Simon Willison on AI

Simon Willison@simonw

Some of the backlash I'm seeing against Apple AI is reinforcing my opinion: The hardest problem in computer science continues to be convincing an AI skeptic that you're not going to steal their data and train an AI model on it

622 likes71 repliesPosted Jun 11, 2024

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Viral score

Based on absolute engagement — the platform doesn’t expose follower counts here, so large accounts score higher.

From likes, comments.

Why it worked

Opens with a short, self-contained line that is easy to take in at a glance.
Admits a failure or a cost, which buys trust that a polished post cannot.
The opening line stands alone, so it reads completely before the post is expanded.
Written from experience rather than as advice, which is harder to argue with.
Short enough to read in full without expanding, which removes a step before the point lands.

The mechanics

Hook: Plain observation
Structure: Hook → Landing
Style: Conversational paragraphs at a steady pace.
Tone: personal
Mechanisms: Vulnerability
Written for: People building with AI

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

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