Kristy Kelly: Ignorance is being exploited by AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is neither the downfall of modern civilization nor its savior. It’s been an integral part of technology since smartphones first learned how to predict what we were going to say (even when they’re hilariously wrong). But AI’s presence exploded with entities like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. As a society, we cannot afford to lose our humanity while embracing the benefits of having vast amounts of information at our fingertips. At the same time, the lack of personal accountability on social media is degrading our First Amendment protections at an alarming speed.
AI is both a tool of immense power and a double-edged sword. It elevates what the average person can achieve, but it’s also chipping away at the societal norms we’ve long relied on. The anonymity of the internet, combined with AI-generated content, has created a perfect storm for misinformation. Bad actors can exploit ignorance and manipulate facts, sharing their deceit across the globe without a hint of accountability. And it’s shared without ownership or regard for integrity.
One group that often falls victim to these tactics is the elderly. They are frequently targeted with AI-generated content that plays on their insecurities and basic trust in humanity. You know the type: Nigerian princes, long-lost relatives, or “urgent” messages from Social Security. These scammers prey on older individuals, some of whom would gladly send their life savings to someone just for offering a bit of attention denied to them by their busy families. AI allows these scams to seem more legitimate—now the Nigerian prince even has a "photo" of himself holding a check! Except, of course, he also has six fingers on his left hand.
Spotting the AI Fakery
Thankfully, spotting AI-generated images isn’t that hard—yet. If there are six fingers on their left hand and their name isn’t Count Rugen, chances are you’re looking at an AI image. In these early days of AI photography, details can get a little wonky. You might spot random inclusions or inconsistencies in the background. For the tech-savvy among us, metadata can be checked to confirm suspicions. But even without technical know-how, if the image looks like it was taken by a Hasselblad Award-winning photographer but is being shared by your nana’s third cousin on Facebook, AI is probably the culprit.
If you’re unsure, it may help using a reverse image search. TinEye (https://tineye.com/) or Google Images (https://images.google.com/) are both great tools for finding the origins of an image. Just upload it, and you’ll quickly see when and where it’s been used before. If the original source is sketchy, it’s likely AI-generated.
AI in Text: Harder to Spot, but Not Impossible
When it comes to text, identifying AI content is a bit more complicated. Whether it’s fully AI-generated, partially edited by AI, or written by someone who just happens to have a really good vocabulary, distinguishing the difference can be tricky. There are AI content detection tools out there, like AI Content Detector (https://huggingface.co/spaces/PirateXX/AI-Content-Detector) or GPT-2 Output Detector Demo (https://openai-openai-detector.hf.space/). But here’s the thing—I’ve tested several of these detectors with my own writing, and sometimes they flag my original work as AI. (Apparently, I’ve been channeling my inner Alexa a little too much.)
The Political Quicksand
Now, let’s talk about AI’s role in politics. The political landscape is practically hostage to people with access to a smartphone, where fantasies are shared as facts and statistics are twisted until lies sound like truth. Instead of using easily available tools to verify what they see, many people share information as if it’s the gospel, drawing lines in the sand for anyone who dares to question it. This perpetuates a dangerous cycle of division—AI becomes a weapon, wielded by those with personal or political agendas.
We’re already split between red and blue, black and white, male and female, haves and have-nots. The last thing we need is another tool that fuels division. Stop letting AI-generated content drive wedges between you and your family members just because someone online says it should.
Be smart. Stay informed. Don’t let AI—or the people using it for their own gain—strip away your common sense, integrity, and connection to the people around you.
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