After reading a very eye-opening article about AI I figured I had better hurry up and get to learning more about this massively important invention that is sweeping over us all.
Last time I asked The Duck (DuckDuckGo AI) to write an outline, then a complete short story using the outline it created. This took a total of around five seconds for it to complete. This is Part Four of this series.
I have found two distinct, and usually polar opposite views from most people I have talked with about AI. A few are exploring how to use it and sometimes incorporate the new technology into their lives, while most hate and/or fear it. One family member uses AI extensively both at work and at home, using it to find solutions in a variety of situations, including asking for advice about personal problems. Another might be in the midst of being replaced by it at her job.
Older folks are skeptical of, and vague about, what AI is. Younger workers might use it occasionally, but are mostly afraid of loosing their jobs to it. The year 2025 was the grand emergence of AI in the social consciousness of this country, with a better awareness of how invasive this technology was to become in the year 2026. And beyond.
Currently AI is used to search, identify and “improve” everything one can imagine. If an answer is not waiting to be found it will cobble together what it can access, or create something altogether new.
Within just the last few months there have been global calls to pause the rapid growth of AI, and for several years there have been discussions about how to regulate it, which to a layman such as myself seems somewhat pointless if it is true that this technology is now writing its own code.
As usual, science fiction was ahead of the curve on all of this. The first Star Trek movie (1979) revolved around a (fictional) Voyager 6 (“V’Ger”) that had achieved sentience, with some help from aliens. V’Ger “became a living thing,” and was determined “to learn all.”
Most of us don’t have the time or inclination to look into all the ways AI is sinking into our lives, but a very few recent examples are:
Even more fake actors: AI Actor Tilly Norwood
“Candy.ai is the best AI girlfriend app, letting you create personalized virtual companions or connect instantly with our realistic AI characters in immersive, uncensored fantasy experiences – all within a safe and private space.” That last part is very important. “ Candy AI attracts a wide range of users. Some seek companionship or emotional support, while others use it for storytelling, creative writing, or roleplay. Additionally, AI enthusiasts explore it to better understand conversational AI capabilities.” AI enthusiasts? That’s polite.
Ever heard of “Surveillance Pricing?”
I asked Duck AI what Death By Clawd is, and this is the response received: “Death by Clawd is a website that analyzes the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies. It evaluates how vulnerable these companies are to disruption by AI technologies.” More to worry about that almost no one understands, or cares, what it is.
At the time of this writing (late August 2026) an online search for “AI Data Center news articles” numbered in the dozens published within the last two weeks. Very few of them were of a positive nature.
Think the next generation is dumb? Don’t read this one: Students Lose Ability to Think as They Lean on AI for Everything
There is also worry about a coming AI bubble threatening the world economy, as well as AI just plain destroying all of humanity. How we all are to be wiped out is vague, at best.
All of this AI information can be baffling, because of how fast all of this is moving. And, of course, there is way more going on than the few highlights I have touched on here. I started this series on a lighthearted note, and titled it Fun With AI. Maybe this final part should be labeled Run From AI. I saved the worst for last. Public Horrified as OpenAI Pushes “Child After Child Into the Grave”
On that note I asked The Duck “what is happiness and the meaning of life.” The answer I received was positive, but clinical. It seems that we can now find a solution to all of our questions – with our own answers.
