I am fundamentally opposed to the use of generative AI, especially for the purposes of creating written and visual work. My great passions are the natural world and creating written and visual art inspired by the natural world. These loves are at the center of my being and influence how I perceive and interact with the world. Therefore, I cannot imagine using a technology that is actively harming the environment, endangering the health of vulnerable people and other living beings, and encouraging intellectual and artistic laziness in service of disincentivizing creative human expression in order to generate profit for a select few. I understand that algorithms and AI are used in research settings. I acknowledge that there is a time and a place for AI in the sciences (I have used the Merlin app many times). The line I draw is using generative AI for creative and personal purposes. I value my curiosity, my creativity, and the time, effort, and money I have spent developing my ability to read, write, think, and draw. I have never used generative AI to create any written work or artwork, develop ideas, solve personal problems, or conduct general searches, and I never will. This is a position on which I will not compromise.