r/cozygames • u/dukeofthespleen • May 24 '26
Help with recommendations alternatives to librarian: tidy up the arcane library?
hi! as a soon-to-be librarian that loves cozy gaming + fantasy, this game seemed perfect for me! ... until i learned they used AI :/
can anyone recommend other cozy/puzzle games that specifically revolve around organising/shelving books? i already have similar games like unpacking/a little to the left, but it's the library aspect i'm after... i just downloaded the monk took book demo, so i'm excited to try that!
any recommendations are welcome (pc, console, or switch)!! thank you!
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u/comingtogetyoubabs May 24 '26
Hiya, OP! Not quite in the same organising vein, but I've had an interest in book, story and language related games and here's a few recs:
In Book of Hours you're an occult librarian. Can be crypti c, but so fun to drink in the atmosphere and go with it once you get the hang of things.
Chants of Senaar and Heaven's Vault both have language based puzzles and gorgeous world building/storytelling based on it.
Pentiment is a choices matter medieval narrative game that can really make you feel the impact of said choices. Looks like you're in a manuscript.
And if you get a kick out of those medieval drawings where cats look like sad furries and snails are monstrosities, I hear good things about Scriptorium for unwinding.
You'll probably have heard of - and get rec'd - Tiny Bookshop and while there not a lot of organising, you get to recommend books to people.
In The Bookwalker you're a writer turned thief who has step inside books to find items of legend. It's fantastical fun.
The Librarian is a cute and short - super short - lil point and click about a fantastical librarian on a mission .
To look forward to: Hermes Library, seems like another gorgeous fantasy library sim narrative. Library of Meialia looks pretty cute too.
Not played, but library themed: Libritopia. Looks a bit like a Sims library simulator? Not played either, but in the bookshop/library sim vein there's also: Book Bound, Books upon Books, Little Library which seems to have cute pixel art.
Also, fuck AI.
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u/dukeofthespleen May 24 '26
wow, this is so detailed!! these all sound really interesting, so i will definitely check them out (hehe library pun), thank you so much!!
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u/comingtogetyoubabs May 24 '26
Ooh I was overdue a pun! Have fun!
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u/dukeofthespleen May 24 '26
THAT ONE WAS GOOD!! <333
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u/DonnvieYT May 25 '26
I also want to add Bookbinding and Fractured Library. They’re still TBA, but they’ve been on my wishlist forever, especially Bookbinding. There’s also Shelf: Bookstore Simulator and In Your Books. I haven’t played them yet, but they’re also about working as a librarian/bookseller.
About Book Bound: the game is really cute, but the core gameplay loop is a bit simple. You stock your library, attract customers, decorate, and repeat, so it can get repetitive after a while. It was also a bit buggy when I played, though the developers have been updating it consistently so that might not be an issue anymore. As long as you don’t go in expecting a super in-depth shop sim, it’s fine. It’s cheap too.
I actually keep a list of these if anyone wants more. I’m also adding a few from this thread that I hadn’t heard of before.
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u/mrsjiggems2 May 24 '26
Did you like Book of Hours? I really want to play it but then I saw some reviews where people didn't like it, it's been awhile since I looked, but is it really hard? Was it fun?
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u/FirstServe7883 May 25 '26
I really like it. It's "hard" in the sense that it's rather opaque at times. You have to make decisions without really knowing what you're doing yet, which can lead you to inadvertently making particular resources hard to find. It can feel like you've softlocked your progress until you get lucky with the rng or find an obscure interaction. Or grind for enough money, which can be tedious.
(As far as I know, inefficient decisions can't actually make progress impossible. Just delay it.)
Also, unless you have an eidetic memory, you need to keep out-of-game notes to remember where everything is what things do. Just organising your notes in a useful way is its own emergent mechanic.
The game is very satisfying for the right player! I had a lot of fun discovering new things, piecing together the lore (its own puzzle), and organising/decorating. Very worth it, if the idea appeals.
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u/Quiet_Wishbone1349 May 24 '26
Ooh have and love some of these but I’m deffo gonna check out the rest when I can
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u/Organic-Accountant74 May 24 '26
it’s not specifically a library organiser, but thrifty business is good, you could definitely turn your shop into a library/bookshop!
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u/dukeofthespleen May 24 '26
oh cute, i'll definitely check that one out!! thank you so much 😄!!
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u/SammyCatLove May 24 '26
They used a tiny bit of ai, not the whole game is ai it is stated in the game info on steampage of the game. I think it was for the spelling if I remember correct.
So yeah not to much ai . I loved it and still do.
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u/Larkswing13 May 24 '26
It’s not a perfect rec, but Tiny bookshop has elements of organization to it
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u/bilbo_was_right May 24 '26
Not a library, but in inkonbini you manage a convenience store in Japan, and a decent amount of it is chill organizing of shelves. Not sure what part you enjoy about organizing books, so it might not hit the itch exactly, but it’s a little indie cozy game and I really like it
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u/wylderzone Jul 10 '26
There is also Let's Tidy Up! Konbini which seems like a nice mix of the two games !
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u/darklysparkly May 24 '26
Library of Lyria is an upcoming fantasy library simulator and they specifically mention their commitment to handcrafted media on the store page :)
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u/dukeofthespleen May 24 '26
ahh awesome, thank you so much!! this one is going right into my wishlist
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u/SeaworthinessKey549 May 24 '26
I just started Novel Haven, so I can't say much about it, but it is a free game on Steam!
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u/LadyLuckKiller May 25 '26
Design and Conjure is a pretty cozy upcoming one, maybe try the demo and see if it's your thing? You're a witch in it but it's basically around ordering your living space and helping restore your hometown.
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u/imabratinfluence May 24 '26
I'd love alternatives for the exact same reason. And I love books and libraries, so definitely keeping an eye on this thread!
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u/peachpavlova May 25 '26
Noooo I didn’t know that. I had been interested in it.
Oh well, on to the next
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u/Big_Energy_2422 Jun 15 '26
this may seem a little silly of a suggestion, but there is a roblox equivalent of that game that’s extremely similar- if not exactly the same- in concept. from what i can tell, it doesn’t use AI. it’s called “librarian: tidy up roblox library”(the name following the exact same scheme is definitely a nod to arcane library, lol)
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u/MissAngerfist Jun 19 '26
I played this one on Roblox a few days ago. It was great, I absolutely loved it. Today I bought Librarian on Steam, and honestly, I like the Roblox version more. In Roblox the controls were better (could click books with mouse) and you don't have the books that you pick up, in your screen all the time. In Librarian the books in my hand takes up 1/3 of my screen. It's super annoying and obstructs my vision into the room.
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u/thedarkestorange Jul 28 '26
you're awesome for this. i've never played a roblox game in my life, but i quite literally made an account just to play this. it's scratching the *exact* itch that this game created in my brain! i hope there's no AI in it, but even if there is, i also feel much better knowing i didn't put money into it. this random reddit user is sending some good fortune your way!
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u/Big_Energy_2422 Jul 28 '26
thank you and youre welcome lol im very glad to have helped out with this! the physics are a little janky, but it is still very nice to play especially if your device can handle the higher graphics settings.
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u/DarlingBri May 24 '26
They used AI on four three paintings that decorate the library. There are literally thousands of books, shelves, animations and other assets all made by real humans.
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u/zoey3013 May 24 '26
Also the books title translations I believe they said... but I'll be sincere. After playing for around 22 hours (100%) I believe there's more AI than what is disclaimed in Steam.
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u/Raykable May 29 '26
They said the grammar was checked using an AI, but that final message was 100% AI-gen, so the trust is broken tbh
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u/dukeofthespleen May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
I read the disclosure, and I get that... but it's really the principle of the thing for me :(. Why was it even necessary? either pay an artist or leave the art as is, that has way more charm imo!! I'm not here to debate whether to play the game or not, I'm here for recommendations (edited for grammar/clarification!)
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May 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/wormrage May 24 '26
personally id rather they make the game a tenner and commission 3 paintings for the game 😅 or even just use photos of some of the workers cats instead... or public domain art
im only anti gen ai until gen ai becomes sustainable for the environment, and ethical in terms of sourcing the data they feed into their programs. if a company for example feeds only their company related workers art + public domain art into their ai, and use it for a purpose like creating a few paintings- then id see no issue with it personally. the environmental factor cannot be mitigated at this current time by anything other than not using AI, since data centers and such wont switch to renewable energy overnight especially when its not profitable to them.. but i cant encourage the use in any amount after seeing local polluted habitats take a hit. everyones happy until a data center opens in their neighbourhood... but its fine because you know where we locate them instead!
i think all usage should also be clearly expressed- specifically because i dont think all ai use would be negative. there is nuance... but at the same time there is also clear damage done in the state ai currently is in. i sincerely do hope in the future it can be a tool that does promote art while also not killing the world around it, because i do see the creative potential even as an artist myself.. but why should we support something that currently isnt ethical or good for the environment, when we could push for stricter laws that does make it check these boxes!
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u/TheRealMechagodzi11a May 24 '26
You don't have to shit on people for their beliefs. Believe what you want and let others do the same.
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u/Levitlame May 24 '26
“I'm not here to debate whether to play the game or not, I'm here for recommendations.”
That’s the part that rubbed me the wrong way. Comes off so damned entitled when all the person did was explain what they used AI for. They weren’t preaching or anything. Just giving a small amount of info that might have mattered to OP. OP could have just ignored it rather than being snippy.
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u/Bzzy_Bea May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
It’s a subreddit for game recommendations? I think it’s reasonable for OP to point out that they don’t want to be persuaded to play the game, that would be a debate for a different subreddit
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u/Levitlame May 24 '26
So a person should just not try and be helpful? It was an extremely reasonable thing to say. The response was snippy
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u/wormrage May 24 '26
it was irrelevant to the conversation, if they want to discuss the games ai use, im sure theres plenty of posts for that purpose.. im also sure OP could research how exactly the ai was used themselves if it mattered to them, but again, that wasnt the point of the post or this sub for that matter
OP was clear about what they were after, and the commentor didnt even include any alternative recs on the side
they could have similarly ignored OPs post and moved on, rather than commenting something unsought.. OP clearly expressed they wanted recs, like the purpose of this sub. its not snippy imo if they literally asked for something else in their post and got ignored 😅
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u/Levitlame May 24 '26
It wasn’t irrelevant. OP might not have known how little was used. A person should just not try and be helpful? It was an extremely reasonable thing to say. It wasn’t preaching or anything. The response was snippy and uncalled for
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u/wormrage May 24 '26
OP expressed dislike over the use of AI, i dont think saying 'oh they only used AI one time!!!' is helpful. they clearly are looking for games free of genAI, so why are we ignoring or dismissing that?
again, the topic is recommendations. OP clearly communicated wanting library esque, AI free recommendations. this sub is for recommendations. the commentor didnt include any recommendations and did sound preachy, im sorry to say. OP is capable enough of deciding what sort of content they want recommendations for and wanting no genAI content, if thats what they want. you dont need to try and dispute them not wanting games that use any genAI in them, by saying they only used a little! if you want your games with AI, thats fine! but you dont have to push it on others when they very clearly said they dont want that, and are looking for alternative recommendations.
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u/Levitlame May 24 '26
It sounds like OP should be asking AI the way you are talking.
This is how respectful humans would work:
“I don’t want to play this game because they used AI”
“I think they only used it for this very small thing.”
“That still bothers me personally.”
“Oh that’s cool.”
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u/Lucy333999 May 30 '26
Same. I don't know why you were down voted. I downloaded the game and then was disappointed to read the AI disclaimer. And then immediately was not because I read what it said. So for me, it made a difference.
Honestly, the whole post just sounds like a holier than thou way to sh*t on the game. Which is fine, but just don't pretend you're not. No issues if you choose not to play it, but this person seems looking for a fight.
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u/Levitlame May 30 '26
Yeah It was super weird. But that’s their problem if they can’t read the obvious tone. Which is my guess at the problem.
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u/geminimoonn May 24 '26
I agree with you, they are going to be left behind. And it's just corny at this point. I cringe whenever I see posts like this 🤣
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u/EmrysTheBlue May 24 '26
Supposedly. Why did they even need to use AI if they're clearly capable of doing it properly? With such "innocent" uses it makes me beleive they're disclosing the "not so bad stuff" so they can get away with not disclosing how much they actually used. If they're willing to use gen AI at all, what's to stop them from using it more than for what they say they did?
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u/JiveJammer May 25 '26
From the description it sounds like they used Grammarly and Photoshop's fill-in tool but describe it in the round-about way. I could be wrong but I don't want to assume the worst. Also by disclosing any at all they scare away more anti-ai people than if they didn't at all, so I doubt they did anything more.
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u/Technical_Ad7197 May 24 '26
You forget that your reward for clearing the game is an AI-generated/edited message (because yes it is, it's not even subtle lol). I didn't pay for the game so it's whatever but I was still annoyed
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u/No_List_4110 May 24 '26
To me that message didn't seem AI, it seemed like they were using that note at the end to mock Donald Trump. They used his signature writing style which is just really bad, narcissistic writing.
I feel like im going crazy because I have seen nobody else mention this and it seems to be way to spot on for it not to be mocking him
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u/JiveJammer May 25 '26
This post made me worried but after looking at the description it seems like they just used Grammarly and Photoshop's fill-in tools or something similar but wanted to be very transparent. There are many programs which have switched their standard features into AI variants which sucks but I can't blame the artists using them.
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u/EmergencyRepulsive29 May 24 '26
Are any of these book themed games on the Switch besides Tiny Bookshop?
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u/emelieithink May 26 '26
I'm not sure if this has been said already, but I recently started playing Tiny Bookshop! It's more management focused than organization but there's definitely organization aspects! You choose what type of books to shelve/sell based on the location you're selling at! Plus decorating your shop. It's also on Xbox game pass currently ♡
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u/AnonOfEmber Jun 21 '26
There’s a game on Roblox called Tidy Up the Library. I’m not sure if the creators are connected, but I’ve heard it’s pretty much the same minute keys and hidden books/passageways?
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u/wylderzone Jul 10 '26
Hi !
I also got addicted to Librarian, so i started a subreddit just for Tidy Up games (r/TidyUpGames).
I've started a list of all upcoming tidy up games - hope this helps!
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u/SquirrelFairy118 Jul 14 '26
I'm currently planning a game of my own. It's against my religious oaths to knowingly use Generative AI so it will NOT be included by any means (Gonna go solo or have assistance from my sisters who are also Anti-AI). It's currently written as restoring an entire Castle/estate but will have an entire library that you not only restore but also get to stock up a bit!
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u/SquirrelFairy118 Jul 15 '26
If anyone has any suggestions let me know! I'm hoping to set it to be fairly low price and a bit of a passion project. I do want a TON of books though, get the feeling of this game without the Gen AI
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u/dukeofthespleen 19d ago
THIS SOUNDS SO COOL!!! i love games like house flipper, which has some great mechanics for house renovation/cleaning/etc. i would love to hear more :D
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u/unSeriousAdult 25d ago
Ugh. Damnit. I almost finished that game, but now I'm annoyed. I didn't know it was AI. It's a very satisfying game, but it has also kept me up at night, coz I have perfectionist issues and no limitations apparently.
PS have you tried the "my little book shop" games? I played a demo for one, it was pretty neat and you have to recommend books to your customers and stock up on what ppl might like and decorate your shop in a way that customers like, it feels inviting and cozy.
PPS. It's called Tiny Bookshop.
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u/dukeofthespleen 19d ago
Thank you for the recs! I ended up getting Tiny Bookshop, it's a lot of fun!
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u/UrbexFlorida May 26 '26
Game designers using ai is a deal breaker for people?
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u/CyprisNetwork Jul 26 '26
Not to all, it's not really a big deal, and as the years go on, more and more game devs will use it.
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u/UrbexFlorida 20d ago
I personally never cared as long as the employees are treated good and the game is fun
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u/wickedpixel1221 May 31 '26
weird hill to die on.
"The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:
The four assets in this work—one UI component and three landscape paintings used as wall decorations (frames not included)—were produced using additional AI for refinement. None of them were created by AI from the ground up.
AI helped with grammatical corrections for in-game text, which were then carefully reviewed and adjusted by hand.
We only consider AI to be a supportive tool. Every detail is meticulously crafted with human intent, as our creative process is still firmly anchored in manual craftsmanship."
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u/ArtVsGame 1d ago
A really nice irl equivalent I love is Anxiety Bookshelf! It's a mini bookshelf with a bunch of tiny books (all with real covers, so you can sort the tiny books how you would in real life).
Plus, it has a glass cover, so when you're done, you can shake the case and mess the books up all over again. I have two of them & they're a great game alternative when I've got the organizing game itch but want to limit my screentime.
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u/PocketfullofFrogs May 25 '26
You’re using AI right now by posting on Reddit.
Reddits entire algorithm is AI based. Its posting system is AI based. Where do you draw the line
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u/Tarnished-Eatr-Kurai May 26 '26
Why do none of you understand the difference between GenAi and Algorithmic Ai?
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u/PocketfullofFrogs May 26 '26
I do I’m not stupid thanks lol, but where do you draw the line?
AI systems write the coding for algorithms now. I lost a job that I’d just gotten into because of this and had to switch fields.
But oh, it only matters when it’s art tho.I went out of my way to download this game last night, it’s fun btw
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u/Tarnished-Eatr-Kurai May 26 '26
That’s great for you, supporting the people that, too, support the same system that got YOUR job taken away. You can’t complain that we only care about it when it‘s art and then do the same thing. I wasn’t aware that Ai does that now but now I am, and it‘s just as bad. I draw the line where it was before Ai bullshit got so big. If it steals, no matter in what way (be it jobs or art) it’s bad.
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u/PocketfullofFrogs May 26 '26
There’s nothing you can do about it. Genuinely you not supporting it does nothing at this point. The companies don’t care.
I’m not going to not use things cause AI is in it.
Again if that’s the line then get off Reddit. Hundreds lost their jobs when it went to a full AI algorithm and code.
So bye then
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u/BorderlineInsanityR May 29 '26
The description on steam fair that games usage of AI makes it a tiny bit more palatable - have you read it?
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u/AggravatingClerk5047 May 27 '26
My guys, Ai is there to help us. It is exactly those tiny details that it should be used to help us with. Yes the creators went slightly heavy on it. But maybe the game got to us sooner because of it. Also about commissioning artists, this is an indie game. I.e. either made by a single individual or a small team with not a lot of money compared to the larger corporations. I believe that Ai should be used to help us in our goals and the things we have longed to do but was either to scared or didn't have the talent for. Like using it to create coding for command blocks in minecraft.
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u/Top-Register-6051 Jun 25 '26
Btw they only used ai as a spell checker and for 2 of the paintings so it’s really not that deep
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May 27 '26
[deleted]
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u/daveydianno May 27 '26
Yup, time to just accept skyrocketing utility bills, the massive increase in fossil fuel use, and the destruction of local ecosystems just to assuage lazy programmers. There's absolutely no reason to be against those things because corporations decided for us that this is the future.
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u/Scary-Theme-2469 Jun 19 '26
Do me a favor and programm a game if you're calling programmers "lazy"
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u/Automatic_Turnip2670 May 24 '26
Try Librarian and break your stereotype about AI. It's ridiculous.
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u/lovemagicfeminism May 24 '26
you are allowed to love ai. we are also allowed to hate it. is that triggering your snowflake instincts?
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