Ethan Sachs testifies on AI threatening intellectual curiosity and creative learning
Ethan Sachs, a comic book writer and NYC public school parent, describes how AI could replace the kind of hands-on journalism project that sparked his career, warning that artificial intelligence is counterfeit and the urgency to adopt it comes from companies seeking profit.
Thanks.
Well, first of all, thank you for taking the time today.
Humans listening to humans is essential for democracy and for a healthy society.
And the rise of some of these technologies is probably one of the reasons why we're where we are as a larger society.
My name is Ethan Sachs.
I'm a former journalist turned comic book writer.
And more to the point, I'm an alum of the New York public school system and the father of a much, much, much more recent graduate of the New York public school system.
Much of the course of my professional life was sparked by several teachers who instilled in me a love of writing.
And as a student in high school, because I think high schools are very susceptible even after this ban,
I worked, I had a high school journalism class that was incredibly influential.
I worked with a group on a project to make a newspaper, and my contribution was an article on safety at rock concerts.
I was really, I had more hair back then.
And I got to go to clubs like CBGB's, may it rest in peace, and the garden, Madison Square Garden, and talk to heads of security and really get this sort of backstage tour of what it was like.
And I discovered the power of reporting and doing all this work.
Nowadays, that kind of project could be given to this type of technology that would,
basically put in a prompt and it would do all its work for you.
And then what, where does that intellectual curiosity go?
It's just snuffed.
And so I worry about future generations having access to the kind of thing that changed my life.
You know, I think artificial intelligence is the perfect name.
It's spurious.
It's inauthentic.
It's counterfeit.
And I think what's most...
15 seconds.
Thank you.
What's most artificial is the sense of urgency at adopting this technology, and that comes from the companies themselves.
And they've shown that it's not about societal benefits.
Certainly, you can see that in the environmental consequences.
It's about money, and so it's up to us to...
To not make those decisions based on money.
Thank you for your testimony.
You should be a proud parent, too.
Thanks.
Thank you all so much.
Our next panel is Biada Safari, Kate Mulvaney, Greg Pack, and Crystal Clevin.
And if there's anyone here who wants to testify who has not been called yet, please let the sergeant at arms know.