For all that matters, this is not an anti-AI rant. Far from it. My fascination about human intelligence started with my kindergarten teacher who could recite all the 26 pages of the alphabet book when I was struggling with my abc’s. The flame of human intelligence that starts as a spark gets stronger with every Mona Lisa chapter, moon landing and yes, every clever cat meme. Yet, this flame today faces an unusual gust of wind: artificial intelligence (AI) and I for one has on not one but several occasions felt a strong jolt to call to arms for AI literacy. Let me explain, one love letter at a time.
Lost in Translation – A love letter to HI (featuring the AI Dependency trap)
Dear HI,
You are so underrated, you know that? Sure, AI has everyone swooning over – chatbots spitting out essays, apps picking up songs and movies for us. But they will never be you.
The other day Sam, my dear, friend thought he could coast on AI to crank out a history essay. The very instant I read the essay I knew it did not sound like him. Yes, I know him that well. You, my dear HI, have a voice full of nuance. With each human, you reflect an authenticity that no machine can replicate. “How did you catch me?” asked Sam. “Well for one, who in their rightful mind would call the internet as world wide web. That is so cringe. You should have changed that before submission. As they say, you need to use your brain for copying too!”
HI my love, you are irreplaceable. You think beyond the obvious. AI looks for patterns, but you? You dream about what could be. It is ironic, everyone on this planet is fortunate enough to have you but people forget how powerful you are. They lean too hard on shortcuts, on tools that promise to do that thinking for them. The impact of cognitive offloading comes to light when the essay flops or the recommended movie is not to their liking, that is when they will come back to you. Because you are not just about answers; you are about understanding. So, here is to you, my HI, the unsung hero, keep being curious and keep asking better questions. Keep guiding us through the pizza decisions of life. We’ve got this – you and me, together. AI can tag along, but it will always be playing catch-up.
Love,
Arjun
PS: AI literacy means knowing when to lean in and when to lean back. You and I know it.
The Punchline that AI missed – A Love letter to HI wit
My love HI,
It happened again. Picture this, the other day, while dictating my notes to the AI voice assistant, I remembered that Dad had asked me to remind him to get some snacks on his way back for the match. I said to the voice assistant, “Call Papa.” Lo and behold, I am connected to Papa Jones, asking my order for the pizza. Sure, I chuckled (and we ended up with pizza’s that night), but the moment highlighted something crucial. This realization is the cornerstone of AI literacy: understanding AI’s capabilities and its blind spots.
Have you ever tried cracking a joke with AI? I did – it went flatter than a pancake under a steamroller. Yesterday, I was typing away, proud of my creative essay. “Let’s make this presentation as snazzy as a tuxedo-wearing penguin at a gala.” Classic, right? But what did AI hear? “Let’s make this presentation as snoozy as a penguin wearing a tuxedo.” Snoozy. Snoozy! The betrayal!
You my dear, are irreplaceable. You will chuckle, even smirk at my creative genius. AI? It just processes words. No spark. No tuxedo-level snazziness.
You understand my double meanings, my twists and my subtle sarcasm that makes it so much fun. Humour is our sacred ground. Our shared laughs and clever comebacks make it all the more worthwhile to live.
It is hard to fathom a world where humour depended on AI. Don’t even get me started on memes. You, my dear HI, are the reason memes exist in the first place. With AI, knock-knock jokes will lose their punchlines, sarcasm would get flagged as confusing.
It’s time we renewed our vows, my HI. I will never stop relying on you for the truly important stuff. AI can handle my boring tasks – setting reminders, calculating tips but humour? That is your domain. Because honestly, a tuxedo-wearing penguin deserves a better snoozy.
Yours in eternal wit,
Someone Who Knows You’ll Always Be Funnier
Arjun
PS: AI Literacy is about safeguarding our uniquely human traits—creativity, empathy, and critical thinking—while working alongside machines.
A Tale of Two Searches – A Love letter to HI problem solving
Dear HI,
You never cease to amaze me. Just when I think AI is running the show, you show up and how, proving why you’re still the OG.
Remember the time when Max lost his daily journal? Total crisis mode. I turned to my trusty search engine and typed in, “lost journal.” What did I get? Pages of product ads for new journals. Not helpful, unless we were planning a covert journal replacement mission (we weren’t). But you, HI, came through. “Think,” you whispered. “Where would Max hide something?” I started brainstorming—under the bed, behind the couch, inside a shoebox fort—and bingo! There it was, the journal, chilling in the shoebox like it was a five-star hotel. Crisis averted.
You see, AI provides information, not solutions. Unlike you, it lacks the knack for connecting dots. You have the gift for seeing past the obvious, or your ability to understand that sometimes. You understand that the answer isn’t in the data but in the way we think about it.
And let’s not forget dinner that one night. I asked an app to find “best food near me,” and it confidently led me to… a gas station convenience store. Really? You, on the other hand, remembered that taco truck Priya raved about last week. AI gave me data; you gave me tacos. Guess which one I’ll remember?
That’s the thing, HI, you ask the right questions. You add context, empathy, and a dash of creativity that no algorithm can replicate.
So here’s to you, the expert problem-solver, the guide in this messy world. AI may be smart, but you’re wiser. And when it comes to lost journals and late-night tacos, I’ll always choose you.
With gratitude,
Your Biggest Fan
Arjun
I have been championing AI Literacy in schools. Not just how to use the AI tools, but how to evaluate them. We need to know how search engines rank results, how bias creep into algorithms and how to ask questions AI can’t. The “Why.” Teaching AI Literacy alongside traditional subjects will ensure the current and the next generation won’t become passive consumers of technology but actively shape it. After all, even the best AI is only as good as the questions it is asked – and humans are still the best when it comes to asking questions.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to ask my voice assistant to draft another blog post. Let’s see if it gets the penguin joke this time.
Post written by Arjun Gambhir, Founder dublintechcircuit.com