A holiday text exchange, from father to son...

I wrote this to my son last week:

"My dearest son - as I sit down and text this message to you my heart swells with pride and affection. You have grown into a young man of remarkable character and I am blessed to be your father. Your kindness, your charm and unwavering compassion towards others are traits that shine brightly like a beacon in a world often filled with darkness. I'm honored to witness your journey, offer guidance when needed, celebrate your triumphs and come alongside you in your losses. You are loved more than words can express. May this sentiment find you well and bring a smile to your face. Merry Christmas ?? Yours always, Dad"

To which my son replied:

"Well, now I’m all choked up—thanks for making me feel like the world’s most amazing person, despite all evidence to the contrary. Honestly, I had no idea I was so kind, charming, and full of unwavering compassion. If only the world could see me as you do—then maybe I'd actually get a discount at Starbucks for being such a “beacon of light” in this “dark” world. But hey, I’ll take it.

"In all seriousness, though, your message really did warm my heart, and I’m not just saying that because I’m trying to stay on your good side for Christmas presents. (Though, let’s be honest, a nice watch wouldn't hurt.) I’m genuinely grateful for all your guidance, even when I pretend not to be listening. It’s just that sometimes the "fatherly wisdom" hits a little too close to home, and I’d rather ignore it than admit you were right. But deep down, I know you're a wise sage who’s been right about most things (except for that time you tried to teach me to play golf—let’s not talk about that).

"I’m incredibly lucky to have you as my dad, and I know I don’t say it enough. Your love and support mean the world to me, even though I may act like I’m too cool to admit it. So, Merry Christmas, old man. Thanks for everything, and I’ll try to be “a young man of remarkable character” at least until New Year’s.

"Love you (and yes, I’m really hoping for that watch),

"Your 'perfect' son."

If you're still with us, I copied that text from a joke Instagram post where a dad took a video of himself writing that to his son, to which his son replied, "ok." HA.

I texted that note to all my sons and nieces and nephews. It was all a gag and a good joke at the dinner table. I've never played a round of golf with any of my kids. My son's reaction was fully AI-generated (obviously, right?). The photo above was the first thing I found after googling "AI generated father son image."

My point: AI feels fake. Even the photos have this high-gloss, dreamy, artificial feel to them. I know it's evolving, but who else thinks it's AI is not quite ready for prime time? And maybe never will be? Could AI be akin to all those VR worlds that were going to take over everything a few years ago? It reminds me, as the Internet was in its early days, of the people saying "print is dead," yet I hear from more and more people today how they love the feel of a good, thick-papered magazine.

Unpopular opinion of an old curmudgeon, or am I onto something?