Everybody's Weirded Out by AI–Except the People Who Foist It on Us
This opinion piece argues that artificial intelligence is causing societal stagnation by making the average person appear smarter while simultaneously degrading overall human intellectual and artistic quality. The author compares the current trajectory of AI adoption to the dystopian themes of Kurt Vonnegut's 'Harrison Bergeron'.
Why it matters
It reflects growing public and academic anxiety regarding the long-term socio-economic and cognitive impacts of widespread AI integration.
Brynn Tannehill / July 14, 2026 THIS STUFF SUCKS Everybody’s Weirded Out by AI—Except the People Who Foist It on Us AI makes the dumbest seem smarter, the smartest seem dumber, while dragging the entire human average down in the process. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Trump with an executive order during the Winning the AI Race summit on July 23, 2025 On Monday, over 200 researchers and economists, including 15 Nobel laureates, released a joint statement pleading with government and industry to address the economic and social impacts of artificial intelligence, based on the belief that AI will result in the displacement of vast stretches of the workforce. Industry itself is plowing ahead with vast investments in AI infrastructure; Meta just announced a massive expansion of a data center being built in Louisiana, raising the cost to $50 billion. However, this seems a tad optimistic, given it represents a technology that most people don’t want and no one asked for, while making our entire society collectively dumber.
The article presents a strong critical perspective on corporate AI adoption and its impact on labor and society.
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