My Mortal Enemy
I feel prepared at this time to state publicly, and to cement on the internet forever, my blood-boiling contempt for generative AI. There’s a version of this post in which I rant and rave—often veering into the irrational and conspiratorial—but I have done my best to remain even-keeled and open-minded in this draft. I’m not trying to make any enemies. Except for the one I already have: AI.
It was frighteningly few years ago when the term “artificial intelligence” existed only in three places: 1) science fiction films; 2) hilarious jokes; 3) my father’s vocabulary. From the get-go, I knew it was none of my business. It never intrigued me, let alone scared me, because it felt so far out of the realm of possibility. Ignorance was bliss. When I first began hearing about Chat GPT, I thought it was something only arrogant tech people would use to make themselves redundant. I called (and still call) it “Chat GBT” because (as previously mentioned) that acronym is none of my business. But once the layman got his hands on Chat GBT, then came the existential conversations. The second industrial revolution is upon us! If we use AI here, what’s to stop us from using it everywhere? One day machines will replace us all. I thought these people were paranoid. I thought if I ignored this new technological revolution hard enough, pushed it from my mind with a force bordering on delusion, then it would be vanquished from reality.
And if it wasn’t, I prayed to God that I could live a long life and die peacefully before being confronted head-on with it.
My prayers were not answered. I now face the reality of AI head-on every single day. If I were being irrational and conspiratorial, I’d say “I’m living my worst nightmare,” so I won’t say that. I’m merely living through a moment in time I would never choose for myself. But I suspect, if we were given the option, very few of us would choose this current moment—with the unprecedentedness of it all. Alas, that is the plight of existence. We are given it and must make do.
How I make do is by ignoring. Sure, it’s not an action item that will alter the fate of the world, but it is going to bring peace to my own life. I read or heard this quote somewhere recently that can be summarized as: “There are certain things in life we have to ignore in order to get by.” I wish I could give credit where credit is due because no sentiment has ever rung more true for me. Certainly the choice to ignore something is a luxury not everyone can afford and, in many ways, ignorance is a privilege. But I believe it is also something we’ve been needlessly holding against each other. In a society where everyone has a phone in their hand, with every possible answer to every possible question just a couple of clicks away, it can feel like being “out of the know” is lazy, careless, or even flat-out mean.
I don’t think it’s radical to say we all know a little too much. Technology has given us too much. Some of it we must ignore. At least that’s what I’m going to do. Artificial intelligence, in all its forms and figures, was first on the chopping block. The life I want to live does not include AI, therefore, I do not need to know what the newest Chat GBT-esque site is called, what all its “cool” features are, how they will save the world, or how they will ruin it. I do not want to conquer my fear by understanding it. I am going to ignore the hell out of it.
People like my father who believe in the good and proper use of AI can have all the fun they want. That is their prerogative, I believe, as long as AI stays in the business of computers (tech, machinery, programming, etc.). On certain days, when my anger is at bay, I even feel inspired by those who think AI will truly help our world. It’s probably helping right now in some way I don’t even know about. Great! Go ahead! That reckless optimism is appealing. Where I draw the line, though, is generative AI: artificial intelligence as creator or producer of anything remotely under the umbrella of “art.” That is encroaching on my business. Words, sounds, images, videos, paintings, likenesses, reimaginings, stories. Art is human, and it feels ridiculous to be vocalizing such a thing because isn’t it obvious? Has history not proven to us time and time again that art is what we have when we have nothing else? It is what saves us when all seems lost. Why on earth are we trying to take that away from ourselves?
There is no angle for optimism there.
When writers, thinkers, or creators of any kind use generative AI to write, think, or create for them, I cannot for the life of me understand it. What business do you have in an art-related field if you want to shortcut that work? That “work” is the fun part. It’s the human part. It’s where you try and fail and try again until something good appears. It’s where you learn and teach. It’s where you question yourself and those around you. The first draft is always the worst and so what? That’s how it’s supposed to be. Some things don’t need to be maximized or innovated upon. Some things are supposed to be as they’re supposed to be. Let them lie.
Now, I’m not talking about classic internet built-ins like spellcheck or even Grammarly (though that’s a slippery slope)—I’m talking about prompt creation and summarizing and researching and, dare I even say, entire drafting. I fear many people have begun considering art for solely its product and disregarding the much longer, arguably much more important process. Prompting yourself is a simple mix of imagination and patience. The ability to summarize is a lesson in comprehension and judgment. Researching is an art form of its own, one that teaches trust (in sources, authors) and impartiality (to know your topic inside and out). And drafting whole works using AI…I can’t even discuss it without flying off the rails…But I bet you can guess my opinion.
I am, and forever want to be, in the business of reading and writing. All aspects of it. I will happily market myself as a “human AI” who can do all your grunt work of summarizing and fact-checking and line-editing. It might take me twice as long but it’ll be accurate and reliable.
No amount of debate or frankly even proof could convince me that generative AI is beneficial to the arts. It is dehumanizing, untrustworthy, and lazy. Art should be none of those things. I feel confident enough in that truth to yell it far and wide. If one day in the future AI somehow becomes miraculously conducive to real artistic expression, I will: a) not believe it and b) ignore it.
The whole “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” thing doesn’t apply here. I want my mortal enemy, AI, as far away from me as possible.