Even if you never read the Aeneid, you’ve probably heard the saying to ” Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” It was a warning to the Trojans to be leery of the supposed gift of the Trojan Horse, left “innocently” outside the gates of Troy. Hey guys! It was not left there by accident!
Today’s equivalent should be “Beware of Geeks bearing gifts.” In this case, all sorts of tech goodies promising to revolutionize our lives. You may be either for or against AI. I read lots of Sci Fi and remember lots of cautionary tales against, and many in which AI is a beneficial aid. I personally think it can go either way ( or in a truly perverse universe, both!). Neither argument has convinced me.
But…there is that important word again… I remember the basic adage about advertising. It’s created to sell products. Perhaps you are a reformed smoker or drinker. Remember all those ads that tried to convince you you were cool, suave, and sophisticated smoking Cools? Or drinking Gordon’s Gin? Now recall that visit to your doctor where he said, ” That shit is going to kill you!”
So, as you evaluate the hype for all the new tech the geeks are bearing, remember that they are selling a product, and you are the target market. In fact, like ads for booze, tobacco, fatty food, or any other good, you have a target painted on you.
Or as my con artist almost friend John once said, “Lou, if it were that damn good, they wouldn’t have to push it so hard.” Thank you, John.
- Note: While I do sometimes use the WordPress AI to generate illustrations for posts. A talented and gifted human created this one.
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I think AI — like any tool — is as moral as its user. I use Grammarly because I’m comma challenged but I do NOT let it touch my actual writing. What can a derivative imitating arbitrary bit of programming know about actual human expression? It can’t know anything. In a way, AI writing tools and information searches will keep humanity in the past. It can never be truly innovative, imaginative, emotional, nothing that has moved people from stasis into wonderment. Can’t do it. BUT it’s really great for someone wanting to practice simple algebra equations.
I also use Grammarly. I am punctuation and spelling-challenged, but like you, I don’t let it change my writing. If it’s used as a tool, I’ll use AI, but I don’t intend on being a tool of AI.
Yep — there’s no reason at all that a completely original lifeform should subsume itself to a derivative language model. That’s stagnation.
👍👍