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The curious case of AI theft
Manage episode 486887801 series 3665800
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In this off-the-cuff response episode, I react to a pointed comment left on a recent YouTube live stream I hosted with Mark Z. Mansky. The topic? AI and its role in the WordPress ecosystem—something I think about a lot both at Gravity Forms and through the work I do with The WP Minute. The commenter, frustrated by AI's use of "stolen" code and content, challenged the moral and ethical implications of using AI in development and creative work. So, I took a beat to respond—not as a definitive authority, but as someone also trying to navigate this shifting landscape.
This episode is less polished, more personal. I dive into the contradictions and moral gray areas we’re all grappling with as AI tools become more accessible and influential. I share my cautiously optimistic view of where this tech is heading, and why I think adoption will remain uneven due to competition, complexity, and user habits. I also challenge the notion that AI is the first to commoditize creativity—Google did it long ago with SEO and structured data.
It’s not about blindly defending AI. I’m right there with you asking, “Is this sustainable?” and “Where does this leave original creators?” But I also can’t ignore the reality: this isn’t new. Developers (and creators) have always borrowed, repurposed, and remixed—AI just happens to be doing it at warp speed. This conversation is a reminder that these tools didn’t invent the game—they're just playing it faster.
Key Takeaways
- “I’m not saying AI will take over everything, but it’s not going away either.”
- “Google gamified the entire internet before AI ever did. SEO was the original MMORGP.”
- “Copy-paste culture in coding isn’t new. AI just made it instant.”
- “In open source, sharing and remixing code is the whole point—so where do we draw the line?”
- “We need to explore this tech critically, not evangelize it blindly.”
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