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Every time I want to search for something on Google, I first have to scroll past some AI-generated answer to find an actual website with the information I’m looking for.

Why is the search engine using artificial intelligence to tell me an answer when I’d rather read through some websites to do my own research about the topic? Sometimes you have to verify information through multiple sources to make sure it’s correct.

And I can’t even trust AI to give me the correct answer. It’s a generative program, which means it generates an answer based on whatever information is given to it. If it’s missing some data or the data is outdated, it isn’t going to go search elsewhere for the correct answer. It’s just going to tell me the first thing it pulls up from its limited database instead.

I don’t like it.

Have you ever clicked on the automated captions on a YouTube video and discovered that half of the sentences were incorrect nonsense? That’s what generative AI is like. It’s not a person who can figure out what a mumbled word is supposed to be via context clues or listening more closely. It’s simply a computer stringing together sounds into the words it thinks it hears.

I simply don’t trust AI to give me correct information. There are plenty of news articles from various sources over the past few years that have documented errors from AI. As cool as the idea may sound to some people, artificial intelligence in real life isn’t like what you see in science fiction.

Another thing that really annoys me with generative AI these days is that people also want to use it to skip over the creative part of creating. You can feed a prompt into one of these programs and it’ll spit out a (nonsensical) story or a piece of (incredibly ugly) artwork.

Again, these are just computer programs pulling from a database of knowledge to generate those results. And that database is often compiled from art and writings taken without permission. I read someone once compared it to stealing a car and chopping up the pieces to put together a different car. Just because the new product looks unrecognizable from the old one, it doesn’t change the fact that the parts were originally stolen.

The thing about creating art – whether it’s writing or drawing or painting or anything other medium – is that the fun part is the actual process of creating. Sure, the finished product is great too, but the journey getting there is why we do it. There’s no meaning to art if it’s just generated by a computer program. (Which, again, always turns out incredibly ugly-looking, in my opinion. These AI programs aren’t even good at their job!)

And another thing: tech companies that want you to use these AI programs tell you it’s supposed to make your life easier.

Every time I open my email these days, I get a prompt asking me if I want AI to summarize the contents of the email. Thanks, but I’m capable of reading! Especially when the email is only one or two sentences. I don’t need a summary of that.

When I want to send an email now, I get a prompt asking me if I want AI to help me write the email. Thanks, but I’ve been writing and sending emails since 2006 when I made my first email account. I’m capable of putting my thoughts into coherent sentences. I don’t need assistance!

From all sides, I feel like I’m bombarded by tech companies that keep wanting me to utilize their AI service. It’s on my phone. It’s on my computer. There’s no “opt out” option. Everywhere you look, it’s AI, AI, AI.

Life can get extremely busy sometimes, even overwhelming. But shortcuts aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. If you get reliant enough on AI, these companies are just going to start charging for their services. And who can afford that in this economy?

So, please, consider using the writing/reading skills you were taught in school. Consider using your common sense to figure things out. Consider using your own creativity.

You don’t need a computer to do that work for you.

There is a commercial for Meta AI that I keep seeing online. The lady in the commercial consults the AI service for tips to host an upcoming book club discussion about the novel “Moby Dick.” At one point, she’s just listening to the AI program tell her what the whale in the book represents as a metaphor. And then she asks for some discussion starters when the group gets together.

Maybe if the lady simply read the book, she wouldn’t need to talk to a computer about it ahead of time. What’s the point of joining a book club anyway if you aren’t going to give any thought to what you’re reading? Don’t let AI do all the work for you.

Is this the future we have to look forward to?

If so, I think that’s really sad.

Holly Taylor is a staff writer for Roanoke-Chowan Publications. Contact her at holly.taylor@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7206.