Artificially intelligent: chatbots, grifters, and the new, new ignorance

Eyisha Zyer is a self-styled “AI Insider” — an influencer in the artificial intelligence space who has made a name for herself and built an audience of over 50,000 followers by sharing breathless Twitter threads rounding up AI tools, startups, products, and “hacks”; the majority of which are merely user interfaces built on top of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The influencer, who spruiks artificial intelligence courses and insights, will tell you that she has unlocked the power of AI and can help you to do the same. But until a few short months ago, Zyer’s professional experience was a world away from AI, machine learning, or anything related: she was a social media manager for a children’s clothing brand. Her followers adore her for her ability to curate and share content on AI, especially those based on ChatGPT. They revere her knack for making complex AI concepts understandable and relatable. The enthusiasm is so infectious that some followers have even begun emulating her, generating their own threads on AI trends and (so-called) insights. Some might call Zyer’s story a testament to the democratization of AI. Her journey from managing social media for a clothing brand to becoming an AI influencer demonstrates how AI is becoming increasingly accessible to a broader audience. But for others, it raises the question: who gets to be an ‘expert’ in this age of rapid technological advancement? The skeptics argue that copying and pasting links about AI and sharing them on social media does not necessarily equate to expertise in the field. They believe that a profound understanding of AI requires a deep dive into the technology, which is lacking in Zyer’s online offerings. In their view, the superficial engagement with AI that Zyer promotes could mislead her audience about the complexities and challenges inherent in AI and machine learning. AI itself is a complex beast. Ethically, socially, intellectually, technically, and scientifically, it is a minefield of potential problems, dangerous trends, and a problematic future defined by change and rapid transformation. In deeper AI discussions than will be found in Zyer’s Twitter threads, academics, philosophers, and engineers who have spent decades of their lives engaging with the concepts of artificial intelligence and what they mean for the future of our species are arguing about the odds of human extinction. Zyer finds herself at the center of a new wave of digital intelligentsia flourishing in the AI “ecosystem.” Armed with buzzwords and a zest for uncovering the latest trends, these influencers present themselves as guides to the labyrinthine world of AI, curating what they deem to be the most significant advancements and presenting them to a ravenous audience of tech enthusiasts and laypeople alike. <a href="https://joanwestenberg.medium.com/artificially-intelligent-chatbots-grifters-and-the-new-new-ignorance-668c8e5e6670">Read More</a>