Is the AI backlash growing? This article says so and discusses growing concerns of people about AI’s encroachment into our lives.

The article on Wired (The AI Backlash Keeps Growing Stronger, written by Reece Rogers and available here) discusses that when news got out that Duolingo was making the switch to become an “AI-first” company, planning to replace contractors who work on tasks generative AI could automate, public perception of the brand soured.

Young people started posting on social media about how they were outraged at Duolingo as they performatively deleted the app—even if it meant losing the precious streak awards they earned through continued, daily usage. The comments on Duolingo’s TikTok posts in the days after the announcement were filled with rage, primarily focused on a single aspect: workers being replaced with automation.

Many people were initially in awe of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools when they first arrived in late 2022. You could make a cartoon of a duck riding a motorcycle! (Side note: now you understand the graphic above! 😉) But soon artists started speaking out, noting that their visual and textual works were being scraped to train these systems. The pushback from the creative community ramped up during the 2023 Hollywood writer’s strike, and continued to accelerate through the current wave of copyright lawsuits brought by publishers, creatives, and Hollywood studios (including this case and this case which had important rulings last week).

Before ChatGPT’s release, around 38 percent of US adults were more concerned than excited about increased AI usage in daily life, according to the Pew Research Center. The number shot up to 52 percent by late 2023, as the public reacted to the speedy spread of generative AI. The level of concern has hovered around that same threshold ever since.

As the author states: “This generalized animosity towards AI has not abated over time. Rather, it’s metastasized. LinkedIn users have complained about being constantly prompted with AI-generated questions. Spotify listeners have been frustrated to hear AI-generated podcasts recapping their top-listened songs. Reddit posters have been upset to see AI-generated images on their microwavable noodles at the grocery store.”

These are just a few of the issues and concerns that have fed an AI backlash. Will many companies care? Probably not. The ability to leverage technology to accomplish tasks efficiently and cost effectively – regardless of the impact on jobs – is too compelling for organizations to resist.

So, what do you think? Are you concerned about the advance of AI? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Image created using Microsoft Designer, using the term (wait for it!) “cartoon of a duck riding a motorcycle”. 🤣

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