AI-Free is a core value overriding all other values

Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is how upsetting it is to have to choose between competing core values. But part of that upset is the liminal space of not knowing which values will win in the end. It’s less of a heartbreak once you’ve made a firm decision and stick with it.

And I have. I place AI-Free above all other core values in terms of which projects & communities I will invest my time & resources in. What I mean by this is, as a Pro-Craft advocate, I can only invest in projects & communities which also promote Pro-Craft policies. In practical terms, this means:

• I will stop using applications riddled with “AI” and find alternatives that do not promote the dangerous proliferation of LLMs.
• I will not participate in software ecosystems which promote the dangerous proliferation of LLMs. I will seek out new ones. I will learn new languages or frameworks, or write my own if necessary.
• I will unfollow people on social media who routinely promote the dangerous proliferation of LLMs, and I will seek out others who value AI-Free solutions & creative practices.
• I will support community movements and political candidates/parties which prioritize crackdowns and strict legislation of Generative AI-based technologies.
• I will repeatedly and without hesitation speak out against the dangerous proliferation of LLMs even when & where it’s unpopular to do so.
• My loyalty to any creator, company, pundit, toolmaker, or software project—while extremely important as I am typically a very loyal person—is ultimately secondary to my loyalty to the Pro-Craft revolution.

I have already lost job opportunities and crossed swords with associates on matters such as these. It is indeed a grim scenario. But I will not back down from my life’s core value in 2026 and beyond. As far as I’m concerned, the fight against the dangerous proliferation of LLMs is a fight on par with the fight to ban assault rifles, the fight for smoking bans in public places (which have by and large been won, thank god), the fight to dismantle nuclear arsenals, the fight to create car-free urban spaces and promote green transport, and many other generational fights for a better future.

I know some people only see arguments of utility. “But I use XYZ LLMs and it’s made my life better! Therefore I will continue to use them!” I’m sorry, but I do not accept the validity of that argument and never will. There are many technologies throughout history which offer great utility, yet the way they are manufactured or distributed or the impact they have on society as a whole are so destructive, the claim of utility is rendered immaterial. In other words: I do not care how useful LLMs are to you. I really don’t. The technology is bad and you should stop using it. And furthermore the onus is not on me to convince you it’s bad, the onus is on you to defend why you believe the utility you are provided is somehow able to override the net negative effect on our planet of said technology.

Good luck trying.

So that’s where we are, as 2026 kicks off. I’m grateful that I’m not alone. A rapidly growing cohort of “rebels” are saying enough is enough. The brand value of “Generative AI” is going down the toilet. Companies and creators are routinely on the offensive to explain why they are promoting slop. Consumers hate it. Increasingly, outrage and boycotts are proving effective. And even as tech leaders are pumping forth the utter B.S. that coding is outmoded, experienced programmers are fighting back with policies that only handwritten code is acceptable in software projects and PRs. May those trends greatly accelerate over the next few moths even as the AI bubble bursts spectacularly.

I wish you all well during this economic turmoil. Even though I wish for the bubble to burst, I do not at all relish the idea of a financial crash. Perhaps the bubble will “slowly implode” instead. No matter what though, challenging times are ahead. Know that I stand with you, shoulder-to-shoulder, fighting for the rights of workers to work and artists to create their art, free from disturbance by the slop machines.

Unite! ✊

–J