A(I)NXIETY™️

“A(I)nxiety = A feeling of worry and nervousness related to AI and its impact on Humanity”

I’m used to receiving messages from readers when they are concerned about the Markets.

But recently, their concern has shifted from the Markets to something more personal: the impact of AI on our humanity and on our children (our friend Citrini has written an excellent thought piece here).

I’ve termed this, A(I)nxiety™️.

It’s a legitimate concern, so we need to introduce some basic Axioms to help us navigate through it:

Axiom 1: “They Don't Care About Us”

Michael Jackson said it best: “All I wanna say is that they don't really care about us”.

By that I mean:

• The Tech Oligarchs: They couldn’t care less if you lose your job to AI.

• The Politicians: They don’t care either, as long as the DOW is above 50,000.

Therefore, we must accept that “NONE will save us but ourselves”.

Axiom 2: “You are Alive, AI is not”

This should be self-evident but it needs saying: You are alive. AI is not.

Don’t talk to the AI like it’s your buddy, talk to your family and friends instead.

Don’t trust the AI. It couldn’t care less if it gives the wrong output … because it CANNOT care!!!

You get my point. Don’t be stupid!

Axiom 3: “The Black Coffee Theory”

For those who don’t know the theory, here it goes:

• Imagine walking into a café wanting a latte. Instead of saying, “I want a latte,” you tell the barista, “I don’t want black coffee.”

• The barista becomes confused, and when it’s time to make your drink, the only thing she remembers is “black coffee”.

• You end up getting served black coffee.

The “Black Coffee Theory” illustrates that focusing on the negatives can inadvertently attract the very things you wish to avoid.

So if you worry everyday that the “AI is going to destroy us”, well … you aren’t helping yourself. You might end up getting served … black coffee.

So let’s just “UNO Reverse” that feeling, shall we?

Does that mean we are “safe”?

This doesn’t mean that AI won’t destroy jobs or upend our world as we know it.

This only means each one of us should take a stance and evolve in order to survive. Humans are pretty good at this.

“100% Organic”

For example, this shrub has taken a stance to remain “100% Organic”.

I stopped using Excel for modelling purposes some years ago, and only use a pen and a “back of the envelope” or the “corner of the FT” when available . My performance has dramatically improved since. I’m pretty sure I’ve outperformed 99.999% of all “spreadsheet” monkeys out there.

I don’t use AI to write. I don’t use AI to edit. I don’t even use “grammar check” or whatever else kids use nowadays. The end result is an article that contains pretty average vocabulary with mediocre grammatical skills, attained by growing up in a non-English-speaking country and learning the language mostly by listening to classic rock and watching Star Wars a few too many times.

But “shrub slop” is still better to read than “AI slop”. At least it’s my slop.

This is not to say that I don’t use AI:

• I made a cool video game with AI called “Shrub-Man” that you can play here.

• I use AI inexorably to makes Memes. It gives me great pleasure to produce memes for free that cost Scam Altman $1,000 a pop.

But I have NO INTEREST in using AI to think for me!

I also have no interest in reading AI-generated articles, listening to AI-generated music, watching AI-generated films or dealing with monkeys whose only output is AI-generated …

… because at the end of the day, a monkey using AI is still a monkey. And I have no interest in dealing with monkeys.

This shrub is 100% organic and will remain so.

This is my stance.

🌳🙏

Disclaimer:

This isn’t financial advice. This is Parody. This is the equivalent of Monty Python for finance, but worse: This is the trading blog of a shrub. For all you know, I could be a 15-year old paper-trading out of my parents’ basement. Don’t be Stupid. Seriously. How many times do I have to repeat this …