mathbabe

Just in one morning I read three articles about AI. First, that big companies are excited about the idea that we can allow AI agents to shop for us, buy us airplane tickets, arrange things for us, and generally speaking act as autonomous helpers. Second, that entry level jobs are drying up because the first and second year law jobs or office jobs or coding jobs are being done by AI, so let’s figure out how to get people to start working at the level of a third year employee, because that’s the inevitable future.

And third, that the world might actually end, and all humanity might actually die by 2027 (or, if we’re lucky, 2028!) because autonomous AI agents will take things over and kill us.

So, putting this all together, how about we don’t?

Note that I don’t buy any of these narratives. AI isn’t that good at stuff (because it just isn’t), it should definitely *not* be given control over things like our checkbooks and credit cards (because duh) and AI is definitely not conscious, will not be conscious, and will not work to kill humanity any more than our smart toasters that sense when our toast is done.

This is all propaganda, pointing in one direction, which is to make us feel like AI is inevitable, we will not have a future without it, and we might as well work with it rather than against it. Otherwise nobody graduating from college will ever find employment! It’s scare tactics.

I have another plan: let’s not cede control to problematic, error-ridden AI in the first place. Then it can’t destroy our lives by being taken over by hackers or just buying stuff we absolutely don’t want. It’s also just better to be mindful and deliberate when we shop anyway. And yes, let’s check the details of those law briefs being written up by AI, I’m guessing they aren’t good. And let’s not assume AI can take over things like accounting, because again, that’s too much damn power. Wake up, people! This is not a good idea.