A Generative Winter, sort of...

In today's world, it's not uncommon, even in scholarly publications, to spot little mistakes like "Since my last update in 2021". The day of the generative AI model is truly upon us in ways that we couldn't possibly have foreseen even just one year ago. Journalism has been reduced to a clever ChatGPT prompt, advertisements are created on a laptop using Dall-E and Synthesia. Universities and schools are now actively teaching the use of Microsoft's Copilot as a tool for research. But what does this heavy reliance on AI models mean for the growth and creativity of the human mind?

Being a proponent of AI myself, it was difficult for me to recognize the downside of the incorporation of AI into everyday life. The incorporation of AI into the mundane can free the human mind to expand creativity and intellect. Explore new depths of human perception through discussion and discovery. Or at least I thought. However, the one thing I didn't take into account was the commercialization of AI as a new profit stream rather than a tool. In my dream of a new level of human evolution, I had forgotten that globally we live in a capitalist economy where wealth, not intellect or reputation, is the measure of one's success. We are in the early stages of the AI revolution, and I hope that one day we can learn to grow beyond the limitations of our economic growth. But until then we have to face a hard reality around AI reliance; Is it stifling our potential, and what happens if it all ends?

A survey by McKinsey found that 88% of respondents in non-technical jobs use generative AI to help with rote tasks. Another survey found that 56% of workers are using generative AI on the job, with nearly 1 in 10 employing the technology daily. Salesforce reported that 61% of workers currently use or plan to use generative AI. What does this say about our culture if all we know how to do is use tools that think for us? At some point, we have to stop and consider that if all we do is generate revenue, then we are losing the very creative intellect that separates us from the machines we rely on to succeed in the workplace.

So, I propose a few questions, and a thought experiment before it's too late. What would happen to your career if AI was turned off tomorrow? Would it be obvious to your employer that something was different? Are you capable of taking yourself to the same level of capability or success that AI has brought you? Tomorrow, if you dare, I want you to turn it off for yourself. Does the thought of this frighten you, or make you nervous? If it does, that should tell you all you need to know. We shouldn't be afraid to put the nail gun down and use a hammer. We shouldn't be fearful of losing the ability to utilize a simple tool.

While I still believe in the potential of AI to bring the human experience to a new stage, I worry that we aren't taking the opportunity seriously. Whatever your job, career, or hobby you've been using AI for, you should take a moment and consider if its use has been helpful to your personal growth, or simply a tool for an easy path to success. One that you couldn't maintain if it were turned off tomorrow.