Director's Take

Using AI

08-20-2025

Dear Friend of Downtown,

How much do you use artificial intelligence in your daily life? It used to be a simple Google search if we didn’t know something, but as AI is becoming more commonplace, and taking the place of even blogs like this, I fear we are losing even more of our shared humanity and capacity for connection.
 
Not only do I fear for our shrinking brains due to relying on AI to write even the simplest things, but we now also know the adverse environmental impact of every AI query and the enormous amount of natural resources that go into the growing number of data centers. More here.
 
I’ve heard journalists espouse the virtues of using AI which has made their writing better, which takes more work and might be a responsible way to use it, but I’ve also seen the AI-generated press releases or personal letters and am simply dismayed at our level of laziness and lack of wanting to try.
 
We’ve already given so much of our brains to these computers we carry around in our pockets every day – I admit I know only a handful of phone numbers by heart anymore. So let’s put up a fight as to how much we lean on AI… we already move at such warp speed, why not take the extra time to hand write a note in your own voice, exercise your brain a little longer before looking something up, or… maybe take a phone-free day? *GASP*
 
This is the reason we work on reasons for you to come Downtown, where you can spend time with other people and have fun enjoying events and humanity through community.

Let’s do more of that. See you on the streets soon!