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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Mike Pepi

It’s time to tax AI slop

Google
person uses phone
‘AI slop is predicated on a bet that our civilization will accept an inferior imposter in place of human creation.’ Photograph: diego_cervo/Getty Images/iStockphoto

As the US midterm elections approach, voters are voicing concern about AI. According to an NBC News poll of registered voters, 57% believe the risks of AI outweigh the benefits. A rising political cohort is particularly concerned. A Pew Research poll showed that 61% of adults under 30 say more AI in society will make people worse at creative thinking. A recent Quinnipiac poll showed that 74% of Americans think the government is not doing enough to regulate AI.

Can you blame them? The CEOs of the largest AI companies chose a curious tactic: scaring their prospective users into submission. “Use it or get left behind” is the narrative, buttressed by gleeful proclamations that AI will destroy whole industries and cultural institutions.

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