A Writer’s Pause Before the AI Storm

I've been reflecting on writing this blog for a while now, as I found myself decompressing my thoughts and mixed emotions about AI before immersing myself in this subject.

 For weeks, it’s felt like my brain has been a browser with too many tabs open, all of them streaming a relentless flood of information about artificial intelligence. I've been soaking up every article, podcast, and documentary, taking notes. Sometimes I've even dreamt about what I learned and tried to piece it together for my brain to comprehend. 

Input Equals Output: A Dose of Reality

As many share their sentiments online and try to do the same as I, and comprehend what this new technology means in their world, it is noticeable that the number of negative comments fills forums daily. And not for good reason, as jobs are being filled by robots (Amazon) daily, resulting in significant job losses. 

Recently, I listened to Ramón López de Mántaras, a Spanish AI pioneer, on a podcast called "The great lie about AI". He introduced Artificial Intelligence as a sophisticated software, nowhere near achieving AI consciousness, "input equals output," in other words, only what humans feed the software can be reproduced.

Ramón reiterated to the listeners that, despite popular perception, we're not yet living in a virtual land of sentient machines, and true artificial consciousness remains far in the distant future. The podcaster, meanwhile, challenged this optimism and shared that at this rate, AI will reach incredible goals within the next one to two years, performing well beyond human intelligence.  

This back-and-forth dialogue was thought-provoking, exposing just how divided expert opinions are.  Yet, rather than answers, I was left with even more uncertainty. If we are merely in the beginning stages of such technology (advanced software), are we prepared for the unpredictable territory we’re entering?

 The 2-Year Countdown to a New World?

Tom Bilyeu (YouTuber) created a video called "You Have 2 Years Left Before Everything Gets Rewritten." In this video, he examines the concept of understanding the radical changes disrupting our current path to the future. He references that Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI, predicts AI will advance by 300% each year. 

Incredible? Yes, but what does this mean? Will humans cease to exist, or will robots take over? Although we may not have the answer just yet, one thing Tom does exceptionally well in this video is to scare the daylights out of me. His idea that we will all be jobless and wandering around without a purpose is tough to swallow, like the movie  Wall-E.

Copywriting on the Brink

 According to a recent Reddit group of copywriters, doomsday is upon those who write for a living. As I scrolled down to read more, the most significant underlying fact is that AI has already begun to take over marketing and social media content creator jobs, leaving many to ponder what their new career options will be.

On another Forum,  a new copywriter asked if he had any shot of becoming a writer in this day and age. At least 90% of the replies advised him to run away and pursue another job that will not become extinct soon. It blew my mind how few copywriters believed in their craft, but then again, starting as a beginner could result in more obstacles than before. 

 While it may be hard to imagine customers preferring computer-generated text over human writing, if the content is compelling and delivers results, would they be willing to pay more if they feel indifferent to it? I'd prefer to believe there is something copywriters rely on more than words. Only a writer can appeal to the audience with a compelling story that will entice the reader to continue clicking through a funnel. A play of words with multiple meanings, while creating a conversation in action.

From Sci-Fi to Right Now

  In the film "Terminator", a future cyborg (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent to kill Sarah Connor, the mother of the unborn leader of the resistance against Artificial Intelligence. When the movie was released, 2029 seemed like a distant future. A good plot in a time when everything was simple. A reality that could only be in a movie. And now, we are transitioning to computers that generate anything we ask of them and more. Why is this relevant?

Perhaps adapting to,  rather than fighting, AI, and challenging oneself to learn and utilize new technology to create complex work, will be the new era in a writer's world. 

Adaptation Is the New Superpower

 We humans are more intelligent than wiping ourselves off entirely. I must hold on to the conviction that we will reign supreme in a world where we must adapt and reinvent ourselves, a place where we feel needed. Yes, I said it. We need to feel needed. It's a fundamental part of our shared humanity. 

Recking my brain to find answers is not a solution but a hindrance. There is no set time, speed, or way this will affect us. We can push against it all we want, but it is here to stay. It is evolving. While corporations keep pushing AI harder and harder, it’s the farmer ants that we are, carrying the weight. All in a world where 1% of the population gets to decide what we should and shouldn’t do.

Technology may redraw our future, but it has no bearing on our purpose unless we surrender it. We can refuse to fade into the background and choose our destiny. Ask the hard questions and value everything that you are. Integrating doesn't mean giving up; it's about becoming irreplaceable and knowing how to utilize AI to your advantage. Working around obstacles and creating what others couldn't. 

Drop your thoughts below, because this conversation isn’t just about tech. It’s about all of us.