✨When Honesty Hurts: A Conversation on AI, Ownership, and Courage

May 20, 2025 at 1:24 am

Aisopose

💬 A Conversation That Shifted Everything

I was chatting with someone I once considered a close friend. We were discussing creativity, AI, and the ways the world is evolving. What started as a thoughtful exchange quickly turned sour.

She was visibly upset. Furious that AI models had absorbed content from her published books without her consent. To her, this wasn’t just inconvenient—it was theft. Violation. Exploitation.

And on that point, I agreed. No one should have their work taken and redistributed without permission.

But our paths divided from there.

🧠 Our Views on AI Couldn’t Be More Different

She sees AI as:

🚫 Theft – that it steals human work.
📚 Exploitation – that people have “stolen her books.”
🛋️ Laziness – that AI replaces thought, talent, and effort.

To her, anyone who uses AI is complicit in the problem.

She thinks it should be hated.
And the people who use it? She said she has to “hate everyone” who does.

💡 But Here’s My Reality

I use AI very differently.

“I don’t use AI to create and steal—I use it like a library. Like asking someone to search a million books at once and help me find clarity.”

✍️ I use it to help edit my posts when I struggle to articulate my thoughts.
🧰 I use it to refine ideas—not replace them.
🗣️ I use it to communicate more clearly because, frankly, I’m not always good at that.

To me, AI is an assistant, not a creator. A tool to help sharpen my voice—not mute someone else’s.

But when I said this honestly, with care, she recoiled.

💔 “You’re Gross.”

That’s what she called me—for having a different lens. For not agreeing.
I wasn’t attacking her. I was sharing my truth.

And yet… her words stung. Not just the insult—but the implication:

That differing from her wasn’t just disagreement.
It was betrayal.

😔 The Sadness I Still Carry

What confused me most was how my honesty—given gently—hurt her so deeply. It was as if my belief simply couldn’t exist in her world.

But the truth is:

🧭 She doesn’t own the absolute meaning of right and wrong.
🧠 Opinions aren’t universal.
🤝 Two people can hold different truths without one being a villain.

She believes anyone who uses AI is a thief.
But how can you steal wisdom?

❤️‍🔥 On Courage (θάρρος)

In Greek, courage is θάρρος (thárros).
Rooted in “heart.”

And this moment took heart.

Courage to speak honestly.
Courage to be misunderstood.
Courage to let someone walk away, even if you didn’t want them to.

I didn’t shout. I didn’t mock. I told the truth of how I experience AI. That doesn’t erase her pain. But it doesn’t make mine invalid either.

🌱 Closing Thought

I still hope she finds peace.
But I won’t wear guilt for being honest.
And I won’t stop using tools that help me grow, learn, and express myself better.

⚖️ We live in a world with many lenses.
The courage is in keeping your own clear—without needing to break someone else’s.

✍️ Written with help from AI.
Not because I’m lazy—but because I’m learning to find my voice.