I saw this heartfelt blog post that made me contemplate on my current situation career-wise. I adore this post so much as I could really feel the sad, melancholic emotions behind it and can relate a little with the adversities they’re going through.

I graduated Computer Information Systems in 2020. Initially I had no plans on pursuing an actual job in the field. I only did it for my Asian parents who wanted me to have the traditional linear career path, and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have something to hold onto when things don’t go well for me in whatever direction I choose. It was a safety net that I was willing to use as a last resort; for the most desperate times. When the pandemic hit, I found it to be the perfect time to design my own life and pursue what I wanted, but alas a hidden obstacle was looming all this time that prevented me from succeeding with any project no matter how much I try during those lockdown years (some undiagnosed mental illness and executive dysfunction potentially from ADHD).

Almost four years have passed, and my parents are growing older and weaker by the day. I made a promise to get a job in the field for them once again, but with the current state of the tech world right now I don’t think I want to even try anymore at all. Being a creative, the sudden slap in the face with the new generative AI tech that stole millions of art and pieces from creatives has left a spiteful scar in my heart, as it did with everyone else who understands the value and meaning of art. I can’t stress enough how much of a disappointing, disgusting, and vile creation generative AI is, and it’s taken over every billion dollar corporation to rake in more billions. Most of the job offerings I see are for training their AI model, thousands of advertisements use generated AI shit for their visuals, even the smaller creative companies are advocating for AI and LLMs usage.

(Note that I am talking specifically about "generative" AI. I know that AI has become an umbrella term for a lot of tech these days, and I understand that it can be used a good tool for something. My disdain is towards mostly AI image generation where you can create "art" with just a few descriptions or scribbling nothingness into a canvas. It also extends to text generation in terms of writing, fiction, essays, etc. I think it's dumb to rely on it for school or work, we've all managed just fine without it before. Being able to write things and generate ideas of your own is important as you deepen your vocabulary, understanding of language, and develop the voice and quality of your writing. I've never used ChatGPT in my life, not even just for fun, and don't plan on trying it in the foreseeable future.)

I do not wish to take part in this dystopian world where people find art, writing, music, and any other human creation to be a quick, convenient solution vomit that you can just slap onto a low quality project and call it a day. It's degenerate. I have so much hatred and beef with AI you don’t even understand. I don't associate with anyone who uses it, likes it, preaches it, and encourages it, not even friends and acquaintances. I'm vocal about my stance in my social media and I put my money where my mouth is by not supporting generated AI-related products and services (A big example I can think of right now is when I refunded Palword after learning that the developer was admittedly a big fan of AI, have used AI to generate ideas and sketches for the creatures, and even made a different game about it previously). I have zero tolerance for AI generation (and I think so should you, as a general consumer. We all have to do our part in letting these corporations and tech giants know that we value human talent and creations for its soul, not as disposable trash)

The post made me contemplate if I should start looking elsewhere for a new endeavor. Thankfully I haven’t even started yet so it wouldn’t be that hard to get out of the industry, but I’ve been really enjoying coding again and have been looking to connect with people with the same interests in the field. It’s so disappointing and painful to just throw it all away. It’s also where the "big money" is at so the collective council in my brain is trying its best to tell me to suck it up buttercup, but my values and morals about this new tech era is stronger than my will to live, so it’s highly unlikely that I’ll tolerate the bullshittification of art and their disregard for genuine human expression.

This is not the digital world I dreamed of.