Let’s Talk About AI, Kids
So, I was at this conference in Austin last Tuesday, right? And honestly, I couldn’t even count the number of people throwing around the term ‘AI revolution.’ It’s like everyone’s had a few too many energy drinks and suddenly we’re all living in a sci-fi novel. I mean, I’ve been around the block a few times—started coding back in ’98, for crying out loud—but even I’m having trouble keeping up.
Look, I’m not saying AI isn’t a big deal. It is. But the hype? The hype is out of control. I sat down with a guy named Marcus—let’s call him that, because his name was something boring like Steve—and he was going on about how AI is gonna replace everything. ‘Everything,’ he said. ‘Even your job, Dave.’
Dave’s a colleague of mine. Good guy. Knows his stuff. And he just looked at Marcus and said, ‘Yeah, okay. And what about the 87 million other jobs that aren’t gonna get replaced?’
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing. AI is good at some stuff. Really good. Like, ‘I can’t believe this thing just wrote a symphony’ good. But it’s not good at everything. And that’s where we’re all gonna look back and laugh. We’re gonna laugh at the memes, the articles, the panic. We’re gonna laugh because we’ll realize we were all so dramatic.
Take my friend Lisa, for example. She’s a writer. Good writer. And she’s been freaking out because she thinks AI is gonna take her job. I told her, ‘Lisa, AI can write a decent article. But can it write one that’s gonna make people feel something? Can it write one that’s gonna change lives?’ And she just looked at me and said, ‘No. But it can write 214 articles in the time it takes me to write one good one.’
And that’s the thing. AI is fast. But it’s not always good. And it’s not always right. And that’s where we come in. We humans. We’re the ones who can take the good stuff and make it better. We’re the ones who can take the bad stuff and throw it out.
But enough about that. Let’s talk about something else. Like, have you ever noticed how alot of people are completley obsessed with AI? It’s like they can’t have a conversation without bringing it up. And it’s not just the tech bros. It’s everyone. Your grandma. Your barber. Even that guy who works at the DMV.
And look, I get it. AI is cool. It’s exciting. It’s the future. But it’s not the only thing. There are other things happening in the world. Important things. Things that actually matter. Like climate change. Like poverty. Like the fact that we still haven’t figured out how to make a decent gluten-free pizza.
But no one wants to talk about that stuff. No, they’d rather talk about AI. Because it’s easier. Because it’s fun. Because it’s the shiny new toy.
And that’s where I think we’re gonna look back and laugh the hardest. We’re gonna laugh at how we all got so caught up in the hype that we forgot about the important stuff. We’re gonna laugh at how we all thought AI was gonna solve all our problems. We’re gonna laugh at how we all thought it was gonna replace us.
But here’s the thing. AI isn’t gonna replace us. It’s gonna help us. It’s gonna make our lives easier. It’s gonna make our jobs easier. It’s gonna make everything easier. But it’s not gonna replace us. Because we’re humans. And we’re pretty darn good at what we do.
So, let’s all take a step back. Let’s all take a deep breath. And let’s all remember that AI is just a tool. It’s not the be-all and end-all. It’s not the answer to every problem. It’s not gonna replace us. It’s gonna help us. And that’s okay.
And if you’re still worried about AI taking your job, well, I’ve got some popular articles recommended reading that might help you out. Just saying.
Anyway, that’s enough from me. I’m gonna go find some gluten-free pizza. If you can find me one that’s actually good, let me know. Until then, I’ll be over here, laughing at the AI hype.
About the Author
I’m Sarah, a senior magazine editor with more years of experience than I care to admit. I’ve seen the tech world evolve from the days of dial-up to the era of AI, and I’m not always impressed. I live in Portland, Oregon, with my cat, Mr. Whiskers, and my collection of vintage typewriters. I write about tech because someone has to keep these tech bros honest.
