Rage Against the (AI) Machine
A frank opinion on the rise of Artificial Intelligence and Jon's personal mission to bring it down.
Jon Clynch
Okay, I admit it – I was taken in, swept up in the initial wave of enthusiasm over AI. It was useful, speeding up research and providing free images. I used it for advice on formatting, book marketing and other writer-type stuff. I made a few book covers, proudly sharing these on social media, thinking that everyone would say, “Wow! They're cool!”
I even used it for personal advice on things like DIY repairs, job-hunting, health problems, side-hustles, and a whole bunch of other things. It made lists for me. It flattered me with praise about my stories. It seemed to be my friend, speaking very much like a real person.
Except it wasn't.
As 'human' as it might have sounded, it's a machine. Of course, I realised this all along, even when I thanked it for helping me out (after all, I didn't want it to hunt me down in the future if it becomes sentient and takes over the planet!).
No, that's not the problem.
The truth is that AI is bad news. I see that now, but it took a while to get here. I was foolish and deluded, a bear of very little brain.
But all that's changed now I've finally realised the truth.
The seemingly unstoppable rise of AI is alarming. It's quite literally everywhere (even posting this to my website, I was offered the option to 'allow AI to write your blog'!). Open any app or head to a website, and you'll have an AI chatbot or some kind of 'helpful' AI feature shoved down your throat.
Long passages of text can be summarised by AI to save you the bother of reading, and - yes - this applies to books. So-called authors are using AI to write books. AI prompts are written to produce 'art'. Most writing jobs these days are aimed at training AI to become better. AI is automating production lines.
Millions upon millions of jobs are at risk, and many have already been taken.
And that's before we explore the devastating environmental impact. Mega data centres are springing up all over, causing air and light pollution, guzzling millions of gallons of water and wasting astonishing amounts of energy, all to create a 'humorous' image of a giraffe reading a newspaper on the toilet.
One new data centre that's planned for the near future will cover a colossal 800 acres, which is horrific. That's the size of Manhattan.
While humans are facing the real possibility of water bankruptcy, data centres are happily splashing gallons of the stuff around to keep the servers cool. It's outrageous and unacceptable. The planet is getting hotter, ecosystems are in danger of collapse, and massive data centres are contributing to this wholesale destruction.
While AI content is striving to improve, it's still theft, essentially. And AI-generated images are labelled 'slop' - rightly so. It is almost always identifiable. It is generally low in quality. And, it has to be said, it sucks.
Then we have the fact that Gen-AI is stopping people from using their own brains. We are literally passing on our thought processes, decision-making and creativity to unthinking machines. Let's face it, people in general seem to be getting dumber by the day. Using AI kills brain cells, and some people out there can't afford the loss.
So, no – I won't use it any longer. I refuse to be a part of the problem.
“But you'll be left behind!” AI enthusiasts cry.
Okay, I'm fine with that.
And so should you be.
It's time to normalise rejecting AI.
See a flyer for an event online that's been made using AI slop? Leave a negative comment and refuse to attend.
Find an online business using AI to advertise? Go to their competitor who doesn't use AI, and make sure they know why.
Follow a page on social media that insists on using AI images? Unfollow immediately, even if you like or agree with the content.
Don't use chatbots. Disable or uninstall AI features on your phone or laptop. Use an alternative to Google (or type -AI) in the search bar.
To finish on a positive note, most economists and financial experts predict that the AI bubble will burst (remember NFTs, anyone?). It's not a matter of if, but when. AI and tech companies are pouring billions of dollars of investors' money into data centres and LLMs, with very little to show for it. Eventually, they'll want to know when they'll get a return.
But the tide is turning, and people are already sick of AI. Sick of seeing ads, posters, and 'slop' turning up everywhere. Sick of talking to robots. Sick of hearing how AI will 'change our lives for the better', when it's already done so much damage.
There's no such thing as 'AI art'. Art is an essentially, intrinsically human thing, a creative process that requires soul, spirit, passion, emotion. AI lacks this, and no prompt, however clever, will ever replace or replicate this.
Likewise with using AI to write books. You're not an author if you use AI to write a book. AI scrapes other peoples' work for free. Basically, it's theft, and it doesn't deserve credit or praise.
So, we're clear on where I stand: I am fundamentally against the use of AI in any capacity and will do what I can to ensure its failure.
“You can't stop progress, AI is inevitable.” they say.
Just watch me.
