Shropshire Star

Copy of 'Don’t blame AI, blame the fear' - your letters, plus an engineer’s 1937 hydroglider takes to the River Severn in a picture throwback

Readers speak out: AI fears, shoplifting chaos and the future of hunting.

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Supporting image for story: Copy of 'Don’t blame AI, blame the fear' - your letters, plus an engineer’s 1937 hydroglider takes to the River Severn in a picture throwback
PICTURE FROM THE PAST: A hydroglider built by Dudley engineer Walter Davies on the River Severn in the shadow of the Iron Bridge in July 1937. In the coracle is famous Ironbridge coracle maker Harry Rogers. The boat, owned by a Mr S Bray, of Aston Road, Dudley, got as far as the weir at Shrewsbury.
  • You can enjoy other pictures from the past and more with our weekly FREE Nostalgia Newsletter - with scores of archive pictures and exclusive features on the history of Shropshire and Mid Wales - all sent to your inbox every Friday. Sign up here.

We must accept AI and adapt

It's not AI that gets to me, it's people with phobias about AI that will eventually send me round the bend.

Get into any deep conversation with people and you know that eventually, the brow will furrow, the voice quaver and almost reverently they will say: "What about this AI, ai?" or perhaps in the Black Country. "Oim worried about AI aye I."

It really gets up my nose as the main point seems to be "I'll lose my job." To which I reply "Fear not, you won't have a job to lose with another four years of Labour."

As far as I'm concerned, it will happen, humans will adapt as we always have and the race will advance even faster than in previous eons. Ok, thank goodness I won't be around, but preparations should be in place rather than constant bleating. I see AI as no different to global warming. Both will happen, ride with it and prepare for it.

As to job loss fear, concerns about jobs being obsolete, and uncertainty creates an aversion to reframe AI as an empowering tool, not a threat.

Debunk top myths – AI augments rather than replaces jobs, and transparency will help to build trust.