The Value of Veridical Information

What makes information actually valuable? According to LessWrong philosopher Silent Swift, true information isn't just about accuracy—it's about your ability to act. In a world of AI-generated deepfakes and algorithmic misinformation, Swift argues that real value lies in how much information enables you to make meaningful choices and take action. The catch: current language models don't meet this standard. They guess and confabulate rather than giving complete facts. Swift contends that AI tools, unlike humans, have no business creating content through hallucination—they should be purely truthful intermediaries. The insight traces back centuries. As Newton said, progress happens when we stand on the shoulders of giants. And that's only possible if what those giants wrote down was actually true.

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