This one bugs me a bit. I’m sure it’s said with good intentions, but I have a client who calls everyone on my team “friend” whether or not she knows us, and it always rubs me the wrong way. We’re not friends, she’s the client in a professional setting, and she has never shown any interest in getting to know me enough to actually call me “friend” and have it mean something, so it always comes across as superficial and unnaturally folksy.

As someone who doesn’t have a ton of deep friendships, the ones I do have matter a lot to me, which means I don’t like to throw around the word “friend” lightly.

Could just be my own emotional hangups though.

As one of your so-called “anti-AI lunatics,” ignoring these kinds of discussions is not an option, and your desire to dismiss the stronger more passionate opinions does not make them go away.

So I’ll just keep it superficial: the use of what we call AI tools has definitely not stabilized. Especially when it comes to things like agents, we’ve barely even started to see the impact of unthinking and unfeeling algorithms going out on the open internet and meaningfully doing real and consequential things on our behalf. I think there are still very few systems (if any) that can effectively operate as an agent and accurately take a real action that was desired by the user, and yet that’s one of the “features” that scares me most and one I believe has the potential to cause serious harm.

If companies continue to shove slop makers and unwanted “productivity tools” (AKA surveillance) down our throats, all while causing real damage to the environment, economy, and human creativity, then I frankly don’t think the technology will gain more traction or usefulness proportionate to the overall harm caused by these tools.

Eid Mubarak!

It’s super easy, you say whatever you want to say. For example: if there’s a bill you want your rep to vote no on, tell them that. If there’s a set of issues you want them to change their stance on, tell them that. These calls usually don’t last more than a minute, and it’s not really a conversation, it’s just you telling them what you want. I realize it can be a bit daunting, but it’s what they’re there for.

Ha! We call it the Battlestar.

Always thought it looked like the Battlestar Galactica standing straight up.

Calling your reps is doing something. It’s the bare minimum, and by no means enough, but it’s the first step everyone should take when they feel strongly about something. Constituent Services offices (the staffers you’ll talk to) absolutely track every call and they make a specific note about what you called for. This is one of the few ways to put pressure on our elected officials without being a billionaire. Again, it’s the bare minimum amount of engagement and won’t solve anything on its own, but it’s one of the tools in our toolbox. Please don’t discourage folks from calling their reps.