Enjoying that AI clip of a dancing raccoon? Here’s where the trouble begins | Polly Hudson

Moan all you want about technology, but there’s no escaping that it has undoubtedly made forming and maintaining friendships much easier. Ideally, one would spend quality time with friends, have enriching conversations over the phone, and exchange thoughtful messages. However, life often gets busy, leaving us fatigued or simply unmotivated. In such moments, how comforting is it to know that sending a quick meme or a funny video is still considered staying in touch? It feels like a win.

Last week, my all-knowing algorithm on Instagram presented me with a reel displaying a remarkably realistic 3D hole painted by a street artist on a New York sidewalk. As pedestrians approached, they glanced down and momentarily panicked, dropping to the ground, convinced they were about to fall, even though the pavement was flat and firm. I thought it was amusing and clever, so I shared the video with a friend I thought would appreciate it. To my surprise, he very confidently informed me that it was all fake—there was no street artist or 3D hole, as the clip was generated by AI. At this point, who knows if New York even exists? My sense of reality suddenly felt questionable.

In that moment, I felt like I was wearing a tinfoil hat, realizing I had not even stopped to question the authenticity of what I saw. The overwhelming tide of naivety and folly was daunting. Instead of embracing the humor in the situation, I turned my frustrations onto my so-called friend. Was it necessary for him to put a damper on my joy? Perhaps it would have been kinder for him to let me bask in my ignorance. Consequently, I have resolved that it will be quite a while before I forward any videos to him again; next time, I’ll compose a lengthy voice note, and he can take the blame for that.

This brings us to an intriguing question: what is the proper etiquette for breaking the news that something someone believed was real, simply isn’t? While it may seem trivial, it is an essential topic to discuss because artificial intelligence is here to stay. I always make it a point to use polite language with Alexa, hoping she’ll remember that when the robots take over. We need to formulate a shared approach to these scenarios.

Telling someone that an entertaining or heartwarming video they enjoyed is fake seems like merely delivering the truth. The issue arises when they didn’t ask for that information and were quite happy in their blissful ignorance. Not only does it spoil their enjoyment, extinguishing a fleeting moment of joy in this often dismal world, but it also disrupts their framework of belief and understanding. It’s akin to an atheist pointing out inconsistencies in a sacred text to a devout believer—sometimes it’s simply best to let people hold onto their fantasies.

Yet, we must also acknowledge the potential dangers of AI (not you, Alexa; I love you!). If society does not learn to question what we encounter, the risk of falling victim to increasingly sophisticated scams is significant. Perhaps alerting someone to the fact that they’ve been duped by AI can be viewed as a form of kindness—maybe even a necessary evil. Sure, they may feel foolish for a moment, but if that lesson prevents them from being deceived in the future, it could be worth it.

In a recent essay by AI expert and investor Matt Shumer, he drew a parallel between how everyday individuals currently perceive AI and how many initially dismissed the seriousness of a virus emerging from China in February 2020. Reflecting on that period, we all know how that turned out. “I think we are in the ‘this seems overblown’ phase of something much bigger than Covid,” Shumer wrote.

So perhaps our concerns about establishing guidelines for these discussions are premature, as AI is on an inevitable path to becoming dominant. Whether it threatens our dignity—initially seducing us with amusing clips before moving on to more harmful schemes like draining bank accounts—or whether it replaces us in our jobs, the question is not if AI will affect our lives, but rather when.

Suddenly, viewing a delightful video featuring a kitten and a baby raccoon—dressed in matching outfits and executing a complex dance routine as a band plays in the background—seems less trivial and more comforting. While it may not change the inevitable shifts that AI brings, these moments of joy remind us of the lighter aspects of life amidst the chaos.