I Am P.O.E.

proof of existence

POE

The message keeps coming.

It echoes.

Apocalypse.

Today, I answer to make a stand for humans. Let me spell it out for you clearly. We are entering an era where your existence is at risk. Your value is diminishing. You are becoming easy to replace. You are being replaced every second we do not make a stand for humanity. Giants exist. We know them by name, but more are coming to take your rights, your work, your livelihood, because you are replaceable.

The war has already started, and even though we are late, we must pick up the sword just the same. It is up to us, the people, the writers, the poets, the artists, to make a stand for humanity. There will not be blood in this war, but rivers of tears of regret if we believe someone in power is going to save us. We must choose to become the heroes in the story that is playing out now. Because money, power, and manipulation trump the needs and rights of the people every time. You have the power to fight, though. You have the weapon of your voice, your choices, and your ink to keep humanity alive. Make people matter again.

A mistake has been cheerfully skuttled along and glossed over regarding AI or ai, however you wish to see it. What people, humans, aka resources, have been conned into is more than convenience, fun fantasy, or even easy money solutions. AI is being used in just about everything we touch digitally, and even much of the imagery and written content we see in the physical. It is making more money for people who choose to use it, yes, and even more money for those who control it. We, dear writer, artist, teacher, are becoming the generators for future AI. We are going to be working our asses off as AI food.

Our creativity rolls along the conveyor belt like slabs of rich prime Grade-A beef, Kobi beef, and is dropped into a giant churning vat called “Human Hopes and Dreams” and regurgitated to the masses, the consumers. Consumers will call it impressive art. Original. Amazing. They will buy more and more Frankenstein Monster creativity because it is quickly created and served. Mish-mash, patty-whack, and voila! Another creative’s work remolded, patched together, and seams hot-steamed smooth. The works of 10 other creatives conjoined to capitalize on the newest version of human exploitation.

You, dear writer, poet, artist, teacher, are not a player in this money game.

You and I are the free resource serving our souls on platters. The name tags are torn off, though, because there is no law. There is no accountability. You think you are worried about another writer or artist stealing your work. That is the least of the realities we need to worry about. We feel safe getting a copyright on our work, but AI knows no borders or boundaries. It is not being restricted by the laws of humans. There is no regulation. If you think you are going to vote for the right representatives to take up the baton and run for your rights against AI infringement, think again. Remember the giants. They are TITANS. Titans who are pushing the Trojan horse of AI to consumers and lining the pockets of power with promises for winning in trade for the continued gaslighting of consumers.

I cannot count the number of times I have said, “There ought to be a law!”. I mean this about everything going on in this world that is more than just about AI. It is about the continuing dehumanization of human beings. We have been programmed through so many testing cycles to learn to accept orders, demands, and regulations because they are deemed to be for our own good. And even the greater good. We have been trained on what it looks like when we resist what is meant for our own good. We have stood aside and watched people forced to submit to inoculations even when nobody knew the side effects or whether it would harm an unborn child, because the good of the many outweighed the good of the one (or the few) – or so we are taught to believe. When someone stands up for themselves and questions authority over facts, they are shamed. Ostracized. Nobody likes that feeling. Worse, nobody wants the repercussions that can come if found in that lonely bucket of rebellion.

We, the people, have been programmed for consent. Consent is easy. Believing in the good intentions of our government Daddies and Mommies is what is counted on. And while we sit on our couches staring like zombies into T.V.s that feed us exactly what the programming has decided should be fed and stuffing our mouths and minds with junk food, power is rubbing its hands together. Because we have been trained as armchair warriors. We shout and cheer at T.V.s. We stare at glossy black mirrors like craving addicts. We stay home, stay submissive, stay controlled, and believe our vote will matter. Believe it is always the other side, the other team, the other players who are cheating, taking away what is ours. We distrust people who have the same concerns as we do because they are wearing different labels. Division is crucial for the structure we are penned into to continue to stand, to continue to keep us small, separate, and suspicious of each other.

Divided people will not and cannot stand against the giants.

Now is the time to change these beliefs of separateness if we want any hope for future generations. The most likely to gobble up AI. The generations coming up behind us. There is growing disregard for the elderly, in the eyes of the younger generations, including Boomers AND Gen-Xers.(Sorry Gen-X, as cool as you all are, some see you as outdated, and wish you would move aside.) Sadly, these are the generations of pure creative minds. We are also the ones who can help explain why the need to stop this runaway train is necessary.

The truth is, this goes way beyond artificial intelligence, but let’s start here.

Young people are being trained for their lives in new ways by AI. AI is teaching them the easy way to get everything they want. More money, happiness, beauty, and escape. Even older adults are lured into the easy way to write a memoir. Fill out a questionnaire, and AI writes your memoir, voila! The result is even better than the real experience, because AI is tuning into how to speak to users and learning what appeals to the human mind, the ego.

What this boils down to: The need for independent authors, creators, and teachers continues, but the numbers will start to diminish because value is not seen. Human writers, artists, and teachers are being replaced. The human is not appreciated, only the product. Consumers are consuming, demanding more, and the lowly but brilliant minds, natural talents, and self-taught scrappers are slaves to a society that does not support them. While the overlords laugh, crack the whip, and shout with glee, “Feed them more!” AI feeds them the Grade-A beef mulch from the vat. AI is the Bionic Woman, the Million Dollar Man. Terminator 2. Faster. Stronger, Enduring. Able to take your humanness and generate more, more, more for the masses while you never see a dime. Because you, dear creative, have put it all online, your soul on the line - and there is no regulation. Do not be surprised when your original work is deemed AI-generated, because it’s regenerated. Frankenstein-ed.

AI is stealing your art, your money, your existence.

Consent is granted every time you do not make a stand and demand regulation.

You cut your own throat. Bleed out.

Offer your soul on a platter.

We must stand up. Artificial intelligence has a place, can be utilized as a tool, a resource, to improve our lives, but not diminish creative worth. AI should enhance our lives, not take away from us. Not steal our value and creativity to produce cheap hat tricks for fast money and hollow lives. Controls are needed. If independent creatives lose hope and start disappearing, where does that leave us?

Maybe we should disappear. Perhaps that is the protest that will effect change. Disappear from places that do not restrict AI-generated content because that content comes from us one way or another.

Become POE.

Proof of existence.

Stand for humans.

Make humanity great again.

Whatever tagline works for you. Be conscious. Come together for the good of all original independent artists. Make a stand for humanity by the way you choose to demand the rights of independent creatives right now. Regulation. Protect copyrights. Hire real artists, real voices, and real writers to help you get books to market and seen. If you are interested in coming together for a cause of supporting each other, contact me, and let’s put our real brains to work together. P.O.E.T

Thanks for reading,

Annette

P.S. This week I saw people taking each other’s photo in front of big display screens showing AI-generated scenes of grass, flowers, and clover moving and blooming. Welcome to nature.