Comment by runarberg
9 days ago
I‘m not convinced this exercise in what to and what not to include in this cost-benefit-analysis will lead to anything. We can always arbitrarily include an extra item to include to shift the calculations in our favor. For example I could simply add the cost of creating the data which is fed into the training set of an LLM, that creation is done by our human biological machinery and hence has the cost of the frozen blueberries, the rigid fiber insulations, the machinery that dug the waterpipe for their shower, etc.
Instead I would like to shift the focus on the benefits of LLM. I know the costs are high, very very very high, but you seem to think that the benefits are also so high measured in time saved. That is the amount of tasks automated are enough to save humans doing similar tasks by miles. If that is what you think I disagree. LLMs have yet to prove them selves with real world application. We are seeing when we actually do measure how much LLMs save work-hours, that it the effects are at best negligible (see e.g. https://blog.arxiv.org/2025/10/31/attention-authors-updated-...
You've convinced me. I did not consider the human cost of producing training data, I did not consider whether or not LLMs were actually saving effort, and I did not consider the extra effort to verify LLM output. I have nothing more to add other than to thank you for taking the time to write such a persuasive and high-quality reply. The internet would be a better place if there were more people like you on it. Thank you for making me less wrong.