My thoughts on "A.I"

First of all, calling it "artificial intelligence" is itself a lie. As so many things in this world are today.

While it is certainly artificial, it is not intelligent. It is a search engine on speed. Almost literally, as "A.I." hallucinates rather like a drug addicted alcoholic with mental illnesses. I'm just waiting for it to start sobbing "I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so...SCARED!" IYKYK

That being said, when image generation came on the scene, I indulged. I'm not an illustrator, I've just never had the talent for it. So it was fun to be able to generate things I've had in my head, that I didn't have the ability or means to turn into visual form.

I even used the video generation to make a few "A.I." movies. While it could never replace real movies or moviemaking for me, I thought it might be a cool way to throw together a rough Proof of Concept.

I have neither the funding, nor the time at this point in my life to actually make a movie. But I've always loved it and I am good at it. So I made a couple movies, posted one and shared another with a few friends. One even placed in a film festival. Some loved them, some said the stories were good but that they just don't like watching "A.I." generated video and imagery.

Which I totally understand. Even as I was spending hours generating, then editing the "A.I." footage, I found myself feeling off. Staring at video and images that are not real for a long period of time starts to affect your mental state in a negative way.

I acknowledge some of this is because I'm old. I was an 80's kid, a 90's teen and started my adult life in the early 2000's. My parents were always late adopters of new technology and I, myself, have always embraced being a "Luddite" as a core part of, well not my identity because my identity is in Jesus Christ alone, but as a core part of my worldview.

Like the Gen Zers who love the 90's right now, I was that odd 80's kid who loved the 50's (I mostly blame Back to the Future for this) then came to love the 30's and 40's in my late teens and young adult years. Not sure why. I bought my third ever CD at the San Diego Air and Space Museum in 1996--"Songs of WWII." I really dug Big Band music and have always thought women's fashion in the 30's and 40's was peak culture; a perfect blend of feminitity and modesty and class.

Anyway, the point in sharing that, is that I've always preferred pasts I never lived and simpler times that were really only simple if you weren't there. I'm talking to you Gen Z, contrary to what is said by those whom I call "Boomer Gen Xers," the 90's was not utopia. It was better than it is now, in many ways, but it was still just a step stone on the pathway to the hell in which we live (and that my friends, is a topic all of its own).

So, maybe the reason staring at "A.I." generated footage for long periods bothers me is because my brain is a relic. A machine formed for another time, another place, a way of life that no longer exists. A buggy whip, impotently cracking against the steering wheel of an electric car being driven by autopilot, so to speak.

I think this is true.

Partially.

I absolutely think my brain is bothered by "A.I." because it wasn't formed on it. Whereas this current generation will be formed on it, and so won't be bothered by it. I have a friend who doens't feel bee stings. That sounds like a good thing right? But what happens if my friend ends up like Thomas J. in My Girl, the classic film that traumatized my entire generation? It's estimated 5-10 stings per pound of body weight can kill you, even if you're not allergic to bees. So my friend would not feel the stings, yet would be slowly dying.

I believe the same will be true with "A.I." Just because the kids won't feel the sting, doesn't mean they aren't being poisoned. They are, in fact, more likely to die, precisely because they do not feel the stings.

And that's not even addressing the fact that it will drive people to madness as they won't be able to distinguish real video from fake, and all the myriad problems that branch out from that (again, a topic for a separate post).

So long story long, I stopped making "A.I." movies and have stopped using "A.I." completely. After much prayer and meditation (Biblical meditation is thinking, just FYI), I have decided to completely reject "A.I." I never used it in any way for my writing. But, if I see someone using "A.I." imagery in their books, I'm not sure I believe them when they say they aren't using it in their writing.

So, right now, I've pulled a short story for which I used generated "A.I." imagery. I'm redoing the "A.I." generated chapter heading imagery that I put in another short story. I've deleted all the "A.I." generated posters and images that I had posted on my social media. And I comissioned real art from an incredibly talented artist, to replace the "A.I." generated cover art I originally used in my novel.

It cost me quite a bit of money and wasted time, but it is worth it to me.

For the record, I'm not sitting here judging anyone who uses "A.I." I disagree with your decision to use it, but your decisions are not my business. And while I have my opinion, you have yours, and we can still live in peace.

At least until you hear my position on ghostwriting in publishing. Then you'll want to burn me at the stake.

Because my friends if you are against "A.I." writing for moral or ethical reasons, consistency requires you to be against ghostwriting.

But that's a topic for another day.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit.