Blog Two- Is AI Really as Smart as It Sounds?

Something that stood out to me this week was how people can have completely different opinions about AI while believing the same basic story about it. Some think it will solve every problem, while others worry it will take over the world. As our professor explained, both sides can assume AI is much more powerful than it actually is. Based on the lecture, the main argument of The AI Con is that we should question the hype surrounding AI, especially when it comes from companies that benefit from people believing in it. The “hype-panic cycle” caught my attention because even a scary prediction can make a product sound impressive. Saying AI could take over humanity also makes it sound powerful enough to invest in. This connects to writing because we spend so much time thinking about how language influences an audience. When a company makes a huge promise about AI, we should ask what evidence supports it and what reaction the company wants from us. Those are the same questions we would ask when evaluating a persuasive essay. The lecture also made me think about what makes writing meaningful. An essay might have perfect grammar and smooth transitions, but that does not automatically make its argument thoughtful or convincing. Personal experiences, purpose, and awareness of the reader matter, too. My biggest takeaway is that sounding knowledgeable is not enough. Whether we are reading an advertisement or using AI to brainstorm, we still need to slow down, ask questions, and make our own judgments.