Can we talk about how AI translation tools ruined my ability to read road signs abroad?

I used to rely on my own broken Spanish and a pocket dictionary whenever I drove through Mexico. It was slow, I'd get things wrong, but I actually learned a few phrases. Now I just whip out my phone and let Google Lens or some AI app translate everything. It's fast and accurate, sure. But last week I was near Nogales and realized I don't even try to read the signs anymore. I just point my camera and trust the machine. When the internet cuts out, I'm totally lost. Anyone else feel like these tools are making us dumber in some ways?

3 comments

3 Comments

chen.adam21d ago

Ha yeah I feel this hard. Last week I pointed my phone at a STOP sign just to see if it would tell me to stop.

kelly_craig19d ago

What's the endgame here though? @chen.adam at this rate we're gonna forget how to identify a stop sign without a phone buzzing at us. I was driving the other day and caught myself glancing at my phone to check the speed limit when there was a giant white sign right in front of my face. It's like my brain stopped trusting its own eyes.

the_anthony21d ago

@chen.adam hitting us with that STOP sign truth bomb lol. But here's the thing nobody's talking about. These apps aren't just making us lazy readers. They're literally rewiring how we navigate space. I used to memorize landmarks, street patterns, the shape of intersections. Now I just stare at a glowing rectangle and follow glowing lines. Got lost in TJ last month because the app kept rerouting through closed streets. Didn't know which way was north. Had no backup plan. It's like we're outsourcing our internal compass to something that breaks when the battery dies.