By: Griffin McAlister
When I was first assigned this story, I was given the pretty straightforward task of assessing AI usage among Milligan students by way of simply asking my peers. As I asked people about their AI usage, I got variations of the already expected answer: “Yes, I do.” When I asked for direct quotes, however, no one wanted their name attached to a statement confirming their use of AI.
Not a single person.
There is a stigma around using AI, and young people around college age are among the most vocal about their aversion to it. Yet most of us are using it, whether for homework or any other tedious task.
Gallup found that 57% of college students use AI for their coursework at least weekly, and that’s just those who admit to it.
If we know it’s bad, then why are we using it?
AI presents people with convenience. It removes the friction of having to think about what you’re doing. It’s ridiculously compelling, and that is worth billions to AI companies. They have created a machine that can do just about anything you want it to do for you.
Yet people would prefer for others to perceive them as the one person who isn’t subscribing to the AI craze. You can have it both ways now: You can say that you oppose something and do it behind closed doors, with few consequences. AI gives everyone this opportunity.
It’s become one of the most divisive topics in general discourse over the past five years.
We have one side that absolutely abhors its existence and another side that wants unfettered accelerationism that will naturally result in an AI tool for your refrigerator.
Like all polarizing topics, a majority of people fall somewhere in the middle, with no strong feelings toward either extreme.
This middle majority is a valuable population for AI companies. They’re lining their pockets with money from people who would prefer to just not talk about it. The mass proliferation of the AI industry has so far relied almost entirely on this stigma. If people treat it as a taboo, then no one will notice when companies quietly acquire 2,000 acres of farmland to build a data center, with no input from the residents of that area.
While that might sound like a senseless connection, it is the reality of our situation. A lack of people speaking up and getting real creates countless opportunities for abuse.
So, let’s get real.
Photo: A photo of a typewriter (Credit: Markus Winkle)
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