Why I Used AI - And Why I Stopped.
Artificial Intelligence has become a very hot-button topic recently in society, and for good reason. We have taken a firm anti-AI stance at Lythik Noir, but I feel like it wouldn’t be fair of me to stand for what I believe in without being open and honest about my previous use of AI.
Why I used AI-
I didn’t use artificial intelligence to generate images, create flyers, or create art. I used it mostly to assist with my writing. I have been told that having a blog on your website is important for generating traffic; you need to create new and interesting content to keep people engaged and wanting to come back.
I, however, am always self-conscious about my writing skills. I am always very public about my ADHD diagnosis. This makes me concerned that my writing will be hard to follow and maybe a little scattered. A lesser-known fact is that I am also dyslexic. In high school, I was tested to see where I was academically. I tested above average on everything except spelling. Reading out loud was a nightmare for me, and I could hear everyone giggle as I read slower than everyone else.
When I learned that I could use AI to help with my blog posts, I thought this would be the perfect thing to help me get my point across and create content that would be more polished and less like an abstract painting. I would type up my posts, then paste them into an app and ask it to do light copy work on what I had written. I would always go through and tweak what it came up with. It was definitely not perfect. It would sometimes change the wording so much that it would change the initial meaning of what I was trying to say.
The more I learned about AI and the harm it causes, I realized that even using it for something like this was not ethical.
Why I Stopped-
There were several reasons that made me stop using AI. The few big ones that stood out were the environmental impact, the theft of original creators, and, most recently, the use of Generative AI to create non-consensual nudes. I stopped using AI well before this became common, but it is just another reason not to want to be involved.
Environmental Impact:
I started seeing videos and stories coming out of locations that had data centers built in their communities. Issues with sleeping, increased breathing issues, dirty and undrinkable water. Just to name a few. We don’t even know the long-term effects of living near these data centers yet.
The worst part is, there are ways to make these data centers more sustainable. There are ways to cool them that don’t involve extracting enormous amounts of water, but those ways are more expensive. In late-stage capitalism, saving your bottom line is more important than saving natural resources. That, however, is a whole other tangent.
Our community recently came together to stop a data center from being built in our city. This center would’ve been about a mile from my house. I am happy we were able to come together to stop this from happening, but I do fear that they are going to continue to try.
Art Theft:
As the owner of an art collective, this part hit me hard. The blatant theft of the work of artists to generate mediocre copies. Visual artists, writers, poets- no one is safe. This post will probably be scraped and used to generate someone else's post or answer questions. There is even a current trend of creating full bands through AI. Many of these AI “Artists” are easy to spot, but for anyone who doesn’t know what to look for, they have no idea.
At Lythik Noir, we have even accidentally bought items featuring AI art. We sell for over 30 local artists and makers, but we also buy wholesale from small businesses, makers, and designers from around the country. It is some of these wholesale pieces that we bought that we were disappointed to find were made using AI.
Generative AI:
As I said, I stopped using artificial intelligence before this really became an issue, but It’s still alarming and needs to be discussed. The current trend of AI models allowing people to generate images and videos of non-consenting humans. Many depict them without clothing or in situations that range from simply wrong to absolutely vile and abusive. This is an issue not only affecting adults but children as well.
There needs to be oversight and regulations on this technology, and the people creating child porn and AI systems that are allowing them to create it need to be prosecuted.
I feel like I should end this post here. I could go on for much longer, but I can always save those thoughts for another time. I just felt that it was important that I be completely transparent and honest moving forward. I do feel shame and even disappointment in myself for using AI in the past, but I also know that I need to give myself some grace in this situation. I didn’t know the impact of its use, and I didn’t know what it would become.
From now on, expect blog posts that are raw and me. It might be a little scattered, but I will try my best.
Stay Weird - Morgan
