Is it even possible to opt-out of AI?
Last year, I sort of lost my mind over generative AI. I was writing about it a lot. Too much? And by year’s end, I pledged to back away from writing about the topic.
I reasoned that if I didn’t engage with the tech, if I didn’t feed the beast, I could sleep at night. But recently, it seems increasingly difficult to opt-out. No matter what I do, I’m feeding someone’s large language model, whether it’s Google, Meta, or Microsoft.
In early June, Apple announced it was partnering with OpenAI. And it sent me spiraling again.
It was a bold move from Apple, considering how bullish they’ve been about using the word “AI.” Last year, Tim Cook took great pains to use the phrase “machine learning” during presentations.
But, Wallstreet gonna Wallstreet, and here we are.
Apple represents an aesthetic ideal for many artists. Hell, I'm old enough to remember the days when the company actively courted us! And sure, they've made mistakes in the past. I was able to deal with the dumb "touch bar," the dongles, Final Cut X. But this pivot to generative AI feels...different.
So, where does this leave me and the growing number of others who are allergic to AI? How do we opt-out anymore, especially when Tech leaders like Microsoft’s CEO Mustafa Suleyman admit they view all our work as “free” to scrape?
As if on cue, the Light Phone 3 was announced the day after Apple’s reveal.
My hand-wringing to go minimal is well documented here and here. And I’ll admit, for years, switching to a dumb phone felt like an idle threat. But now, the decision feels elemental. Necessary. The only way to escape AI, algorithms, and doom-scrolling brain rot.
Tech companies want us to believe that AI adoption is inevitable. They’re moving so fast, draining resources in an unsustainable way, all because they want to outrun the courts and public opinion. It’s sweaty and desperate. A move made by folks who’ve bet the house on this tech.
But just because Silicon Valley has made this colossal gamble doesn’t mean we have to get into the casino, too. There are still ways of opting out, but it involves rethinking our lives.
After several weeks of contemplation, I pre-ordered the Light Phone 3.
I know that having a dumbphone will be challenging, and I’ll have to find workarounds for certain shortcomings. But at this point, what is the alternative?
Our smartphones have become increasingly toxic, robbing us of so much of our time. And now they want all our data, all our work. They’ve come for our soul.
I'm out.
Thanks for reading Bobby Miller Time! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
