Make this email sound more professional. What do you think of this photo I just took? What is something smart to say about this art? What’s a good excuse to cancel dinner with my friends? All prompts promoted by companies like Google for their Artificial Intelligence (AI).
AI, a horse that’s beyond dead from how much it’s been beaten. But with how prevalent it becomes every day, in almost every field, it is impossible not to talk about it. Every brand and company seems to dip itself into this metaphorical pool. Google primarily promotes its AI extensively, outright forcing users to use Gemini for every search.
It all feels as though these companies want to stifle critical thinking and creativity. Why research on your own if you could use Gemini or ChatGPT? Why learn to draw or animate if you could just use Sora? Why learn to write better if you could correct any idea you have with AI? If it were truly flawless, using these AIs would hold some merit.
If I had to choose between going down a five-hour rabbit hole that I can barely understand or having something that sums up everything I need to know in a couple of short minutes. I couldn’t say I wouldn’t consider it, but AI doesn’t give flawless information; it hallucinates and lies. It also pulls from sources that may have used AI to do so, meaning that the source may have imperfections.
AI should not be used as a companion or a replacement for thinking. What people think is a robotic friend or academic savior is simply ones and zeroes created by rich tech companies to make people reliant on them and easier to control. These companies only desire more people to use their AI. If people can think, they won’t use AI. They don’t want people to search and find sources on their own; that is why Gemini is always at the top of a Google search. They profit from stupidity and ignorance.
These companies know that people love convenience; it is far easier to simply take Gemini’s words at face value at the top of a search. After all, it’s hard to ignore fast and easy answers.
It’s impossible to ignore AI, especially when it’s being pushed to people in all areas of their lives. However, it’s best to decide when it’s genuinely needed. If someone is trying to figure out how the theory of relativity works, AI is a helpful jumpstart, but if someone just wants an opinion on which hat fits them better, they should really just ask a friend.
AI is a tool, a tool that needs to be regulated properly. It can be used responsibly as a start to searching on your own. It can be used to get a rough idea, then go off and find real sources with the basics already in mind.
AI ads promote using AI for meaningless and easy tasks; if someone cannot write a professional email without AI, they shouldn’t work in a field where it’s required, or learn to write an email on their own. The way companies like Google promote AI in their ads is not how it should be used; it is not a friend, colleague, peer, or scientist. It is a tool, nothing more, and nothing less.
