If you’ve been following my series of posts on AI and machine learning, you’ll recall I’ve referenced Adam Conover and his vitriol against AI before. Not only do I believe his message is worth listening to, it’s delivered in a fun way:
Now, I suppose if someone had no exposure to the previous Internet, before everything was curated by algorithm and pushed to apps or both… or if one is a fan of corporate consolidation, his tirade will not ring true. But I have to say, the Internet of the 90s and even pre-Facebook was unhinged in a fun way. Yes, there was unhinged in a bad way back then, but if feels like that unhinged has been optimized and it’s crowing out the idiosyncratic mania.
I say idiosyncratic mania is an essential ingredient of the Internet… perhaps the foundational roux.
But I’m going to pause here and state that I don’t think this means AI is intrinsically bad. AI is a tool.
This isn’t a new observation and many of you have heard this before –possibly from people wanting to shut down conversation on all the shortcomings of AI– so I’ll expand on the thought. AI is like a microwave someone is trying to make replace EVERY OTHER DEVICE IN THE KITCHEN. Even the knives. Oh, and it’s using all the water in the kitchen and the power of the whole dang building.
Nobody wants a microwave like that.
And just as many people would say AI is a tool, I think Conover’s video above points out how the tool is being used.
AI is the poster child for enshittification.
That is what is so frustrating. I mean, besides the rogue microwave aspect. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the techbros like the “is AI good/bad” binary. I can count the number of people I’ve met who think microwaves are wholly useless on one hand.
You do not want to be Team Don’t-Use-A-Microwave-Under-Any-Circumstances-Because-Microwave-BAD. That team will lose.
But perhaps, finding ways to show how AI is optimizing enshittification? And it’s taking down the whole dang Internet as Adam points out?
That might be a path forward.