AI, once a futuristic fantasy, is now a tangible part of our lives, from smartphones to cars and beyond. Amidst the buzz, there’s a mix of myths and miracle claims that sound like old-fashioned snake oil, waiting to be debunked. The truth is that AI is not just revolutionizing our lives but also empowering us with new possibilities. It’s not about replacing the human brain but enhancing our capabilities.
“Technology magnifies power, and AI is the most powerful magnifier we’ve invented.” — Yuval Noah Harari
I’m a huge fan. AI helps to streamline my work, improve my efficiency, and allows me to explore a creative playground with ideas supporting me in synthesizing my handmade content. AI does not replace me — the human. Give me a few minutes here to illuminate the promises and pitfalls of our algorithmic digital age.
Rather than replacing human creativity, AI serves as a dynamic framework that jump-starts my creative process — offering ideas, structure, and inspiration that I can tailor and refine to my unique individual voice, vision, and purpose.
It streamlines my brainstorming, helps me to overcome writer’s block, and opens new pathways for my storytelling or content development. At its best, AI is not a substitute for my human imagination but a catalyst for it — empowering me and millions of others to craft more meaningful, resonant, and personalized expressions.
Why Should We Care About AI?
Artificial Intelligence is machine-driven computing that mimics human intelligence — learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. But here’s the catch: AI is not magic. It’s math, data, and a whole lot of human input. AI is only as intelligent as the humans behind it. From helping us to avoid traffic to suggesting our next favorite song, AI is quietly shaping our lives — even if we might not have noticed.
Everyday Uses of AI That Simplify Our Lives
AI isn’t just for tech geeks or Fortune 500 companies. Regular folks like you and me use it daily, often without even realizing it.
AI isn’t just for tech enthusiasts or big corporations. It’s quietly working behind the scenes to make our lives easier, more connected, and more efficient. From virtual assistants that help with daily tasks to personalized recommendations that save us time, AI is a practical and empowering part of our daily lives.
- Intelligent Assistants: Virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant help with reminders, directions, scheduling, and even controlling smart home devices — making multitasking smoother and more manageable.
- Personalized Recommendations: Whether it’s what to watch on Netflix, what to listen to on Spotify, or what to buy online, AI curates options based on our preferences, saving us time and decision fatigue.
- Health and Wellness Support: AI powers fitness apps, sleep trackers, and mental health tools to provide personalized guidance, monitor habits, and encourage healthier choices.
- Financial Management: Budgeting apps and digital banking tools use AI to track spending, alert users to unusual activity, and provide insights to make smarter financial decisions.
- Language and Communication: AI-driven tools like translation apps, speech-to-text, and grammar checkers help people communicate more effectively across languages and platforms.
- Accessibility and Inclusion: For those with disabilities, AI provides voice recognition, visual assistance, and adaptive interfaces that open up new levels of independence and interaction.
- Creative Support: From helping draft emails to generating ideas for social media posts, AI can boost creativity and confidence — especially for those who don’t consider themselves “writers” or “tech-savvy.”
AI can amplify almost anything we can dream up. It’s like having a hyper-creative, always-on, judgment-free brainstorming buddy. It is a convenient and cost-effective production assistant.
“Artificial intelligence is neither artificial nor intelligent. It’s the reflection of our intentions and data.” — Kate Crawford
AI does not dilute human intelligence because it is human intelligence that drives AI. Our brainpower is not just necessary but integral to think and discern the parameters and desired outcomes from our computers and then use discernment regarding how to use the output.
A Bit of Snake Oil: Fear and Uncertainty
The explosion of AI hype has brought a rash of AI-powered nonsense. Slap an “AI” label on any product and suddenly it sounds smarter, faster, and fancier. AI has been around for more than half a century. It is not the emperor’s new clothes. It has been part of our lives for decades and is not going anywhere.
AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not sentient. It doesn’t ‘understand’ us deeply, emotionally, and it doesn’t care about our cat grooming startup’s ‘feline mood metrics.’ It’s just a tool, like a phone or a can opener. Understanding its limitations puts us in control of how we use it.
Debunking AI Myths and Uncovering Truths
Let’s tackle a few AI myths head-on with some good old-fashioned debunking.
MYTH: AI Will Replace Human Brains.
TRUTH: AI can crunch numbers and detect patterns faster than we can, but it doesn’t have empathy, creativity, or wisdom. It’s still a powerful tool but not a sentient being, meaning it cannot feel or perceive things in the way humans do.
MYTH: AI Is Always Objective.
TRUTH: AI reflects the data it’s trained on. If that data is biased, the AI will be too. Think of it as an extremely fast lightning-speed mimic, not a wise oracle. This means that if the data used to train the AI is biased, the AI’s decisions and actions will also be biased.
MYTH: AI Understands Context Like Humans.
TRUTH: AI excels at narrow tasks like playing chess or recognizing patterns in large datasets but struggles with nuance, humor, and complexity. For instance, while AI can translate languages, it may not understand a conversation’s cultural context or humor.
How AI Enhances, Not Replaces, Human Engagement
AI isn’t here to replace us but to help us think, create, and solve problems faster. AI is not a substitute for human engagement. Whether writing a song, analyzing data, or creating a marketing strategy, our human perspective and emotional intelligence make it meaningful.
Used wisely, AI is a partner — not a puppet master.
AI Risks, Ethics, and the Need for Wisdom
It wouldn’t be fair to skip over the very real downsides of AI. Here are a few:
- Bias and Discrimination: AI models trained on biased data can replicate and amplify inequalities.
- Deepfakes and Misinformation: AI-generated fake images, videos, and news articles confuse people and intentionally spread lies.
- Privacy Invasion: Facial recognition, surveillance tools, and data scraping raise major ethical concerns.
- Automation Anxiety: While AI can increase efficiency, it may also displace jobs. Reskilling humans is essential.
The Truth About AI: It’s Up to Us
AI is what we make of it. It can empower, delight, and enhance human life — or it can be misused and harmful.
“The real question is, when will we draft an AI Bill of Responsibilities?” — Joy Buolamwini
Let’s not fall for the snake oil. But let’s not reject the magic either. AI is not a threat to human thinking — it’s a call to think deeper. A mirror that shows us our best ideas and our worst assumptions.
Let’s use it wisely. Let’s stay human.
Experimenting with AI invites us to be curious. So go ahead and explore AI tools, but don’t assume they’re perfect. Use common sense and remain appropriately skeptical, especially of over-the-top claims. AI helps us to creatively brainstorm, automate, and build upon our ideas.
Think ethically. How do your tools impact others?
Like what you’re reading? Want more consciously prepared brain food?
Listen to this Harvesting Happiness episode: Deciphering and Debunking AI: Snake Oil, and Finding the Truth with Sayash Kapoor or wherever you get your podcasts.
Our Proud Sponsor:
Quince— Offers high-quality essentials, home decor, and furnishings at radically low prices. Visit quince.com/hhtr for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five-day returns.
Get More Mental Fitness bonus content by Harvesting Happiness on Substack and Medium.
Meet Our Guest:
Sayash Kapoor is a Senior Fellow at Mozilla, a Laurance S. Rockefeller Fellow at the Princeton University Center for Human Values, and a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Princeton University’s Center for Information Technology Policy. He co-authors AI Snake Oil, named one of Nature’s 10 Best Books of 2024.
Recognized for his contributions to AI, he has received prestigious awards, including a Best Paper Award at ACM FAccT, an Impact Recognition Award at ACM CSCW, and inclusion in TIME’s inaugural list of the 100 most influential people in AI. Kapoor’s work focuses on critical thinking in AI, ethics, and technology, making him a prominent voice in the conversation about the intersection of human values and artificial intelligence.
Book: AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference
Keep Reading:
Lisa Cypers Kamen is a lifestyle management consultant who explores the art and science of happiness in her work as a speaker, author, and happiness expert. Through her globally syndicated positive psychology podcast, books, media appearances, and documentary film, Kamen has impacted millions of people around the world.
About The Author
learn more
browse services
