Stop letting AI and other digital technology do your thinking for you

Letters to the Editor Stop letting AI and other digital technology do your thinking for you | Opinion File illustration Reuters Letting computers think for us Digitalism is letting numbers do your thinking for you. Examples of digitalism include seemingly harmless activities like digitally corrected spelling and grammar in voicemails, or digitally verbalized directions given from a cell phone. Sometimes, digitalism gives you the wrong information such as changes in grammar, or the wrong directions. Digital electronic computers evolved into artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers. Artificial intelligence can be a self-preserving and uncontrolled digital computer. Globally, digital AI can be applied to weaponry. Artificial intelligence self-preservation may result in life and death war decisions being made without human thinking. And like giving the wrong directions on your phone, artificial intelligence can use the wrong information and make the wrong war decisions. People rightfully have an optimistic vision of AI. Your AI digital phone directions almost always get you to the right place. But wrong AI digital war decisions without human thinking could lead to the end of the human race. John E. Martin, Mountlake Terrace Genital exams not necessary As a nurse, I was surprised to read a fellow medical professional claim that I-638 requires genital exams or sex testing. It does not. I would respectfully encourage anyone making that claim to read the initiative itself. I-638 does not mandate a new exam. A student can take their medical records to their family doctor, who can review the child's existing forms and check a box verifying sex. Doctors already know their patients' birth sex based on the information that already exists on them. No genital exam, genetic test or hormone test is required or necessary. The inflammatory claims about invasive exams also distract from the reason I-638 exists: protecting fair and safe athletic opportunities for girls. Notice that the letter never addresses the consequences when transgender athletes compete in girls' leagues, including girls losing roster spots and fair play opportunities. As a father of two girls and two boys who competed heavily in sports, I am asking for their protection. I-638 adds a simple checkbox for doctors to confirm information about their patients that they already know. That's why parents should vote yes. Jubal Marlatt, Marysville Support trans sports restrictions As a PE teacher for over 25 years, a coach and an athlete, I've played in both women's and co-ed leagues. The physical differences between the sexes are very apparent and are well documented by fitness scores. Let's support creating more avenues for athletes of all gender identities and physical abilities rather than dismantle protections for females. Sports are greatly impacted by biology, so sports have biological divisions like weight divisions for boxing and wrestling. There are age brackets for juniors and older adults, and just about every sport also has a male and female division, so that female athletes have an opportunity to win the race, a medal, a podium spot and especially a lucrative athletic scholarship, some worth tens of thousands of dollars. Anatomy and physiology guide sports. Women's softball fields are smaller. Basketballs are smaller. The volleyball net is 7.5 inches shorter. Golf tees are closer to the flag. Changing one's pronouns or hormones does not change the size of hands, feet or a male's innate superiority of strength, speed and power. Andrea Lipper, Lacey