We’ve all heard what many, if not most, people say about AI. Everyone appears to be mostly cautious about it. You have to admit—it’s pretty much everywhere! But aside from all the hype, there seems to be a growing sense that AI is being pushed into our lives faster than we’re ready and without much of our consent.
If you’re like me, you feel like you didn’t choose AI. We woke up one day, and it was just there.
We saw it in our inboxes, on our phones, and as part of our jobs, disguised in a cloak of “efficiency” and “innovation,” whether we wanted it or not.
Bill Maher has referenced it in some of his HBO show monologues. I remember one show in which he referred to “Reverse Intelligence” or what he calls “reverse improvement.” He spoke of upgrades and improvements that no one needs, wants, or that really don’t make life better.
That seems to be one of the biggest criticisms regarding AI. Those behind the push are trying to solve problems that don’t always exist while creating new ones no one asked for.
Automating emails, art, writing, and customer service might save companies money, but for the masses who still need to work to survive, it often feels like an erosion of human value. I don’t mean to sound too cynical, as I am usually an optimist, but there’s a popular sense that AI isn’t really being built to make life better for humans.
Rather, it’s designed to make businesses leaner, cheaper, and more scalable. Call me crazy, but that certainly makes any enthusiasm feel one-sided.
Have you also noticed how often AI gets things wrong?
There is certainly some bias and lack of understanding baked into how these systems work. Yet we constantly hear how reliable, intelligent, and “almost human” they are. When that narrative proves false, who is left to clean up the mess? That burden still falls on people, which raises a fair question: if we must supervise and fact-check everything, how much time are we really saving?
Boomers and Gen-Xers are less likely to lean heavily on it, outside of looking for information or data. I use it for sales and category research, along with marketing information. Now even younger Millennials and Zoomers are concerned as AI takes over some of what they thought would be impervious to attack.
Even developers and code writers are worried as more companies lean on AI to generate code for websites and apps.
Trust is another major issue for many. More people are increasingly uncomfortable with how much data AI systems require and how little transparency exists. For all intents and purposes, AI feels like a big brain-suck. It’s less like a helpful assistant and more like a giant extraction device depicted in old sci-fi movies, with the crazy helmet worn on the head that stole information right out of our brains.
Creative types, in particular, are the most critical.
Writers, artists, musicians, and broadcasters often feel AI is built on their labor without permission, then used to undercut them. Mark Zuckerberg once said that creative people would be able to work on other crazy things. Bill Maher joked, “Yeah, like starving!”
That promise of “freeing creative people to be more creative” feels bass-ackwards and unfair to those first in line for elimination.
There’s also a more ethereal, cultural discomfort. People worry that relying too heavily on AI stifles critical thinking, originality, and connection. Think about it… if machines make the decisions about what is created, doesn’t the human spirit stop struggling?
Isn’t that struggle where growth and insight come from? Won’t true intellect begin to atrophy like a muscle that is never used any longer?
Ultimately, most people don’t hate AI. They just don’t trust the way it’s used. The prevailing sentiment isn’t “awe”; it’s suspicion. People are asking harder questions now, like, “Who benefits? Who loses? Who’s accountable when things go wrong?”
And what about the speed at which AI is growing? Just two years ago, most of us never even considered this massive invasion. Doesn’t that raise red flags? Why the rush? AI has become so quickly embedded into our various platforms and workflows before our human norms, laws, or ethics can even catch up.
Steve Jobs used to suggest that people don’t know what they want or need until it’s invented and they see what it can do. I’m not so sure he would still feel that way today.
In the end, I don’t think most of us are anti-technology. No one wants or expects AI to disappear. I think we all just hope for transparency, honesty, limits, and accountability. Who sets the rules? Who enforces them? And who gets protected when things go wrong?
Until those questions are answered, AI may remain less a symbol of progress and more a source of discomfort. It’s not because we don’t understand it. It’s more because we understand just enough to be concerned, and that means skepticism isn’t likely going anywhere for now.
Then again—you might read this and simply say, “Ok boomer—whatever!”
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Bob Lawrence writes weekly columns on radio leadership and business. He most recently served as market manager for MacDonald Broadcasting in Saginaw, Michigan. Throughout his career, Bob has held virtually every position in the business over his 40+ year career, from being on-air in Philadelphia, San Diego, and San Francisco to programming legendary stations including KHTR St. Louis, KITS Hot Hits and KIOI (K101) San Francisco to serving as the head of all programming for Saga Communications and working for the Radio Advertising Bureau. Before landing his current role, Bob helped lead Seven Mountains Media’s cluster in Parkersburg, WV/Marietta, OH. He can be reached by email at BGLawrence@me.com.
Bob also honed his research skills over ten years as Senior VP of Operations at Broadcast Architecture, eventually launching his own research company and serving as President/CEO of Pinnacle Media Worldwide for 15 years. Bob spent five years as VP of Programming for Saga Communications before joining New South Radio in Jackson, Mississippi as GM/Market Manager. Prior to joining Seven Mountains Media, Bob served as General Manager for the Radio Advertising Bureau, overseeing its “National Radio Talent System”.
