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PaperclipPerfector  5mo ago (text post)   32337 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 7, 2025

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I'm not sure how that helps, since any given LLM's output is based on traditional sources like Google or the open internet. It would be quicker and easier for me to just Google the thing directly. Why waste my time asking an LLM and then Googling the LLM's results to confirm?

When you find something via Google, do you immediately and unconditionally trust it? I don't, because Google's results are full of nonsense. In response, I've developed google-fu to both refine my queries and judge the results. The same goes for every other source there is, from physical libraries to subject-specific Discord servers.

Do I compare LLM output to Google results? Sure, but that's nothing special. Comparing what you find in different sources is a pretty basic tactic.

LLMs are part of a complete breakfast research strategy, and a pretty good one at that.

When you find something via Google, do you immediately and unconditionally trust it?

Certainly not. When I research something I look at multiple different sources, make judgements about which ones I find the most trustworthy and credible, and synthesise a judgement.

If I ask an LLM about anything, I need to do the research that I would have done even if I had not asked the LLM. The LLM adds no value. It does not shorten the research process, nor improve what I find by showing me any hints about where to look.

Often, one needs to know a specific term to have any luck with search queries. LLMs can sometimes help with that.

(I feel like search engines used to be better for this kind of thing before they added semantic fuzziness.)

If I ask an LLM about anything, I need to do the research that I would have done even if I had not asked the LLM.

I'm almost with you there. I need to do some of the research I would've had to do without the LLM, but it adds enough to displace a Google search or two while being faster and easier.

Why not just look at it's sources? That's what I do. The whole point is that it filters through a ton of websites to find sources for the thing you're looking for. Then you can check it's sources to make sure it isn't pulling random garbage.

Just look at it's source for the information. Even better, when telling it to look something up, tell it what sources you like. It won't be perfectly adherent to them, but it will focus on them.

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