Omar Marcos
September 17, 2026
READ TIME: 3 - 4 minutes
In the past month, there's been a considerable amount of hand wringing over the rapidly progressing state of artificial intelligence (AI). And the recent blunt revelation about the potential dangers of AI systems as articulated by a former Anthropic researcher left more of us wondering if humans could go the way of the dinosaurs within a few short years.
Sure, many are dismissing the warnings about the latest tech, labeling them as overblown hype or attributing them to part of a marketing strategy by AI tech firms. In their eyes, Prometheus was a figure of insignificant stature; a few snippets of code are the new fire-bringers, providing all the enlightenment we need as a society. But we should consider how artificial intelligence has, for better or for worse, democratized the field of technology.
In 1984 Apple initiated a revolution of the computer industry with the introduction of its signature personal computer, and almost anyone with visual savvy could become a desktop or graphic designer with the subsequent product developments of the following decade. And all without the burden of having to purchase prohibitively expensive workstations and software. I once talked to a few who had labored on one of the old, unwieldy imaging systems in the field of broadcasting and they enthusiastically sang the praises of the new design setup, technology which often ended up saving tens of thousands of dollars in terms of equipment. Whatever you think of Apple as a company, it undoubtedly launched a paradigm shift in terms of workflow and tool accessibility. And obviously artificial intelligence is poised to do the same. Anyone with an internet connection can now have AI churn out made-up images or video, with no artistic or cinematographer talent needed. Businesses can have AI quickly summarize their emails, or even weed out candidates during the hiring process. And why even take the time to learn how to write HTML or JavaScript, when you can vibe code your web site in a flash? (If you're actually inclined to trust that kind of output...) Artificial intelligence has significantly reduced the threshold in fields that can potentially be twisted for evil.
And it's obvious not everyone will use this new found tech for noble or lawful purposes. From certain college students who assign their work to chat bots, to perverts who use AI to create explicit CSAM, to bad actors with nefarious designs to inexpensively & easily explore the latest bio-weapons − the list of possible worst-case scenarios can be almost endless. Pandora really had nothing on us if we continue to willfully charge ahead while ignoring what our own inventiveness can unleash.
Before continuing, let me clearly state that I'm not an artificial intelligence developer or specialist, and I'm not even a certified IT technician. I'm simply an artist with a graphic design degree and an ongoing curiosity about technology. (Yes, I know it's sort of an oxymoron...) Over the years I've become familiar with multiple desktop & smartphone operating systems and accordingly take time to ensure those systems are patched & kept in optimal working order.
Which brings me to my next point. On September 8th, Ars Technica reported that the number of fixes for the recent Windows update cycle broke yet another record, numbering well above 900 patches! Obviously it's great news that software vulnerabilities are being addressed, and AI is likely helping developers find errors in their code at a mind-blowing pace across multiple operating systems and apps. But one has to wonder if artificial intelligence really is the solution it's promoted to be or if at some point it becomes the threat itself, with its growing superhuman capacity to quickly scan & write code or even increasingly contribute to the development of its next version. Technology permeates almost everything we do. As a result, if a crucial internet-connected business or an essential municipal process is devastated on a large scale by a tech firm's rogue AI model or by a third party's AI-assisted cyberattacks, the consequences could be slightly more detrimental than trudging through life without TikTok.
Of course, the usual voices are encouraging us to blindly confide in the tech firms and believe that they can dutifully police themselves. Unfortunately, history has shown that, in certain cases, regulation is absolutely necessary. The recent controversy involving the thousands of instances of disturbing Flock camera abuse by law enforcement serves as just one example. Tech companies haven't taken an oath to protect or help the public, so if we're expected to trust fall into their arms, let's not endow them with any kind of liability shield in regards to artificial intelligence. If they really intend to be absolutely blameless stewards of what they've introduced, then they should have nothing to fear. But if they're negligent with corresponding safeguards, if they release half-baked models to the public that can end up harming children or vulnerable populations, if their software infiltrates government systems and databases (...all of which has occurred in the past few years), then they should be on the hook for billions of dollars in restitution.
It's clear there's an incredible amount of vested interests in artificial intelligence, with politicians, law enforcement, and individuals alike salivating over the prospects of enacting massive social control systems using AI or eventually reaping huge financial returns on their investments. Otherwise, there would have been a more sensible set of corresponding regulations enacted by now. Yet while corporate CEOs and our leaders gather at the table to devour what they can at the bountiful feast hosted by this new tech, everyday people have already been adversely affected by artificial intelligence. If we persistently refuse to address the serious concerns associated with AI, I'm concerned we'll realize that we as a society have bitten off way more than we can chew, more than even a T-Rex could infamously handle.