One of the basic philosophies of life is that we are responsible for our actions. Logically, it checks out. I cause something, the effects are mine to deal with. It’s the simplest relationship that defines how we understand the world. With this in mind, we know that reckless, shortsighted behavior can and will have consequences for us and the people we love. However, in society, we suffer from a chronic lack of self-responsibility that compromises our ability to think critically and care for others. Now, part of this systemic laziness is born of human nature. We wish to advance ourselves as quickly as possible while simultaneously doing the least amount of work. It’s more than that: in today’s society, we actively shrug off responsibility like it’s a disease. Our growing trends are desperately worrying: the expansion of needless AI tools, the increased use of political blame and the growing popularity of controversial weight-loss drugs to replace exercise.

The lengths people will go to avoid important daily tasks are dizzying. I’m not telling you anything new when I say America (and truly the world) has a huge AI problem. We students abuse it, it’s essentially sold as a product to replace social interaction and it threatens vital privacy and intellectual security on the Internet. I won’t pretend that there aren’t certain features of AI that I appreciate, especially for tediously small things. Still, it’s the transition from menial tasks to the creation of art that makes it dangerous. AI is not just a small tool; it replaces real humans’ livelihoods, especially those of artists. By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the tutorials on how to make money from AI image creation. While I doubt the validity of the advice, it’s still a scary possibility.

When an overwhelming percentage of artists feel that current copyright laws are insufficient to protect their works, there is a growing problem that we should care about, but we don’t. Of course, this stems from a lack of responsibility. We recklessly endanger lives and professions for a speck of a chance at money by trusting our futures to a computer that cannot feel the emotions we suffer every day. The artists whom we admire are being threatened by AI, but we do nothing. Yet again, we betray our earliest teachings to care for others. Even if you aren’t an art lover, art is one of the most individual and unique things that exist and that at least should be appreciated. I’m not saying to donate everything to artists or never use AI but at least be cognizant of the potential repercussions of actions like this.

This can be applied to politics as well. For me, it doesn’t matter what ideologies a person has (within ethical reason) as long as they can defend it with real evidence. Far too often, we rely on narratives rather than statistical evidence to comment on issues. It’s become acceptable to completely disregard entire population groups because they simply have a different perspective on the world. The sheer demonization of the “other”, whether that be Democrats, Republicans, minorities or foreigners, is shortsighted and irresponsible. It’s much easier to blame and punish others for problems such as inflation and crime, yet that will never be a viable solution. It takes looking inward and compromising to solve societal issues. Pointing fingers and villainizing others is weak and irresponsible; strength comes from negotiation and a willingness to learn.

It’s also stunning how we insist on relying on unproven or pseudoscientific methods rather than trusting people who have studied fields for their entire lives. A random person on the Internet will not know more than a licensed professional, especially on matters as serious as medical advice. “Alternative” treatments do not work as well as proven solutions to medical issues.

It’s dangerous to peddle drugs such as Ozempic, an FDA-approved medicine for type 2 diabetes, as the solution to the staggering American weight loss problem. It has not been deemed safe for weight loss by the FDA, as with generic versions, yet it is touted as a “miracle drug” by some on the Internet. According to a study conducted by KKA, 40% of adults who have taken Ozempic or similar diabetes drugs self-reported doing so purely to lose weight. That’s dangerous and scary. There are proven methods to reduce your weight, namely exercise and healthy eating, that take concentrated effort but are safer and more reliable. We cannot pretend that unproven solutions will solve our problems without causing others.

These three problems have clear beneficiaries, but it’s not the average person. AI investments line the pockets of impossibly rich companies instead of the artists it devalues. Whether you hate him or love him, President-elect Trump’s use of scare tactics was integral to his campaign, despite having little data to back some of his assertions. Finally, the parent company of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, has seen its stock exponentially rise over the past couple of years from the drug’s trendiness. The drug has been accused of being a “cash cow” for the company, with US prices being much higher than in other countries.

Life isn’t nearly straightforward enough for any tool or belief to fix everything, and anyone who says otherwise is probably selling something. We must take self-responsibility to make better decisions in society that benefit the whole, not the few. No, I’m not saying to completely abandon AI or somehow become immune to fear rhetoric, but being aware of these current problems is important. Know where your feelings and money go. Care for one another without fear. The world is a scary place, but critical thinking and good intentions go a long way.