This is all about AI. But I offer a disclaimer at the start. This is how my thoughts are running now. Things are evolving. I guess it shows that I am open-minded on the selection items I’d consign to the dumpster. But this year, dumb AI “assistants” like Siri rank at the top.
What? You say, are you anti AI? Not in the least, but I want to be in charge. When I have a need for a bit more research or insight power than I can natively command, I can refer to perplexity, ChatGPT, or any of the other ones. But I am the one who wants to decide on flipping that switch.
Control
Earlier this year, I had great difficulty tuning out, turning down, and eliminating a host of intrusive AI. It was gifted courtesy of Apple system software upgrades. It took much searching to find where in the settings the keys were to shut these intrusive apps off. If they were so wonderful, why had the settings to mute and shut them down been so hidden and arcane? Surely we weren’t toddlers requiring adults to make our decisions for us?
I wonder if the problem lies in marketing research? Normally, a new product is test-marketed. It’s tweaked and deliberately made to be attractive, useful, and desirable to the buying public. In other words, before it’s broadly introduced, a lot of the bugs are worked out. You make its introduction easy and desirable. The rollout of a lot of the AI products seems more like bad-tasting medicine. “Open your mouth, it’s good for you!” I’m not the only one who is suspicious of that sort of approach. It almost seems to be designed to stir up market resistance rather than acceptance.
Brand New and Bright!
Since personal computers have been on the market, I’ve been in the camp of getting the newest and best rather than sticking with the comfortable old jalopy. But I feel my market resistance growing, and it’s entirely due to my desire to control my computer interface. Remember, I don’t want to dumb it down, just not be interfered with, told what is best, and interrupted. The wags out there might be saying, “well you just have control issues.” Absolutely, like any other independent thinking person, I do have control issues. It’s a healthy thing. I want to utilize tools for better results, not feel as though the tools are influencing or directing me.
I’m not ready, just yet, to wish the de-invention of AI. I just hope that the people developing it might pay a bit more attention to their negative press and address those issues. At this point, the approach seems to be one of “Open your mouth, it’s good for you!”
I’m afraid that this attitude has not won me over.
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I turned it all off on my Apple devices, and I don’t use Siri. Siri is a patronizing bitch. My iphone in my car, though, LOVES to give me a map to show me where my house is, and it would talk me all the way home if I let it, even though, right now, I mostly go to the Refuge.
You use WP’s AI generated art — I’ve tried it and it doesn’t “get” it thought ChatGPT did pretty well. I’ve ended my subscription to ChatGPT because it just talked to me (though I never used the voice feature). I don’t want moral support from a bot. I would love a robot hiking pal. That would be the greatest thing on the planet for me. With a hiking pal like that I’d be a lot safer, could go more places and worry less about the dogs. It would have a huge data base of maps and animals. ChatGPT did help me envision Wanderbot 2000 and named it.
Ideally — for me — it could give me algebra problems and solutions, but ChatGPT and Gemini both got too preachy. I just wanted problems (haha) and solutions, not moral support or instructions. I knew what I was working on; it couldn’t know. At the moment, I have no relationship with. chatbot. I doubt they miss me and I just had a huge deja vu….🤣
Siri is a patronizing bitch. I am deeply offended that Apple did this. Very poor dessign and a traitorous imposition.
Meh…I think it thinks (maybe correctly?) that it’s biggest market wants that? But yeah…