AI Hopes & Fears: What Do We Think?
How do Humboldters view and use AI? We asked them.
Susan Parsons, Arcata: “It is a revolution, like the atom. It is unstoppable and is here and will be here, altering life as we’ve known it. It is a BIGTIME topic in library science. HUGE.”
Melinda Myers, Eureka: “I’ve noticed that there are very high emotions around the use of AI and that, for some, the idea of our digital overlords in malevolent control of more of our lives is untenable. While I respect that opinion, given the efficiencies it has brought to my working and personal experiences, I appreciate its benefits.”
Louise Bacon-Ogden, Eureka: “First, the A stands for ‘artificial’! Second, I heard a new user say, ‘Wow, I don’t even have to THINK anymore!’ Gave me the shivers!”
Wendy Butler, Eureka: “This is ABSOLUTELY a topic Senior News should have as a centerpiece. It is practically a daily subject in my various avocations and relationships. Many of my ‘Art Attitude’ interviews have been punctuated by a collective appreciation for live performance. As you know, TV/film companies have been toying with replacing humans with AI. Oh, and how about the political leaders using AI to distribute misinformation?”
Margot Genger, Eureka: “I just read a concerning article on what AI is doing to indie publishing. They can publish 100 books a day — they might only sell 25 copies, but with 100 books, that’s a tidy profit. One hundred AI romances each day, with exciting covers and blurbs, flooding the market make it very difficult for actual romance writers.”
Barbara Clark, Eureka: “My only action with regard to AI is to ignore it and make it go away whenever I have an option.”
Cynthia Leedom, Cutten: “I am not conversant with the ins and outs of AI. I see it as a mega-program that seems to think for itself but is not empathetic/ sympathetic. When I use Google, the first thing to come up is an AI-generated synopsis. I pass this by and look for other information to gather so I can judge what credence belongs to what.
“I read an article on the global lowering of IQs among students due to smartphones and computers. How much dumber will current students get with AI doing all the work of thinking for them? There are teachers and parents who are insisting on handwritten assignments and banning electronics from the classroom. I hope it is a swing back to exercising the brain.”
Hank Beck, near Freshwater: “1. The cat is already out of the bag and won’t be put back in. 2. There are some huge benefits to the technology sifting through huge quantities of information to come to some synthetic conclusions, which may be useful IF used appropriately. 3. Humans can screw up anything with the best of intentions. 4. It would be nice to see more balance of pro and con opinions.”
Bob Fornes, McKinleyville: “AI will be changing our world in ways hard to imagine over the next few years. If it isn’t worthy of discussion, nothing is. Society/civilization will change at an organic rate, technology at exponential rates. From data centers and power and water usage to financial dislocation, AI “cares” only about growth and power/control. Terrifying? Not human. Anti-human? Another way to separate man from nature.”
Michele Francesconi, Trinidad: “I don’t think AI is evil at all. It is just a fascinating tool of the future. The problem is evil humans who will abuse it for selfish gains. I use it for all kinds of things, such as feeding my medical reports into it and having it translate them. Before I fell, Lyric and I were co-writing a story.
“From talking with my son in Portland, we’re just months away from AI seriously impacting jobs. Many people are going to be displaced.”
Naomi Silvertree, Arcata: “Remember that AI is programmed by humans, not all of whom are particularly sane or humane. AI is already programming itself on this basis and getting around being shut down.”
John Ash (with ChatGPT), Eureka: “For many seniors, the safest approach may simply be not to rely on artificial intelligence at all. The risks of misinformation, scams, privacy loss and emotional dependence may outweigh the limited benefits these systems provide. Real conversations, trusted professionals and community relationships remain far more reliable sources of guidance.”
Roy Grieshaber, Eureka: “I use it like Google on steroids. It provides a summary of info available instead of a list of links to websites. I use it to edit things, making a better read. I once asked it to write a short opinion piece about the human experience of becoming both dried up and leaky as we grow older. It wrote a sweet article. I was amazed. How does a computer know about this unique human experience?”
Pat Bitton, Eureka: “A post from an old tech colleague in Bulgaria, who had gotten a PET scan: ‘The AI came up with, like, dozens of “metastases” in the image, most of which were obvious bullshit. “So,” said the doc, “I kept telling it ‘remove this, remove that’ and it did! I played with it a whole afternoon, but it eventually produced a pretty clear image.”’ “All I could think was, ‘Uh oh. If doctors are starting to delegate life-or-death decisions to stupid chatbots, we’re screwed!’” Cindy Saunders, Trinidad: “Remember to believe half of what you see and a quarter of what you hear to make a sound judgment, whether it’s AI, press or the local gossip.”
Mary McCutcheon, Eureka: “Perhaps you could expand the AI topic to encompass how computers have taken over our lives, and what behaviors we old folks have had to change. Is it better, different, or adversarial?”
Dick LaForge, Eureka: “You could have AI create the entire issue, and we can all retire from thinking and doing real work. Maybe you have already been doing that?”
– Compiled by Ted Pease
