Things Feel…A Little Overwhelming, Honestly.

This Isn't the Future I Asked For

It feels…loud. Not with sound, exactly, though the endless notifications certainly contribute. It’s a fullness, a constant pressure of…everything. I remember when the future felt open, like a field stretching out before you. Now? It feels like being packed into a crowded room, everyone shouting over each other, and you’re just trying not to bump into anyone.

I was reading an old newsletter, “Life With Machines” – it came out May 19th, you know – and it really struck a chord. The author was talking about deepfakes, and how easy it is now for anyone to be anyone online. Apparently, Rich Roll, the wellness guy, was targeted in some scam. It's just… unsettling. It's not just about the scam itself, it's the idea that you can't even trust what you see anymore.

And it feels like the companies responsible aren't really doing much to stop it. They're making money off the ads running alongside the fake videos, apparently. It’s just…wrong. It feels like they’re prioritizing profit over people. A friend of mine keeps saying it's like "digital fracking," sucking value out of our identities, our faces, our voices. It sounds dramatic, I know, but it feels true. Like they're taking something precious and irreplaceable and just…extracting it for their own gain.

It's not just the deepfakes, either. It’s how everything feels…shallow. Social media was supposed to connect us, but it feels like it’s done the opposite. Everything is reduced to “friends” or “not friends,” likes and shares. Real connection, empathy…it feels like those things are getting lost in the noise.

And the worst part? There's this bill going through Congress – I heard about it a few weeks back – that would basically prevent states from regulating AI for ten years. Ten years! It feels like we’re handing over the keys to the kingdom and hoping for the best. It feels like a total abdication of responsibility.

I was talking to a colleague about it, and he pointed out that we’re actually suffering from too much knowledge, not too little. It’s like the experts are being replaced by algorithms, and systems are drowning in data. He said the kind of leadership we need isn't about knowing more facts, but about remembering wisdom. It made me think. Maybe that’s what’s missing. A sense of grounding, a connection to something real.

Honestly, sometimes I just feel…tired. A quiet, draining exhaustion. A friend described it as “silent burnout,” just being overwhelmed by the constant flow of information. It's not dramatic, but it feels… pervasive.

I think I just wanted a future that felt hopeful. A future where technology helped us connect, learn, and grow. A future where our identities were protected, and our voices were valued. This…this isn't it. This isn't the future I asked for.

Maybe it’s not too late to make a change. Maybe if enough of us speak up, we can push for responsible AI development, demand better protections for our data, and advocate for legislation that prioritizes people over profit. I don’t know. I really don’t. But I think we have to try. Because if we don't, I'm afraid this crowded, noisy, exhausting present is all we're going to have left.