Anti-AI messaging isn’t working
Despite the fact that I do believe making people aware of these problems is important, two of the most prominent anti-AI messaging strategies, in my opinion, are completely ineffective among people who continue to use AI chatbots and tools extensively.
They are:
- The environmental costs.
People don’t care and/or are completely desensitized. So much of American life, production, and consumption is extremely inefficient by design. Although there are very valid environmental concerns, people get wrapped up in ways it may be exaggerated or they believe we’ll make this technology more efficient over time and it’s important to get used to using these tools.
Even if AI use were completely neutral, there are so many other reasons it should be regulated. But this argument isn’t going to move the needle in changing people’s behaviors.
There is nobody left who is using AI chatbots extensively who would be persuaded by this argument. We should still be talking about it though. It has more costs than simply water also, and it would probably be better to focus on all the other externalities of data center rollout and model training.
- The brain damaging effect.
You don’t need studies to see how AI use destroys your brain and cognitive functions - you can just talk to anyone who uses these chatbots. But it IS great we have plenty of data proving it does in fact have serious cognitive consequences.
But guess what? Pretty much EVERYONE who continues to use these tools thinks “True, but I’m Different”. That’s it! Everyone thinks they’re immune and they alone have discovered the healthy and Skillful way to use AI and everyone else is a mindless dolt. Everyone believes they are the exception. Everyone thinks what they are producing is Skillful Prompting and everything else is Slop.
This of course is probably more proof their mind is lost to AI psychosis but it doesn’t matter.
So at the risk of being someone who whines about the messaging of people whose side I’m on but without having a solution myself, I’m not sure there is any other way to get these people to change other than outright shaming. Enough people need to make it be known that AI use is embarrassing. Give people room to get defensive at first and then later grow. I don’t know. Maybe that isn’t effective either. But seriously, these messages aren’t working!