The Other Side of AI

Imagine this.

You're scrolling through your feed and a video pops up. A well-known TV doctor is talking about a new supplement that helps with joint pain. He's sitting in what looks like his office. He's speaking directly to the camera. There are testimonials from real-looking people who say it changed their lives. There's a link at the bottom. It's not cheap, but this is a doctor you've seen on television for years. You trust him.

So you click. You buy. A bottle shows up at your door.

And then a week later, your friend sends you a link to a news article. That doctor never made that video. His face, his voice, his mannerisms were all generated by artificial intelligence. The supplement company doesn't exist. The testimonials were fake. The whole thing was built to look real enough to get you to click "buy."

This isn't a made-up scenario. It's happening every single day. And if something like this has happened to you or someone you know, I want you to hear me say this: it's not your fault. These fakes are getting incredibly good, and they're designed to fool smart, careful people.

I also want you to know that I understand why stories like this make people distrust AI. If this is your main experience with artificial intelligence, why would you feel anything but suspicion?

The Concerns Are Real

If your impression of AI is that it's a tool people use to fake photos, fake videos, and trick people out of their money, I want you to know something: you're not wrong.

AI is being used to create fake celebrity endorsements. It's being used to put words in people's mouths. It's being used to generate photos of people who don't exist. It's being used in scam emails that sound so personal and specific that they're harder to spot than ever before.

When I talk to young people and ask them what AI is, most of them say the same thing: it's a way to make funny pictures and fake people.

When I talk to adults my parents' age, many of them have already heard a story like the one above, if not lived through one themselves. Their impression of AI isn't excitement. It's suspicion. And I understand that completely.

Here's What I Want to Say About That

In all things, there is good and bad.

The telephone made it possible to call your grandchildren. It also made it possible for scammers to call your house pretending to be the IRS. We didn't stop answering the phone. We learned to recognize the tricks.

The internet gave us access to information, connection, and convenience that would have seemed like science fiction a generation ago. It also gave us phishing emails, identity theft, and misinformation. We didn't abandon the internet. We learned to be more careful about what we click.

Email made communication instant. It also made spam possible. Online shopping brought the store to your living room. It also created new ways to get ripped off.

Every powerful tool in the history of the world has been used by some people to help and by other people to harm. AI is no different. The existence of bad actors using this technology does not erase the enormous good it is already doing.

What AI Is Actually Being Used For

While scammers are using AI to create fake videos, here's what's happening on the other side:

Researchers are using AI to identify cancers earlier than human doctors can catch them alone. People who've lost the ability to speak are using AI to communicate with their families again. Farmers are using AI to grow more food with less water. Scientists are using AI to discover new medications faster than ever before.

And in quieter, more everyday ways, regular people are using AI to understand their blood test results, plan a trip, write a letter they've been putting off, figure out what's wrong with their dishwasher, and make sense of a confusing notice from their insurance company.

None of that erases the fake video in the story above. Both things are true at the same time.

Your Responsibility Hasn't Changed

Here's the part I really want you to hear.

The arrival of AI doesn't change the basic rules we've always followed for staying safe. Those rules just matter more now.

If something feels too good to be true, it probably is. If a video is selling you something and the "buy now" button is right there, slow down. If a famous person is endorsing a product you've never heard of through a random website, be skeptical. If your gut says something is off, trust that feeling.

AI didn't invent scams. Scams have been around forever. What AI did is make some scams harder to spot because the fakes look more real than they used to. That means we all need to be a little more careful, a little more skeptical, and a little more willing to pause before we click.

You already know how to do this. You've been doing it your whole life. You just need to know that the game got a little more sophisticated.

A Few Things to Watch For

Here are some simple ways to protect yourself from AI-generated fakes:

So Where Does That Leave Us?

I don't want anyone to be afraid of AI. And I don't want anyone to blindly trust everything they see online either. I want you to approach AI the same way you'd approach any powerful tool: with curiosity, with common sense, and with your eyes open.

AI is a tool. Like a car, like the internet, like your phone. Some people will use it to do incredible things. Some people will use it to take advantage of others. That's not a reason to avoid it. That's a reason to learn about it, so you can tell the difference.

The people who benefit the most from AI are the people who understand what it is and what it isn't. And that's exactly why I write these guides. Not to convince you that AI is perfect. It isn't. But to help you feel confident enough to use it wisely, safely, and on your own terms.