Feed: Slashdot
Feed Link: https://slashdot.org/
---

Title: What if Customers Started Saying No to AI?

Link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/06/21/1755225/w...

An artist cancelled their Duolingo and Audible subscriptions to protest the
companies' decisions to use more AI. "If enough people leave, hopefully they
kind of rethink this," the artist tells the Washington Post. And apparently,
many more people feel the same way... In thousands of comments and posts
about Audible and Duolingo that The Post reviewed across social media -
including on Reddit, YouTube, Threads and TikTok - people threatened to
cancel subscriptions, voiced concern for human translators and narrators, and
said AI creates inferior experiences. "It destroys the purpose of humanity.
We have so many amazing abilities to create art and music and just appreciate
what's around us," said Kayla Ellsworth, a 21-year-old college student. "Some
of the things that are the most important to us are being replaced by things
that are not real...." People in creative jobs are already on edge about the
role AI is playing in their fields. On sites such as Etsy, clearly AI-
generated art and other products are pushing out some original crafters who
make a living on their creations. AI is being used to write romance novels
and coloring books, design logos and make presentations... "I was promised
tech would make everything easier so I could enjoy life," author Brittany
Moone said. "Now it's leaving me all the dishes and the laundry so AI can
make the art." But will this turn into a consumer movement? The article also
cites an assistant marketing professor at Washington State University, who
found customers are now reacting negatively to the term "AI" in product
descriptions - out of fear for losing their jobs (as well as concerns about
quality and privacy). And he does predict this can change the way companies
use AI. "There will be some companies that are going to differentiate
themselves by saying no to AI." And while it could be a niche market, "The
people will be willing to pay more for things just made by humans."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

---
VRSS v2.1.180528