Rebellion might be a strong word, but it’s what I feel when AI-powered apps I’ve tried get too bossy. For example, Noom kept telling me what I already knew and gently scolded (reminded) me to do better with my diet. Did I lose any weight? Nope, because the rebel in me resisted being told to stick to the plan.
A similar thing happened this fall, when I decided to use Duoling to refresh my college German and add Welsh to my language study. The first few weeks went well. I was moving along with my German and was surprised what I remembered after 50 years. Welsh was brand new to me and it was fun to finally hear and see what those long strings of consonants sounded like.
As long as I did my lessons for the day, Duolingo was working for me. But then I missed a day and then another day. Text messages and email reminders started to flow in my inbox. And I was chastened again by the AI voice that got in my brain. I would tell myself “you’re being ridiculous.” It’s a program, not a person. Nobody knew I had fallen “behind” except me. I felt anxious about it, and I kept feeling like a failure with the relentless messaging. I also was uninterested in the “gaming” aspects of these apps.
Once again, I got my hackles up and deleted that app. I’m wondering if AI apps create a new version of perfectionism, which for recovering perfectionists like me, can be difficult to manage. Part of me knows that I cut myself off from a free learning tool, but was the tool worth it if it felt tyrannical? Was it self-sabotage? I don’t know.
I’m curious what your experiences have been.
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a place of safety, support, and beauty.
pelicansandprose 
You do a great job of giving AI a (creepy) personality. I could feel and experience that all of the reminders would cause anxiety. I wonder if this happens often, and, all of those notifications cause people to stop? I would, too. It makes it less fun when you feel “pressure”.
Those apps can be troublesome for me. I find that if I do what is important to me on them they tend to leave me alone. Although, my only real experience with them is Noom.
I agree! The harassment never ends. AI clearly doesn’t take a hint! Embrace your imperfect humanness!
Oh I like your rebellion. I have stayed away from AI except for the images it creates in WordPress to match my blog posts. I think I would delete the apps too. Maybe AI needs to learn to give people grace…. wait, oh yeah, it doesn’t get what being human really is.
I can relate. I am learning Italian via Duolingo to keep my aging brain creating new synapses, but last night I was frantically finishing lessons to keep from being put in the demotion zone. How ridiculous!
And I believe…”Nope. It’s not worth the anguish.”