Artificial Intelligence – Just Give me the Facts, Please

 

By Mildred Robertson

While artificial intelligence (AI) has improved various aspects of our lives, it also has its drawbacks. Because human beings must program it, an individual can insert their own biases into the output that we receive. Trash in, trash out.

A case in point is Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot platform.  That someone as damaged as Elon Musk has control over the AI's response to inquiries should trouble everyone who uses AI to search for facts. While we think it is just a machine compiling data, it is compiling that data based on the biases of its programmer.  So, we must tread carefully. It is human to search for data that supports our own beliefs, even when we want facts.

I don't know how to remove that fault from artificial intelligence.  Those of us who consume its output must be aware that biases exist and that we should balance the data received with that from other reputable sources.  When we engage in research, we must remain cognizant that our own biases influence our quest for truth.

Without appropriate oversight, AI can do more harm than good. Musk's use of this platform to advance his priorities and beliefs compromises the integrity of the platform.  Recently, a message was sent via Signal that copied Secretary of State Marco Rubio's voice and style to establish a connection and obtain inside information. The initiative failed, but bad actors will continue to distribute fake messages mimicking a politician or industry leaders until they are successful.  Cybersecurity is not what it should be, and the public is at the mercy of AI as it helps bad actors steal our information and fake our news.

Key ethical implications of the explosion of AI are that it can amplify the biases of its developers. Further AI may compromise privacy and data security, leaving vital privacy constraints to creators who may or may not have the public’s best interest at heart.  It is the developers who must create strict data protection methods to ensure that your data is not used without your knowledge or consent. But will they?

And then there is the question of who is accountable if AI makes a mistake?

AI presents the possibility of financial fraud through market manipulation. Political and social manipulation is already occurring as we see politicians and celebrities who have literally had words put in their mouths by deep fakes running rampant on the internet. Many deepfakes appear surprisingly authentic, causing people to share as though they were true.

As we stand on the brink of the next midterm election, we must all learn how to utilize this technology to get to the truth. We must seek reputable news sources and be mindful not to share information that we have not vetted for accuracy. Sometimes the most recent poll sounds so hopeful, or the latest opposition scandal sounds so damning that we can’t wait to share it.

Searching for the truth is no easy task. But neither is maintaining democracy. True patriots will take the time to KNOW and not just go with the flow. Be mindful of what you read and hear in the news, broadcasts, and social media. Understand the source of information and its intent. Be careful what you add to the national discourse.

The nightmare scenario where AI-driven weapons fall into the hands of a madman, or the AI itself malfunctions and acts outside its protocols, no longer seems far-fetched. What once seemed simply like science fiction is now an attainable outcome of advancing AI technology.

We want “I, Robot” to remain a science fiction movie and not become our reality. We want “The Terminator” to be the musings of a vivid imagination, and not our lived reality. We want Chat GPT to provide unbiased data so that relevant truths guide our actions.

This blog is MY opinion. My truth and that of Elon Musk are very different. I don’t want AI to base its conclusion on either; just give me the facts!

 

The Big Beautiful Bill - Ugly to the Bone

 By Mildred Robertson

It is more than ironic that on the 249th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Americans stand to lose the battle it fought with Britain almost 250 years ago. Not to some great superpower that overtook us in war. Not from some foreign adversary that outflanked us, and launched cyber-attacks, nuclear bombs, or drone strikes, but by supposed American patriots. The "Big Beautiful Bill," fostered by a would-be dictator and supported by almost every Republican in Congress, is ugly to the bone. 

H.R. 1, the supposed Big Beautiful Bill, is not an idea or a concept. It is a reality that will affect the average American's household resources. Republicans, who fear a "Blue Wave" in 2026, crafted the bill so that the greatest impact of H.R. 1 won't be felt in the first two years of implementation. That design will stall many of the negative features of H.R. 1 until after the 2026 election. 

Ultimately, this huge transfer of funds will hit low-income Americans the hardest, decreasing or eliminating programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Federal income tax credits. In fact, the biggest spending cuts target Medicaid and food stamps programs.  According to the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C. based think tank, of the 22.6 million families likely to lose resources, 57 percent are below the poverty line. Only 1 percent of high-income households will lose resources, while 27% of high earners will gain resources. 

Drawbacks of H.R. 1 include  

• tax cuts for the rich
• loss of vital health, nutrition, and economic resources 
• an estimated 11.8 million who will lose health insurance by 2034
• an estimated 3.3 trillion added to the national deficit over the next decade

Clearly, implementation of this bill will result in the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, despite the rhetoric being offered by Republican mouthpieces. Eventually, the unsubstantiated beauty of this bill will belie its ugly core. Over the span of its life, H.R. 1 will alter the kind of nation we have grown to be. It will blunt the vision of the Founders' "more perfect union and lessen the growth that America has experienced over the past 249 years.

As those of us who see the travesty in this bill understand how ugly it is, we can only look forward to the mid-terms with hope. Unfortunately, even if a Blue Wave occurs in 2026, hope can only do so much. The damage has been done. It will take years to undo the domestic attack on American society that this ugly-to-the-bone bill embodies.

Today, July 4, 2025, we celebrate our founding yet still yearn for liberty.