Editor's note: All opinions, columns and letters reflect the views of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the IDS or its staffers.
Artificial intelligence is becoming a daily occurrence, its rapid advancement over the last couple of years has significantly impacted education, entertainment, and the environment. Despite this knowledge, AI has experienced a large uptick in use. Some use it for art, some for cheating and some to cut costs. The large rise has caused a plague of sorts, with the use infiltrating our access to information, media, and our ways of living becoming augmented or reliant on AI.
The quick evolution of AI has caused occupational issues. Media companies are using it for ads or marketing, such as Marvel Studios using AI for the opening titles for their vision show, “Secret Invasion.”. The NFL openly admitted to using AI in its “Ride the Float” ad for the 2025 season. While it does reduce the budget and avoids time constraints, it remains a significant environmental issue and results in job losses.
A study conducted by Stanford economists reveals individuals affected by AI’s job replacements are predominantly younger people, particularly in fields such as finance, sales and software engineering. The reason for this is that companies would rather have a robot perform a task than train a young person to do it. Research has already proven AI’s impact on the job industry, which is strange given how new this version of AI seems to be.
AI videos are also tricking the masses. The new Sora video app from OpenAI is remarkable. It can make anything from your favorite celebrities singing popular songs to bunnies jumping on a trampoline; however, the worst part is how realistic it seems to be. The line between robots and reality is becoming blurred. Videos go viral without people, even me, realizing they’re AI-generated. Even documentaries have been caught using AI images. It seems to be getting so realistic that it could become an issue in the future with how media is shown and presented as what’s real doesn’t seem to matter.
While AI might seem fun, it’s seeping into things as human as journalism. Some media companies and countries are experimenting with using AI-generated reporters to read the news. While it hasn’t reached the U.S. yet, it’s not impossible. Genuine journalism cannot be generated by AI. It requires real experiences, real opinions; and genuine passion. Using AI as a shortcut, whether for articles, coverage or interviews, undermines the human aspect of both journalism and everything beyond it. Using AI to present news cuts costs and corners, but it can lead to a larger distrust of media than we already have.
If we let AI become the face of our media, we forget why information is important. AI is flawed in how it gives information already, as seen with Google’s AI overview. It’s been reported to give incorrect answers to hilarious results. If we move forward in how AI gives information to the masses, we can’t guarantee it will be correct without having to use humans to ensure the truth.
The reason why people use AI is simple; it’s easy. Instead of doing the research yourself or taking years to learn the skill; you ask a robot to do it. Sounds easy enough, right? Yes, it is. However, what are you gaining from it? You’re not learning anything; you’re only seeing the result. There’s no trial and error, just an end.
We’re in such a hurry to replace what humans have spent years forging that we’re forgetting the satisfaction of learning. It saves money and makes it too, but companies forget the human element is what makes it work. I’d rather a real human tell me the news than a robot because if they’re wrong, it’s human error instead of what’s supposed to be top-of-the-line programming. The human aspect is what makes things feel real; the connection with a robot isn’t there.
Everything you’ve watched, every song you’ve listened to and everything you’ve used was the result of countless hours of trial and error. While I get that it’s tempting to use AI as a shortcut when time constraints are at play, you don’t really learn from it. AI is unavoidable; it’s encroaching in every field possible for better or for worse. The best thing we can do is think for ourselves and learn for ourselves. If it takes you 10 minutes or 10 years to do something, the time will pass anyway, so what’s the rush?
Jacob Fry (he/him) is a junior studying political science.
