Letter: AI is an enormous step backwards

As a lifelong Owego resident, I am filled with pride when it comes to anything Owego, one example is obviously the Strawberry Festival. I have been attending the Strawberry Festival annually for almost two decades. That being said, when I saw in a couple of the latest editions that some promotional material for the festival was very clearly AI-generated, I have to say it filled me with great disappointment and frustration. 

As I hope you are aware, the negative environmental, economic, and social impacts of AI are one of the nation’s biggest concerns at this time. Large AI data centers have destroyed rural communities much like our beautiful town, and continued use of AI-generating engines only further facilitates the companies’ justification for constructing these hellish buildings. Data centers have permanently ruined the ecosystems they were built upon, caused terrible water quality issues in surrounding communities, and emitted constant noise that has driven neighboring houses half-mad. 

Furthermore, Owego is a town of artists, with many establishments downtown selling, displaying, and promoting artwork. As an alumnus, I can personally attest to Owego Free Academy’s wonderful art program, which produces many great young artists every year. 

Those who call art their passion are some of those most affected by outsourcing art to AI engines. How discouraging it must be to have what you love replaced by a soulless image created with a simple prompt. I can personally say that almost everyone I’ve had the opportunity to talk to about this issue is greatly opposed to the widespread use of this technology. AI is not inevitable. The technology is not necessary and is absolutely preventable, and continuing to print images like this adds to the false notion that it’s “the future.” 

If we truly care about improving the world we live in, AI is an enormous step backward. You are in a unique position to prevent a large group of people from continuing to be inundated with this AI content, and I ask you to please strongly consider moving toward an AI-free newspaper. 

Sincerely an Owego resident and reader,

Samuel Cunningham

Owego, New York