AI and I . . .

Last week's blog* generated more comments than any other of the 142 that I have written since I launched this missive into cyberspace exactly three years ago on June 9, 2023!**

At the time, I felt a bit nervous about putting my own thoughts into words that might come back at me. I thought the crazies might latch onto it or the cyber police would follow me. I tried to guard against both by selectively sending it through a secure email list. I asked readers not to repost on social media where I am not an active participant. My wishes, to the best of my knowledge, have been respected.

These weekly blog posts spread without social platforms by "word of mouth", if you will. Each reader who "shared" within her own select circle enlarged the readership way beyond Florida within the U.S. to Canada to the UK and Europe and as far away as Australia and New Zealand ---WITHOUT social media! Of course, the marketeers remind me all the time how many more people the blog would reach if only I turned to platforms such as theirs.

In early days, I sat down and sorted my thoughts without asking AI to write for me. Three years on, by human standards, is light years for technology when one sneeze sets off the next and the next all around the globe like an AI pandemic! That's what we have to look forward to.

When I began to write today, I looked back to my original blog and discovered serendipitously that this is the third anniversary of my first blog---how amazing! AI will never capture the meaning of a serendipitous moment like that one, offering only a definition: "Positive Value: The accidental discovery is beneficial, useful, or delightful".

Dry explanation of a purely delightful discovery demonstrating the many connections that are ordered not in cyberspace, but in the larger Universe---larger than the human mind or AI can fathom. There is no hope for human beings if we give up on the big U in favor of AI.

I am not the Pope, big P or small p, but I think his message points to the existential threat that looms if we humans acquiesce to the data world instead. Do we dare give up our precious gifts for a quicker answer, or an abundance of information, to save time to "live life" as one reader wrote?

In an effort to make work or school more efficient is it worth sacrificing serendipitous discoveries? Old school thinking was by-and-large independent thinking. I remember a few of my best teachers made room for experiences not in the text book, but by opening up possibilities. If the answers come with the keystroke what are the chances for an eye-opening, mind-blowing moment when the Universe shows itself? Venus and Jupiter in the night sky cannot measure up on a blue screen.

Everyone reading this, young and old, might turn toThe Three Princes of Serendip,*** an ancient tale of three brothers whose father, the King, sends them out into the world to have real time experiences in addition to what their tutors taught so they will come to see first-hand how serendipity adds a whole other dimension--- that AI cannot and will not, no matter what.

By now, you know that it was I and not AI writing each and every one of the blog posts over the past three years including last week's. Your comments inspired me to say more. Sharing within your sphere of the Universe helps to spread some genuine thoughts which may generate other ideas. Wouldn't you agree?

*https://www.marielaureauthor.com/post/thanks-a-lot-ai

**https://www.marielaureauthor.com/post/your-title-what-s-your-blog-about