Tech poison, dead trees & more.
Swirling in my substack this week.
Tech Optimism & Optimism
Something I am frequently aware of in my own life and worldview is
the sharp dichotomy of embracing technology, and now AI, because of a basic optimism around its ability to improve our lives; against the desire to ensure one stays grounded, connected, tangible…because of a basic belief in real life, nature and humanity.
As our lives become increasingly intertwined with screens and algorithms, a powerful counter-movement is already taking place: the desire to disconnect, reconnect with nature, build real-world community and embrace a more human-centric way of living.
This from Steven Bartlett’s Linkedin post, where he makes a business point about investment areas ‘opposite’ to AI & algorithms, which he feels will make waves as we get swamped more by technology.
It’s a fascinating juxtaposition - I can’t help but agree that the future lies in finding the balance- both as individuals and as societies (and hence, as businesses).
Nightshade.
The historically and fictionally famous poison might well be coming for our beloved new AI friends.
Well, kinda.
I wrote a little about a tool enabling creators to ‘retaliate’ against Generative AI.
Tech vs tech, for better tech.
Nightshade This poison. Juliet’s famous, fictional, faked death was built on it. Russian czars like Ivan the Terrible suffered from it. Agatha Christie used it more than once in her twisty murders with Poirot. The Borgia family allegedly finished off some pesky rivals with it.
Infinite labor, infinite content, mass personalization.
Here’s Andrew Chen’s latest after his recent move to Substack, a short essay on how marketing (and sales, and us) could be transformed by AI. Crystal ball gazing is always fun, but just how many steps ahead we can try to look, is the fascinating bit.
Here is a striking visual.
But Gregory Orekhov set out to make more than a visual statement. This dried out spruce tree, once struck by lightning many years ago, “becomes a vibrant canvas symbolizing the fragility of nature and humanity’. Interestingly, someone also took an axe to it at some point, which seemed to add a layer to the art.