You’ve worked in ML since 2012 but dont think transformers have had an absolutely insane impact, for example in NLP and machine translation? (I have worked in those fields longer than that and while I dont think AGI or anything like that is coming from transformers and deep neural nets I think you are full of it if you dont admit they have revolutionized a large number of [highly technical] fields).
When google glass came out (2012 or 13) it was absolutely hilarious living in the bay and regularly riding muni (public bus) in the mission. I saw multiple people run into the door/poles/etc and also multiple people get their glasses ripped off their face and stomped on. Bus driver just shrugged, bus patrons applauded. I’m no luddite and all for technology but even more for consent.
I even read this aloud in my head as “CREATE ZE VUCKING FILE” in a particularly bad German accent same as over 20 years ago when a friend I worked for drilled it in my head.
I appreciate your response and in this long form explanation of your view I find i agree (both in theory and in practice) with most of what you wrote.