The broken rhetoric of AI

The current AI discourse in design communities has become toxic, driven by FOMO, gaslighting, clickbait, and elitism rather than productive conversation. Designers are caught in performative rhetoric that creates anxiety and division instead of fostering learning and collaboration. The piece advocates for healthier alternatives: curiosity-driven learning over fear-based rushing, critical perspective over gaslighting, nuanced storytelling over sensationalism, thoughtful dialogue over hot takes, shared discovery over flexing, and community stewardship over gatekeeping. The goal is to shift from treating AI as a competitive threat to embracing it as a collaborative opportunity for growth and exploration.