Back to News

Ellen Ullman's "Close to the Machine: Technophilia and Its Discontents"

Hacker News - AI
Jul 16, 2025 17:42
NotInOurNames
1 views
hackernewsaidiscussion

Summary

The article discusses Ellen Ullman's "Close to the Machine," exploring how the book examines the emotional and ethical complexities faced by programmers, including the phenomenon of "hacker's disease"—an obsession with code at the expense of human connection. The piece highlights the relevance of Ullman's insights for today's AI developers, emphasizing the importance of balancing technical innovation with ethical considerations and human values.

Article URL: https://pluralistic.net/2025/07/16/beautiful-code/#hackers-disease Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44584961 Points: 1 # Comments: 0
Read Full ArticleMore News

Related Articles

This Could Be the Last Time This AI Token Trades Under a Penny

Analytics InsightJul 17

The article discusses the rapid growth and increasing investor interest in a specific AI-related cryptocurrency token, which is currently trading for less than one cent. It highlights the token's potential for significant price appreciation due to advancements in AI technology and its integration into blockchain platforms. The article suggests that such AI tokens could play a major role in the future of decentralized AI applications.

PromptChecks is nice name for an AI company? or it sounds okayish?

Hacker News - AIJul 17

The article discusses whether "PromptChecks" is an appealing name for an AI company, with the author seeking feedback on its suitability. While there are no comments or in-depth analysis, the discussion highlights the importance of branding and naming in the competitive AI sector. The choice of a company name can influence perception and market positioning in the rapidly evolving AI industry.

Memes Are Smarter Than AI (and That Should Terrify Silicon Valley)

Hacker News - AIJul 17

The article argues that internet memes, as rapidly evolving and highly adaptive forms of collective intelligence, often outpace current AI systems in creativity and cultural relevance. This highlights a fundamental limitation in AI’s ability to understand and generate nuanced, context-rich content, suggesting that Silicon Valley may underestimate the complexity of true human-like intelligence. The implication is that advancing AI will require new approaches that better capture the dynamic, emergent nature of human communication.