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I posted this previously on FB, which is a reversal from my normal; I usually write my long posts here and point to them from FB. So, onward...
I do not use AI. And I will not use it.
This isn't because I don't see what I could do with it -- yes, despite its current limitations and flaws.
It's because (A) all the current AIs are built on a foundation of stealing other people's work in the name of "research" and then using it for commercial purposes -- including quite a number of my own books, and the artwork of many artists I know, respect, and have even in many cases used the services of.
(B) Our current society is structured such that the use of AI is in no way beneficial for anyone except a very, very small fraction of the population. From the point of view of its deployers, it's a money and time saving system. But the money and time it saves is in the work of the majority of the workforce.
There are those who will argue that X profession or Y profession will be resistant to AI intrusion (for instance, plumbers or electricians) because of the physical limitations of the job. And that's true, to an extent, but ONLY to an extent. We already have automated cars. They kinda suck in various ways, but there's no doubt that people are working constantly on improving autonomous driving; when that reaches the point that it's as safe or safer than human drivers, good-bye to 99% of the driving-based jobs. White collar jobs are far more vulnerable, and make up a HUGE portion of total jobs.
If we had a society that valued PEOPLE, this wouldn't be a big deal. Okay, you can't spend your time in an office filing forms, so now you can go home and have fun, maybe do some hobby you've wanted to do but didn't have the time for.
But our current society REQUIRES that you have "A Job" unless you're already quite wealthy.
And AI is a *general* innovation, not a *specific* one. If you have a specific innovation that, say, kills off the buggy whip market, there are usually new emergent jobs that will absorb the relatively small fraction of the population that used to work in that industry.
There is no possible way that AI will create more jobs than it disrupts, if it is at all effective in its roles. It WILL cause -- and is ALREADY causing -- significant layoffs, and eventually an unheard-of spike in unemployment.
The current administration and the techbros around them will have a "solution" to this, but it's most likely going to be "slave labor" with a new label. I'm not exaggerating; Elon Musk suggested that his proposed colonies would be populated by people from all walks of life... under what was just a relabeled form of indentured servitude.
So unless, and until, the most fundamental problems with it are solved, I do not, and will not, use AI for anything I can possibly avoid. No matter how fun it might be.
