By Paul Wallis
EDITOR AT LARGE
DIGITAL JOURNAL
January 24, 2026
Parents have accused OpenAI's chatbot of encouraging their son's suicide - Copyright POOL/AFP Alexander KAZAKOV
Consider a whole generation of seriously underfunded kids confronted with something that’s never happened before. There are no road maps, no career paths.
It’s not The Twilight Zone; it’s the Backlit Zone. The relics and ruins of the past still mutter past, making noises. References to a world long gone still infest the media and other zoos.
Most of the “light” comes from shills and mindless sales-things. Big Tech simply babbles on like some deranged soundtrack. You’re investing in a future without a solid fact to show for itself. You’re also about to live in it.
They’re talking about a script for AI that doesn’t yet exist, and a future that can only be totally different. Generation Alpha, the oldest of whom are about 15, are confronted with this timeless wisdom as though it can possibly mean something to them.
The current state of play is:
Jobs: We have no idea.
Professions: May or may not exist in 10 years.
Careers: Forget it, if you mean careers in the old sense.
Incomes: Equally clueless.
Business: What is this ancient word that you so hesitantly speak, quaint one?
Anything to do with mortgages, health, education, having kids, lives, etc: Not even the ghost of a theory.
Society: What’s a society? This isn’t. Doesn’t actually exist and hasn’t for years, but let’s pretend.
Culture: Porn, more porn, crime, more crime, celebrities, more celebrities, disasters, more disasters, and chat shows.
Inspiring, isn’t it? It’s a recipe for a species-wide coma. Talk about meaningful. Now try to find some meaning. History will, but you probably won’t.
Generations of people who grew up relatively secure are now going to preach to born-rootless Gen Alphas? Skibidi, indeed. There’s really no other word.
This tech will last maybe seconds, if it’s lucky. To give an example – This is music making on ChatGPT. To be fair, it’s a lot better than I thought it would be, but it’s hardly the last word. Take a little time to check out that link and see how straightforward it is.
Now – Do you think that will evolve, fast? It has to, simply because a lot of users are engaged. They’re the real drivers, not the tech, and definitely not the hype. Most of the Big Tech of the past didn’t survive even 10 years on the same basis when digital tech went mainstream.
If you think Advanced Algorithmic Apathy, or whatever you’re supposed to call this absurd, stagnant, incestuous Cloud/internet/sewer, is an issue, what about millions of duly bored out of their minds kids banging away on AI interfaces?
Even the idea of AI slop is a positive. I’ve watched as many godawful YouTube documentaries as anyone, and the howls of outrage are fully justified.
That’s one thing that has to happen with AI.
Check out the news for AI for business any day of the week. This is what happens when you superimpose a whole new class of technology on a deeply flawed commerce sector, and it truly stinks.
Recruiting has been totally inefficient for decades, and it’s getting worse. Skills may or may not exist. Marketing is laughable, and data-driven in all the wrong ways. Advertising is simply mismanaged to the point of total failure.
I have to ask – Don’t you guys know anything about sales? Anything else?
Misreading whole generations is now apparently compulsory. Gen Z are also definitely not the earlier model of Gen Alpha. This generation gap makes the Grand Canyon look like a minor grouting problem.
Gen Z are hanging in there, abused and unenthusiastic, because they’re stuck with it. Their major issue is survival, and nobody’s helping them.
Gen Alpha is even worse off, with no guidelines and no assets.
Who will save Gen Alpha, you cry, from your luxurious favela?
Gen Alpha, because nobody else can.
______________________________________________________________
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.
Parents have accused OpenAI's chatbot of encouraging their son's suicide - Copyright POOL/AFP Alexander KAZAKOV
Consider a whole generation of seriously underfunded kids confronted with something that’s never happened before. There are no road maps, no career paths.
It’s not The Twilight Zone; it’s the Backlit Zone. The relics and ruins of the past still mutter past, making noises. References to a world long gone still infest the media and other zoos.
Most of the “light” comes from shills and mindless sales-things. Big Tech simply babbles on like some deranged soundtrack. You’re investing in a future without a solid fact to show for itself. You’re also about to live in it.
They’re talking about a script for AI that doesn’t yet exist, and a future that can only be totally different. Generation Alpha, the oldest of whom are about 15, are confronted with this timeless wisdom as though it can possibly mean something to them.
The current state of play is:
Jobs: We have no idea.
Professions: May or may not exist in 10 years.
Careers: Forget it, if you mean careers in the old sense.
Incomes: Equally clueless.
Business: What is this ancient word that you so hesitantly speak, quaint one?
Anything to do with mortgages, health, education, having kids, lives, etc: Not even the ghost of a theory.
Society: What’s a society? This isn’t. Doesn’t actually exist and hasn’t for years, but let’s pretend.
Culture: Porn, more porn, crime, more crime, celebrities, more celebrities, disasters, more disasters, and chat shows.
Inspiring, isn’t it? It’s a recipe for a species-wide coma. Talk about meaningful. Now try to find some meaning. History will, but you probably won’t.
Generations of people who grew up relatively secure are now going to preach to born-rootless Gen Alphas? Skibidi, indeed. There’s really no other word.
This tech will last maybe seconds, if it’s lucky. To give an example – This is music making on ChatGPT. To be fair, it’s a lot better than I thought it would be, but it’s hardly the last word. Take a little time to check out that link and see how straightforward it is.
Now – Do you think that will evolve, fast? It has to, simply because a lot of users are engaged. They’re the real drivers, not the tech, and definitely not the hype. Most of the Big Tech of the past didn’t survive even 10 years on the same basis when digital tech went mainstream.
If you think Advanced Algorithmic Apathy, or whatever you’re supposed to call this absurd, stagnant, incestuous Cloud/internet/sewer, is an issue, what about millions of duly bored out of their minds kids banging away on AI interfaces?
Even the idea of AI slop is a positive. I’ve watched as many godawful YouTube documentaries as anyone, and the howls of outrage are fully justified.
That’s one thing that has to happen with AI.
Check out the news for AI for business any day of the week. This is what happens when you superimpose a whole new class of technology on a deeply flawed commerce sector, and it truly stinks.
Recruiting has been totally inefficient for decades, and it’s getting worse. Skills may or may not exist. Marketing is laughable, and data-driven in all the wrong ways. Advertising is simply mismanaged to the point of total failure.
I have to ask – Don’t you guys know anything about sales? Anything else?
Misreading whole generations is now apparently compulsory. Gen Z are also definitely not the earlier model of Gen Alpha. This generation gap makes the Grand Canyon look like a minor grouting problem.
Gen Z are hanging in there, abused and unenthusiastic, because they’re stuck with it. Their major issue is survival, and nobody’s helping them.
Gen Alpha is even worse off, with no guidelines and no assets.
Who will save Gen Alpha, you cry, from your luxurious favela?
Gen Alpha, because nobody else can.
______________________________________________________________
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.
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