Francis Berger
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AI: Settling into a Non-Existent Gray Area

1/3/2026

12 Comments

 
Perhaps the most perturbing aspect of the AI litmus test is the intelligent individuals who see AI as a gray area and take a middle ground approach to the whole matter.  

On the one hand, such individuals appear to understand or at least sense the overall manipulative and evil intent of AI, can sense its overarching destructive impact on human thinking, observe its inherent limitations and fakery, and scoff at the overall misnomer of referring to something fundamentally unintelligent as intelligent. 

On the other hand, the same individuals are most content to laud certain aspects of AI—for example, its apparent ability to summarize effectively—and treat the top-down imposed technology as, at worst, an ethically neutral “tool” that is chock full of all kinds of utility if approached with the right motivations.
 
Hence, such individuals declare AI to be a gray area. Probably more useful than useless. Neither good nor evil. Inevitable. The future, so why split hairs about it? 

I don’t know how one approaches an innately evil thing with good or, at best, neutral motivations. Perhaps that in and of itself represents the hallmark of the gray area attitude—the ability to see the evil in something yet shrug and coolly state that the jury is still out.

Look—there is no gray area when it comes to AI. No vagueness that needs clarifying. No uncertainty that needs certifying. No inseparable, overlapping Venn-diagram bubbles. No blurred lines that need to be brought into focus. No middle ground one can contently occupy. It’s black and white, clear as day, through and through.

Thus, gray area declarations and attitudes about AI are misguided attempts to sidestep an obvious evil under the banner of moderation, intelligence, discernment, and moderation.  

As far as I can tell, AI is shaping up to be even worse than the birdemic, during which such gray area types could at least claim they had no choice in the matter or had been summarily tricked by authorities they had trusted. 
​
But now?   
12 Comments
Lourenço link
1/3/2026 10:09:10

Long time reader, but first time I'm commenting.

As I've been grappling with this subject myself, I'm trying to understand something: why is this version of "AI" different than, say, the computer, the smartphone, or the internet? I don't think you're wrong, and "AI" certainly isn't morally neutral (no technology is). But I haven't been able to determine what's the substantial difference, why this time is different, and how does that affect our relationship with it.

Reply
Francis Berger
1/3/2026 12:00:13

@ Lourenco - There a countless reasons, but if I had to pick one key tell, it would be the top-down imposition of the supposed power, superiority, and inevitability of AI, coupled with the obscene amounts of "investment" being funneled into its implementation and expansion. Where is all of this leading? What is it all being deployed for?

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Lourenço link
1/3/2026 13:25:19

We've seen all those signals before; I do believe that it's more pronounced this time around, but I'm failing to see the difference between, say, the internet and the current AI hype-cycle.

I think your questions are helpful to disentangle what I'm struggling with: there's no doubt that the ultimate objective is to make us renounce our connection to the Creator. But, again, other digital technologies fall exactly into the same bucket. Which would mean that we don't have an "AI litmus test", but rather a "tech litmus test", if this makes sense, and we're all failing it - some more than others, but still.

If that's the case, we were already failing it before. Which isn't to say that this is a carte blanche for using AI, as that would only make us fail harder and making atonement harder. But at least I do need to understand this issue (i.e., what litmus test we are failing) so that I can on one hand try and avoid it, and on the other being conscious that I need to atone for it in some shape or form if I can't or won't.

Sorry for the ramble.


Francis Berger
1/3/2026 18:02:42

@ L - Let's focus on the aspect of connecting to the Creator. In my mind, that involves creativity, in a spiritual sense of the term rather than the more mundane artistic sense (although such creativity can be artistic in its expression). Now, some may argue that AI will increase creativity, but I don't see how this is possible, either in the more mundane nor in the more religious/spiritual sense. Rather than increase creativity, I sense AI will distance us from that sort of divine "connection" and further ensare us in secondary-level/symbolic thinking, with the caveat that the vast bulk of that thinking will be of the "photocopy of a photocopy" sort.

There's also the glaring anti-personal aspect of AI, which is currently being touted as superior to personal discernment/personal connection. Any connection to the divine must be personal. Without that, there is no connection. I see AI as a deeply anti-person technology, much more so than developments like the smart phone, computer, or internet, none of which aimed to completely obliterate the value of personality the way AI aims to do.

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bruce g charlton
1/4/2026 09:17:33

It's another of those subjects whereby any *debate* about "AI" - is a concession to the AI-genda.

It's a bit like the Birdemic, when people were put in the position of arguing that it was a bad thing for people to be locked up in their residences, and should never be allowed to visit. Or that it was a bad thing for people to cover their faces as much as possible, including when alone.

To be put into the position of having to convince another person that these are bad, is already to have lost the argument!

And now we find so many long-term "based" people and traditionalist Christians, who *need to be convinced* that a multi-trillion dollar international project deriving from (and imposed by) the same totalitarians who brought us the 2020 birdemic and antiracism stuff - and all the earlier Leftist projects - is a bad thing, an evil strategy, intended for harm.

There are always, it seems. plenty of people lining up to invite the vampires inside the citadel of their souls - which invitation is, of course, the only way that vampires can get-in.

Reply
Francis Berger
1/4/2026 11:42:23

@ Bruce - Debate as concession.

Yes, it's odd how based and Trad types are (willfully) blind to this. I mean, when you stop to think about it, it becomes clear that that's how they basically surrendered and lost everything they wanted to defend in the first place, yet they steadfastly continue to idolize debate and argument, even as it concerns things that are, or at least should be, undebatable.

Those of a philosophical bent are the most prone to this sort of thing, but the political junkies are not far behind. Both are so enamored by the "objectiveness" of the truth or ideology they profess to represent, so eager to appear sophisticated and shrewd, and so assured of their prolific skills as persuaders and arguers that they somehow remain oblivious to the very glaring fact that their willingness to debate things like the birdemic, AI, trans agenda, or whatever amounts to little more than a concession.

The idolization of debate and argument is the greatest trick the left ever pulled. No doubt about it.

Being willing to debate the undebatable is to admit or concede that the supposedly rejected or resisted "thing" is actually true. All such debate does is legitimize the illegitimate or bid up the forbidden.

Apropros, nothing seems to be undebatable to these philosophical/political chaps, which in essence means that everything is defensible to some degree and that nothing is really, authentically, truly bad (because if it was, there would be no need to talk about it).

Reply
Francis Berger
1/4/2026 11:52:24

@ Bruce - Having said the above, I think a big problem is the blurring of discussion and debate. Discussions are, ideally, mostly about sharing ideas and thoughts, whereas debates are locked into the end goal of convincing. I don't mind discussing my ideas with people, but I stop whenever I feel I have to work to convince them. The convincing part is the snare that gets you sucked into an argument/debate.

I mention this because many set "discussion" traps to lure people into debate. They begin with a seemingly innocuous series of questions and concerns, usually asking for clarification and elaboration, and then, before you know it, everything is flipped upside down and the discussion becomes a debate or, even worse, a trial.

My Name is Matt
1/4/2026 17:15:34

"The idolization of debate and argument is the greatest trick the left ever pulled."

That line hits like a ton of bricks. And will save me a tremendous amount of energy! Thank you.

NLR
1/5/2026 03:10:45

A quote from C.S. Lewis's essay "Dogma and the Universe" comes to mind:

"Indeed, the very possibility of progress demands that there should be an unchanging element. New bottles for new wine, by all means: but not new palates, throats, and stomachs, or it would not be for us 'wine' at all."

He was talking about progress in knowledge, but it applies to all kinds of change. People are encouraged to go along with the "AI" agenda because it is supposedly the way things have to be now and, anyway, it's a continuation of society from the past and all the rest of it. But that is clearly not true. Everyone can see that after the so-called "digital transformation", people do not act the same, do not think the same, and many other things are different, many old things have gone away or become weakened.

But, somehow, making money by helping to make things completely different is doing our "duty" to the traditional Christian society of the past, or something like that?!? It does not make a whole lot of sense.

There are all kinds of things that might happen and no one knows for sure what the future will hold. But to make progress towards the good, we have to try for something actually good.

Reply
Francis Berger
1/5/2026 21:01:54

@ NLR - "Everyone can see that after the so-called "digital transformation", people do not act the same, do not think the same, and many other things are different, many old things have gone away or become weakened."

I've noticed it most in thinking, as in the propensity to think less or not at all, yet this is somehow regarded as progress and a good thing. It has become quite glaring in university education where students have no qualms about handing in AI drivel under their own name and then acting surprised and perplexed when instructors call them out on it, the implication being, "What, you actually wanted me to do this on my own? Seriously? Why? AI can do it. Isn't that enough?"

Reply
Celticbiker
1/5/2026 03:41:14

I only have to look at the people promoting it to understand the bad implications of it.

Reply
Francis Berger
1/5/2026 20:56:38

@ Celticbiker - Spot on, yet few seem to get even that far.

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