According to an essay published this week on Xodium Dot Net, one developer's journey from AI neutral to "staunch AI hater" wasn't about the technology itself—it was the industry's approach. When ChatGPT landed, the tech industry treated it as inevitable destiny. Companies started cramming AI features into everything, whether users wanted them or not. They trained models on copyrighted work and personal data without asking permission. And when people complained? They were told to "just try it" or accept that "the future is here—you better get used to it." The frustration reached a tipping point when generative AI turned on the creative sector, scraping artists' work without consent while threatening their livelihoods. From forced privacy updates to hardware makers consolidating components, there were few real escape routes. The author's core complaint isn't about AI's capabilities—it's the industry's contempt for consent. They call for a restart where opting out is actually respected, and where the pitch doesn't mirror the pressure tactics of abusive relationships.

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