The Problem isn’t AI

The problem isn’t “AI.”¹ The problem is the sad little man trying to sell me an “AI” chatbot, an “AI” artist, or an “AI” storyteller. Much like the NFTs he was probably hawking last year, he still hasn’t learned that those things have no value beyond their initial curiosity.

I am not all that interested in talking to a computer², nor am I interested in its art or its stories. What I value in communication is the human element. The power of technology comes from its ability to connect us. Technology starts with the human not the machine. Using technology, I can share videos, take pictures, and even interact with friends around the globe and potentially beyond. We create the stories and the art, and that is amazing even when the art we create is silly and less than perfect. That technology helps us do that is endlessly cool. How pathetic it must be to not have anyone you can ask to draw you a picture, share a story with you, and even just talk. How sad and soul-crushingly empty it must be to see art and stories as mere commodities to be bought and sold like stock shares never understanding the value in art is the artist, their work, and their vision. The fact that people continue to tout these options as the true value of AI only shows how sad and empty their vision of the world truly is.

As a productivity and search tool, AI is interesting. There is a real benefit to being able to connect, summarize, and interact with large sets of varied data. I think there are some cool opportunities that can be realized. That said, all that it is now is a form of digital enclosure - scooping up open data and locking it behind a black box. It’s a strategy (maybe the only strategy) these charlatans know all too well. Somewhere beneath all the snake oil, there is a nugget of something cool. We will ever actually see it? I don’t know, but I hope so. I really do.