...what

When viewing public content, like YouTube or Maps, sure you're right. But that's besides the point given that the post clearly refers to editors, not just viewers.

On cloud editors where my documents are non-public until I explicitly enable public access "for anyone with the link" - by using the share button - it's not much tracking but literally required functionality. Even if we ignore corporate crap, that also applies to privacy focused, self hosted options like Immich

Can't I just export to a file and share that? Yes, in some cases, but not in all. I might need collaborative features or I'm working on a weird type of document where I can't expect the recipient to have compatible native software installed, or it might be in a work context where my personal choices for software might be limited.

This is just straight up wrong. If you see an "Edit in Canva" or whatever button in an editing suite or software by even a medium sized technology company, it's not a surface controlled and tracked by Canva - it would have been implemented by a developer working for the editing suite or technology company or whatever. Those kinds of features are usually part of user growth agreements in which one company pays the other (or reciprocally expects to refer a similar number of users) to be featured. Engagement is typically tracked internally for contractual reasons, but I've never heard of it being shared with third parties (because doing so would almost always violate privacy policies and open up the company to lawsuits).

Source: I've worked on exactly these kinds of buttons.

Haha, it's even worse in academics because anything from students is protected. Unless they host on campus, it's a violation even if MS super duper promises not to leak information. It's also why we can't use ChatGPT, though fools still do.

Edit: I mean for grading, asking a clanker is still fine but a terrible idea.

Not to chime in on your friendship, but sometimes those perpetuating negativities build a lasting impression that it's the only lens to see the world in - when it shouldn't be, even if both people are accustomed to the dark and sarcastic humor..

But yeah, I agree that's the usage I'm most familiar with too, like a magical tone that makes difficult things very simple, sarcastically. I know someone closely who also just used to use it unironically because 'it's pretty' and it had its own meaning. They also hate AI but I haven't asked their thoughts on this hijacking.

I personally don't hate it with a passion, but seeing it pop up everywhere from AI made software repos, to now just the mainstream icon for the "jump into my world now AI" button now has been from annoying to just surprising.. It's like the new version of the Notification or Email/New Message icons that we have seen adopted everywhere, but for AI.