I’ve spent some time messing around with AI.
Different forms of it too. Writing. Music. Video. Resumes. Even experimenting with images and apps just to see what it can do.
And honestly… it’s impressive.
But the more I see it, the more I keep running into something else.
AI slop.
You know what I’m talking about when you see it.
The first time it really stood out to me was when I was listening to music. Something just felt off. The sound was close to the era it was trying to imitate, but the lyrics didn’t match the spirit of the music. It was like the pieces were there but the soul was missing.
Then I started noticing it everywhere.
Scrolling social media and seeing videos that don’t even make sense. Stuff like a bird pecking straight through a car windshield like it’s made of cardboard.
You watch it for a second and think… that’s not real.
And that got me thinking about something.
There’s a big difference between using AI and letting AI think for you.
When AI Starts Doing the Thinking
AI can be a powerful tool.
It can help organize ideas. Speed up boring tasks. Research information faster than we ever could before.
But the moment people start giving it lazy prompts like:
“Write this for me.”
That’s when things usually turn into generic content with no personality behind it.
Just words stacked together.
No experience behind them.
No connection to the work.
No reason for them to exist other than filling space.
Experience still matters because experience connects you to what you’re producing.
When you’ve actually lived something, built something, or struggled through something, your perspective carries weight. AI can’t replace that.
A Mechanic’s Way of Looking at It
I’m a mechanic by trade.
So when I think about AI, I think about tools.
Using AI is a lot like using power tools to rebuild an engine.
Now imagine someone who has every air tool in the shop.
Impact guns. Torque wrenches. Specialty tools.
But they don’t understand engine specs.
They don’t understand tolerances.
They don’t understand how the engine actually works.
Could they bolt all the parts together?
Maybe.
They might even get everything in the right place.
But the real question is this.
Will it run?
Or is it going to shake itself apart the moment it fires up?
That’s what happens when people rely too heavily on AI.
They can assemble something that looks right on the surface, but underneath it’s missing context, understanding, and personality.
How AI Is Actually Useful
Now don’t get me wrong. I use AI all the time.
I use it for research.
I use it to deepen my perspective on a topic.
Sometimes I use it to expand on thoughts I’ve already written down.
It’s also great for fixing small writing mistakes. Like an advanced spell check that helps clean up the rough edges of what I’m trying to say.
When I generate images with it, I get specific about what I’m trying to create.
Sometimes I even mess around with music or experiment with designing apps just to see what’s possible.
But the key is this.
I already know what I’m trying to produce.
I’m working with AI to reach the end point.
I’m not expecting AI to do all the work.
When People Stop Thinking
Here’s where things start losing value.
When people stop thinking.
Anyone can ask AI:
“Give me five tips for baking a cake.”
And sure, you’ll get five tips.
But that’s not the same as the recipe passed down from your grandma. The one with the little tricks she figured out over the years.
Maybe AI helps you organize those steps better.
Maybe it helps you explain them clearer.
Maybe it helps deepen the connection behind why those steps matter.
But the real value is still coming from the experience behind the recipe.
Without that… it’s just instructions.
The Real Point
Technology is moving fast. AI is going to be part of almost everything we do moving forward.
That’s not a bad thing.
But there’s a line we shouldn’t cross.
Technology should extend your thinking, not eliminate it.
Use the tool.
Just remember you’re still the craftsman.
Because when the thinking stops, the work loses its soul.
And work without a soul doesn’t last.
Recalibration Impact 
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