My intention was indeed to clear the mud for others (and myself as well!), and figure out what AI is and its role in our lives when we strip away all the noise.
This piece left me both stirred and sobered. The future of AI isn’t just a tech debate; it’s a test of whether we prioritize human sovereignty or default to convenience engineered by corporate design. Personal AI isn’t about novelty; it’s about reclaiming agency in a system built to dilute it.
Public-level AI agents, like FreeChatGPT, are the convergence of the greatest fears from George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. They're not dystopian. They're not even utopian. They're 50% top of the bell curve where everything means nothing. It is straight purgatory.
But what it can be, if people understood how to use a tool and not think it was their brain or learn how to use it properly, can be one of the most efficient things ever created since the skillsaw to build houses, why we don't have to use a handsaw anymore.
We've lost the ability to learn, to understand how to use technology in a way that doesn't just do it for us, but to make us more operationally efficient.
So what is AI? AI is a nail gun. But if you can't frame a house to begin with in your own mind, go shoot a thousand nails into the wall and watch a house fall because it doesn't matter.
I hear what you’re saying. The difficulty now with AI is how people use it for good, whatever the definition of ‘good’ is. It’s not like mathematics or english class, where you’re essentially forced to study it to a degree as a kid.
Openly accessible LLMs for all is like giving an eletronic device to a kid, there’s simply so much you could do with it.
Also, nail guns? Very interesting analogy :) Thanks for your comment!
You wouldn’t expect to find cyanide on the grocery shelf, right? So why are we handing out tools and data that can burn people — literally or figuratively? It’s like handing out tritium and not realizing you’re creating informational toxic waste. Maybe people should be able to ask questions, sure — but not without boundaries. You don’t just let anyone walk out with a bottle of acid.
While traditional weapons cause immediate but localized harm, the unchecked spread of AI-generated misinformation presents a far broader threat: the systemic erosion of epistemic trust. Individuals armed with machine-generated knowledge often mistake output for understanding, speaking authoritatively on complex subjects without foundational comprehension. This intellectual overconfidence can mislead communities at scale — a phenomenon akin to the rise of charismatic yet uninformed thought leaders or “false prophets” of the digital age.
I completely agree with you. AI has the potential for amazing impact but also horrifying harm - it all depends on how humans handle this moving forward.
We must remain hopeful and critical of this power!
Love that you’re making this clear for anyone who hasn’t dipped their toe in yet.
I hope to do the same :)
I do want people to use it because we’re still customers, and our (paid) usage can encourage ethical development. OK I’ll get off my soap box now.
Thank you for your kind words :)
My intention was indeed to clear the mud for others (and myself as well!), and figure out what AI is and its role in our lives when we strip away all the noise.
This piece left me both stirred and sobered. The future of AI isn’t just a tech debate; it’s a test of whether we prioritize human sovereignty or default to convenience engineered by corporate design. Personal AI isn’t about novelty; it’s about reclaiming agency in a system built to dilute it.
Happy to see that you resonate! Like you said, human sovereignty must be prioritized, both on a personal and organizational level.
And thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts Colette!
I am an advocate of responsible AI, not anti, not pro. It just is, and AI is here in all aspects of our lives.
Same here! Accepting AI and growing with it is something we will all (have to) do.
Public-level AI agents, like FreeChatGPT, are the convergence of the greatest fears from George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. They're not dystopian. They're not even utopian. They're 50% top of the bell curve where everything means nothing. It is straight purgatory.
But what it can be, if people understood how to use a tool and not think it was their brain or learn how to use it properly, can be one of the most efficient things ever created since the skillsaw to build houses, why we don't have to use a handsaw anymore.
We've lost the ability to learn, to understand how to use technology in a way that doesn't just do it for us, but to make us more operationally efficient.
So what is AI? AI is a nail gun. But if you can't frame a house to begin with in your own mind, go shoot a thousand nails into the wall and watch a house fall because it doesn't matter.
I hear what you’re saying. The difficulty now with AI is how people use it for good, whatever the definition of ‘good’ is. It’s not like mathematics or english class, where you’re essentially forced to study it to a degree as a kid.
Openly accessible LLMs for all is like giving an eletronic device to a kid, there’s simply so much you could do with it.
Also, nail guns? Very interesting analogy :) Thanks for your comment!
You wouldn’t expect to find cyanide on the grocery shelf, right? So why are we handing out tools and data that can burn people — literally or figuratively? It’s like handing out tritium and not realizing you’re creating informational toxic waste. Maybe people should be able to ask questions, sure — but not without boundaries. You don’t just let anyone walk out with a bottle of acid.
While traditional weapons cause immediate but localized harm, the unchecked spread of AI-generated misinformation presents a far broader threat: the systemic erosion of epistemic trust. Individuals armed with machine-generated knowledge often mistake output for understanding, speaking authoritatively on complex subjects without foundational comprehension. This intellectual overconfidence can mislead communities at scale — a phenomenon akin to the rise of charismatic yet uninformed thought leaders or “false prophets” of the digital age.
I completely agree with you. AI has the potential for amazing impact but also horrifying harm - it all depends on how humans handle this moving forward.
We must remain hopeful and critical of this power!
Woah a good piece
This is wonderful. Thank you for writing it!
https://open.substack.com/pub/hamtechautomation/p/corporate-and-government-battle-for?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web