I'm convinced AI will take over, but not in the way you think

I understand why AI has become a focus for smartphone manufacturers. With the camera race dying down, companies needed a new way to differentiate their products and convince us to upgrade. Apple spent its entire Fall event showcasing Apple Intelligence for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, highlighting features that wouldn't be available on launch. Similarly, for much of its Made by Google event, Google demonstrated Gemini Advanced functionality on the Google Pixel 9 series.

Artificial intelligence can be helpful, and I'm not here to hate on the benefits of the user experience. After all, I left my tin foil hat at home. However, Apple and Google demonstrated multiple AI tools that are legitimately concerning. So, whether your dystopian outlook of AI comes from Skynet or The Matrix, let's consider what I think the real danger of too much AI is.

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I'm mostly excited about what AI brings

Our apps and notifications are going to be better

I'm optimistic about many of the new AI functions Google and Apple highlighted in the last few months. I'm glad Google unveiled more practical AI functions. The company may still show off apps like Pixel Studio, but we're moving towards more productivity-based tools. I've used Gemini Live much more than I initially thought. It isn't perfect and doesn't fully replace Google Assistant, but it's a step in the right direction, and natural-language AI is starting to come around.

In addition, Apple Intelligence promises multiple helpful features (when it's released). I love the way it will clean up notifications, prioritizing time-sensitive messages that need attention. I'm also looking forward to enhanced AR functions, with AI recognizing what we see through the camera. Plus, we can't forget the computational photography improvements, with AI getting the most out of our photos, even in low-lighting conditions. It isn't all bad, but some things concern me.

Google and Apple are taking AI a step beyond

We're not just helping brainstorm anymore

I've long worried about technology's role in destroying interpersonal communication. We prefer to send texts or emails instead of calling someone on the phone, and speaking directly to people is becoming a lost art. But apparently, it isn't enough to rely solely on emails and written communication anymore. We're hoping AI can do the heavy lifting for us.

Google showed an example of AI drafting an email to an apartment manager complaining that the air conditioning had stopped working. Without a single human input, Gemini created an entire message ready to be sent, all with personal touches and greetings. It was designed to look like someone wrote it and the technology will only improve.

Apple took proofreading a step further, showing a Slack message entirely transformed by AI. Instead of communicating with colleagues, you can give a general idea of what you want to say and Apple Intelligence takes care of the rest. It's a slippery slope and a sign of things to come.

Without a single human input, Gemini created an entire message ready to be sent, all with personal touches and greetings.

How much is too much when it comes to AI?

I don't think we can be trusted to curb convenience

How long will it be before AI handles both sides of a conversation? Messenger apps are already learning our speech patterns and phrasing to craft responses that sound more like what we'd say. I don't think it's a stretch to envision a time when two messenger programs speak with each other on our behalf, and then provide us with a summary of what was said. I don't think we can resist the temptation of effortless communication, and I fear it will erode our ability to relate to each other.

Gemini Live is a valuable tool for brainstorming, allowing us to bounce ideas around and formulate new ones. But that's the limit of what I want. I still want to be the one generating my thoughts, and I want to make sure my words are what goes out into the world.

It's still too early to tell

It's scary to see the high-quality videos AI produces. We must be careful with the technology, but I don't want to sacrifice the potential benefits. I want AI to enhance videos from 100 years ago that we already have, not create new ones designed to hurt people. Similarly, I want AI to help me hone my message, not come up with the message for me. When I text or email someone, I want to have confidence I'm communicating with a human on the other side. Our interpersonal skills are already eroding, and I don't have a positive outlook on them improving soon.