The AI Revolution

Tipping Point for AI
(image from the movie Meet the Robinsons)

Podcast episode 217 from The Artificial Intelligence Show pulled together a number of important stories that demonstrate the seeming unfazed domination of AI is facing some serious challenges at the moment. 

Pope Leo has issued his first encyclical (full document linked) warning AI is an existential threat to humanity. His timing is intentional, dated to the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's first major modern social encyclical defending workers' rights in the Industrial Revolution. The significance is important. Pope Leo XIV intentionally selected his name recognizing today's industrial revolution due to AI and "new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor." 

Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah shared his remarks at the Vatican following the pope's encyclical, echoing his own concerns about the future with AI and urging continued discussion in hope of creating AI for the benefit of all. 

Public Backlash
The Artificial Intelligence Show podcast shares an additional story discussing the current public backlash against AI. In conjunction with this:

• Loud boos and displeasure with college commencement addresses made news this spring when a former Google CEO spoke at the University of Arizona with similar reactions at the University of Central Florida and Middle Tennessee State University
• OpenAI founder Sam Altman has recently faced personal threats and attacks to his home and corporate buildings
• Alex Kantrowitz shares his take on "AI's Public Relations Emergency"

​Where Do We Go From Here?
There is a palpable dichotomy between the fast-forward enthusiasm of Silicon Valley in the US and the "AI arms race" internationally vs the increasing push-back from the public. The "tech bros" are all-in to build the technology, build faster, and build better than competition. 

We are told we "must" develop AI skills or be left behind. Businesses and individuals are doing their best to figure out best and safe use cases for the tool with a few figuring it out while the majority are fumbling along, hoping others figure it out better to lead the way. (refer to this recent story on safety when a company's entire database and back-ups were deleted in NINE SECONDS)

Gen Z in the Cross-Hairs
Gen Z—our current crop of college grads—has spent the past four years in this age of burgeoning AI in a mass of confusion and mixed messaging. Teachers and education systems have tried to figure the tech out along the way but with a lot of fear and hesitation imposed on the young scholars in the process. The result is while the tech has been developing, the students were accused of cheating if they used it, and few were taught how to use it responsibly. Many in this generation simply shut down and viscerally react any time they hear "AI." 

While growing up surrounded by the tech yet often having to teach themselves, they're now told AI must be embedded in everything they do to have any hope for a job. Others use it but are hesitant to heavily dive into it as they seek to maintain what they identify as human skills or the potential to lose skills by relying on AI too much. Many remain concerned about the level of hallucinations from AI. 

Gen Z is effectively being told they're not needed as the current enterprise goal of AI use is seemingly to take the very entry level jobs they're seeking. This will become a large problem as the generations shift and Gen X heads toward retirement years with little entry level training happening. 

Concerns about the environment have been a cornerstone of Gen Z beliefs. This issue has resonated with multiple generations as there is a push for more data centers to feed the growing demand for AI use. Fights against data centers have increased due to concerns about electricity and water demand along with noise pollution from potential neighboring residents. 

Where Do We Go from Here?
We seem to be at a tipping point in the progress of AI. 

• The tech continues to rapidly improve, beyond the needs or capabilities of the majority of the population. While many companies have an AI service, using AI for productivity or efficiency remains limited. 
• Building data centers has become a flash point for protests.
• Keep learning and keep integrating! AI is not going away. We need to figure out together how to make it useful as a tool and accessory to our human brains and activities. SmarterX is a great resource for human-first AI education with many free education opportunities available. (even more with paid training)
• Be cautious and focus on safety, personally and professionally. The rise in AI agents that perform tasks bring more stories to learn from leading edge mistakes. Connect only what's necessary for the particular AI task rather than giving your entire systems to AI control or management. 
• Do not share the personal information of others in your database (this one's for the nonprofits!). Privacy concerns abound. 

Get to the Point
The Pope's first encyclical seems a very important topic, but The Artificial Intelligence Show reference to it is the only comment I've seen about it. Add to that Anthropic's Chris Olah's remarks following the Pope and opening resources in this post, discussions need to happen on the topic of AI to defuse the push for the tech from the makers of the tech. (self-serving much?) Silicon Valley is simply producing the product of AI while attempting to reassure us "we'll figure it out as we go." That's no longer satisfying anyone and harder questions are being asked.

Advancing the tech is great - most of us are using it more as we get more comfortable and it's simply incorporated natively into products. But let's be thoughtful in our use of it, where and when it's appropriate to use, what do we want as a society, rather than decisions being made for us from a select few indicating we have no choice.

We always have choice.

Your Turn!
AI impacts all of us. Are you frustrated? Concerned? Bullish on advancing AI rapidly? Somewhere in between?

I'd love to hear - Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn or Substack!

---