My 1998 Forester and 1999 WRX are positively archaic these days, but I love driving both of them. I don't want a mobile phone with wheels.

"Authors and publishers, give us the right to train on all your ebooks for free or this rare hardback gets it."

When I imagine what the next version of Windows might look like I picture something with AI and ads and tracking crammed into every part of it.

Oh wait, that's kind of what we have now. But assuredly it'll be even worse, so I expect the Linux percentage to keep growing as it gradually becomes known as the best PC platform for gaming.

It won't be long before anyone with a bit of know-how can create blockbuster-equivalent movies at home and throw them on Youtube, and then hollywood is done.

They're just hastening their own end. As for us, we'll get buried in generic slop.

I recommend people keep buying up those old DVDs and box sets.

Company: Good news! We're adding AI to ...

Users: no

I've found it useful in a few cases:

Writing dos batch files to do specific tasks. I've been using Dos since the 80's, and have a workable knowledge of batch files, but I have to look up more complex commands and syntax.

Pasting in something I've written for a grammar/typo/consistency check (knowing full well it's probably adding that text to its training, so nothing important.). It may not be perfect but it's light-years ahead of grammar tools I've briefly looked at in the past. Mostly it can catch sentences I've edited once or twice and accidentally left an extra word in.

Some linux/ubuntu stuff which I don't use that often, like setting up a logical volume across several old drives in a repurposed/dumpster bin PC I'm configuring for a 3rd or 4th copy of backups. I check every step of the way, but it's easier to ask chatgpt using my specific hard drive designations (e.g. sde to sdi) than copy/paste from a website and edit all the examples. Having said that, on one occasion it included my boot drive sdc in the command to wipe an old LV which I'd already said was on sdb to sdj, so yes, check every step and know what you're doing.

On that note, diagnosing linux error messages too.

But I'm certainly not going to ask it to get creative, or try and get it to do research for me, or instruct me in something I don't already have a working knowledge of. People who pick up a scalpel and ask ChatGPT how to do brain surgery are the problem, not AI itself.

Also telephone sanitation engineers and hairdressers.

If you remove a handful of ultra-wealthy billionaires from the US calculations the Oz GDP is probably double that of the States, too.

Third world countries are famous for their reliable power sources with vast amounts of excess power in the grid, stable goverments, large well-run supplies of water and their total lack of corruption. Perfect for building and running massively expensive data centres.

So much better than, I don't know, building more solar and wind power in Australia, actually paying a relative pittance to authors and artists for the work AI companies are training on, and ensuring those data centres provide their own water instead of sucking up all fresh water in the entire area and driving prices through the roof.

Company: Good news! We're adding AI to ...
Users: no

If companies are happy for their workers to use AI for everything, as you suggest, why do they want applicants with degrees? They might as well advertise for people who know how to use AI effectively instead.

Actually, I think people with a thirst for learning (languages or anything else) generally have a different outlook on life to people who feel overwhelmed all the time, and are unwilling to take on anything else. And perhaps those people also spend time researching good eating habits, get exercise, and keep themselves healthier?

So the 'more languages = longer life' thing could just be the type of person who keeps learning, whether by choice or environment.

Yes, and computer programming degrees should be under the languages department at universities, not the science or computing department.

One of the reasons English has so many words is because over the centuries it's just hoovered up anything it wants from other languages. Other languages seem to be more static somehow, although since I learned Spanish in the 70's my vocab has nothing related to tech at all.

My family moved to Spain when I was 8, and I still remember getting dropped off at the local village school. They didn't speak English, I didn't speak Spanish, but kids learn fast.

About six months later my parents moved me to another school with German owners, so I had to start learning that (it was compulsory). At the same time, my mum knew an old lady who needed help with her garden, so me and my brother would go and work there on a weekend and in exchange she taught us French.

BTW for people who only speak one language - programming languages also count, and programming is a great way to keep your mind active unless you just vibe code your way to an early grave.