Generative AI is an incredible technological advancement. But does it really need to be built into every app and service I use? There are situations where I need to rely on traditional tools that give me more control and a more natural experience. Not every digital experience requires AI to perform optimally. Here’s why I don’t think generative AI should be built into everything. Check out the potential negative health effects of generative AI technology.
1. Privacy is a concern with generative AI
One of the main concerns of generative AI is privacy and security.
Dedicated AI applications like ChatGPT or Gemini can manage these risks to some extent, but when these features start intruding on Google Docs, Messages, and other everyday apps, it becomes really difficult to ensure that sensitive personal information is not exposed to AI.
While privacy policies vary among AI companies, let’s take OpenAI as an example. Remember: OpenAI It collects “personal information contained in entries, file uploads or comments” and may share it with third parties.
Likewise, if you didn’t opt out of OpenAI using your data to train its models, your information has likely already been used for training. Don’t forget that researchers were able to extract ChatGPT training data, according to 404Media.
Even when big tech companies’ privacy policies state that they don’t share or use your data, it’s hard to take their word for it, given their unimpressive track record. Check out how AI is impacting your social media privacy.
2. Imposing AI in apps makes the experience annoying.
If you’ve ever accidentally tapped on the Meta AI icon while searching for a chat in WhatsApp, you know how annoying these features can be. Why would any sane person fire up WhatsApp on their phone to “imagine a delicious dessert” or “invent a new language”?
It’s not just WhatsApp or Meta; you’ll find Google’s Gemini AI popping up in Messages, Gmail, Drive, and more. An overview of Google Search AI is also worth mentioning here.
What makes these generative AI features particularly annoying is that they make the UI of these apps ugly, especially when they're highlighted unnaturally.
3. Generative AI isn’t always useful
There are use cases where AI is very useful, and there are circumstances where it is not useful. Or at least not yet.
It is unfortunate that tech companies are more interested in jumping on the AI bandwagon without considering whether it will actually be beneficial to users.
Similarly, the trend of shipping half-baked AI features that don’t benefit users at all doesn’t improve things. Again, the Google Search AI overview, which once told a user to add glue to a pizza, is a great example.
4. Using generative AI kills authenticity and credibility
I might use AI to craft a professional, toneless email. But when I’m sending a message to my family or commenting on a friend’s post, I can’t imagine using AI. There are other reasons why social media platforms don’t have generative AI.
Similarly, generative AI in creative tools can be useful, but not all creative applications need AI. Creative professionals continue to debate whether such tools can match the originality and insights of a conscious human artist.
So, it doesn't really make sense to use generative AI in areas where originality and uniqueness are required.
5. Wasted energy
Training and using generative AI requires a lot of energy. To give you an idea, training OpenAI’s GPT-3 took Estimated 1287 MWh (PDF) of energy. Similarly, according to the International Energy Agency, a ChatGPT request consumes nearly 10 times the energy of a Google search, while that amount of energy could power an average American household for 120 years.
It’s easier to justify the large amounts of energy use when generative AI is being used in actual, productive work. However, pushing GenAI into every application wastes energy (and, of course, more carbon emissions) for no real benefit.
In short, as useful as generative AI is, it’s certainly not a technology that’s essential to every app. On the contrary, it raises privacy concerns, makes the user interface clunky, and wastes more energy. Most importantly, GenAI can have negative effects on your health. Read on for mistakes to avoid when using generative AI tools.
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