Why I'm Boycotting AI

Status Signaling and Apple Gadgets

• Several commenters see the article’s Apple anecdotes as hyperbolic and self-indulgent, not reflective of broader reality.
• Some agree that in certain professional subcultures, Apple devices functioned as class or “one of us” markers, sometimes even affecting sales and first impressions.
• Others in the US and abroad say they never experienced career pressure to own Apple products, calling the “social suicide” claim false or wildly overstated.

Automation, Self‑Checkout, and Jobs

• Self‑checkout and similar systems (scan guns, bus ticketing changes) are debated as examples of tech used mainly to cut labor costs.
• One side refuses such systems “on principle” to avoid aiding job cuts; others argue we shouldn’t preserve unpleasant, low‑value jobs just to maintain employment.
• Commenters note increased shoplifting at self‑checkout but argue it’s still cheaper than cashiers; implementations vary widely by country and store.
• Broader point: technology has always eliminated jobs (e.g., farming, washing machines); debate centers on how society should adapt and share gains.

AI Ubiquity and the Possibility of Opting Out

• Some think ML/AI will become as unavoidable as the internet; boycotts may be temporary.
• Others point out that many people still live without smartphones or regular internet, so total opt‑out may remain possible but inconvenient.
• There’s confusion and disagreement over what counts as “AI”: just LLMs vs long‑standing ML in phones (FaceID, cameras, recommendations).

Usefulness vs Hype; Real vs “Fake” Intelligence

• A major thread: whether the “fake vs real intelligence” distinction matters.
• One camp says only usefulness counts: if a tool skips ads or accelerates coding, who cares if it’s just statistics.
• Critics respond that the “intelligence” branding is central to the hype and expectations, and that unreliability (hallucinations) forces constant vigilance.
• Some focus on safety: we can’t easily know if a system is safe/useful without extensive testing, analogizing to drugs or food safety.

Creativity, Value, and Deskilling

• Several argue AI risks devaluing creative and intellectual work by making output cheap and abundant, even if humans can still create for intrinsic satisfaction.
• Others say human-made work may gain relative value specifically because it is human.
• Concerns about “deskilling”: relying on AI/autocomplete may erode hard‑won skills and deep understanding; some programmers prefer tools they fully comprehend.
• Counterpoint: for intermediates, AI can automate “boring template work,” freeing time for harder, more interesting problems—if you already understand the basics.

Economic Structure and “Bullshit Jobs”

• Some tie AI’s impact to existing economic systems: technology could reduce work, but instead we maintain or create “bullshit jobs.”
• Automation is seen as positive only if accompanied by social changes that decouple survival and dignity from having a traditional job.

Personal Stances on Boycotting AI

• A subset explicitly boycotts or avoids AI (including voice systems) on ethical, aesthetic, or trust grounds, accepting inconvenience.
• Others find AI genuinely helpful for coding, command‑line assistance, summarization, or language polishing, while acknowledging current limitations and hallucinations.
• Skeptics of the article’s tone see it as performative doom or another kind of hype aimed at anti‑AI audiences, analogous to overreactions to earlier technologies.