Which AI services do you subscribe to?

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gzt

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#3480094 11-Apr-2026 20:18

Kiwifruta:
cddt:
A family member uses google search for "restaurant xyz opening hours" and Google AI gives an answer. We drive to the restaurant, the restaurant is closed. The website had the correct opening hours, Google AI's answer was BS.

I find Google maps pretty reliable for this. For far too many times, I find AI tools to be confidently wrong.

Same. First time i really relied on it I had a fallback plan in case of failure and I needed it. Maximally annoying anyway. Google has a plan to integrate maps with AI - Imo that will mean it works at least when an ai request can be made in the Maps application, one hopes.

dman

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#3502153 11-Jun-2026 21:57

Reanalyse:

I use Claude Code, but divert it to using z.ai as the engine. Reduces the cost to US$27.00 for three months, which is OK for me as a hobby.

Been thinking myself I should use a non-Anthropic subscription with Claude Code.

As I've had a Claude subscription for a couple of years, it was so good I cancelled by OpenAI/ChatGPT subscription. (I certainly like it way more than the 365 Copilot sub we have here at work for ICT, but better than nothing I guess?! )

The biggest "downside" I can say about Claude is that I only have a Pro level sub, so I do find I burn through my quota way too fast, and I need to be very careful in how I manage / optimize my usage.

For example, when I first used Fable 5 yesterday I burned through HALF of my quota with just a single sentence prompt! (I switched back to Opus 4.8 for the rest of the day...)

My brother mentioned to me yesterday that just in that morning he'd burned through the equivalent of NZ$500 in API usage just by using Fable 5 + Ultracode mode

So I've certainly been for a while thinking strongly I need to move up to the Claude Max 5x plan instead at US$100/month

But just this week I've decide I'm going to give first a try of instead mixing my existing Claude Pro sub but plus a new OpenCode Go plan (is just US$10/month)

That way I have both the sub with the best intelligence, and the sub which is the best value that is available right now.

I'll still use Opus (maybe Fable...) for the high level planning / management / orchestrating (& tricky troubleshooting), but pass off the drudgery to the cheaper subscription models to implement.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SoundSpeeding

MikeB4

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#3502220 12-Jun-2026 07:39

I don't directly subscribe but use from time to time a shared corporate subscription. Using AI reminds of the old compute adage GIGO. AI is only as good as what you give it to work with.

Normal ain't coming back, the crazy stays.

dafman

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#3502241 12-Jun-2026 09:21

While I find the free models great for general queries (as long as I don't need to rely on facts), the future is scary.

I watched the recent Google I/O 2026. The future, according to Google, is where individuals cede all decision making and personal agency to AI. You'll never need to plan your time anymore, make an informed purchase decision, design something, or even put any thinking in write anything again - AI agents will do the lot. You hand over your grey matter, all critical thinking (actually all thinking), to an algorithm.

(and forget photos being records of past reality, they are now anything you want them to be).

Apple WWDC26 this last week was no more encouraging.

And it looks like much of this is getting baked with limited ability to avoid.

7+ billion silicon valley organic robots, living in harmony alongside the mechanical ones.

MikeB4

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#3502273 12-Jun-2026 10:46

The government has passed legislative change to allow MSD to use AI to grant/decline certain services and payments. I worked for a long time at MSD/DSW both frontline customer facing and head office IT. The notion of AI doing this worries the hell out of me. Welfare is not 1+1= there are considerable variations and scenarios. I fear this will go very badly for the vulnerable in our communities. The government has not said what service they will use, probably whatever Datacom or PWC etc are pushing. I guess it wont be Siri or will it be.

Normal ain't coming back, the crazy stays.

KiwiSurfer

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#3502289 12-Jun-2026 11:32

Kiwifruta:

cddt:

A family member uses google search for "restaurant xyz opening hours" and Google AI gives an answer. We drive to the restaurant, the restaurant is closed. The website had the correct opening hours, Google AI's answer was BS.

I find Google maps pretty reliable for this. For far too many times, I find AI tools to be confidently wrong.

I have a suspicion that Google AI relied on the data in Google Maps. Would be interesting to see if the restaurant had different opening hours in their Google Maps profile vs their website. Or there may be other sources e.g. restaurant review sites.

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KiwiSurfer

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#3502290 12-Jun-2026 11:34

I pay $40 a month for Claude Pro mainly to get access to the VS Code extension. Interestingly I don't use it for coding mostly. I've found it good for just making markdown files e.g. travel planning, financial planning, etc. Not sure if worth $40 a month but I do enjoy the travel planning aspect -- helps me to focus on the ideas rather than get bogged down into the details which Claude can manage quite well.

gzt

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#3502297 12-Jun-2026 11:52

KiwiSurfer: I have a suspicion that Google AI relied on the data in Google Maps. Would be interesting to see if the restaurant had different opening hours in their Google Maps profile vs their website. Or there may be other sources e.g. restaurant review sites.

I'm fairly sure the AI opening hours results come from search ranking which is often menulog and similar aggregation sites. Restaurant food delivery service hours are sometimes larger than retail hours. There's a food provider in my area closes at 6pm pretty sure they still do delivery from the same kitchen until late. Maps, at least the restaurant can take ownership and correct it if needed and add the retail website.

dman

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#3502409 12-Jun-2026 14:44

KiwiSurfer:

I pay $40 a month for Claude Pro mainly to get access to the VS Code extension. Interestingly I don't use it for coding mostly. I've found it good for just making markdown files e.g. travel planning, financial planning, etc. Not sure if worth $40 a month but I do enjoy the travel planning aspect -- helps me to focus on the ideas rather than get bogged down into the details which Claude can manage quite well.

Claude is quite good for idea generation as well!

https://www.youtube.com/c/SoundSpeeding

gzt

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#3502422 12-Jun-2026 15:01

dafman: I watched the recent Google I/O 2026. The future, according to Google, is where individuals cede all decision making and personal agency to AI. You'll never need to plan your time anymore, make an informed purchase decision, design something, or even put any thinking in write anything again - AI agents will do the lot. You hand over your grey matter, all critical thinking (actually all thinking), to an algorithm.

On the other hand in some areas that can be a benefit.

By the way if you want to go full ai dystopia anytime, we have a long running thread for that, feel free to join us ; ).

MikeAqua

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#3502432 12-Jun-2026 15:28

Absolutely none. Likely to stay that way. I've got AI turned off to the greatest extent possible on all my personal devices.

I'm with the Butlerians and Sarah Connor on this one.

Mike

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WellyGal

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#3503348 15-Jun-2026 18:38

First time poster, be kind...also used AI to figure out how to Post on here (heh). I'm subscribed with ChatGPT. Have dabbled with Claude. Chat knows a lot about my preferences though, so it's quite a commitment to switch it up.

roobarb

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#3503433 16-Jun-2026 07:54

It turns out I do actually have an AI subscription. I am an avid user of duolingo

Imagine life being constantly badgered by a green owl.

Kookoo

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#3503452 16-Jun-2026 09:28

Spotify. Listening an AI-compiled playlist with about 10% of songs being AI-generated. Makes for a great past-time activity - "spot the ai slop in your playlist".

Hello, Ground!

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