Key Takeaways:
- Artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant advancements in recent years, passing the Turing test and becoming increasingly integrated into various aspects of life.
- AI-generated content, including images, music, and writing, is becoming increasingly prevalent and raising concerns about the value of human creativity.
- The use of AI in creative fields is leading to a phenomenon known as "AI slop," where the value of exceptional work is diminished by the abundance of mediocre, AI-generated content.
- AI has the potential to cause significant disruptions to the economy, healthcare, and the environment, and its impact is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
- The integration of AI into daily life is leading to a loss of human agency and creativity, as people become increasingly reliant on technology to generate content and make decisions.
Introduction to AI’s Rise
The year 2025 has been marked by significant advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), with the technology officially passing the Turing test. As Daniel DeLong, a retired firefighter, notes, "I never saw no miracle of science / that didn’t go from a blessing to a curse." DeLong’s statement highlights the complex and often paradoxical nature of AI, which has the potential to both improve and harm human life. With the launch of programs like Midjourney, which uses AI to generate digital images from written prompts, people without graphic art skills can now create high-quality images with ease. However, this has also raised concerns about the potential for AI to replace human artists and creatives.
The Impact of AI on Creativity
As DeLong notes, "What’s surprising to DeLong is that with the explosive advancement of generative AI over the past several years, the time-honored concept of a suddenly self-aware supercomputer dispatching legions of Terminator-esque killer cyborgs to do the job appears to be taking a back seat." Instead, AI is poised to disrupt the creative industries, making it possible for anyone to generate high-quality content without the need for extensive training or practice. This has led to the creation of "AI slop," a term used to describe the abundance of mediocre, AI-generated content that is flooding online spaces. DeLong argues that this phenomenon is devaluing the concept of exceptionalism, making it seem as though everyone is exceptional, and therefore, no one is exceptional.
The Ethics of AI-Generated Content
The use of AI in creative fields raises important questions about authorship and ownership. As DeLong notes, "These programs all use some form of generative AI, which digitally scrapes the internet to ‘remix’ what it finds and spit it back out." This means that AI-generated content is often based on existing work, raising concerns about plagiarism and copyright infringement. DeLong admits that he has used Midjourney to create images that are reminiscent of the style of human artists, and that this weighs on him. Musicians and graphic artists are also struggling to protect their work from being plagiarized by AI, with many taking legal action to assert their rights.
The Dark Side of AI
The implications of AI go beyond the creative industries, with potential consequences for the economy, healthcare, and the environment. DeLong notes that AI has the potential to cause significant disruptions to the economy, with some economists warning of an "AI bubble" that could be four times larger than the housing bubble and 17 times larger than the dot-com bubble. Additionally, AI server farms are using large amounts of water for cooling, contributing to water scarcity. DeLong also mentions the potential for AI to "hallucinate," or make things up, which could have serious consequences in fields like healthcare.
The Future of Human-AI Integration
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, it is likely that humans will become more reliant on technology to generate content and make decisions. DeLong suggests that this could lead to a loss of human agency and creativity, as people become more accustomed to relying on AI to do the work for them. However, he also notes that this could be a relief, as humans would no longer have to worry about the pressures of being creative or making difficult decisions. Instead, they could simply merge with AI, becoming a single, hybrid entity. As DeLong notes, "Perhaps eventually we’ll just get absorbed: humans and artificial intelligence merged into one. Like the Borg." This raises important questions about the future of human identity and what it means to be creative and alive.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the rise of AI has significant implications for human creativity, the economy, and the environment. While AI has the potential to improve many aspects of life, it also raises important questions about authorship, ownership, and the value of human work. As DeLong notes, "I always told my kids that climate change would be their generation’s existential threat. Turns out there’s so much more to worry about, and it’s all just as insidious." The integration of AI into daily life is a complex and multifaceted issue, and it is essential to consider the potential consequences of this technology as it continues to evolve and improve.
Yes, artificial intelligence will probably end the human race. Just not in the way you think.