Imagine trying to navigate your daily life without any form of artificial intelligence. It sounds simple, right? Not for author A.J. Jacobs, who embarked on a fascinating 48-hour experiment to do just that.
His challenge wasn’t just about avoiding obvious generative AI tools like ChatGPT. Jacobs committed to steering clear of any product or service that utilized machine-learning algorithms in its creation, marketing, or delivery. This meant delving far beyond popular chatbots and into the very infrastructure of modern living.
The endeavor quickly proved far more challenging than anticipated. Simple tasks became monumental obstacles. Accessing basic necessities like electricity and even running water revealed hidden layers of AI integration that most of us take for granted. This eye-opening experiment vividly demonstrates just how deeply artificial intelligence has woven itself into the fabric of our everyday lives, often in ways we don’t even perceive.
Join Jacobs on this journey to discover the surprising extent of AI’s presence and reflect on what truly being “offline” in the 21st century might entail.