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Your Weekend AI Reader
“Some of the smartest people in technology say they are worried that AI is worse than pandemics and nuclear weapons. What I worry about is not AI extinguishing humans, but our humanity. And that’s the real risk of this new wave of “AI” — we become more reliant on machines than ourselves. With machines taking more control over my life, I have taken a few steps to remind myself that I am a person. I have turned to things made by hand. Still, I know that despite my efforts, these new augmentation tools will only become an even larger part of my life, and that this digital Hotel California of convenience will be an unavoidable reality for everyone.” Continue reading.
In response to my short essay about AI eroding our humanness, my good friend Steve Crandall in a piece pointed out that many technologies that augment humans have been able to be constructive. “If we’re lucky, we have the freedom to select the most appropriate technology for the task. But we should consider these choices carefully,” he writes.
A good reality check for the “AI-driven extinction imminent narrative” pushed by the leaders of the AI community.
I also recommend this clear explainer by Arvind Narayanan. “The real existential threats at this point are global warming, nuclear weapons and pandemics,” Steve reminds us.
“The thing about Generative Fill—and the way it’s been demonstrated by most so far—is that it is equally good about fantasy as it is reality. Maybe especially good.” writes Thom Hogan on post-processing ethics in the AI age with good historical context from the early days of digital photography.
“What can I—a human photographer—do that an AI cannot?,” Guy Tal, a landscape photographer asks, and suggests that we photographers “stop making generic work; strive to make work that aligns with the singular person that you are and that nobody else can be.”
Forget fake-Drake songs. The AI-augmented ballet is here, and it could explain how we need to rethink creativity with these new tools. And it looks pretty spectacular. More about it here!
And we already have a fake AI messiah. I mean it is really too soon!