AI, Human & Other Poppycock

I was weighing out the pros and cons of whether to write this or not, but a chat I had with my mom swayed the decision in favor.

We had a talk about how incompetent people who are very loud and insistent usually win arguments over competent ones, who know that discretion is the better part of valor. And well… not to argue with idiots because they’ll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

This reminded me of a never-ending blend of a personal and professional struggle I had had that I thought I finally resolved when I left the language world behind… but then came ChatGPT and took it to a whole new level. And, what’s even worse – now it seems the entire world is afflicted by it.

I will elaborate on this topic through several different posts, but I would like to point out that this entire series isn’t about me, you, or AI. It’s also not about language, ESL, or ChatGPT. It’s about perception, power, and… prowess. Yes – prowess – the word I used on purpose to tackle the question of who gets to sound smart in this crazy world of ever-accelerating technological advancements.

You see, people have always misinterpreted knowledge, intelligence, and the use of language. And though it seemed this flaw was uniquely human, it’s become even more prominent now in our response to AI, or rather, people we suspect are using it.

There’s a rampant scare of AI throwing people into a loop, from stealing their jobs to causing recent stirs in language. Yet, in all fairness, language is a mess anyway, and it always has been.

Let’s explore why, shall we? 🤓