What the Prompt? How AI News is Making us Crazy šµāš«
It's not the tools, it's our response to them right now. Big Tech is driving a mack truck through society, spreading AI hype out its exhaust pipe, and the only way to save ourselves is to dig on in...
Have you tried generative AI? Not yet? Well, itās time. Because now itās not just the generative AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude, but the AI capabilities seeping their way into every digital crevice of our lives. If we donāt fundamentally understand the hype, we risk falling prey to the manufactured fervor surrounding it all.
Itās an ecosystem gone rogue at the moment. The media are worried they will become extinct and so are going hard on a clickbait-last-ditch-effort to juice out revenue before they become extinct. Big Tech needs you to be excited, lest the billions dumped into AI development be rendered commercially unviable. And your employer really wants you to use AI to cut costs, and maybe even to prove you are replaceable.
Itās clear we arenāt that pumped, either. According to Pew, 47% of experts surveyed say they are more excited than concerned about the increased use of AI in daily life, but only 11% of the public feel the same.
So, this weekend, if you havenāt, start digging in and seeing what generative AI can do for you. If nothing else, ask these tools to explain what the hype is all aboutā¦
Now itās Time to Get With the *Prompts*
Asking the *right* questions of an AI is highly personal, and age-specific when we consider these tools and kids. But to kick it off, below is a guide to get you started. Within the document is a downloadable one-sheet that may help as well Ā»
The Weekās News in Context
Picture a gaggle of kids running around, jumping on the couch, screaming, and delighting themselves with fantastical tales of āwhat ifsā and imagination. Well, thatās the vibe right now. Not to minimize the seriousness of some of what is happening, but we need to absorb, contextualize, and discuss like the adults we are. Nothing is as easy or hard, as terrible or fantastical, as it may seem at the moment.
Recent š¤Ŗ Headlines Ā»
The AI Regulation Moratorium Malarkey
We do need to encourage AI innovation if we are going to compete globally. But it will require more of a Goldilocks approach to building the future, with as close to a ājust rightā fit as possible. So, yes, a patchwork of state AI regulation could hamstring innovation, but thatās neither new nor strictly an AI issue. For years now, consumers have suffered the indignation of state-by-state privacy laws affording different levels of protection based on your zip code. But doing a bad job of forcing a fence around a porous Internet is no reason not to try. We should also remember that fighting the harms of AI development, such as an intrusion on our right to privacy, does not require new regulation. We often donāt enforce whatās even in place right now.
The Little AI That Wasnāt
It was reported by Mashable this week that an AI app development platform Builder.ai (backed by Microsoft) recently hired 700 engineers in India to pose as the companyās AI Assistant, āNatasha,ā in conversations with clients. Then the engineers would do the actual work of coding of the app. Called āAI-washingā itās the old āfake it until you can make itā trick and a reason to stay clear-eyed right now.
Responsible-AI-Humblebrag
With its breathless, echo-chamber, clickbait vibe this week, the media gobbled up news from Anthropic (Claude AIās parent company) that a test of its model revealed the AI chose blackmail over being shutdown. It was all very dramatic and the perfect opportunity for Anthropic to pat itself on the back for transparency and a commitment to āresponsible AI.ā But those who have been around the AI block called BS on this ānews story.ā Do we need to watch for AI ethically questionable behavior? YES! But the drama is currently unwarranted, the media incredibly gullible, and no company in this space can claim pure virtue.
Be Prepared to Resist the Hard Sell
Weāve already descended into the matrix when it comes to social media and the pressures exerted by advertisers. Do you *really* want those shoes, or are you being manipulated into believing *everyone* is wearing a given brand? Are you really feeling angry/sad/mad/happy at that *news* story, or are your emotions being toyed with while a faint cha-chinging rings in the background? With Meta expected to automate all advertising by 2026, the only thing that has saved our autonomy to date are inept advertisers. Without that natural āfrictionā coming from the obvious duds, itās going to be harder to resist.
Time to Touch Paper
Having just finished Karen Haoās Empire of AI, itās worth a read by everyone (and the reviews have been positive). No tome covering AI right now will be perfect (and I have some issues with some aspects of Haoās work), but Empire of AI is a supremely well-written overview of OpenAIās ascent. The book provides the type of detail that helps us understand the inter-workings of this new industry and gives readers context for making their own decisions about what is next.
Iād love to hear your thoughts!