physics.
I realize I have a tendency to romanticize some of the papers I read even if I fully understand intellectually it is a wrong thing to do. Probably I should try concsiously train myself not to do it or something along these lines.
My experience tells me if I have a question or an issue it's very unlikely to be unique to myself. And (re-)reading an honest or even cynical account about something typically helps e.g. ribbonfarm on corporate hierarchies/politics.
https://blog.rongarret.info/2025/01/an-open-letter-to-democr...
This is an incredibly common pitfall that people fall into time and again. Hell, even I am getting these vibes with all that recent hype about deep learning - despite I am no stranger to academia (in another area and some years back).