I once found a video on YouTube featuring study music. It was great! The music was enjoyable and helped me focus.
I opened YouTube again the next day to find a new video featuring another study music playlist. It was made by the same channel that had posted the first video I had seen.
The next day, another playlist. Then another. And another.
I thought, “Wow. How do they create this many songs so quickly?”
Then I came to a realization. Scrolling down in the description, I found a statement that made my stomach drop.
“Altered or synthetic content.”
I was fooled. I was convinced that I was listening to something that someone had put a lot of effort into. I was ashamed of how I actually thought the music was good.
It’s not just about studying music. Artificial intelligence (AI) dominates short-term content. Videos ranging from fruit babies to unique landscapes were created by AI.
A Pew Research survey that monitored the browsing history of 900 adults in the United States found that 93% of respondents visited a page mentioning AI in March.
I consider myself an optimist. I like to see the good in things. However, trying to find human-made content in a world of AI is exhausting. I wish people would make it clear which is which.
Now, I’m not suggesting that we eliminate AI. It’s impossible to ignore it.
While many articles, like this one, often criticize AI, I must admit that it has its benefits.
Engineers are making significant strides in leveraging AI for innovation. A robotics company called Figure AI has recently created its third model of a humanoid robot, capable of performing everyday tasks, from washing the dishes to folding clothes. Additionally, the company states that it was designed for commercial-scale production.
However, inventions like these are so extraordinary that I sometimes mistake videos of the AI robot for, well, an AI-generated video. It’s funny how AI can work against itself.
A more practical benefit lies in the world of medicine. According to the National Library of Medicine, AI can lead to more accurate diagnoses of various health issues, more personalized treatments, surgical assistance, and less expensive healthcare for patients.
Google, for example, is collaborating with the healthcare industry to develop AI models that can predict the likelihood of illnesses such as cancer, sepsis, and heart failure.
That being said, if AI is beneficial, why do we prefer human-made content over AI-generated content?
Certainly, we can acknowledge environmental impacts, but the same can be said about many other industries, including oil and tourism.
I believe that the real answer is simple. We like supporting humans. Watching AI-generated content is like buying a polyester shirt at Shein instead of buying a hand-knit cotton sweater from your neighbor.
I wish it were easier to know if I’m giving my time and attention to a human or a machine.
