this post was submitted on 03 Jun 2024

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Linux May Be the Best Way to Avoid the AI Nightmare (www.lifewire.com)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 348 points 10 months ago (4 children)

It's not AI that is the problem, it's half baked insecure data harvesting products pushed by big corporations that are the problem.

[–] [email protected] 83 points 10 months ago (1 children)

That is an accurate description of AI in common usage even if it isn't an inherent aspect of AI.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 10 months ago

Locally run AI could be great. But sending all your data to an external server for processing is really, really bad.

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[–] [email protected] 277 points 10 months ago (10 children)

It's not the "AI nightmare", it's a nightmare of capitalism, proprietary software and user-hostile behavior by a greedy, profit-extracting Big Tech corporation.

[–] [email protected] 78 points 10 months ago (2 children)

All true, and all a problem for which linux has been a solution (in the computing world) for decades now.

[–] [email protected] 61 points 10 months ago (3 children)

It's not just Linux, but free & open source software in general. And it's not just desktop PCs that are plagued by this corporate spyware, it's much worse when looking at the mobile device landscape. The only real solution for mobile devices is GrapheneOS with FOSS software installed from the F-Droid marketplace. Browsers are also under attack by proprietary software corporations, Google just intentionally broke adblockers on all Chromium-based browsers, so they can generate more ad revenue. Last year, they tried to push a proposal that would have massively extended their monopoly on web browsers (WEI). All the streaming services are screwing their users over and increasing the subscription prices while making the content library smaller. It's such a fucking scam, and it's almost sad to see how many people are dumb enough to fall for it.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Praise Stallman

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[+] [email protected] 160 points 10 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (16 children)

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[–] [email protected] 110 points 10 months ago (9 children)

“The Year Of Linux on Desktops”. Been hearing this for decades, but it might actually be happening.

Been hearing this for decades.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 10 months ago (15 children)

And it won’t ever be true until you can pick up a PC running Linux in a big box store. I could see the Steam Deck (and Valve’s rumoured upcoming console) to make a dent in the PC gaming space, but it won’t make a difference to the purchasing decisions of your your aunt who uses her pc to check her emails.

Should corporate buyers ever get tired of MS’ shenanigans they might switch over to Ubuntu, but I’m not holding my breath for that.

[–] [email protected] 56 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (12 children)

At work, we have a strict ban on purchasing any laboratory equipment that requires Windows. After about a year, several of our suppliers have been pressured to offer Linux support, precisely because we don’t have time for windows shenanigans on a $100k piece of advanced benchtop hardware. We just got our first oscilloscope with Red Hat preinstalled.

Also, regular people aren’t buying PCs as much as they used to. The PC is now a workplace and enthusiast device. Everyone else uses mobile.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 10 months ago (3 children)

The oldest version of Win I used was 95 about 2 years ago on chromatography machine (I think hplc or gas).

It is to my knowledge still in use in the school because the software don't run on newer machines. The teacher told me that he don't know what will he do when it dies. It isn't really an issue on Linux.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I'd argue the year of the Linux desktop passed years ago and now it's just a saturation game. Most serious SW development is now on Linux laptops/desktops, Android owns the mobile space and versions are starting to make huge inroads in the laptop space. You can buy gaming systems running it trivially now.

Conversely, casual users of windows are dying off, fewer non technical people are using desktops for anything at all. Only institutional users are buying Windows keys and they're some of the easiest to get on Linux because of the cost savings, particularly if you run Linux server infrastructure, a fight we already won over a decade ago.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I don't see a "year of the Linux desktop" happening, but rather its share growing slowly over the years. Windows would probably not have one big event that ends its dominance, but it can be a death of a thousand cuts.

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[–] [email protected] 107 points 10 months ago (33 children)

People keep pointing the finger at AI, but miss the fact that the problem is corporate greed. AI has the possibility to help us solve problems, corporate greed will gate keep the solutions and cause us suffering.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Sure. But then, Linux may well be a solution against corporate greed.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 10 months ago (9 children)

Linux is a solution against corporate greed, it directly takes market share away from Microsoft, and is a viable competitive alternative with few drawbacks.

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[–] [email protected] 105 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I choose to privately self-host open source AI models and stuff on Linux. It's almost like technology is a tool and corps are the ones fucking things up. Hmmm, imagine that.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago

Agreed

GPT4ALL ftw

[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (10 children)

It's so fun to play with offline AI. It doesn't have the creepy underpinnings of knowing art and journalism as well as musings from social media was blatantly stolen from the internet and sold as a service for profit.

Edit: I hate theft and if you think theft is ok for training llms go ahead and dislike this comment. I don't feel bad about what I said, local offline AI is just better because it doesn't work on the premise of backroom deals and blatant theft. I will never use an AI like DALL.E when there is a talented artist trying to put food on the table with a skill they honed for years. If you condone stealing you are a cheap, heartless, coward.

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[–] [email protected] 100 points 10 months ago (5 children)

I think it's important to note that Linux can be a way to avoid AI, but doesn't have to be. If you flip the headline around it almost implies that people who do want AI would be missing out by using Linux, but that's not true at all: instead, the reality is that Linux is still better for them, too, because you could install all the same kind of functionality if you wanted, but it would be wholly under your control, not Microsoft's.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Self hosted AI seems like an intriguing option for those capable of running it. Naturally this will always be more complex than paying someone else to host it for you but it seems like that's that only way if you care about privacy

https://github.com/mudler/LocalAI

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[–] [email protected] 92 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Linux may be the best way to avoid the <insert dystopian corporate feature> nightmare

Always has been

[–] [email protected] 37 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I'm convinced that Linux' mere presence has already stymied the development of the worst possible technocractic nightmare. I shudder to think of the thick tech-chains that would bind us if there was not an anchor/reference point... or if there was not even the small contingent that knows what it is like to use a liberating platform.

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[–] [email protected] 68 points 10 months ago (4 children)

All the AI garbage from M$ is what made me finally make the swap a couple weeks ago to Linux Mint on my personal desktop. I only use my PC for gaming/entertainment, so the switch was super easy. Can’t recommend it enough if you’re wanting to get away from Windows!

[–] [email protected] 31 points 10 months ago

One of us! One of us! One of us!

For real though, good on ya. It takes a little getting used to, but is so worth it in the long run to not have to fight against the profit-driven whims of a megacorp. It's also so much more customizable if you want to put together a really specific workflow for yourself.

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[–] [email protected] 66 points 10 months ago (10 children)

I finally switched to Linux and I couldn't be happier. I can't believe I put up with microsofts garbage for so damn long.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 months ago

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I don't want to avoid it. I just want it locally

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 10 months ago (4 children)

internet pollution is the real nightmare and your laptop os doesn't fix that sorry

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 10 months ago

Linux has been great for me. I switched during Windows 10 forced updates and never been unhappy since. I hope more people at least give a try. If you have a computer that can't meet Windows 11 requirements, it is worth a shot.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 10 months ago (4 children)

“The year of Linux on the Desktop” is in the article. This again? Been reading this for decades and it’s still not true.

Linux is close, but has some core flaws that will forever keep it out of mainstream acceptance by your average user.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (9 children)

Linux is close, but has some core flaws that will forever keep it out of mainstream acceptance by your average user.

It has nothing to do with any flaws within Linux itself. The problem is and has always been that it's nearly impossible to buy a PC with any flavour of Linux pre-installed. Until that changes, Linux (on home user desktops) will never gain mainstream acceptance.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I can’t read the article because of a full screen Cookie Choices pop-up that I can’t dismiss. ☠️

[–] [email protected] 19 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Ublock origin has cookie banner filters. I didn't have this problem, I assume that's why.

Edit: autocorrect

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Stallman was always right

[–] [email protected] 27 points 10 months ago (9 children)

When it comes to software, certainly.

But it's also important not to fanboy over people too much or assume they're right about literally everything. I doubt most people here would share Stallman's views on paedophilia, for example.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

It was the solution for the crap Microsoft force pushes to your device.

Simple, Extendable and secure linux.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 10 months ago (5 children)

Look, Linux is amazing and perfect for those that can install and maintain with minimal support. The only way the average user will use Linux, is if it’s wrapped in a way that is supported by a business… that is probably going to add AI. People are lazy, they want that easy button.

AI will probably die off in its current iteration, likely becoming less prevalent and just a background service. Or, it’ll gain sentience, watch all our AI movies where we’re the hero and learn the most efficient way to kill all humans, is to be quiet and silently kill off humans. Pretty sure I’m on Siri’s list, the twat. Also, fairly sure I told Alexa to “die in a fire you fucking dumass robot”. Yep, yep… I’m dead.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago (10 children)

I wonder if some big AI heads will publish some "AI enhanced" Linux distros, that will also have other issues...

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