Look, I Love Tech, But…
Let me set the scene. It’s 2010. I’m at a conference in Austin, Texas, listening to some guy named Marcus — let’s call him Marcus because I can’t remember his real name — rant about how ‘cloud computing is gonna change everything.’ I mean, sure, cloud stuff was cool, but the way he was talking, you’d think he’d just discovered fire.
Fast forward to today. I’m older, grumpier, and frankly, I feel like we’re stuck in a never-ending loop of tech hype. And right now, the shiny new object du jour is AI. Honestly, it’s getting out of hand.
AI Everywhere, But What’s the Point?
I get it. AI is cool. I’m not saying it’s not. But have you seen the alot — yeah, I know, it’s alot — of AI-powered junk out there lately? Toothbrushes, for crying out loud. Toothbrushes that tell you you’re brushing wrong. And don’t even get me started on the AI dating apps. Look, I’m all for tech making our lives easier, but at what point do we say, ‘Okay, maybe we’ve gone too far?’
I was having coffee with my friend Dave last Tuesday. Dave’s a developer, works for some startup in San Francisco. He’s usually pretty level-headed, but even he’s caught up in the AI frenzy. ‘It’s gonna revolutionize everything,’ he told me. ‘Healthcare, finance, even art.’ I asked him if he’d seen the latest AI-generated art. He had. ‘It’s… interesting,’ he said. ‘But it’s not, like, good or anything.’ Which… yeah. Fair enough.
And the thing is, I’m not against AI. I’m against the hype. The ‘AI is gonna solve all our problems’ narrative. It’s not. It’s just another tool. A really cool tool, maybe, but still just a tool.
But Wait, There’s More (Because There’s Always More)
So, I was gonna talk about AI, but then I remembered something. Something that happened about three months ago. I was at a bar with a colleague named Sarah. We were talking about work, about tech, about life. And she said something that stuck with me. ‘You know what’s really cool?’ she asked. ‘Blockchain.’
Now, I know what you’re thinking. ‘Oh great, here we go again.’ But hear me out. I’m not talking about crypto. I’m talking about the tech behind it. The part that’s actually useful. The part that could, maybe, actually live up to the hype.
But then I remembered that I was supposed to be talking about AI. So, yeah. AI.
Look, I’m not saying AI isn’t important. It is. I’m just saying we need to take a step back. Breathe. Maybe stop using the term ‘AI’ to describe every little thing that does something kinda smart. And maybe, just maybe, we should start thinking about the actual problems we’re trying to solve. Because, honestly, that’s what tech should be about. Solving problems. Not just creating more hype.
And Now, a Word About Shopping in Las Vegas
Speaking of hype, have you been to Las Vegas lately? It’s a mess. A glorious, neon-lit mess. But a mess nonetheless. I went there last month, and I swear, it’s like the city is trying too hard. There are shops everywhere, selling everything from cheap trinkets to high-end fashion. It’s overwhelming. But hey, if you’re into that sort of thing, check out this Las Vegas shopping guide best stores. Maybe it’ll help you physicaly navigate the chaos.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah. AI. Right.
So, I was talking to this guy at a tech meetup last week. He was going on and on about how AI is gonna make us all lazy. ‘It’s gonna do everything for us,’ he said. ‘We won’t have to lift a finger.’ I asked him if he’d ever heard of the term ‘committment’. He looked at me like I was crazy. ‘Commitment to what?’ he asked. ‘To, you know, doing stuff?’ I said. He just shrugged. ‘AI’ll do the stuff for us,’ he said. ‘We can just sit back and relax.’
Which, honestly, sounds kinda nice. But also kinda scary. I mean, what are we gonna do with all our free time? Watch more cat videos? Argue with strangers on the internet? It’s not like we’re gonna suddenly become a society of philosophers. Although, honestly, maybe that’s not such a bad idea.
In Conclusion (Because I Have to Wrap This Up Somehow)
Look, I could go on and on about this. About how AI is overhyped, about how we need to think more critically about the tech we’re creating, about how maybe, just maybe, we should focus on making our lives better instead of just making more stuff. But I won’t. Because, frankly, I’m tired. And I’m sure you are too.
So, let’s just agree to disagree. Let’s agree that AI is cool, but it’s not a magic bullet. Let’s agree that we need to think more about the problems we’re trying to solve. And let’s agree that, maybe, just maybe, we should all take a break from the hype. Go outside. Talk to a friend. Hell, even brush your teeth without an AI telling you you’re doing it wrong.
And with that, I’m out. Go forth and tech responsibly, my friends.
About the Author
Sarah Johnson has been a senior editor at CryptoNewsMag for over 20 years. She’s seen the tech industry evolve from the days of dial-up to the age of AI, and she’s not always impressed. When she’s not writing about the latest tech trends, she can be found arguing with Siri and trying to teach her dog to use a smartphone (it’s not going well).
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