Generative AI Policy – Do I Need One?

In the last few weeks, I have written already a good number of blog posts, while relaunching this blog, introducing some of the major core themes I’d like to keep on writing about over time. You may have noticed how, so far, I have managed not to mention a single time Generative AI (a.k.a. #GenAI). Surprise, surprise! Well, not really. That’s intentional, but since a couple of folks have asked me what are my thoughts on the topic and whether I’m considering using these automated services to help me write blog posts over here, thought I’d share what my #GenAI policy will be going forward: Can’t slop, won’t slop – No LLMs involved, human powered.

I love A.I. I have always been fascinated by what humans can achieve with its different types. Technology innovation at its best for the betterment of humanity. However, there is one particular type of A.I. I’m not too fond of, in fact, quite the opposite: Generative AI. I’m a Luddite at heart and I suspect I’ll remain one for a good while. Why am I sceptical about it? Well, I still have to find its business value with regards to what I do at my work in building, nurturing and sustaining human connection(s), but at the same time I recognise the massive impact it’s having in different areas that are huge concerns to me: Its pernicious environmental impact in both water and energy consumption of fossil fuels through its many data centres scattered around the world, its extractive, colonialist and exploitative practices for training their data models, the poignant issues with regards to IP theft that even myself I suffered from with this blog not long ago, etc., etc. But perhaps the main reason why I’m sceptic about GenAI is mainly because of who is behind it. Who owns it. Who owns the main GenAI vendors and what they are willing to do with the massive amounts of data they are gathering from / through us, for free, to weaponise it, against us, for their own profit and greed through savage surveillance capitalism. In a nutshell, those very same malignant narcissist arseholes who have been working really hard to destroy (our) democracies.

Remember when not long ago I mentioned how all technology is political? Remember also that blog post I wrote about Digital Autonomy a few days back? To me, this is what it is all about. Do I really want to keep supporting with my money, effort, energy and intent those digital tools and automated services whose vendors / organisations are actively supporting and enabling daily war crimes, genocide, or destabilising democratically chosen governments for standing up on the right side of history? No, thanks! Not a chance! Between convenience and efficiency, I decide to choose and stand with democracy, even if that means I’ll be poorer as a result of it, although we can debate at some point, I am sure, how useful these tools really are in helping generate wealth for regular citizens just like you and me. Yeah, I know, anyway, like I mentioned in that same blog post, (having) a moral compass is a b*tch. Apparently, nowadays, decent human values are scarce. And yet, that’s who we are, humane, empathetic and cooperative by nature, so, as such, we should probably start acting accordingly at it, don’t you think?

This is my attempt at it. To keep exploring different alternatives to US Big Tech and see where I may land eventually. Identify the pros and the cons, the trade-offs, the consequences not just for myself, but also for others and see what I can learn along the way that may be useful for people. It’s been a super interesting and fascinating journey in equal measure thus far, because along with a bunch of individual productivity tools, as well as social, digital tools, I’m also including in this lot #GenAI vendors coming out of the US. I don’t use any of them and don’t plan to start any time soon. Does that mean I will not be exploring the potential of these automated services with other vendors based elsewhere? Like I said, at this point in time, I’m sceptical, but, over time, I’ll be blogging about some of the poignant issues I see when using these tools on a daily basis that forbid me from making extensive use of them in the first place. For now, and till those wicked problems are addressed and fixed accordingly, my #GenAI policy for this blog, just like pretty much everywhere else I’m usually hanging out nowadays online, is as follows:

Can’t slop, won’t slop – No LLMs involved, human powered.