Last week, Reese Witherspoon caused a lot of consternation with a social media post. On Instagram, Reese wrote: “I’ve decided it’s TIME. The AI revolution has begun, and I need to learn as much as I possibly can about AI and share it with all of you. Also, FYI: the jobs women hold are 3x more likely to be automated by AI, yet women are using AI at a rate 25% lower than men on average. We don’t want to be left behind. So…do you want to learn with me?” People were mad, mostly because this AI bullsh-t is idiotic 90% of the time and it’s absolutely making everyone dumber. Reese was seen as trying to promote “girlboss AI” and many believed that her Instagram post was some kind of undercover AI spon-con. Well, Reese has heard all of the criticism and she responded:
Reese Witherspoon is responding to the criticism over her stance on artificial intelligence. On April 16, the Oscar winner posted an Instagram video in which she said she believes women should use AI in their daily lives. “The AI revolution has begun, and I need to learn as much as I possibly can about AI and share it with all of you,” her Instagram caption read. Witherspoon, 50, received backlash, prompting her to address the critiques in her Instagram Stories on Monday, April 20.
“Well, I guess my Al post got people talking,” she wrote atop a selfie. “To be clear, no one is paying me to talk about this. I’m just a curious human.”
She remarked that her children “are learning about AI tools.” She shares daughter Ava Phillippe, 26, and son Deacon Phillippe, 22, with her ex-husband,, Ryan Phillippe, as well as son Tennessee Toth, 13, with her ex Jim Toth.
“I know a lot of founders who are vibe coding, and I hear about people using Al in EVERY sector of business,” she wrote. As she continued, she shared how she wants to “acknowledge” people’s concerns around AI use, which she said were “valid.”
“I’m aware of the impact this could have on jobs across so many industries. I understand environmental concerns,” she wrote. The data centers used to power AI systems “drive high energy, water, and e-waste demands,” which critics argue will have a serious environmental impact, according to MIT News.
Witherspoon continued, “I care deeply about local communities. And I have concerns about impending AGI [Artificial General Intelligence].”
“I don’t believe computers should replace humanity,” she added.
The Morning Show star then concluded by sharing her intention to learn “as much as possible” and to be “educated about this technological revolution.”
“If you want to learn with me, great, let’s do this! If you don’t, that’s okay too,” her post read.
Regarding AI, my reflexive habit is scorn, anger and eye-rolling. Is this a wise plan of action long-term? Probably not. While I know AI is not a “scam” in the same sense as NFTs or Labubus were a scam, AI’s defenders and promoters push AI like it’s a scam, like it’s the miracle cure to all of our problems, that everyone needs AI, that AI will revolutionize every industry! And it’s on us, the living and breathing humans, to dissect those claims and decide what our priorities actually are as a society. Reese’s bullsh-t last week felt like she was bandwagoning onto the latest snake-oil cure and I have no problem bashing her for it. And I guarantee that even if Reese isn’t currently being paid for pushing AI, she’s looking at dollar signs down the line.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Reese’s Instagram.
