• PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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    24 hours ago

    It’s the mining of diamonds that kills all the children. After the diamond is mined, I can use it with almost no child deaths. Diamonds are fine.

    • ayyy@sh.itjust.works
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      16 hours ago

      No, using an already-trained model doesn’t “use up” the model in exactly the same way that pirating a movie doesn’t steal anything from Hollywood.

      • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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        7 hours ago

        Use a diamond doesn’t “use up” that diamond.

        And yet, it’s still unethical to buy already mined blood diamonds from people who continue to mine more blood diamonds. Funny thing about that, huh

        • bob_lemon
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          7 hours ago

          In this analogy, using the diamond does use it up. In the sense that none else can use that diamond concurrently. If someone else wants a diamond, more children must die.

          This is different from the trained AI model, which can concurrently be used by everyone at the same time, at very little extra cost.

        • bluewing@lemm.ee
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          5 hours ago

          A very large amount of those dug up diamonds end up as “industrial diamonds.” Because they are far from gemstone quality. And they definitely get used up. I have used up my share of them as cutting tools when I was a toolmaker.

    • huginn@feddit.it
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      21 hours ago

      I mean yeah: if we went and killed every person who benefits from conflict diamonds and closed all blood diamond mines why wouldn’t you be cool with using the resources? Their evil origin has little to do with their practical utility and if the original sin is expiated there’s no reason not to?

      Like yeah conflict diamonds have basically no purpose because we can make diamonds cheaper and better in labs but in a situation where there are more practical uses (cobalt, LLMs) once we cleanse the land of the sinners why wouldn’t we use their ill gotten gains for good?

      • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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        8 hours ago

        But we’re not “killing” every person who benefits, literally or figuratively. We’re continuing to buy their diamonds (pay them in money and data) while they continue to mine (train new models, use copyrighted material).

        • huginn@feddit.it
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          6 hours ago

          Agreed.

          But the entire point I’m making is there’s nothing wrong with the diamonds, the problem is with the method and the people profiting from it.

          You were saying the diamonds were not fine by dint of origin. I’m saying let’s right the wrong and then use the diamonds.

          • Jtotheb@lemmy.world
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            4 hours ago

            Okay, so again, no new machine learning ever, unless you can prove it’s done without environmental impact or affecting peoples’ right to a dignified existence. That’s the wrong righted. That’s what you’re advocating. Am I misunderstanding?

      • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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        14 hours ago

        Do the concepts “reparations” or “compensation for loss and damage” mean anything to you?

        The people who were exploited should be the ones to benefit from those diamonds.

          • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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            13 hours ago

            Sounds like you think we should use the diamonds. I wouldn’t be cool with using those diamonds because they belong to the people who were forced to mine them, not me.

    • Deestan@lemmy.world
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      21 hours ago

      I see your point and agree with it, but I believe you read more defense in my comment than I tried to put in.

      I’m not in favor of this waste.