Are we making everything about AI, or is AI doing it for us
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I love sharing my thoughts and findings in these recorded pieces, but I don’t love the part where I have to give each piece a name, so I’ve been using chatGPT to help me brainstorm the tiles, which is where I’ve noticed something… interesting. It kind of seems like AI is starting to believe that AI is the main character.
Here’s a specific example: I did a piece last week on the changing role of design in the tech industry that’s been happening alongside the increasing quality of generative AI tools. After I finished the piece, I started a back and forth with chatGPT about a potential title, and then this moment happened.
It had provided a few example titles, and I thought one particular phrase—”shaping design with AI”—was interesting so I responded by saying: “what’s a version of ‘shaping design with AI’ that’s a bit more of a declarative statement.”
Here’s what chatGPT replied with: “A more declarative version could be: “AI is Shaping the Future of Design” or “AI Shapes the Future of Design”. These feel more definitive and assertive, highlighting AI’s role in driving change.”
Now at first glance, it feels like I just got exactly what I asked for. But in my head, “shaping design with AI” meant humans are using AI tools to shape design. While in the chatGPT version, AI is the actor; AI is doing the shaping.
This is a nuanced point, and I get that nuanced points don’t play well online these days, but I think it matters. There’s an entire field of study called Organizational Discourse, which I think is fascinating, and it specifically looks at how language shapes power, relationships, and beliefs. To state an obvious point: language is a big part of how we are communicating with AI tools. And while I haven’t yet found an Organizational Discourse Analysis of AI conversations, I have to believe someone is working on it.
My point here is this: The power we give in the language we use as end users of AI tools is part of a feedback loop that is shaping who has power, what our relationship is, and how AI tools respond—now and in the future. So next time you’re having a moment with chatGPT, I think it’s worth a quick stop-and-think to evaluate who the main character is and whether you feel good about it. Thanks for listening.