So, I saw a headline the other day that made me choke on my lukewarm coffee: The LA Times is using AI to write opinion pieces.
Yep, you read that right. The paper of record for Southern California is now letting Skynet (or at least a slightly less apocalyptic version of it) tell you what to think.
I’m not gonna lie, my initial reaction was a mix of morbid curiosity and sheer, unadulterated terror. Like, are we seriously at the point where we’re outsourcing critical thinking to algorithms? What fresh hell is this?
The “Upside” (If You Squint Really, Really Hard)
Okay, let’s try to be optimistic for a goddamn second. I’m sure the LA Times has some “good” reasons for doing this.
- Efficiency, Baby!: AI can churn out articles faster than I can polish off a six-pack. This means the LA Times can flood the internet with even more opinions, 24/7. Because, you know, that’s exactly what the world needs.
- “Objectivity” (Yeah, Right): The argument is that AI can be more objective than human writers. No biases, no agendas, just cold, hard facts. Except, as we’ve already discussed, AI is only as unbiased as the data it’s trained on. And let’s be real, finding truly unbiased data these days is like finding a unicorn that shits gold bricks.
- Experimentation: Maybe the LA Times is just experimenting. Trying to push the boundaries of journalism. See what’s possible. Which is fine, I guess, as long as they don’t accidentally unleash a sentient AI that starts advocating for the overthrow of the government.
The “This Is Going To End Badly” Scenarios
But let’s get real. This is probably going to be a disaster.
- The Death of Nuance: Opinion writing is all about nuance, subtlety, and the ability to see multiple sides of an issue. AI? Not so much. Expect a lot of simplistic, black-and-white arguments that completely miss the point.
- The Rise of the Bots: How long before other news outlets start doing this? How long before the entire internet is flooded with AI-generated opinions, drowning out the voices of actual human beings? It’s a scary thought, man.
- The Erosion of Trust: People already don’t trust the media. And if they find out that the opinions they’re reading are written by robots? Forget about it. It’s going to be a complete shitshow.
- The Propaganda Machine: Imagine what a government or corporation could do with this technology. They could create an army of AI bots to spread disinformation, manipulate public opinion, and silence dissent. It’s like something out of a dystopian novel.
My Opinion (Written By a Real Human, For Now)
Look, I’m not saying AI is inherently evil. But using it to write opinion pieces? That’s just a bad idea. It’s going to dumb down the public discourse, erode trust in the media, and potentially open the door to all sorts of nefarious shit.
The LA Times needs to pull its head out of its ass and realize that some things are better left to humans. Especially when it comes to forming and expressing opinions.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go write a strongly worded letter to the editor. Before the robots take over and I’m out of a job.
