I have once again left a YouTube comment far longer than I anticipated. It was in response to this video, which I largely agree with, with the caveat that AI systems intended to assist people simply cannot be trusted in the current sociopolitical climate: "Nobody Asked Phoebe": How AI Is Getting Autism Wrong – And Why You're the Ones Who Can Stop It

I wish we had a society which allowed the tools being rammed down our throats to be considered trustworthy. Ignoring the disastrous scale and exploitation required for LLMs to achieve their current capabilities, this degree and ubiquity of monitoring capability over any population, never mind some of the most vulnerable people in society, is antisocial at best and must be stopped at all costs.

I want to believe in these tools, not just in their capabilities, but that they operate in a manner aligned with justice and righteousness. I am autistic. I have been a software developer professionally for over 20 years. I had to step away due to an LLM usage mandate which I refused to comply with and am not sure I will return to the field. I used to strongly believe that maybe, just maybe, I was helping work towards a greater good that would widely benefit everybody. That world seems so far away right now, that I wonder if it cannot possibly be achieved without a thorough, systemic rooting out of what we have built to date.

You seem like a nice man who wants to help the world and the people in it. It is not my intent to besmirch your work, as you seem sincere in your mission and conviction. But, until I can understand not just the mechanism, but also ownership of these tools and platforms and the alignment thereof, I can never willingly accept them in my life.

My degree of functioning has been significantly decreasing as the world grows more cynical and I worry that I may require services which would subject me to these systems. More profound than my fear of my loved ones giving up on me is my fear of submitting to these systems.

I trust that the work you do is done for the right reasons, and that your approach and systems will prevail.