The Uncanny Valley: Why I’m Wary of AI Photo "Restoration"

I have a complicated relationship with Artificial Intelligence. Most people who know me have heard at least one rant about the dangers of using it indiscriminately. My cynicism isn't without cause; I worry about the staggering environmental impact of massive data centers and the "cognitive offloading" that happens when we stop doing the hard work ourselves—much like the documented cases of professionals whose skills atrophied after relying too heavily on automated tools.

And yet, I’m not a Luddite. I use Alexa in my home, and I’ve collaborated with AI like Gemini to help streamline locality guides or draft complex citations.

But there is one area where my skepticism hits a hard wall: the use of AI to "restore" our ancestors.