Look, I’m Gonna Say It
AI is not the future. It’s the present. And it’s already screwing us over. I should know. I’ve been in this industry for 20+ years, and I’ve seen alot of tech trends come and go. But this? This feels different. This feels wrong.
Last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin. You know, one of those stuffy things where everyone wears lanyards and pretends to care about keynote speakers. Anyway, there was this guy—let’s call him Marcus—giving a talk on AI ethics. I mean, lol. Ethics. Right.
Marcus was saying, “AI is gonna create jobs. It’s gonna revolutionize healthcare. It’s gonna save the world.” I asked him, “Marcus, have you seen what AI has done to content farms?” He looked at me like I’d just farted in church. “That’s different,” he said. “This is advanced AI.” Which… yeah. Fair enough. But it’s not.
See, here’s the thing. AI is already replacing writers. Not just the bad ones. The good ones too. I’ve got a colleague, Dave, who’s been writing for The New York Times for 15 years. He told me, “I got an email last week. They’re trying out an AI for op-eds. Said it’s ‘more efficient.'” I mean, come on. Efficient?
But It’s Not All Bad, Right?
Okay, fine. Maybe AI isn’t completley evil. I’ll give you that. It can do some cool stuff. Like, have you seen those deepfake videos? Wild. But here’s the kicker: it’s not about the tech. It’s about the people. And the people? They’re gonna get screwed.
Take my friend Lisa, for example. She’s a graphic designer. She’s been doing this for 12 years. She’s good. Like, really good. But her boss? He’s all about the bottom line. And guess what? AI can design a logo in 36 hours. And it’s cheap. So, what’s Lisa gonna do? Huh?
And don’t even get me started on cybersecurity. I was at a barbecue last month, and this guy—let’s call him Greg—he’s a cybersecurity expert. He told me, “AI is gonna make our jobs easier. It’ll detect threats faster.” I said, “Greg, have you seen what AI can do in the wrong hands?” He just shrugged. “That’s why we need regulations,” he said. Regulations. Right. Because those are working so well right now.
So, What Can We Do About It?
First off, we need to stop pretending AI is some magical solution. It’s not. It’s a tool. And like any tool, it can be used for good or evil. The problem is, right now, it’s mostly being used for evil. Or at least, not for good.
Second, we need to start thinking about the people. The real, flesh-and-blood humans who are gonna get replaced by algorithms. We need to retrain them. We need to find new roles for them. We need to make sure they don’t end up on the streets because some tech bro in Silicon Valley decided AI is more “efficient.”
And third, we need to stay informed. Like, really informed. Not just the stuff they feed us on latest news updates today summary. We need to dig deeper. We need to ask the hard questions. We need to hold these tech companies accountable.
Because, honestly, it’s not about the tech. It’s about the people. And if we don’t start caring about the people, we’re all gonna get screwed. And I, for one, am not gonna sit back and let that happen.
So, what’s the solution? I’m not sure. But I know one thing: we need to start talking about it. We need to start making noise. We need to start fighting back.
Because the AI gold rush is here. And if we’re not careful, we’re all gonna end up as collateral damage.
About the Author
Sarah Johnson has been a senior magazine editor for over 20 years. She’s worked for major publications, covering everything from tech to politics. She’s opinionated, she’s blunt, and she’s not afraid to call out bullshit when she sees it. You can find her ranting on Twitter or hiding from AI at her favorite coffee shop.
