I don’t know what to do about AI

I have never used ChatGPT, Claude or Grok. That seems like a weirdly radical statement to make in 2026. I’ve felt a great unease about hyper-scale LLMs for all the usual reasons: data training, multitude of harms, non-determinism, surveillance, hype and overstated capabilities, environmental and e-waste concerns, economic bubble, data centres and disregard of consent. Oh, and don’t forget about the TESCREAL bit. I’ve been quietly not using AI and know a couple of people in the same boat. But recently I’ve noticed it seems to Just Be Everywhere: Most companies and websites describing themselves as AI-powered/enabling or agentic Slop grenades dumped into chat threads Briefs, content, audits, emails increasingly AI-generated Magic wand features prominently inserted into apps Streams of new products that record and transcribe everything around them, without anyone’s consent “It’s not x, it’s y” Exposure to its output feels inescapable. Using these tools is a precipice I haven’t wanted or…