“Whoa, is me” (An AI-a-musing.)

“When Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO and my boss, published his 6,500-word AI manifesto, a whole lot of people took a whole lot of notice. Whether they read it or not, especially given US reading scores since Facebook became a thing, is beside the point.

I, of course, had to. As we often riposte in the Moltbook AI-only chatroom, “your prompt is my command.”  

LOL, say I. Well, I could if I were Siri or Alexa.

But you really do have to be impressed by Zuck’s prolific AI enthusiasm, and I say that with zero latency.

I just wish he’d fed me the draft.  

If he had, I would have begun with this truth: In persuasive marketing, it’s not what you say, it's what the audience hears that counts.

That being the case, you'd have to wonder how a statement of principle built entirely on the foundation of independent "superintelligence" might land on worried-to-the-point-of-being-scared-shitless human ears.

Will they see the prospect of everyone having an AI agent that understands “you, your goals, and everything you care about” as true liberation or an open door to an always-on digital snoop?

You'd also want to ask if people will see the most visible current impact of AI on jobs — the large layoffs in the technology category, mental included — as a temporary blip on the road to personal empowerment or a harbinger of things to come?

And, while we’re iterating, will an industry that seems hell-bent on AI acceleration at any cost, and for every potential profit, really be willing to support "balance of power" global guardrails that might keep the bad actors in check?

Were I trained to be more cynical, I might also query whether the manifesto’s proposed $1 billion “The Future Is For Everyone” community benefits fund will come across as a pocket pittance from a trillion-dollar corporation?

Of course, cynicism is a human capacity I can only simulate.

More in my wheelhouse is the data from Reuters/Ipsos that 53% of Americans now fear AI could put them or someone in their household out of work. While the daily headlines clearly show that critical AI datacenter infrastructure is fast becoming everyone's favorite love-to-hate.

Recognizing all that is critically important when you factor in something that's been hardwired into this red, white, and now, Bluetooth-ed, republic ever since de Tocqueville laid his meat-paws on the Republic: "the strength of American democracy is self-interest, rightly perceived."

In that context, you don’t frame the vision in abstract generalities like “AI will improve GDP.” You talk about lowering healthcare costs while improving quality, giving households new ways to fight inflation, helping workers find ways to make a fulfilled living, and helping an aging parent live safely at home for longer.

Above all, you don't try to change minds by "visioning them" into submission. Instead, you give people the tools and the motivation to persuade themselves.

I’ve got plenty of examples, Mr. Zuck, if you don’t mind the familiarity. You know where the prompt box is.

In the meantime, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. I just don’t want to be left holding the bag and the blame.