This is great, Thomas. I'm still chewing on it. But I've sent it to six or seven of my weirdest friends, all of whom masquerade as normal people in their successful, white-collar lives. So much of my working life is online and, because my day job is in marketing, I am so often running into AI and the algorithm (as a marketer for a business, I guess, I'm supposed to be figuring out how to ride or break it). Mostly, I'm numbed by it. But you broke through the numbness.
Here's an article from The Atlantic from last year that I loved and think you will enjoy. If you get a paywall, you can use 12ft.io (I think). Down with the machine(s).
This is the kind of shit the internet was made for imo. Ai art is going to be such a detriment to the internet as everything is going to assumed to be fake before much longer which will only serve to hurt all the real artists out there. Also, as someone who was recommended and watched that exact same "this video will find you" video a week ago with that curly haired chick in the woods, it was genuinely surprising to see you reference it here. Guess our algorithms are pretty similar, which tracks as you are one of my favorite cultural commentators on youtube.
Me and my friends, at some indiscernible point, began speaking of our group and individual lives as a show. A friend moving away meant he was out on a “spinoff”, breakups meant the season was nearing its end, nights out were special episodes. I never thought to much of this linguistic shift until now, mainly because it’s just so damn fun. It’s supposedly harmless until, like you write here, it kind of seeps into everything we do. Great piece, thanks for provoking my thought:)
Have you read The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist? This reminds me of the left brain / right brain distinction he goes into. The left brain sees everything as material, inert, dead objects for manipulation. Right brain, everything is connected, whole and possibly alive.
The weird thing about this era is that it's easy to treat people like objects (how many likes did I get?) and objects like people (what is the algorithm trying to tell me?).
This is great, Thomas. I'm still chewing on it. But I've sent it to six or seven of my weirdest friends, all of whom masquerade as normal people in their successful, white-collar lives. So much of my working life is online and, because my day job is in marketing, I am so often running into AI and the algorithm (as a marketer for a business, I guess, I'm supposed to be figuring out how to ride or break it). Mostly, I'm numbed by it. But you broke through the numbness.
Here's an article from The Atlantic from last year that I loved and think you will enjoy. If you get a paywall, you can use 12ft.io (I think). Down with the machine(s).
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/03/tv-politics-entertainment-metaverse/672773/
Thanks Brian! I hope your weird friends enjoy as well. Thanks for the article rec.
This is the kind of shit the internet was made for imo. Ai art is going to be such a detriment to the internet as everything is going to assumed to be fake before much longer which will only serve to hurt all the real artists out there. Also, as someone who was recommended and watched that exact same "this video will find you" video a week ago with that curly haired chick in the woods, it was genuinely surprising to see you reference it here. Guess our algorithms are pretty similar, which tracks as you are one of my favorite cultural commentators on youtube.
Guess the universe meant for us to be in each other's internet bubbles haha.
Me and my friends, at some indiscernible point, began speaking of our group and individual lives as a show. A friend moving away meant he was out on a “spinoff”, breakups meant the season was nearing its end, nights out were special episodes. I never thought to much of this linguistic shift until now, mainly because it’s just so damn fun. It’s supposedly harmless until, like you write here, it kind of seeps into everything we do. Great piece, thanks for provoking my thought:)
Have you read The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist? This reminds me of the left brain / right brain distinction he goes into. The left brain sees everything as material, inert, dead objects for manipulation. Right brain, everything is connected, whole and possibly alive.
The weird thing about this era is that it's easy to treat people like objects (how many likes did I get?) and objects like people (what is the algorithm trying to tell me?).
You should read Adam Alesksic's essays abt the algorithm, especially this one --> (https://open.substack.com/pub/etymology/p/what-the-algorithm-is-what-you-think?r=56zdrv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false); it kinda touches on the same points as you, although in a more analytical/intelectual/scientific manner. You brought a spiritual aspect that is very very interesting, specially the whole Algod-rithm of it all. Love your stuff, a hug from Brasil