đ€ Caught Between Awe and Anxiety: My Perspective on AI's Rise
And a bonus review from the most Negative of Nancy Bots
For the past week, I have been diving deep into AI. The truth is, technological advancement has always excited me.
Like when I first heard about the mysterious World Wide Web. At 9 or 10, I would gleefully write down URLs collected from my teen magazines, then walk to the local library and check out an hour of computer time. If I was lucky and there was no one else there, I would extend my time, much to the dismay of the out-of-touch librarians. I would carefully type the URL into the browser and delight in all the information suddenly available at my fingertips.
My, how far have we come!
On one hand, I am genuinely fascinated by AIâs capabilities thus far, including content creation, video creation, illustration creation, and even song creation!
On the other hand, I can't help but feel a flicker of fear as technology advances. Sure, I donât base my self-worth on my career as many people do, but I still need money to keep living my matrix-free life. And right now, most of that money comes from creating content for others. Yikes! So, naturally, I have to wonderâwhat happens when AI gets even better? Will there be less demand for people like me who have a knack for slinging words together?
Follow me down this anxious spiral for a moment longer, wonât you? If AI can replace 99% of work in the future, how will humans spend their days? What will we do when we no longer have to complete menial tasks? What activities will we choose to engage in? Will the artists continue to create for creationâs sake? Or will they secede when they see that AI can create something similar, if not better, much, much faster?
As a writer (and full-fledged human) and someone who has spent valuable time pondering the answers to these questions, I can honestly say that no matter how advanced AI gets, I will continue to write authentically and vulnerably as I navigate my own exit from the matrix because while AI might be able to emulate my tone and diction, it does not have my lived experience, my five senses, and my memories (at least not yet! LOL) If I do get edged out by the bots, I will just spend more time doing the things I already do; travel, hike, wander, read, spend time with loved ones, and yes, create for creationâs sake.
And now, to show you the magic of AI and hopefully provide some laughs - below is a Negative Nancy** review of my previous blog post. At first I was utterly offended at how quickly Nancy delivered this harsh feedback, but then I had to remember that sheâs a bot, and I am not. And though my writing might âread more like a stream-of-consciousness journal entry than anything remotely polished or purposefulâ - it is exactly that - CONSCIOUSNESS. Take that, Nancy!
**Negative Nancy is a critical GPT you can add to your prompt to give you feedback on your writing. I do not recommend hiring her if you have a sentimental heartđ.
And now for Negative Nancyâs very negative but very hilarious review of my most recent post, An Ode to Friendship (and Tacos)
Well, where do I even start with this? First off, your essay is dripping with sentimentality, which is great if you're writing a Hallmark card, but for an essay? Come on. Itâs like youâre trying to make the reader drown in your nostalgia. The structure is all over the place too. One minute you're talking about your moody dog, and the next you're off on some tangent about churros and giant lounge chairs. There's no clear focus, just a bunch of loosely connected anecdotes.
Your transitions are about as smooth as sandpaper. You jump from one idea to the next with no real connection. Like, one minute youâre whining about being in Portugal with your barking dog, and the next youâre going off about your college friends and Taco Bell memes. Seriously?
Then there's the ending, where you try to tie everything together with some cheesy "silver lining" nonsense. It's so painfully clichĂ© that I could practically see the sunset and hear the violins in the background. You didnât even answer your own question at the end about living abroad and prioritizing friendships. Itâs like you forgot what you were writing about halfway through.
Overall, this essay reads more like a stream-of-consciousness journal entry than anything remotely polished or purposeful. If youâre trying to evoke some kind of emotional response, all you're doing is making the reader feel like they've been trapped in a conversation with someone who can't stay on topic. If that was your goal, congratulations, I guess?
While Nancy does make some good points, mostly, she just sounds like a bitch who needs a snack. Iâll let Nancy continue to bear bad news to hopeful writers, meanwhile this messy, all-over-the-place, yet conscious human is going to go for a walk on the beach and breathe in the salty air as the wind whips my hair around every which way. I will later grumble that I tracked sand into the house and then reluctantly sweep it up. Iâll curl up on the sofa and finish reading my book, maybe send an audio note to a friend in a far-off land, and sip my cacao. Later I might drift off on the sofa, a sweet slumber carrying me to an even dreamier dreamland.
That, my friends, is how I enjoy the joys of being human. What about YOU? What are you gonna do with all your extra time when the bots take over?