Teacher Ashley Archambault says she decided early on that she does not want to use AI, even as her close friends embrace it. Her first real encounter came at a teacher training about two years ago, where AI was pitched as a way to save time on lesson plans.
She saw how easy it was but worried she would forget how to teach without designing her own. She also asked AI for a chore chart for her then 10-year-old son, but found the result cold and generic.
Feeling Peer Pressure to Use AI? One Woman Holds Her Ground Kindly
Her friends, meanwhile, use AI for everything from meal plans to scheduling their weeks. Archambault says going along with it is starting to feel like peer pressure, and she dislikes feeling interrogated about her choice. Still, she avoids criticising friends because she values them.
AI did once do her a favour. A friend used ChatGPT to alter a photo of her with a new haircut, saving her from a poor decision. It was not enough to change her mind.
Archambault now tells friends she prefers their unedited photos, finding their imperfections more beautiful. She says living among AI users has taught her to share her views without confrontation. She remains resistant to the technology, but even more resistant to making others feel bad for using it.
