I'm incredibly late to the party but just wanted to say - loved this! I don't know a lot about the environmental impact (honestly too scared to look lol) but it's so telling that Google is no longer carbon neutral due to AI. They probably have enough money to cover it (not that carbon offsets are all that great anyway) but choosing not to is saying a lot as to how bad AI actually is.
The loss of skill thing is so real, too! I got a physical dictionary and thesaurus awhile ago because I wanted to use screens less and I've had to relearn alphabetical order. It used to be instinctual and now I end up thinking R is before O - embarrassing to be honest lol. But we really do lose so much without realizing.
And with the Studio Ghibli AI thing trending, a clip of its co-founder Hayao Miyazaki was circling where he calls wanting machines to draw like humans an "insult to life itself" and I can't help but agree in a lot of ways. Creative projects are only worth it because of the journey, not the outcome. It's so sad a lot of people have seemed to forgotten that.
Anyway didn't mean to write a novel. But appreciate you both for writing this!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful response Amy! I couldn't have said it better myself: "Creative projects are only worth it because of the journey, not the outcome." 100% spot on!
I also find myself reverting back to older forms of technology, just because it feels healthier (and for the nostalgia)! For example, using a typewriter to avoid a screen, or a cassette player or a discman. I also have a super old phone because I don't want my life to be drained away by addictive apps.
So interesting what you say about Google and Studio Ghibli. Thank for sharing! And feel free to say what you want on this subject - perhaps this can stir a piece for you!
Oh my gosh you're using a typewriter?! How has it been?? It's been something I've been considering because of the screen thing but also cause they're just so cool and I also think they could be super fun to use with art projects. I've been paralyzed in the decision though 😅
I feel you on the phone. I kept my last phone for 5 years and had to swap it out last year because it was glitching terribly. When I got a new one, I switched to an iPhone because Apple lets you delete more base apps than Android and it's been amazing! I don't have social media or even a web browser on my phone anymore and it's very freeing. I debated dropping a smart phone altogether but it's just not doable since so many things rely on having one 😩
I mostly just use the typewriter for art projects :) It's certainly not a replacement for a computer these days, especially when your primary job is working on a computer!
Ah, love that you have freedom from the apps! There are a lot of good options out there these days for smart phones that don't have all the addictive apps (but have the base ones that are truly needed, like maps, phone, texting, etc.) Wise Phone is one, but there are many.
It really is that push and pull of wanting to be away from the screen but loving the connections and creations it brings. It's hard!!
I feel like AI tools have been breaking things more and more. I couldn't use InDesign for one of the last projects I did because it kept crashing. I had to install an older version of it, before all the AI just to get it to work!! It's absolutely insane. And Squarespace has been a lot laggier for me, too.
Oooh that all sounds fun!! Are you going to post about your art journey this year? I'd love to see all the things you create! That's so exciting!!
Thank you so much for writing this! I feel this way exactly, I'm so worried about not only the lack of critical thinking skills we are yielding (which we desperately need) but also the environmental impact of AI. We're happier when we slow down, and if we slow down, maybe we won't need AI so much. Thank you for this. Grateful for putting this out in the world.
Thank you McC! When thinking about some of these issues, I'm reminded of Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park saying: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should."
What a kind comment, thanks for reading and letting us know your thoughts McCaela. I agree that we could benefit from slowing down. AI is pushing us to speed up our processes, our thinking, and our decision making—only encouraging the push for constant productivity. Essential pieces are missing when you jump from step one to the solution within seconds. I think we can often learn more from the problem-solving process than we can from reading the answers.
Hopefully people keep having conversations about the implications of AI and asking questions about how this will impact our future. Thanks again for chiming in!
I'm incredibly late to the party but just wanted to say - loved this! I don't know a lot about the environmental impact (honestly too scared to look lol) but it's so telling that Google is no longer carbon neutral due to AI. They probably have enough money to cover it (not that carbon offsets are all that great anyway) but choosing not to is saying a lot as to how bad AI actually is.
The loss of skill thing is so real, too! I got a physical dictionary and thesaurus awhile ago because I wanted to use screens less and I've had to relearn alphabetical order. It used to be instinctual and now I end up thinking R is before O - embarrassing to be honest lol. But we really do lose so much without realizing.
And with the Studio Ghibli AI thing trending, a clip of its co-founder Hayao Miyazaki was circling where he calls wanting machines to draw like humans an "insult to life itself" and I can't help but agree in a lot of ways. Creative projects are only worth it because of the journey, not the outcome. It's so sad a lot of people have seemed to forgotten that.
Anyway didn't mean to write a novel. But appreciate you both for writing this!
Thank you so much for this thoughtful response Amy! I couldn't have said it better myself: "Creative projects are only worth it because of the journey, not the outcome." 100% spot on!
I also find myself reverting back to older forms of technology, just because it feels healthier (and for the nostalgia)! For example, using a typewriter to avoid a screen, or a cassette player or a discman. I also have a super old phone because I don't want my life to be drained away by addictive apps.
So interesting what you say about Google and Studio Ghibli. Thank for sharing! And feel free to say what you want on this subject - perhaps this can stir a piece for you!
Oh my gosh you're using a typewriter?! How has it been?? It's been something I've been considering because of the screen thing but also cause they're just so cool and I also think they could be super fun to use with art projects. I've been paralyzed in the decision though 😅
I feel you on the phone. I kept my last phone for 5 years and had to swap it out last year because it was glitching terribly. When I got a new one, I switched to an iPhone because Apple lets you delete more base apps than Android and it's been amazing! I don't have social media or even a web browser on my phone anymore and it's very freeing. I debated dropping a smart phone altogether but it's just not doable since so many things rely on having one 😩
I mostly just use the typewriter for art projects :) It's certainly not a replacement for a computer these days, especially when your primary job is working on a computer!
Ah, love that you have freedom from the apps! There are a lot of good options out there these days for smart phones that don't have all the addictive apps (but have the base ones that are truly needed, like maps, phone, texting, etc.) Wise Phone is one, but there are many.
It really is that push and pull of wanting to be away from the screen but loving the connections and creations it brings. It's hard!!
I feel like AI tools have been breaking things more and more. I couldn't use InDesign for one of the last projects I did because it kept crashing. I had to install an older version of it, before all the AI just to get it to work!! It's absolutely insane. And Squarespace has been a lot laggier for me, too.
Oooh that all sounds fun!! Are you going to post about your art journey this year? I'd love to see all the things you create! That's so exciting!!
Thank you so much for writing this! I feel this way exactly, I'm so worried about not only the lack of critical thinking skills we are yielding (which we desperately need) but also the environmental impact of AI. We're happier when we slow down, and if we slow down, maybe we won't need AI so much. Thank you for this. Grateful for putting this out in the world.
Thank you McC! When thinking about some of these issues, I'm reminded of Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park saying: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should."
What a kind comment, thanks for reading and letting us know your thoughts McCaela. I agree that we could benefit from slowing down. AI is pushing us to speed up our processes, our thinking, and our decision making—only encouraging the push for constant productivity. Essential pieces are missing when you jump from step one to the solution within seconds. I think we can often learn more from the problem-solving process than we can from reading the answers.
Hopefully people keep having conversations about the implications of AI and asking questions about how this will impact our future. Thanks again for chiming in!