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Lets clear the AIr

2025-02-28         KBS

 AI  Technology

Let’s Clear the AIr | DtRH.net - Down the Rabbit Hole

DtRH.net - Down the Rabbit Hole

Let’s Clear the AIr2025-02-20 23:26:54|Artificial Intelligence

That’s not a typo in the title. Of course, I’m talking aboutArtificial Intelligence—or, to be more precise, what most people loosely refer to as AI. For simplicity, I’ll lump**Artificial Intelligence (AI)andLarge Language Models (LLMs)**together, even though they aren’t truly the same. But let’s not get tangled in those details right now.

I’m writing this because I’m tired of hearing people dismiss AI without actually understanding it. Some believe it’s just a flashy trick; others say it’scheating. Honestly, that’s ridiculous. It’s like hating on computers in the ’80s because “real work is done on paper.” If you think you can ignore AI and carry on like it’s the early 2000s, here’s your wake-up call:this ship is sailing with or without you.

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AI Is Not Cheating—It’s a Tool

“Using AI is cheating!”

Really? So is using a calculator cheating at math? Is spellcheck cheating at writing essays? If you want to do everything by hand, be my guest, but don’t try to shame everyone else for embracing the future.

The reality is people who have this way of thinking are most often just very uninformed.

Yes, some people will use AI to skip learning the fundamentals and cheat through school; that’s onthem. It’s not much different than cheating was before AI - where a student copies an essay from the net and submits it. However, at its core, AI is here toempoweryour workflow, not replace your intellect. If you think using AI is “cheating,” maybe you just need to up your own game.

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Boomers: Fear of the New

Let’s call it what it is: a lot of the older demographic (Boomers, Gen X, or even older Millennials sometimes) tend to brush off AI. They argue it’s unnecessary, that “we never needed this before,” or that it’s some elaborate fad. Well, guess what?You didn’t need the internet in 1995 either—until you absolutely did.

Why Is This Happening?

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Fear of Obsolescence
People who’ve spent decades perfecting their craft often worry new technology will undermine their expertise. It’s scary to think that something you’ve mastered might suddenly become less relevant.

Resistance to Change
Adapting is hard. Learning new tools, new workflows, and new mindsets can feel like a chore—especially if you’re already comfortable with how things are.

Misinformation
Let’s be real: tabloids and sensational news love to paint AI as a job-stealing menace. It’s easy to buy into that narrative if you don’t look deeper.

Why They’re Wrong

  • AI Doesn’t Invalidate Experience
    Knowing your industry inside and out gives you a massive edgewithAI. You can feed AI your domain knowledge to do more in less time. Ignoring it just means you’re leaving productivity on the table.
  • Tech Moves On—With or Without You
    If you choose not to adapt, that’s your prerogative. But don’t be surprised when you struggle to keep up and get overshadowed by younger or more flexible colleagues.
  • It’s Not a Fad
    This isn’t disco music or Beanie Babies. AI is fundamentally shifting how we handle information. Treating it like a passing craze is a surefire way to get left behind.

**Harsh Reality Check:**It’s fine to be skeptical—skepticism is healthy. But dismissing AI outright because it’s “new” is just burying your head in the sand. You can learn to collaborate with AI, or you can cling to nostalgia. Your call.

So… WhatIsAI, Really?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, AI is “the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.” Translation: machines doing things we used to think only humans could do—recognizing speech, making decisions, translating languages, etc.

In 2025, when most of us say “AI,” we’re really talking about**Large Language Models (LLMs)*like ChatGPT or Claude. They’re basically advanced text predictors. No, they’re notsentient*; they’re just really good at guessing the next word in a sentence based on patterns they’ve seen in vast libraries of text. If you want the deep-dive on how it all works, check outthis video. If not, just remember: LLMs are extremely clever—but still mechanical—pattern-finders.

“AI Will Take All Our Jobs!”

Well, technology has been automating tasks for centuries. The printing press put scribes out of work. The assembly line changed manufacturing forever.The wheel put a lot of people who carried heavy shit on their backs out of work.Did society collapse? No. It evolved. AI is no different. It’s going to shift the job market in massive ways, sure—but if history is any guide,new roleswill emerge to fill the gaps. Taking the time to understand it might save you wasted time down the road by being able to anticipate where it will have the largest influence.

1.Yes, Some Jobs Will Vanish

If your job is 100% repetitive tasks, AI might replace that portion of your workflow. But guess what? So did robotics in factories—and humans still found other jobs, many of which paid better and were less physically demanding.

2.New Opportunities Will Appear

AI needs maintenance, data curation, ethical oversight, and creative input. People who know how to use AI effectively (instead of running scared) will shape the future of work.

3.Adapt or Obsolete

Hanging on to “the old ways” without reason is a personal choice, but don’t cry foul when the workforce leaves you behind. It’s happened before, and it’ll happen again.

AI’s Dark Side: Let’s Not Kid Ourselves

LLMs aren’t perfect. They make laughably bad mistakes, sometimes with utter conviction.

1. Fake Citations & Imaginary Sources

Ask an LLM for research references, and you might get a list of articles that don’t exist. It’s just regurgitating patterns. If you don’t verify them, you’ll look foolish.

2. Broken Code or Missing Functions

Ask it to fix your code, and it’ll generate something that might compile but could create a domino effect of new bugs. AI can’t test the code; you have to. With respect to any decent sized project, AI will forget aspects on each file generation. So lets put to rest the idea that you can just type some vague plan for a program with no knowledge and expect it to generate something that is not only functional but user friendly.

3. Authoritative Tone, Inaccurate Facts

LLMs can blend real facts with complete nonsense, stating both as if they’re gospel. If you don’t fact-check, that’s on you. Think about it - how often does an LLM actually respond withI don’t know the answer. It will always generate something and not unlike a psycho rationalize it.

4. Biases Baked In

AI’s trained on human-generated data, so it can inherit biases. If you’re not aware of that, you could end up perpetuating stereotypes or misinformation at scale. If you use this as an absolute with respect to teaching others, it’s absolutely harmful.

So, Why Even Bother?

BecauseAI is a tool, not a magic genie. It can help you draft emails, code, or brainstorming ideas faster, parse data, but it won’t replace genuine expertise. If you expect AI to do your entire job for you, prepare for some colossal fails. But if you treat it like apartner—one that still needs supervision—you can work faster and smarter.

As of the date of this writing, AI can do magical things if you know how to ask it. I can have an LLM process all my weblogs for suspicious activity (which I define), and it can clear 100 pages in seconds. This is just one of many examples.

Final Reality Check: Adapt or Step Aside

Let’s be blunt:

  • Technology evolves.
  • AI isn’t going anywhere.
  • You can either jump on board or get left behind.

If you’re a Boomer, Gen X, or anyone else refusing to adapt? That’s your right. But don’t expect sympathy when industries move on and you’re left struggling to understand why your “tried-and-true” methods don’t cut it anymore.

**Here’s the harsh truth:**AI won’t wait for you to catch up. You can sneer at it, you can call it cheating, you can cling to the past. But the rest of the world is moving forward—fast. Don’t get left behind holding the proverbial rotary phone in a 5G world.

**Use AI as a tool.**Understand it, question it, fact-check it. Leverage its power without abdicating your own brainpower. And if you still want to bury your head in the sand? Well, enjoy your stay down there, I guess. The rest of us have places to be.Lessons Learned in Web App Dev: A Swift Reality CheckTen Solid, but Totally Unexpected Pieces of Wisdom.Select ThemeCyber NoirTerminal MonospaceTech NoirKBS

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