By: Christina Miller

Many of us use AI in our daily lives without even noticing. Whenever you use your GPS, you are using AI to show you directions. Using that type of AI can be helpful and isn’t the worst thing about AI. But AI can result in harmful things.  

People are using generative AI in harmful and potentially dangerous ways. You can make many images and texts that seem very real. It can cause bad situations. 

AI can make images. Others can use it to make deep fake videos of real people. For example, what if someone sends you a message saying that they will leak a video of you that isn’t even real but looks very believable? It can cause scenarios like this to happen, which isn’t safe for people online.

Many predators online can also use this feature to make inappropriate deepfakes of minors and adults. It can destroy privacy and could lead to consequences. This can make others feel sad and violated. 

There is a thing called AI “art” which isn’t really art. All you have to do is ask the AI to generate an image that looks presentable. AI has been causing artists to run short on money because people are starting to use AI, as on some sites, it’s free to make an image. Real art has emotion that an AI can not replace. I recommend people commission artists instead of having AI make it for you. 

On the topic of artists losing their jobs, you could lose yours, too. Many fast food restaurants are using AI to take your orders. This can take many jobs. Some people may not be able to get jobs because of AI replacing employees. For instance, what if you worked as a cashier and were getting paid enough to make ends meet until an AI came in and took your job away? AI taking jobs could have negative effects on the economy. 

Generating content with AI can also lead to plagiarism. AI takes from the internet, like the way someone writes. So you could be copying someone without even knowing it by using generative AI.

When you use AI to generate text, it can also lead to misinformation. As said earlier, it takes from all around the internet, and even things that might be rumors and not confirmed. AI can spread this misinformation, making others think it’s real. 

Using AI doesn’t really allow us to think. All you have to do is put in a prompt and generate it with no brain power. Many in the younger generation have become less intelligent because of this. It takes away our creativity and thoughts. AI doesn’t have the raw emotion we humans have. 

Generating prompts for AI uses up water. This causes more pollution than we already have (which is a lot). Houses by AI servers are losing clean water due to the terrible pollution. Each time you enter a prompt, it wastes about one bottle. Per day, AI uses gallons of water. The water is used for cooling the AI systems.

Overall, we shouldn’t be using AI anymore to protect ourselves and the environment around us. Without AI, we can have more creativity and rely less on technology. AI will destroy humanity if we don’t get rid of it from our lives soon. 

By: Allison Ambuehl

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and realizing you cannot move at all. You try to speak or lift your arm, but your body will not respond. Some people even feel like someone is watching them or sitting on their chest. This experience is called sleep paralysis, and while it sounds like something out of a horror movie, it is a real sleep condition that many people experience.

Sleep paralysis happens when a person wakes up while their body is still in the stage of sleep called REM. During REM sleep, the brain keeps the body from moving so that you won’t act out your dreams. However, if someone wakes up before the stage fully ends, their mind can be awake while their body is still temporarily paralyzed. This can last anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. One of the scariest parts of sleep paralysis is that some people hallucinate during it. They might see dark figures in their room, hear footsteps or feel pressure on their chest that make it harder for them to breathe. Because of these experiences, sleep paralysis has been connected to ghost stories and supernatural beliefs in different cultures throughout history in the past. Some people believed they were being visited by spirits or demons during these episodes.

Even though it feels terrifying, sleep paralysis is usually not dangerous. According to sleep experts it can happen to anyone, however it is more common in teenagers and young adults. It can be triggered by things like stress, lack of sleep, anxiety, or irregular sleep schedules. Students who stay up extremely late, pull all nighters, or constantly change their sleep schedule are like more likely to experience it. Sleep experts say there are ways to reduce the chance of having sleep paralysis, such as keeping a healthy and regular sleep schedule, getting enough sleep every night, and trying to manage stress. Avoiding screens right before bed and creating a relaxing bedtime routine can also help improve sleep quality.

Although sleep paralysis can feel extremely real and frightening, understanding what it is can make it less scary. Knowing that the experience is temporary and harmless can help people stay calm if it happens to them. Sleep paralysis shows how powerful the brain can be during sleep, even though it may only last a brief time, it can leave a strong lasting impression on anyone who experiences it. For many people, it is one of the strangest and most unforgettable sleep experiences they will ever have.