Adventures with AI that Make Me Feel Queasy

I am someone who reads science fiction and has always been suspicious of artificial intelligences - HAL, Sonny, David, O.T.T.O., Pat from Smart House - they have always been a bit spooky for me. As a result of my healthy reading and movie watching habits, I do not like the ways that AI is taking over some of the basic things that I love. Even as I write, there is a little icon suggesting that I use a tool to generate my ideas and blog posts.

I just don't like it.

I was recently encouraged to start using a common tool to help me figure out some of what I want to do with the rest of my life. When I first tried it out, the tool told me to "come back when you have answered these questions." Ugh. I was using the tool to generate the questions. I tried it again yesterday.

This round was a bit better, but I still felt the creepiness overtaking me as I was using it. It finally gave me a printable product, so I printed things out and then moved on. I am not going to go back for a bit, but I will probably go back eventually.

I will NOT use AI to write my posts, though. This will stay 100% me.

As I continue to navigate my way through this world, I will spend most of my time being the creator rather than giving that power over to a computer. I actually enjoy composing songs, making visuals, cutting things out, and creating as much as I can with my time and energy. The computers can help, but they will not be creating my existence.

I struggle with the idea that it is easier to let the computer do things.

Sure, it might be easier, but I think it is dumbing down our combined intelligence as a species. As our rich science fiction literature demonstrates, once we give power over to an artificial intelligence, we end up becoming secondary and serving the machines. Protection is not worth the loss of thinking that I am seeing these days.

I feel that critical thinking and problem solving are foundations for being a therapist.

When we find ourselves using AI to generate session ideas or songs or works of art or documentation or information generation, we are dulling our abilities to think in a critical manner. We are less able to solve problems in real time because we cannot process information in a manner conducive to working with clients. We become performers rather than therapists.

I am trying to find my way in a world where things change every second of every day. I am trying to remember that it is important for us all to practice our skills in order to maintain them. 

Some of those skills include the ability to write a coherent client assessment, treatment plan, and data interpretation - by hand, if needed. Some of those skills include the ability to compose music in interactive moments - without an iPad to do the work for us. To continue to offer quality music therapy services to clients, we (as an entire profession) have to be able to use tools but rely on our own brains, information, and experiences to control what we do with our most important relationships as therapists - those with our clients.

Now, I'm not saying that we give up all AI, but use it hesitantly. This may be an old fogey moment, but I don't trust them computers...

Thanks for indulging me.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Going on a Squeegee Hunt

One of the songs that I sang over and over and over again as a song leader in Girl Scouts was "Going on a Squeegee Hunt ." Now, you may be wondering what a "squeegee" is - good question! It is an imaginary creature that was probably invented by some obscure girl scout in Southern California many, MANY years ago! Anyway, similar to the traditional children's song of " Going on a Lion/Bear/Tiger Hunt ," the song takes you through a sequential process over, under, around, and through various obstacles towards a goal. Today, as I am sitting here writing, I am thinking about the poor squeegee being hunted. It is just in its cave, trying to do its squeegee things without interruption, when suddenly, BOOM! Some Girl Scout arrives to poke it! The poor squeegee does what it can - it jumps up and chases the Girl Scout all the way home!! This has not been a good work week. It is amazing how people will make mountains out of molehills. Here is the deal. I se...
Read more

Songwriting Sunday: Client Goals First and Foremost

Image
When I am writing music, I tend to do one of two things. I either start with a specific client in mind and write for that client's goals and objectives, or I start with an idea and let the idea grow regardless of the clients that I am serving at the time. I spend time with lots of hypothetical clients - thinking about the vast number of clients and their unique goals as I develop songs and therapeutic music experiences (TMEs). Today, though, I would like to start with the first focus - that of a specific client and his or her or their goals. Currently, I am sharing a wall with a class of students who are experiencing lots of life and school changes. Two students have transferred from residential care to home care and are now day students. One student is brand new to the classroom. Another student recently left the class. All of these changes have shifted the dynamics in the classroom group, and old behaviors of concern have reemerged as well as finding new behaviors to contribute. ...
Read more

Dear AMTA

Dear American Music Therapy Association: I am debating long and hard about remaining in this relationship. I have been in this relationship since college, and this is not a decision that I am taking lightly or without great cost.  I am not happy with what you are bringing to this relationship. Now, I have been a selfish partner over the past several years - mainly because I am not feeling like we share a common mission anymore. It is easy for me to place the blame on you, but I know that this is not all on me. I have tried to be invested in communication and support and understanding, but everyone comes to a time where enough is enough. I am trying very hard to decide if the benefits that you provide to me are worth the feelings that I have about where I think you and I are going. I am not sure that our destination is the same anymore, and this makes me sad. To be completely honest, I am only in this relationship these days for the music therapy interns. I don't think that is a hea...
Read more