Any device or piece of software that functions based on the principle of "eh, good enough." This includes autocorrect, which has a high probability of changing "I'll be there soon" to "I'll be a racoon," and voice assistants, which understand you with a probability inversely proportional to the importance of your request. These technologies don't aim for perfection; they aim for a statistically acceptable rate of not making you throw them out a window.
Probabilistic Technologies Example: "I asked my smart speaker to play ' classical music for focus' and it started playing death metal. When I shouted 'NO!' it said, 'Adding "No" to your shopping list.' This is probabilistic technology at its finest: wrong most of the time, but confident always."
by Dumu The Void February 14, 2026
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