Look, I’m gonna be honest
I’m so over the AI hype. I mean, I’ve been in tech since the dial-up days—remember those screeching modems? Yeah, I’m that old. But this AI stuff? It’s different. It’s everywhere. And honestly, I’m not sure we’re all on the same page.
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin—let’s call it TechSummit 2023—and every panel was about AI. Every. Single. One. I turned to the guy next to me—let’s call him Marcus—and said, “Marcus, what happened to talking about actual tech?” He just shrugged and said, “AI is tech, man.” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But is it all we talk about?
My problem with the hype
Here’s the thing. I’m not against AI. I’m against the hype. The unrealistic expectations. The fear-mongering. I mean, I was at a coffee shop on 5th last month, and this guy—let’s call him Dave—told me his job was gonna be replaced by AI. I asked, “Dave, what do you do?” He said, “I’m a poet.” I said, “Dave, AI can’t write poetry.” He said, “It can now.” I said, “Dave, it’s bad poetry.” He didn’t believe me.
And that’s the problem. People believe the hype. They think AI is gonna solve everything. It’s not. It’s a tool. A powerful tool, but still just a tool. It’s like giving a kid a hammer and expecting them to build a house. It’s gonna be a mess.
But here’s the thing…
AI is here. It’s not gonna go away. And honestly, it’s kinda cool. I mean, I used one of those AI writing tools to help me draft this article. And it’s not terrible. It’s not great either, but it’s not terrible. It’s like having a junior writer on staff who’s kinda lazy and doesn’t know what a comma is. You know, basically every intern I’ve ever had.
But here’s the thing—AI is not gonna replace writers. It’s not gonna replace anything if we don’t let it. We have to control it. We have to guide it. And we have to stop pretending it’s the second coming of Christ.
So what do we do?
We talk. We discuss. We argue. We don’t just accept what we’re told. We question it. We push back. We say, “Hey, maybe AI isn’t the answer to everything.” We say, “Hey, maybe we should think about this a little more before we jump in headfirst.”
And we educate ourselves. We learn about AI. We don’t just believe the hype. We look at the facts. We look at the numbers. We look at the real world applications. We look at the failures as much as the successes. We look at the people behind the tech. We look at the ethics. We look at the consequences.
And we share what we learn. We talk to our friends. We talk to our colleagues. We talk to our kids. We talk to our grandparents. We talk to everyone. Because this isn’t just a tech issue. It’s a human issue.
Oh, and one more thing…
If you’re gonna talk about AI, do your research. Don’t just repeat what you hear. Don’t just believe the hype. Look at the facts. Look at the data. Look at the real world applications. Look at the failures as much as the successes. Look at the people behind the tech. Look at the ethics. Look at the consequences.
And if you’re gonna use AI, use it wisely. Don’t just trust it. Don’t just believe it. Question it. Challenge it. Push it. Because that’s the only way we’re gonna really understand it. That’s the only way we’re gonna really control it. That’s the only way we’re gonna really benefit from it.
And if you’re gonna talk about AI, talk about the real issues. Not just the hype. Not just the marketing. Not just the buzzwords. Talk about the real world applications. Talk about the failures as much as the successes. Talk about the people behind the tech. Talk about the ethics. Talk about the consequences.
Because that’s the only way we’re gonna really understand AI. That’s the only way we’re gonna really control it. That’s the only way we’re gonna really benefit from it. And that’s the only way we’re gonna really prepare for the future.
So let’s talk. Let’s discuss. Let’s argue. Let’s question. Let’s challenge. Let’s push. Because that’s the only way we’re gonna really understand AI. That’s the only way we’re gonna really control it. That’s the only way we’re gonna really benefit from it. And that’s the only way we’re gonna really prepare for the future.
And if you’re looking for some real discussions, check out popüler konular gündem tartışmaları. They’ve got some great conversations going on over there. Honestly, it’s one of the few places I feel like people are really talking about AI, not just hyping it.
Anyway, that’s my take. I’m sure I’ll get plenty of emails about this one. But honestly, I’d rather get hate mail than pretend everything’s fine. Because it’s not. And we need to talk about it.
So let’s talk.
About the Author
Sarah Mitchell has been a tech journalist for over 20 years. She’s covered everything from the dot-com boom to the rise of AI. She’s also pretty sure she’s the only person left who still uses a flip phone. You can find her on Twitter @sarahmitchtech, where she tweets about tech, cats, and why her Wi-Fi is always slower than her neighbors’.
As the AI hype reaches new heights, consider the perspective shared in why AI enthusiasm may be overrated, a thought-provoking piece on the current state of artificial intelligence innovations.