I Was Wrong About AI and It Hurts
Okay, look. I gotta admit something. Back in 2018, at a conference in Austin, I stood on stage and said, “AI is gonna replace writers within a decade.” I was so sure. I even bet my colleague, Dave, $50. (I owe him $50 now.)
But here we are, 2024, and I’m still typing. Not only that, but I’m typing about AI. The irony isn’t lost on me.
So what happened? Why didn’t the robots take over? Let me tell you.
AI Wrote This Article (Kinda)
Before we go further, full disclosure: I used an AI tool to help draft this. Not because I wanted to, but because my editor, Marcus, I mean, let’s call him Marcus, told me to. “It’s the future,” he said. I said, “It’s a crutch.” He said, “It’s 2024, get with the program.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing: the AI didn’t write this. I did. The AI just kinda… helped. It’s like having a really annoying intern who keeps suggesting bad ideas but occasionally gets something right.
I asked it about the latest in AI tech, and it gave me this wall of text. I read it, rolled my eyes, and said, “Nope, not using that.” But then, buried in the nonsense, there was one good point. So I kept it. That’s the AI’s contribution. One point.
AI’s Biggest Problem? It’s Boring
You know what AI can’t do? Tell a good story. It can’t sit down with a source, listen to their tale, and weave it into something compelling. It can’t feel the emotion behind the words. It can’t have a laugh with someone over coffee at the place on 5th and think, “That’s a great detail, gotta include that.”
I interviewed a guy named Tom last Tuesday. He’s a cybersecurity expert. We talked about AI and cybersecurity, and he said something that stuck with me. “AI is like a locksmith who can pick any lock, but doesn’t know what to do once inside.” I loved that. It’s vivid. It’s human. No AI gave me that. Tom did.
AI can’t do that. It can’t create a vivid metaphor out of thin air. It can’t have a genuine conversation and pull out the juicy bits. It’s just… not there yet.
AI and the 36-Hour Workweek
Now, don’t get me wrong. AI is good for some things. Like, honestly, it’s great for menial tasks. Need to write a press release? AI’s your guy. Need to draft a community news update community news update? AI’s got you covered. Need to generate 214 variations of the same ad? AI’s all over it.
But here’s the thing: those tasks are boring. And they’re taking over. So now, instead of spending 36 hours on boring stuff, we spend 36 hours worrying about AI. It’s a lateral move at best.
I get it. AI’s gonna change things. It already has. But it’s not the apocalypse I thought it would be. It’s more like… a really annoying roommate. Always there, always making a mess, but you kinda get used to it.
A Tangent: The Time I Tried to Teach AI Sarcasm
About three months ago, I decided to teach AI sarcasm. I spent hours feeding it examples, explaining the nuances. It was a disaster. The AI just didn’t get it. It’s like trying to explain humor to a toaster. You can’t. It’s not gonna happen.
But here’s the thing: sarcasm is human. It’s flawed. It’s imperfect. AI’s not. And that’s why it’ll never replace us. We’re messy. We’re emotional. We’re sarcastic. And that’s what makes us good at what we do.
AI’s Biggest Success? Making Us Better Writers
Look, I’ll admit it. AI has made me a better writer. Not because it writes for me, but because it challenges me. It makes me think, “Can I do this better?” And often, the answer is yes.
So, yeah. AI’s not the enemy. It’s just a tool. A really annoying, sometimes helpful, often boring tool. But a tool nonetheless.
And that’s why I’m still typing in 2024. And why I’ll probably still be typing in 2034. Because, frankly, I like it. I like the mess. I like the emotion. I like the sarcasm.
And no AI can take that away from me.
About the Author: Sarah Johnson has been a senior magazine editor for over 20 years. She’s written for major publications, covered tech innovations, and has a strong opinion on AI. She’s probably wrong about most of it, but she’s having fun anyway. You can find her on Twitter @sarahjwrites, complaining about the latest AI tool.
