AI-Written Stereophile Articles

WORD

The decline in writing skills is a multi-decade phenomenon.  I was on the staff of an Army school in the 1980s; our students were mostly Army officers with advanced degrees from civilian colleges and universities.  I saw the same problem a few years later with slightly more senior Reserve Component officers, some of whom worked in institutions of higher learning. In both cases, some of them wrote superbly, but a good number had real problems in expressing ideas in a concise, direct, and meaningful manner.  I think the problem is that, to a troubling degree, our education system has shifted away from foundational skills that leave students less capable of clear expression, especially with the written word, and as these younger people enter the work force in increasing numbers, the problem will become even more evident.  Just my two-bits worth … inflation, you know!

A high school friend of mine who went to Harvard and eventually became head of the Clemson psychology department once told me that grade inflation was in his mind much more serious than economic inflation.

@mike4597 + 1

I occasionally watch YouTube celebrity biography and history videos. My wife and I laugh at the obvious A.I. generated narration which mispronounces names often and not in accordance with any foreign living person would do to the English language.

As to audio reviews, nearly all are positive and they are often subtle in their negative observations. Combine that with system synergy issues, acoustics and music selection for reviews, I cannot rely on reviews. I have to hear the equipment in my system. I attend audio shows where I have found phenomenally great sounding systems despite the acoustic and electrical limitations. Those were a few great systems. I also met a great distributor and dealer who understands and shares my preference for acoustical music reproduction first. My current audio system is based on use of his recommendations that didn’t cost me $1+ million but sounds close at 15% or $150,000 the cost. My best friend’s system which is just as satisfying if lower in resolution costing 15% of that, or $22,500. We have both have Von Schwiekert speakers.