AI ANXIETY IS REAL!

I didn’t have a name for it at first. But I knew I had something. It started as this low, constant hum in the back of my mind, a mix of awe, curiosity, and a heavy uneasiness that I couldn´t shake away. Why? Because I was witnessing something that I knew was going to become bigger than anything that I could fully grasp, something that was moving way too fast. Something that was overwhelming and... inevitable.

Then I read an article that used a term; AI Anxiety. And I thought; hell, this is exactly what I have. Ever heard of it?

What is it?

Well, I´ll try to explain it. It’s a subtle (which could very quickly become not so subtle) feeling you get when you realize artificial intelligence isn’t some far-off sci-fi concept anymore. Star Trek's Enterprise Computer has just become real! And it is growing fast, and learning and evolving. 

It writes code, poetry, essays, translates, talks to you and it helps you find all the information you want. It will help you design a presentation, create an image for you, of course videos too, and very soon I will be able to just plug in many of my scripts written a long time ago, and after a few clicks and discussions, there it will be; my own movie. It´s crazy!

So yeah, AI Anxiety is what happens when the future suddenly feels too real - and you’re not sure if you’re excited, scared, or just completely overwhelmed.

For me, it’s not the fear of robot overlords or Skynet-style apocalypse. It’s something quieter, more personal. It’s the unease of not knowing where I fit anymore. Actually, where my kids will fit in the future.  Will my work matter? Will my creativity be valued?  Will the stories I tell, the things I build with my hands or my heart, even matter to a world being reshaped by neural networks? And about my kids; will they get a chance to learn stuff? Will there be a need to do that anymore? Are there gonna be universities by the time they are old enough to attend it?

I don´t know, I don't know, and I don´t know. See what I mean? Anxiety all the way.

Some days it feels like we’re running a race where the rules keep changing. Like the future is this giant machine on autopilot, and we’re all just gripping the edge of the seat, hoping we don’t fall off.

Phew! Ok, now that I got all that out, here’s the thing, and maybe this is what matters most: the simple realization that,

We’re still human.

We still feel. We still love. We still play and laugh and cry and hurt and screw up and get back up.

I think the best thing we can do right now isn’t to try to outpace the machines, or drown in another wave of headlines, or use a new AI toy or refresh one more “AI breakthrough” post.

Maybe what we need is to ground ourselves in what makes us real.

So if you’re feeling that creeping anxiety too - that “what the hell is happening to the world?” feeling - here’s what I suggest:

• Hug your kid.

• Make love to your wife, your husband, your partner, your future ex.

• Call your mom. 

• Text your best friend.

• Go see a movie - the kind that makes you feel something.

• Eat the greasiest, most delicious, artery-clogging burger you can find. With fries. And don’t you dare skimp on the soda.

Because while AI might learn everything about us…  It will never be us.

So breathe. Laugh. Stay curious. Please, don’t forget to stay human.

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas