The President's Letter - April 2025

By: Ryan Bowman, HAHS President

April 8, 2025

From the president:

As I write these words, warm weather has finally begun to return to the region and the

showers of spring are falling outside our window on the brown grass and leafless trees

in our backyard. The winter of 2024 -2025 was certainly a long and ominous season

with some substantial snowstorms worth remembering and so many bitterly cold days, it

seemed as if they would never leave us. While it now slips away, we are left with the promise of new growth and ample sunshine in the coming months and my thoughts turn to new beginnings. New horizons. And, as always, reflections rooted in the past.

For those of you who spend any amount of time following the news of the nation or the

world, you have most assuredly heard much talk lately about the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential to change the world. Love it or hate it, no matter what your feelings are on the matter, it does not take long to realize that if it becomes what it seems destined to, this complex technology will change the face of every societal institution that we know or have known for all our lives. I don’t think it dramatic to say that finance, manufacturing, trade, transportation, retail, medicine, education, and government, are just a few of the industries and authorities that will be affected by this new force. If we are honest as a society, how that will look, I believe no one yet can truly know.

I am sure that exhaustive studies, arguments for or against, and long-winded explanations on artificial intelligence could fill every inch of this publication and more. Even if I could, I would attempt none of that here. It is simply beyond my scope as a novice onlooker. I think it is safe to say though, that watching this new phenomenon is exciting, and because it truly holds unknown potential, my fear of AI is that it is yet another step away from the humanity, community and natural connections that should be holding us together. With the rise of social media and the like in this time, the last decade+ has seen the degradation of these very foundations. AI could easily fast-track that course on an even greater downward trend.

We can look back through our history and see when technology has changed the world

and the way we interact with it. When humankind has pushed tools constructed with their own hands and minds to the limits, building upon the foundations laid before them, and creating unheard of achievements through their efforts. In all these cases, however, we had our hands on the reins. Who knows what will happen should we, or perhaps I should say, when we let AI loose on the world? How do we keep our humanity intact in the digital age?

These images were made completely by artificial intelligence by simply typing the phrases "Donald Trump and Abraham Lincoln eating pie" and "historical photo of soldier eating pie and laughing with Mickey Mouse" into the AI Image Generator on Wix. An incredible but harrowing warning on how histories can now be altered.

On that point I will opine. But I will not bore you with a long diatribe attacking AI, social media, or the digital world we now find ourselves in. There is no need, for I believe the answer to the question is a simple one. Like in many instances, we must simply remember our past. And ground ourselves in it .

If history has taught us anything, we know things will change. Life will be altered by technology, world events, and even the steady passage of time. The fact of that, we have no way to alter. How we see those changes and what we do in their wake, however, is completely up to us. Root yourself in what is real. Your family. Your community. And as we strive to do here at the Society – in your history. Remember your past and help preserve it for the future. In the process, you just may be able to help make history by carrying the truth forward for the next generation. God knows what they’ll be listening to at that point. If we are louder than the machine intelligence now and then, perhaps we can make a difference.

Pray we can.

Ryan Bowman

April 8, 2025