Artificial Intelligence (AI) - The Bigger Picture and Why it Matters

Where do you draw the line?

Throughout history, it seems a common occurrence to have subsets of a population, usually the older ones, resist technological advancements. I admit that when I was young and I heard my grandparents grumbling about certain things, I didn’t try to get to the bottom of it. I simply shrugged it off as “old people” resisting change.

If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss their concerns. Now that I have more experience in life and a well-rounded worldview, I understand the concerns that may surround some changes, outside of a basic aversion to change in general.

It is with this in mind that I have taken a close look at my discomfort with the rapid increase in all things Artificial Intelligence (AI). Is this simply a technological advancement—the next step in our evolution—or is it something more sinister than warrants our concern?

A Reality Check

I’m not going to beat around the bush. I have significant concerns about the use of Artificial Intelligence and where it may take us in the not-so-distant future.

As far as the distant future is concerned, if things continue on their current trajectory, I question whether or not we’ll even make it there.

Let’s take a brief look at some of my biggest concerns. I won’t go into too much detail as these are simply my thoughts that I’m sharing in hopes of inspiring others to at least question what they’re seeing happen around them.

• Art

• Children

• Human Intelligence

• Productivity

The Dehumanization of Art

The social media red flag

The first thing that got my spidey sense tingling regarding AI was the sudden onslaught of AI-generated art all over social media. It began with profile photos, mostly on Facebook, and grew into a constant stream of posts from friends and colleagues sharing their AI creations.

On the surface perhaps it looked fun—especially to those lacking their own artistic skills or confidence—but the first sign to me that something was wrong was just how consumed social media seemed to be with these new tools. How could it be that, as if in lockstep, the vast majority of my online connections were playing with these tools and sharing the results? Were there truly that many people taking part? Or were the algorithms purposefully filling my news feeds with this unsettling stuff?

Either way, it was a red flag. Social media is consumed by what our tech overlords want us to be consumed by. Everything happens for a reason.

Mirror mirror on the wall

We already know the dangers of using photo apps that change our faces using filters. Not so much silly things like cat ears and dog noses, but the filters that smooth skin, add definition to jawlines, enlarge eyes, remove body fat, thicken lips, etc. Even some of the seemingly goofy ones do that. These can alter our expectations and create unrealistic expectations for ourselves and others.

One of the latest AI trends is using AI rather than a real photographer for headshots. A quick glance at the ad below and you can see the same dangers of filters. This is no longer the same woman—her face, arms, and torso are all noticeably thinner and her skin tone has changed. Sure, photographers do touch-ups from time to time but it seems AI headshots may cause the same very real issues that people, namely women and young girls, are now struggling with thanks to filers.

Is this the real life? Or is this just fantasy?

Speaking of photographers, what happens to the many artists who are no longer employed every time someone uses AI-generated images? What about the photographer who didn’t get a phone call because his would-be client now has an AI-generated image on their LinkedIn profile? What about the freelance illustrator who didn’t get the job because an up-and-coming band realized they could make a music video themselves using AI? Or the artist who can no longer make ends meet because their prices just can’t compete with wares featuring AI-generated patterns? Or what about the musicians who painstakingly labor over their latest album only to get outplayed by an artist using more AI than natural talent?

And what happens when the average person loses the ability to tell the difference between human-made content and something artificial? Unfortunately, that’s already happening. Spend a few minutes scrolling Facebook and you’ll see what is an obvious (to me) AI creation shared as though it is real. The simple caption “so cute” above a brightly colored, poofy, unrealistically adorable bird—a post full of commenters agreeing and wondering what species it is, where it lives, and how they can get one.

Children, Our Most Valuable Asset

You may say you’ll never be tricked, you can tell the difference. Sure, six months ago most AI-generated humans had the wrong number of fingers, if they had any fingers at all, but have you looked again recently? This has already improved.

But despite those improvements, you have previous experience. You have lived in the Before AI. You’re familiar with the texture of an oil painting and what live music feels like. As time passes, not everyone will be so lucky.

What about the children whose baseline now includes AI-generated content whether that be entertainment, art, voices, etc.? How will they learn the difference between what is real and what isn’t? How will they know to discern between something touched by human hands and something purely technological?

Will they value the difference, if they can even understand that there is one?

And how will this affect their development and the way the interact with the world and other humans?

Human Expression & Creativity

Why does it matter if people can’t tell the difference? I believe it matters a lot.

Creativity is something that is uniquely human. To be human is to be able to make something out of nothing—to dream in our creative brains and to turn those dreams into reality, ourselves or with the help of other humans.

My fear is that handing that uniquely human experience, that power, over to machines could change humans forever.

Human Intelligence

Evidence of the dumbing down of humans, especially in first-world countries, is all around us. Without speculating about potential environmental causes (like toxins in our food, water, and homes), we all know that technology use is affecting us. And without getting into the details of EMFs, electromagnetic sensitivity, and blue light, we should all be able to admit that it is the use of technology has changed us.

Curiosity has suffered with search engines at our fingertips. Attention spans have dropped dramatically thanks to video clips and bite-sized news. Our natural sense of direction is fading thanks to constant access to GPS.

You could say we’re devolving.

Whether or not that is true, my instinct when considering the above is that we need to unplug and get back in touch with these many human skills that we seem to take for granted. Skills and instincts that took generations upon generations before us to perfect. Can we agree to not toss those aside so quickly?

The thing about many of the AI tools being rolled out (and where they may go from here) is that they are not simply offering us a little bit of help. They’re able to do the whole shebang. So, where will we find ourselves when every news article, every book, every email, and every text message is crafted by AI?

How will human communication evolve when we’re doing less of it? How will this affect human thought? Human relationships? Human intelligence?

“Upon closer observation, it becomes apparent that every strong upsurge of power in the public sphere, be it of a political or of a religious nature, infects a large part of humankind with stupidity.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Productivity, but at What Cost?

Some AI tools are certainly attractive and they seem to be popping up everywhere right now. Many of them appear to be aimed at saving you time and increasing your productivity. But why is this the focus?

Are we machines whose value is found in our productivity? Will this potential increase in productivity result in more free time to invest in our humanity, or will more be demanded of us by our employers, the powers that shouldn’t be, and even ourselves?

An increase in productivity doesn’t equal an increase in free time. In a perfect world, this may be the case, but that’s not where we live.

Our Overlords are Just That

Our overlords are our overlords. There is nothing nice about them. We live in a time when whatever benefits may present themselves are not passed along to us, the average Joe. Your productivity has increased and you have more free time? Great, be prepared to work more.

Thanks to AI and the metaverse, you never have to stop working!

They’re also the same people in control of these AI tools. These tools aren’t innocent, they aren’t open source, and they don’t encompass all available information.

• ChatGPT won’t talk to you about certain topics and will only present you with certain facts.

• DALL·E isn’t allowed to generate images when the prompt includes certain words.

They may say this is for reasons that sound understandable on the surface—violence, hate, etc.—but we all know what a slippery slope that is. Who decides what is off limits and how do they decide it? We already know what has happened with search engines like Google and fact-checking on Facebook. Why would this be any different?

So What’s the Harm in Playing Around?

Maybe you understand some or a lot of what I’ve said and you’re apprehensive about why Artificial Intelligence is here and where it may take us, but you’re not apprehensive enough to avoid it. I think this is a poor choice for a couple of reasons.

Feeding the beast

When you use AI tools, even if it’s just for fun, you’re feeding the beast. You’re helping it learn. You’re participating. If you understand that and you’re okay with it, then go right ahead. But for me, I do not want to help AI get smarter. At least not so clearly and directly as literally feeding it my thoughts and ideas.

Unfortunately, AI is using a lot of our online existence as inspiration. If you exist on social media, you’re likely feeding the beast one way or another. Perhaps I am feeding the beast right now by writing on Substack (despite having toggled that option to “no” quite emphatically).

Some people feel we have to use “the enemy’s” tools against them. I understand this concept and engage in it myself to a degree, but I don’t believe the same can be said for AI for the reasons I’ve stated above. You’re not simply using a tool, you’re feeding it.

It’s a slippery slope

Technology and convenience are often slippery slopes. Even those with the best intentions can slide off the cliff eventually. Maybe you, your organization, or your small business use AI just for fun or when there aren’t any other options. But when you open that door just a crack, what’s stopping you from opening it all the way?

What if AI tools increase your content output when you can’t afford to hire a writer? What about when AI helps you compete better with your competition who you know is using AI? What if AI increases your output and thus your income, without having to hire more employees or freelancers? Where do you draw the line?

And what if AI screws everything up because you’ve started to trust it.

Maybe those things won’t happen quickly (or won’t happen at all), but I worry about the potential. I believe right now is a great time to take a stand against AI. If you’re a journalist, an organization, etc. why not pledge to not use AI and be open with your audience about it so you’re held accountable?

Are You for Real?

We’re entering a time where it can be difficult to decipher what is real.

We’ve dealt with fake news for years and seen deep fakes coming for a while. But now, or very shortly, we may have more AI-generated content around us than not and many of us won’t be able to tell the difference.

A kind of virtual reality, but without the goggles.

That’s why I think it is an excellent time to take a stand against these tools and to pledge to not use them, especially as a content creator, journalist, organization, etc.

Personally, I want to know what’s real and who is actually skilled and knowledgeable when choosing what content and information I consume and support. I think we have to get ahead of this rapid shift toward AI-generated everything before we completely lose our grip on reality.

I believe there will be a demand for authenticity and for art made with human hands as we barrel down this unprecedented path, but I fear that demand will continue to shrink if we don’t at least try to grab the wheel soon.

I’m ready to wear my humanity on my sleeve and be completely transparent about my use of—or resistance to—Artificial Intelligence. I’m ready for a transition to a human revolution—a warm embrace of our power and creativity and intelligence—rather than to “the intelligent era” recently described by Klaus Schwab which will actually strip us of those very things.