We are exposed to a much narrower range of knowledge through AI chatbots than through a basic web search. This is documented by a new study led by the University of Copenhagen. As more and more of us turn to AI chatbots for information, researchers warn that the risk of ‘knowledge collapse’ increases.
Fortunately I have media literacy and know that the existence of someone marketing a scary narrative doesn’t actually provide any credibility. I can read scary headlines and pass it through the “does the make sense?” filter before getting worried.
I agree the friction + manipulation that LLMs introduce is troubling, but “knowledge collapse” is the extreme end of that concern.
You’re an ignoramus whose tiny dregs of insight can survive virtually any cataclysm. I’m not so sure about humanity’s larger domain of shared knowledge.