AI Thread Summaries and Title Changes

[Janet H]

Soon you'll begin to see a couple of small changes designed to help you find topics and info at the forum.

• Helpful Thread Summaries:
  On some longer threads, you’ll start to see a short summary at the top. These are just meant to give you a quick sense of what’s being discussed, so you can decide if it’s the right place for your question or if you can help with an answer. No need to scroll through lots of posts just to get the main idea!
  
  
• Tidier Thread Titles:
  We all know how important clear thread titles are for finding answers and helping each other out. In the past, our team has tried to tidy up vague or unclear titles, but it’s a big job and we sometimes miss a few.
  Now, we’re getting a little bit of AI lend a hand - just to suggest clearer, more helpful titles. This should substantially help the search function as well. For example:
  • “Help” might become “Circuit Board Replacement Help”
  • “Tires” could be updated to “Unusual Tire Wear”
  • “SOlar” might be clarified as “Solar Project, Roof Concerns”

We understand that some folks might feel unsure about AI, and that’s completely okay. These tools are just here to help us keep the forum easy to use. Our team is still here, making sure everything stays on track and that member posts are not being changed, only (some) titles.

We're trying this out to see how it goes. If you ever see a summary or title that doesn’t seem quite right, please post up, report the problem, or you can always message a moderator privately for some help.

 

[UTTransplant]

I am so sad you are going to AI. I have seen so much misinformation coming from AI systems.

 

[uchu]

I am so sad you are going to AI. I have seen so much misinformation coming from AI systems.

I agree. I am registered at a Bimmer site, and since they introduced an AI assistant to reply to unanswered question posts, you wouldn't believe the kind of "expert advice" that it provides.

The good thing is that it encourages participation, if only to correct the terrible advice given by that AI.

 

[jymbee]

I am so sad you are going to AI. I have seen so much misinformation coming from AI systems.

Seems to me new AI features are quite limited and in no way impact actual posts from participants.

Sounds like some useful features to me.

 

[Boat Bum]

slippery slope

 

[RayIN]

slippery slope

A bell cannot be unrung" though. The inventors of what we now call AI begged congress to enact laws to limit the use of AI and were rebuffed; the bell has been rang, now all we can do is hope users are competent and prudent.
I agree with Janet's proposed used of AI, to hopefully reduce the number of useless replies because the entire thread was not read.

 

[CamperAL]

Remember, there is AI and AL help. Always use the AL help.

 

[Jackiemac]

Note that this can be turned off in your profile settings.

 

[UTTransplant]

This is getting ridiculous. Why should an AI over-rule the original poster? When titles change, I am not sure if it is the same post I read earlier or something new. I know I can get rid of the AI summary, but can I get rid of the new titles and only see the ones the human wrote?

 

[LarsMac]

I don't particularly like it. Turned it off, and will see how THAT works.

update. Turning it off doesn't change the thread titles that have been modified, already. Not sure what disabling that feature accomplishes.

 

[jymbee]

This is getting ridiculous. Why should an AI over-rule the original poster? When titles change, I am not sure if it is the same post I read earlier or something new. I know I can get rid of the AI summary, but can I get rid of the new titles and only see the ones the human wrote?

Seems to me new AI features are quite limited and in no way impact actual posts from participants.

Sounds like some useful features to me.

Ok, now that I'm witnessing some these new "tools" I have to say it's out of control! I mean, really?!?
Two of my post titles were changed.

Is overpacking a disease
was changed to:
Why Do We Keep Overpacking Tools and Gear for RV Trips?

Disgusting
was changed to:
Why Do Some Campers Leave Trash Behind? Community Weighs In

Beyond idiotic. Have never even come close to stop posting here based on anything I've read, but this is a step too far... Mods definitely need to rethink this.

Every post title here might not have been clear & concise and descriptive, any more than the responses are always spot on. What's the next step? Rewriting the content of Posts??

Hey-- it's an online FORUM, that's just how things work!!

 

[Tom]

Two of my post titles were changed.

Is overpacking a disease
was changed to:
Why Do We Keep Overpacking Tools and Gear for RV Trips?

Disgusting
was changed to:
Why Do Some Campers Leave Trash Behind? Community Weighs In

Let's see if I can reverse these (my first time).

Mods definitely need to rethink this.

Don't blame the moderators, none of us had any input to this. However, as originally described, it seemed like a good idea - saves us manually changing/clarifying subject lines/thread titles. Looking at the examples you quoted, the changes do add some clarity.

 

[Tom]

Ok, now that I'm witnessing some these new "tools" I have to say it's out of control! I mean, really?!?
Two of my post titles were changed.

Is overpacking a disease
was changed to:
Why Do We Keep Overpacking Tools and Gear for RV Trips?

Disgusting
was changed to:
Why Do Some Campers Leave Trash Behind? Community Weighs In

I changed your first one back; Let's see if it sticks.

Looks to me like the second change was an improvement (a good clarification).

 

[Joezeppy]

One of the difficulties I see is that some titles are worded in such a way to be humorous. If AI rewrites the title, it loses its meaning and might not attract the desired replies/views. "Please keep watch over my cold beverage." doesn't have the same impact as "Hold my beer..."

 

[Boat Bum]

I'm strongly opposed, and not that anyone cares but if you no longer see me posting I have quietly left the building.

 

[Larry N.]

Is overpacking a disease
was changed to:
Why Do We Keep Overpacking Tools and Gear for RV Trips?

This certainly loses its impact, as well as losing a touch of humor. Certainly Help as a title needs help, but most titles should be left alone. Also, the change, if it were actually needed, is waaay too wordy.

 

[Heli_av8tor]

How about a button we can click labeled “Post My Opinion”?

AI could check my previous responses to topics, formulate my likely reply, and make the post for me.

What a time saver! This could be a global button that would cover all new topics and responses.

 

[UTTransplant]

Let's see if I can reverse these (my first time).

Don't blame the moderators, none of us had any input to this. However, as originally described, it seemed like a good idea - saves us manually changing/clarifying subject lines/thread titles. Looking at the examples you quoted, the changes do add some clarity.

So how often do moderators or admins manually change thread titles? I guess I haven’t noticed any, but I sure have noticed the AI ones.

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

I was in early computing and witnessed AI shelved for a span of time because it really isn’t “intelligence”. It takes too much computing power and storage to really become intelligent. Google “AI winter”, it’s an interesting bit of history modern day AI zealots ignore. At best any AI tool you use is a giant parrot that may or may not provide accurate responses. When I was at MIT in the 80’s there were those who saw AI as an incredibly invasive to individualism and privacy. I agree with that sentiment. GIGO is an acronym to remember from those days. Garbage in garbage out. Anywhere you see AI being utilized, I guarantee you it’s not providing as much as it is taking. How do you think it is “rewriting” or “summarizing”? It sucks in everything or “learns” and through algorithms spits out what the user thinks he wants. What do you think it did with all the stuff it sucked in? Computers don’t crap or use toilet paper. It stores all that information and who knows where it will resurface again, or why and in what context. Anywhere that doesn’t offer the option to turn of AI learning from you is not a good place to be. AI usage in this forum is a horrible idea.

 

[SargeW]

I am not an AI fan, but I can see the occasional benefit. One opinion I have always had is the practice of any poster, old or new, making a post title so vauge that it appears to be attempting to "bait" a response. That has always had the opposite effect on me. In my opinion if the poster couldn't formulate their question or thought specifically enough to clearly provoke a response, I won't waste time trying to figure out what the purpose is and pass it right by.

On this forum I have added an occasional word to a post to help draw a helpful response because someone is new. The perfect example is a post titled "What is this?" On any other forum I would pass it right by without a thought.

So this topic is a mixed bag for me.