CASE STUDY The insufferable new AI vegans?

The first rule of Vegan Fight Club is: “Always talk about Vegan Fight Club.” Of all the predictions in this book, the one I’d bet a kidney on is this:

Prepare for the rise of AI Vegans—who, in the near future, will annoy every one of us by proudly proclaiming how they live 100% AI-free!

Just as organic food became a status symbol for health-conscious consumers, AI-free industries will become the new luxury category for those who can afford human-made products and services.

“AI-free” will be the buzzword in the race for status and morality, as quasi-religious counter-movements rise against the robots. Like many of today’s luxury beliefs, moral superiority will be measured by how loudly you can claim you’ve chosen non-robot alternatives.

But will AI-free options match the quality and efficiency of AI-powered ones? Or will it echo the fast food boom of the 1980s, where consumers favored price and convenience over quality?

Get ready for a surge of “Fast-AI” products—cheap components packed with irresistible digital additives, creating unprecedented levels of digital obesity and AI addiction, especially in the poorest areas.

Will we sacrifice automation’s benefits to claim the moral high ground? Or will we realize that human labor can’t keep up with our appetite for convenience, and secretly embrace the robots?