So I’m just gonna kind of run and gun this story, no notes, no preparation, just stream-of-consciousness writing. AI has been at the forefront of the technology cycle for the past couple of years at this point and there’s been a lot of interesting developments over the years. We’ve gone from basic language and image generation models to some pretty complex stuff that can even give insight into how it’s generating responses. Overall, I think the technology is pretty cool. Computers are able to handle edge cases and make life just that much easier.

The AI Bubble

Obviously there’s an AI bubble right now, we’re in a hotbed of new ideas, people are trying things that may work, people are trying things that definitely won’t work. From a technological standpoint, I think that’s really cool. It’s a new frontier for technological exploration—the Cambrian Explosion of AI tools. We’re getting some wacky ideas, we’re getting some super cool ideas, and we’re getting some absolutely terrible ideas, but each of those new ideas helps the world advance a little further. Each wrong answer is a step towards the right answer. With that being said, it’s survival of the fittest, not every AI company can be sustained long-term, so there will eventually be a reduction in the number of companies that do this kind of stuff.

How I Use AI

For me, it’s another tool to do things, I haven’t replaced all of my searching with ChatGPT, I haven’t replaced all of my design and coding knowledge with Figma and Cursor, and I haven’t replaced my ability to write these posts with Notion AI. They have their uses, and figuring out how to best leverage them is the key. Searching with ChatGPT doesn’t obfuscate my need for a traditional search engine like Kagi, my daily driver. ChatGPT is useful for certain things, but there are times where I just need my page of links.

The Right Tool for the Job

That’s really what it comes down too: it’s a new tool. The microwave didn’t replace the oven, the smartphone didn’t replace the computer, the Wifi didn’t replace ethernet. Each new piece of technology has its place—for some people they can get along just fine with their smartphone and they don’t really need a traditional computer, that’s not everyone, but that demographic does exist. There are some people who don’t even own a single ethernet cable (that’s absolutely not me, but they exist). But for a lot of people, they strike a balance between the two. I have both a phone and a laptop, they excel at different tasks. I also have a wireless and a wired network in my apartment because both have their advantages.

The Social Dilemma

Yes, there are issues with AI, just like there are issues with most technology. Wifi is slow, unreliable, and defeated by menaces like tin foil. Ethernet isn’t portable. Microwaves are good at giving you a nice hot bowl of cold soup. Ovens are large, expensive, and take a long time to heat up food. AI has lead to an issue of monetization on the internet, companies are out there generating as much “AI slop” as it’s called as they can. Yeah, that happens. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be like that forever. Software instruments didn’t replace orchestras, smartphones still haven’t replaced cameras, and AI won’t replace artists. It’s just not going to happen. AI has its own tradeoffs and people are going to learn that the hard way. Things might go wrong, but they’ll be figured out. Eventually we’ll all strike a balance between AI and other technology.

How We Find This Balance

There’s going to be some give and take, people are going to have their opinions and that’s good, everyone’s entitled to their own thoughts. Eventually all of those opinions are going to shape the future of the technology. Problems people raise with things like fair use and copyright are going to be important conversations that are had, and the world is going to do its best to find the right balance. That’s what nature does. It’s just going to take time.

Closing Thoughts

Personally I’ve started taking this kind of “things will get sorted out in the end” approach. That’s not to say that people should just sit around and wait for that to happen, I’m advocating for quite the opposite. Make your opinions heard, hear the opinions of others, all of it is an important contribution to the advancement of technology, even if you have no clue how a neural network functions. If you have thoughts about AI, sound off down below, on Bluesky, or over on Mastodon.