I have mixed feelings about the fact that I will not be writing this column, much less breathing, seven years from now in 2030 when Massachusetts has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33% compared to 1990 levels.

But today, I am in the Catskills celebrating my younger brother’s 85th and his wife’s 80th birthday. Family is one of the many reasons for my desire to keep on keeping on. That said, dismay about humankind’s destruction of its habitat is something I don’t want to live into.

These thoughts were prompted by the commencement address that actor and comedian, William & Mary 1991 graduate, Patton Oswalt gave on May 19. To the graduating class of 2023, he said three words: “You poor bastards. Your concerns,” he continued, “as you stumble out into reality tomorrow, are massive. Democracy’s crumbling, truth is up for grabs, the planet’s trying to kill us, and loneliness is driving everyone insane.”

Oswalt said “I breezed into a world full of trivia and silliness and fun. You are about to enter a hellscape where you will have to fight for every scrap of your humanity and dignity. You do not have a choice to be anything but extraordinary. Those are the times you’re living in right now.”

I immediately thought of my two grandsons, the oldest a journalism major at Temple University and his younger brother majoring in the business of fashion at LIM College in NYC. What have we bequeathed them … and their generation?

Oswalt’s sobering remarks were further underscored by a headline in the Recorder this week: “Earth is really quite sick now.” “Earth,” the article states, “has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into ‘the danger zone,’ not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas but for the well-being of people living on it, according to a new study.”

The study by the international scientist group Earth Commission and published in the journal Nature looks at “climate, air pollution, phosphorus and nitrogen contamination of water from fertilizer overuse, groundwater supplies, fresh surface water, the unbuilt natural environment and the overall natural and human-built environment. Only air pollution wasn’t quite at the danger point globally.”

As I am beginning to do when researching my columns, I go to ChatGPT for “its” responses to my questions. Thus far I have received “corporate like” responses to challenging questions but with some “acknowledgement” of the implications my questions raise. Like this question:

The tobacco industry, fossil fuel corporations like Exxon and pharmaceutical industries have been documented as misleading the public and lying about health and climate change dangers their products cause. Will this increase with AI?

ChatGPT’s response: “The potential for industries to misuse AI and digital technologies to shape public opinion or mislead the public is a concern. While it is difficult to predict the exact extent or impact, it is possible that AI could be utilized by industries to amplify their messaging and potentially exacerbate misleading or deceptive practices. Here are a few considerations:

“Personalization and manipulation: AI-powered personalization techniques can be leveraged to create highly tailored and persuasive messages that resonate with individuals on a personal level. This level of personalization can enhance the effectiveness of misleading or deceptive tactics by creating a sense of credibility and resonance with the targeted audience.

“Deepfakes and synthetic media: AI technologies like deepfakes have the potential to generate highly convincing synthetic media, including videos or audio, that can be used to spread misinformation or manipulate public perception. Industries could potentially misuse these technologies to distort information and deceive the public.”

Time Magazine’s Aryn Baker provides other answers, these from human beings. She describes the “open letter written and signed by some of the biggest names in computer science” that has “raised the frightening specter of global annihilation at the hands (digits?) of artificial intelligence. And while the 22-word statement is short on specifics, the signatories — among them ChatGPT developer Sam Altman — are knowledgeable enough to know what they are talking about.”

“AI, like nuclear energy is just a tool,” Baker writes. “One that can be weaponized, yes, and dangerous if not controlled.”

“While the risks of out-of-control AI exist, just like those of an out-of-control nuclear reaction,” she says, “they can be contained through regulation — which is what the signatories of the letter are calling for.”

My question is, can an out-of-control nuclear reaction be regulated? I’m gonna ask ChatGPT.

John Bos is grateful for the life he has lived. It’s the future no one can truly predict that worries him. “Connecting the Dots” appears every other Saturday in the Recorder. Your questions, comments and worries are invited at john01370@gmail.com.

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