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Sneed Collard writes, I admit that I have seen a couple of fun applications of AI, but it is clear that for the average person, the downsides will continue to outweigh positives.
The author, Sneed Collard, acknowledges some enjoyable uses of AI but asserts that for the average person, the negative consequences will increasingly outweigh any positive applications. This sets a skeptical tone regarding the overall promise of artificial intelligence.
The primary driver for large corporations' excitement about AI is the potential for increased profits through significant workforce reductions. The article cites examples of major companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce using AI as a reason to lay off over 50,000 workers, demonstrating AI's role in automating even skilled roles like web design, leading to substantial job losses.
The practical inefficiency of AI in customer-facing roles is highlighted with a personal anecdote about a major airline's AI customer service tool. This AI failed to understand or resolve a simple problem, forcing a lengthy wait to connect with a human representative, illustrating a common frustration with AI's current capabilities.
Beyond job losses and poor service, AI is implicated in the large-scale theft of intellectual and artistic property through bots scraping online content. The author argues that AI’s primary function is to consolidate wealth and make already rich individuals even richer, raising ethical concerns about its impact on creative professions and economic equality.
To counter the negative trajectory of AI, the author proposes a multi-pronged approach for individuals. This includes demanding to speak with real people in customer service, advocating for government regulation against companies that substitute human service with inadequate AI, and consciously disengaging from large corporations by supporting smaller, local businesses run by real people to foster a more stable, friendly, and equitable society.