The promise of technological liberation raises dilemmas about the loss of experiences that nourish the identity and the sense of life of the individual.

Joseph Earp criticizes artificial intelligence's promise to simplify aspects of life that, in his opinion, should not be simplified (Photo: Agencia Andina)

The Artificial intelligence (AI) is presented to us as the key to unlocking our most precious resource: time . The promise of delegating tedious tasks to machines resonates in a society obsessed with efficiency. However, this prospect raises an uncomfortable question, articulated by writer Joseph Earp in The Guardian : What if by outsourcing tasks like learning, creating, or exploring, we are emptying our very lives of content? If our existence is reduced to interacting with a program, aren't we simply shortening the life experience rather than enriching it?

Earp, while acknowledging his own particular tastes, admits to specific benefits of automation. He agrees with philosopher John Gray on the unquestionable value of anesthesia in dentistry and adds to his personal list the pleasure of watching bird videos on YouTube or the usefulness of mobile reminders.

For the essayist, technology is welcomed when it simplifies routine tasks or facilitates access to information and entertainment. His ideal model is the calculator : a tool that saves time on calculations we could be doing, freeing us up to, perhaps, watch more bird videos.

 

Education, college, school, secondary, primary, brain development, Artificial intelligence offers us the promise of freeing up time by delegating repetitive tasks,

driving a society obsessed with efficiency (Illustrative image, not real, made by AI)

The author's central concern arises from the promise of AI to simplify what, in his opinion, shouldn't be simplified. There are tasks the commentator isn't willing to give up. He doesn't want an AI to summarize his friends' messages, trivializing personal connection . He also rejects Google's AI condensing its searches—as is already beginning to happen with features like AI Overviews—losing the opportunity to interact with the work of other humans.

Furthermore, he values the unique "messiness" of his own photos without automatic retouching. And, above all, he refuses to let an AI write his books or paint his paintings.

Earp's argument isn't about the quality of the AI-generated product, but rather the loss of experience . For him, satisfaction lies in the doing: writing the book, painting the picture. Once finished, interest shifts to the next project. The excitement and beauty lie in the creative process. Outsourcing it, he warns, turns us from creators into mere product managers.

 

Handwriting notes, one of the activities Joseph Earp fears he'll lose to the advance of AI (Credit: Pexels)

Let's think about the activities the writer fears losing:

• Learning with friends : It's not just about acquiring facts; it's a social and emotional exchange that strengthens bonds and can reduce stress.
• Handwriting notes : The effort invested communicates thoughtfulness. A handwritten note is a tangible object, a personal memento that digital communication can't match.
• Painting : beyond the result, it is an activity that reduces anxiety, encourages creativity, improves coordination and offers deep personal satisfaction, as popularized by Bob Ross with “The Joy of Painting.”
• Exploring the world : Traveling or discovering our surroundings fosters empathy, adaptability, and broadens our perspective in ways that no simulation can fully replicate.

The metaphor of baking a cake illustrates this idea well: buying one is quick, but making it from scratch—measuring, mixing, smelling, decorating—offers a unique sense of satisfaction and personal connection . AI may “bake the cake,” but it deprives us of the joy of the process.

Ultimately, the question Joseph Earp poses is crucial: what will we do with the time supposedly freed up by AI if we gain it at the expense of the activities that define and enrich us? Reducing our interaction with the world to a series of commands for an AI, the author warns, could shorten our life experience without enhancing it.

His perspective is an invitation to reflect on what we are willing to give up for efficiency. It is a call to actively value and protect the human experiences—learning, creation, connection, exploration—that give true depth to our existence, a richness that no automation can ever replace.

The expansion of AI into everyday life demands reflection, so that convenience does not displace the richness of what is authentically human.

Opy Morales, Infobae