Remember the metaverse? Just picture a future where we can socialize in virtual pubs or theaters. We’ll purchase clothes in the metaverse and teleport into meetings! Yeah, me too. Now, Mark Zuckerberg is all-in on "personal AI superintelligence for everyone," spearheaded by Meta Superintelligence Labs. So forgive my lack of enthusiasm, as I’m still not fully throwing a virtual shindig.
Digital Deja Vu - Is History Repeating?
The similarities between this new AI grift and the metaverse disaster are honestly spooky. We were promised an immersive, embodied internet. Instead, we got Horizon Worlds, a digital wasteland so dreary even Meta employees allegedly doubted its allure. Remember the $50 million creator fund? It couldn't resurrect the project. Now, Zuckerberg wants us to believe that AI is going to reshape everything from our personal relationships to our workplace productivity. He envisions AI curing diseases, writing our code, and even becoming our ever-present video chat companion.
Maybe it’s just that we’re seeing the same movie only with different stars. The script is identical: Grandiose promises, unchecked enthusiasm, and a whole lot of money thrown at a concept that might not be ready for prime time. Meta has invested an estimated $60 billion into VR-related projects and has seen VR catastrophically flop. Are we now on the verge of seeing a similar AI fueled bonfire of cash? I think so.
The Haunting Of Digital Identity
Logan As a graphic novelist, I think that I’m naturally interested in identity. And the metaverse, though it first seemed like a space for radical self-expression, was actually pretty…empty. Avatars were bulky, interactions unnatural, and the experience really just didn’t feel at all like the human connections we were used to. Today, AI has us staring down the barrel of one of the deepest identity crises yet.
Will it be AI-generated avatars that erase the lines between what is real and what isn’t? Or will it just get more complicated to tell the real thing from the AI-generated simulations. I fear the thought of AI controlling my virtual identity. The idea of it deciding who I’m friends with, or what I produce creatively, really frightens me. This isn't progress; it's a digital haunting.
Zuckerberg envisions one where lonely, lonely people have their social voids filled by AI companions. While seemingly helpful, it's terrifying. Are we outsourcing human connection to algorithms? In our effort to produce an engaged society, are we replacing true caring with digitized friendship? It’s a recipe for social isolation on a massive level.
Creativity vs. Algorithmic Conformity
In Zuckerberg’s optimistic words, AI will unleash amazing new forms of diversity and creativity, resulting in a world that’s going to be “funnier, weirder, quirkier.” I call bullshit.
My concern is that we are at the cusp of Algorithmic Conformity. AI models are trained on existing data. This is problematic in that it makes them fundamentally backward-looking. From commodification to homogenization, what are the implications of AI art tools for the future of artists and art? Or, will they discourage creativity and inventiveness in pursuit of what has always worked before? As an artist, the idea that a change to this algorithm could pre-determine the course of my work is terrifying.
Think about it. If AI is guiding the creation of art, music and literature – who owns the copyright? The user? The AI developer? The company that trained the model? These are legal questions that we have been told could have potentially devastating effects on artists and creators. Are we paving the way for a future where creativity is a commodity controlled by a handful of tech giants?
Meta’s new AI push doesn’t look like a serious attempt to change the technology landscape. Rather, it comes across as a last-ditch effort to remain in the conversation. The company needs a win, and AI is the shiny new toy they're hoping will distract us from the metaverse's failure.
You read that right, according to Meta a billion people are using its AI products every month. Are these users really interacting with these tools, or are they just passively consuming content generated by AI? There’s a big difference between implementing AI and being fundamentally changed by it.
We should all approach Meta’s AI ambitions with a healthy dose of skepticism. We have to ask deep moral and ethical questions about the societal impact of this technology. Perhaps more importantly, we need to keep in mind what we’ve learned from the metaverse. Don't let the hype blind you. The costs / benefits balance As the old saying goes, the road to digital utopia is paved with good intentions and billions of dollars wasted.
Let's not allow Meta's AI to become another ghost town, haunted by the ghosts of unmet promises and unfulfilled potential. Our future digital identity, burgeoning creativity, and human connection might just hinge on it.
Let's not allow Meta's AI to become another ghost town, haunted by the ghosts of unmet promises and unfulfilled potential. The future of digital identity, creativity, and human connection may depend on it.
