Manual vs. Automatic: Shifting Gears on How We See AI

The AI stigma.

I need to address this, as I have had many conversations over the past few weeks with small business owners, non-profit leaders, and in-house marketing teams all featuring the same, hushed-toned, under-the-breath mutter, "I use {insert favorite AI text platform} to help me." They say it in such a way that I half expect to see secret agents lurking in the corner.

There is an underlying stigma surrounding the use of AI. An understandable and rational concern surrounding the use of it from an ethical perspective, and a genuine awareness of the potential of plagiarism is a valid concern.

BUT there is also tremendous potential for these tools. AI is not a new concept or integration (great deep dive into the history of AI from IBM https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/history-of-artificial-intelligence), but the rapid evolution of platforms and capabilities has completely changed the way we do things in just the past 36 months. (Chat GPT turns three this fall!)

As a journalism and communications major, I firmly believe that students need to learn how to write, edit, and refine their work independently. They need to understand how text flows and effectively communicate with their audience. It is not easy for everyone, but understanding the basics and then pairing with platforms to use as a tool to help facilitate communications is a powerful way to leverage the potential of the platforms. We cannot become a society that relies solely on copy and paste; we still need the unique insights and perspectives that only humans can provide. It is not dissimilar to driving a car; we don't just hand a teenager the keys and tell them to drive. There is a learning process.

Similar to the evolution of the car transmission from standard to automatic, and the grumblings from older generations that we all need to learn to drive "a real car" - when I need to get in my (automatic) car and have two kids somehow in multiple locations at the same time for different sports, my automatic car is going to get the job done with the limited time assistance to get them there. If I could use AI to help with this, I would, but since we can't, I will use AI tools to assist where possible.

I will step off my soapbox now to note that in a society where we are all challenged to do more with less staff, less budget, and less time, we need these tools to help keep things going. Let us stop whispering about how we are meeting the demands of the day and start celebrating what we are accomplishing and how we are moving forward.