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"Artists have the privilege of responding to the social and political moments of their day. I’ve been designing alternative forms of machines inspired by nature, with the bond between humans and machines as one of ecological stewardship. As I develop these forthcoming configurations, the drawn line is one constant that always remains at the center. It is a line that explores the potential of human and machine collaboration, speculating on how the machine will act as a catalyst, co-pilot and companion. If I’ve learned anything in the past decade of this journey, it’s that art can help us ask better questions: Can fear and hope be held in the mind simultaneously? How do we grasp the promise, perils and paranoias of technical shifts at once?"
Sougwen Chung
Jan 8, 2025
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🌻It isn't worth losing your ability to think, to process, to wrestle: to turn mush into coherence.
Sure, you can get a machine to print a sculpture with a few masturbatory keystrokes – but you'll gain so much if you instead chisel away at the stone yourself, dusty fingers, bloodied knuckles, deeply satisfied.
The false tradeoff of AI is that the finished product is more valuable than the process. That's bullshit. The process is what shapes and forms you, grows you, forces you into dark nights, up against demons, and out across impossible chasms.
Far better than creating false masterpieces is to become a masterpiece yourself. (Link is to free NYT op-ed)
Sure, you can get a machine to print a sculpture with a few masturbatory keystrokes – but you'll gain so much if you instead chisel away at the stone yourself, dusty fingers, bloodied knuckles, deeply satisfied.
The false tradeoff of AI is that the finished product is more valuable than the process. That's bullshit. The process is what shapes and forms you, grows you, forces you into dark nights, up against demons, and out across impossible chasms.
Far better than creating false masterpieces is to become a masterpiece yourself. (Link is to free NYT op-ed)
Jul 19, 2025
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👾A.I. used to make art cheaper and to avoid paying artists is abhorrent. Used to write speeches and summarize books reduces the practice and makes the accomplishment meaningless. It cheapens the process and provides no value. The way it’s being advertised is nothing short of disgusting. Google aired an ad where a father uses A.I. to help his daughter write a letter to her favorite athlete. Why are you shortcutting time spent with your daughter, teaching her how to put emotion into words, helping her work through something challenging? It’s soulless dreck. I’m tired of hearing about it, talking about it and thinking about all the ways it can ruin society. Since corporations and industry insist on shoving it down our throat, I think it’s (as always) our responsibility to demand better. The linked essay made me reconsider the use of it as a tool to expand, as you put it, as long as it’s not used to enable laziness and shortcuts.
Jan 14, 2025
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🤖When the smartphone revolution began about 20 years ago you knew when you were using a smartphone or not. You knew when you were sitting down at a computer or not, when you were opening up a social media app or not, etc.
I think the big difference here is that AI is everywhere and in everything, almost without user consent. No industry is safe. Education isn't safe. Childhood isn't safe. Religious communities aren't safe. Text exchanges with family members aren't safe.
For months now I've recognized the need to establish a set of personal values and safeguards around AI. These apply primarily to me and in my domains of oversight. But also they will shape who and what I engage with and consume from.
In many ways I think this will be the issue of our time. What does it mean to be a human? Is there value in creating or only in the completed product? What do we gain from the struggle of the creative process?
Also I see opportunity everywhere.
As generative AI overtakes and as we realize that we can't trust anything that comes through a screen, even, soon, the person on the other side of a Zoom video chat (it could be their AI avatar authorized to speak on their behalf), then real life and real world interactions become so much more poignant and beautiful.
Right now I lead a community writing workshop on weekly basis. IT IS REAL. No one is using AI. We write together with pens in notebooks. We read our work aloud together. This will remain a safe space.
I can see other safe spaces springing up too. For instance: we gather and paint or make art, together and in realtime. Then we walk next door and hang our art immediately in a gallery and have a show. It's real. It's human. And we can trust it.
Also I see communities forming of people who choose to opt out of the generative AI devolution. There's a lot of thoughtful writing about this out there already.
May 15, 2025
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🕵One of the things I like the most about Pi.fyi and the current scale of users is that it's still noticeable when a rec was inspired by another.
Sometimes the rec directly mentions the other, but other times you can kinda assume that reading an especific thing here triggered a memory or an ideia.
It's very cute and interesting to notice the small influences interacting with other humans online can have.
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🧽I know there are days when you are so tired, or maybe you made a big meal for friends and family or you spent the afternoon meal prepping and now you have to clean like five pots and a tray, but be brave!!! (my inner monologue)
Don't force your future self to wake up to a bunch of dirty dishes. It will keep your mind full because you will be constantly reminding yourself to clean that up.
Don't force your future self to wake up to a bunch of dirty dishes. It will keep your mind full because you will be constantly reminding yourself to clean that up.
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📠UbuWeb - archive for video, text and sound, all avant gard art
Marxists.org - archive for marxist texts
CrimethInc - archive for anarchist publications and news
Aeon - magazine on philosophy and science
Eye on Design - magazine on design news
Failed Architecture - magazine on critical architecture and urbanism
LitHub - literary magazine
Anna's Archive - love of my life ♥️
A terra é redonda - magazine of art and politics
Passa palavra - news and articles on Brazillian politics
Digilabour - news and articles about gig economy and surveillance capitalism