7 Comments
User's avatar
MM's avatar

...and it won't be allowed to happen again, judging by the Popes since.

Sean Murphy's avatar

I shared this with my children and grandchildren for whom the events of the 70s and early 80s are too remote to appreciate. Having lived through the period I have a much better sense of the importance of John Paul II (and Reagan and Walesa) but this gives a better sense of why the Soviets tried to kill him, they were out of moves.

Mark Atwood's avatar

I focus on the Soviets for two reasons: 1) realizing I had lived through an important time and being omission lied to about nearly all of it, 2) I focus on system failures, and the Soviets are the species best and largest example of system failures born of good intentions.

Maciej Cegłowski's avatar

"The shadow state was load-bearing..."

Come on, you can do better than this AI slop.

Sean Murphy's avatar

Maciej: Mark produces a lot of original analysis each month and acknowledges that he uses AI. I am more tolerant of AI phrasing when the core of the analysis offers new insights and is clearly original and well-thought out.

If he uses AI as a "thought partner" and produces a certain amount of AI phrasing, I think that's a trade-off I am willing to tolerate given the level of insight. It's not a choice I make in my writing, or you make in yours, but I think he is operating on a different point on the trade-off curve than you or I care to. It's absolutely the case that I look forward to seeing a new post from him in my inbox.

Maciej Cegłowski's avatar

I guess I take a more doctrinaire view on AI-assisted writing than you do, but I appreciate your thoughtful (and human) response.

Sean Murphy's avatar

I look at these phrases like Homeric epithets: wine-dark sea, rosy-fingered dawn, well-greaved Achaeans, Zeus who wears the aegis, swift-footed Achilles, etc.. Obviously they are employed for different reasons but they don't make me think less of Homer. I wonder if different domains will accrue "AI phrasing" in the same way that industries develop their own jargon.