Forget robot uprisings and super-intelligent AI overlords. A more practical concern is, “Will using AI lose me money?” Plus the related question, “Will NOT using it lose me money?”

A relentless tide of low-effort AI slop content is rising. Millions of people stand to profit by pushing you onto the AI hype train. On the other side are just as many “experts” issuing dire warnings of doom, and internet dwellers getting anti-AI opinions off their chests.

When doing something and doing nothing both seem like mistakes, what is the path forward?

Time to put philosophy and feelings aside. What are the reasons to not use AI in your business?

This one is simple. For example, you make pottery by hand and are already selling everything you want, making all the money you care to have. Your system is working, and there’s no reason to introduce AI at this time.

It’s quite common to hear internet people complain about AI art and other content. They say it’s cheap, cringe, steals work from starving artists, puts writers out of a job, and the least a business can do is employ a real person instead of pressing the “easy” button.

But the question isn’t whether some complainers don’t like AI use. The question to ask yourself is whether a lot of these people who oppose AI are your customers, who open up wallets periodically and give you money?

If yes, and using it could alienate them without much prospect of a greater return from somewhere else, AI might not be worth using right now.

If such people are not a big part of your customer base, though, don’t worry about them. They aren’t paying you anyway.

Putting aside the people who specifically don’t like AI, what about the more general public? These are people who don’t have philosophical opinions about the technology but are becoming sick of the AI slop being shoved in their faces every day.

In this case, the important question to ask yourself is whether the AI writing, images, or videos you are putting out qualifies as “slop.” Or is it useful to your customers?

If you run a carpet cleaning company and somebody just spilled marinara sauce on his white carpet, two days before the in-laws come to visit, do you think he cares if you used AI in your business? He cares how quickly you can clean the rug. 

Today, people don’t like AI slop, but they’re revolting against SLOP. They aren’t revolting against something helpful, interesting, useful, or entertaining that’s making their lives better or easier.

If your AI use or content provides value that in any way positively impacts the lives of people who experience it, the vast majority will not care that AI was involved. They will care about whatever pain you took away or helpful service you provided.