Hyperreality was a favorite term often used by French cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard. One can argue that we are now living in the world he talked about in Simulation and Simulacra.
-I also think this pandemics contributed to folks loosing their marbles, yet again, of which they usually don't have many in any case
-Facebook is full of dead people? "I see dead people. they don't know they're dead".
Much of what you say is happenning, comes to me as a surprize, I'm either too old or naive or both. I heard about ChatGPT...that's about it. I can see it creeps in functions somehow. With each Windows update. Hi, I am AI something. I can help you... No, I think, you can't, not in anything I'd need help with
-we always need to be the best humans we can. that's really a constant, whatever times are. the times are always so so by the way if not downright bad or very bad. " the future is already here, it is just not evenly distributed"
That’s a great quote to describe the profiles of the deceased on Facebook. And yes! A lot is happening with AI at breakneck speed; it’s hard to keep track off. And the note about being the best we can regardless of the times we’re in; you’re absolutely right! I agree with you
AI is making a loud entrance into my area of work. I'm trying to keep abreast of its benefits, fear it less, whilst grounding in the irreplaceable knowingness of human discernment and intuition.
With digital more powerful than ever and the concrete remove of city living, I feel the magnet to nature and presence ever stronger, as physical energy.
I Hate Robots! It is the name of one of my poems! I hate talking to a phone robot! I waited about 10 minutes to finally talk to a human! And I hate this stupid Chromebook! Another one of my poems! And I'm starting to hate AI! But your story was fascinating! Loved it! And I hate chat robots! Oh, I have used them but if I'm just chatting with a robot, forget it! Give me a human!
A well written interesting piece and the comments make great food for thought, thanks for sharing everyone.
AI might regurgitate just about everything and recycle words in fashionable styles but it can never drink from the well of an experience of a life truly lived.
This lived experience of knowing what love and loss can feel to a human for example is what will stand real poetry and art in all forms apart from artificial intelligence.
Thank you so so much for reading! Always lovely to have a new reader. And I completely agree, I think lived experience and embodiment is at the heart of what is 'real' and it's what we really need to be holding onto.
I couldn't agree with you more. I've worked with computers for more than fifty years and watched them grow from card-eating monsters to hand-held sine qua nons. From my viewpoint, the greatest human insights from artificial intelligence come from what they cannot do: if a computer can do it, it's not the deepest part of being human. With respect to poetry, A. E. Housman's apology for writing about pain in "Terence, This is Stupid Stuff" comes to mind:
It should do good to heart and head
When your soul is in my soul's stead;
There is an implicit contract in any real (non-mechanical) communication that's rarely mentioned: that there is another person on the other end of the line; someone who can suffer and enjoy and feel and want. If the other "person" is a machine or someone acting like one, the contract is tacitly broken. It is a little scary that large language models, merely by reshuffling a gazillion internet texts, can come up with something so like a human conversation. But not entirely scary. It can point out where in a conversation we are acting like a machine. And it's a poet's job, in part, to illuminate language with our humanity.
This is such an amazing comment Ted - the bit about the socially implicit contract is really insightful and true. And how machines can show us our own limits. ‘And it's a poet's job, in part, to illuminate language with our humanity.’ - stunning sentence and so so true, thank you so much! And thanks for reading, I’m glad you liked the piece
“Post” doesn’t mean we’re done with it. This got me thinking: I won’t ever be done loving poetry (and stories and songs) written by real people. Just as I see small shops opening again to replace the chain stories, I see real human creativity rising through the underground again, now as always. Thank you for this.
Interesting essay, Anagha. Especially interested in where you asked AI to write a poem. At the university where I work (like many others) there’s real concern about AI. Something interesting to emerge is that while AI more or less gets 100% on math and science papers (especially multiple choice) it actually does rather badly in essays of literary analysis. Possibly that will change as AI develops, but at present it seems to indicate something distinctive about literary study, possibly “the humanities”. It’s not just that it does things obviously wrong (eg never quoting the primary source). More seriously, AI essays in literature are very generic. Perhaps the conclusion therefore is that it is the specific which will eventually distinguish our writing from the AI ... and that the “human” lies in this distinctive perceptiveness (or “insight”)...
I can completely relate Thomas; I work at an academic journal and these days we’re getting in more and more AI written papers. It’s a huge concern! It’s really easy to tell at times when a manuscript is largely AI written and it’s also just sad, because AI flattens out any kind of unique voice or actual intelligent articulation. Maybe that will change in the future as AI becomes even more ‘intelligent.’ For all you know, in a couple of years an AI might actually be able to push out a coherent, well articulated humanities paper. But can it have the same passion, motivation and curiosity of a human being? I don’t think so!
In any case, the rush to replace humans with AI is a bit depressing. And people willingly using AI to do their creative and intellectual work is also depressing. The idea that we’re somehow ‘optimizing’ for time and efficiency by outsourcing all our work to AI. Like, think an original thought, people! Write it down! It’s good for you and humanity!
AI lacks the meta-fore us as humans that created the beast that we feed and think it digests our input to eject an output that is remotely relevant to pass as what we asked for in the first place. The poet-human metaphor is the ghost taken out of the machine and words come from the heart that we as humans all have with emotions that feel and eyes that see where this world is going. But as poets we have no electric plug and cannot be shut off by a machine.
Im so glad I took the time to read this piece… exactly my fears and hopes reflected back, from the other side of the world. Thank you Anagha, one poet to another I think this work does matter now matter how useless or scared or horrified I am by the times we are in.
I’m urged to share my work when I tell myself: poetry can’t change the world, but it can change people. And people can change the world. I don’t want to change the world before Im able to touch, comfort, appall, speak to people with my poetry
Hi Mike! I actually like your vision of a post humanist society, it feels much friendlier than the one we have today. I do agree that it’s the core value that matters the most and that AI as we have it now isn’t particularly smart, haha. And thank you!!! I shall keep reading your lovely poetry ☺️
Of course, Mike. I always appreciate and look forward what you have to say. It didn't come across that way at all, and in any case, I wouldn't even mind if you got on a soapbox in my comments sections! Inviting all poets to get on their poet-soapboxes in my comments!
This is such a kind comment Conny, I’m right there with you in getting overwhelmed. It’s a struggle to keep my head afloat at times. Thank you so much for reading 💙
Surely the point of AI should be to do the mundane tasks so we can concentrate on the arts? Otherwise what is the point?
I know right!
Hyperreality was a favorite term often used by French cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard. One can argue that we are now living in the world he talked about in Simulation and Simulacra.
Yes! Thanks for mentioning this Paul
We can also argue that we are living in a world where Truth now exists only on a sliding scale of probability, as Baudrillard also suggested.
-I also think this pandemics contributed to folks loosing their marbles, yet again, of which they usually don't have many in any case
-Facebook is full of dead people? "I see dead people. they don't know they're dead".
Much of what you say is happenning, comes to me as a surprize, I'm either too old or naive or both. I heard about ChatGPT...that's about it. I can see it creeps in functions somehow. With each Windows update. Hi, I am AI something. I can help you... No, I think, you can't, not in anything I'd need help with
-we always need to be the best humans we can. that's really a constant, whatever times are. the times are always so so by the way if not downright bad or very bad. " the future is already here, it is just not evenly distributed"
-thank you for the essay🪄
That’s a great quote to describe the profiles of the deceased on Facebook. And yes! A lot is happening with AI at breakneck speed; it’s hard to keep track off. And the note about being the best we can regardless of the times we’re in; you’re absolutely right! I agree with you
I completely agree, Anagha. 🙂. And I truly hope AI continues to fail in the humanities - maybe then people will come to recognise how unique they are.
Fingers crossed Thomas, fingers crossed!
AI is making a loud entrance into my area of work. I'm trying to keep abreast of its benefits, fear it less, whilst grounding in the irreplaceable knowingness of human discernment and intuition.
With digital more powerful than ever and the concrete remove of city living, I feel the magnet to nature and presence ever stronger, as physical energy.
I wrote this about that...
'summer feel'
https://open.substack.com/pub/theseainme/p/summer-senses?r=46rss&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
I think the grounding that you’re talking about is what I’m trying to find too. And thank you for sharing your beautiful piece 💙
I Hate Robots! It is the name of one of my poems! I hate talking to a phone robot! I waited about 10 minutes to finally talk to a human! And I hate this stupid Chromebook! Another one of my poems! And I'm starting to hate AI! But your story was fascinating! Loved it! And I hate chat robots! Oh, I have used them but if I'm just chatting with a robot, forget it! Give me a human!
Give me a human indeed!
A well written interesting piece and the comments make great food for thought, thanks for sharing everyone.
AI might regurgitate just about everything and recycle words in fashionable styles but it can never drink from the well of an experience of a life truly lived.
This lived experience of knowing what love and loss can feel to a human for example is what will stand real poetry and art in all forms apart from artificial intelligence.
Thank you so so much for reading! Always lovely to have a new reader. And I completely agree, I think lived experience and embodiment is at the heart of what is 'real' and it's what we really need to be holding onto.
I couldn't agree with you more. I've worked with computers for more than fifty years and watched them grow from card-eating monsters to hand-held sine qua nons. From my viewpoint, the greatest human insights from artificial intelligence come from what they cannot do: if a computer can do it, it's not the deepest part of being human. With respect to poetry, A. E. Housman's apology for writing about pain in "Terence, This is Stupid Stuff" comes to mind:
It should do good to heart and head
When your soul is in my soul's stead;
There is an implicit contract in any real (non-mechanical) communication that's rarely mentioned: that there is another person on the other end of the line; someone who can suffer and enjoy and feel and want. If the other "person" is a machine or someone acting like one, the contract is tacitly broken. It is a little scary that large language models, merely by reshuffling a gazillion internet texts, can come up with something so like a human conversation. But not entirely scary. It can point out where in a conversation we are acting like a machine. And it's a poet's job, in part, to illuminate language with our humanity.
This is such an amazing comment Ted - the bit about the socially implicit contract is really insightful and true. And how machines can show us our own limits. ‘And it's a poet's job, in part, to illuminate language with our humanity.’ - stunning sentence and so so true, thank you so much! And thanks for reading, I’m glad you liked the piece
“Post” doesn’t mean we’re done with it. This got me thinking: I won’t ever be done loving poetry (and stories and songs) written by real people. Just as I see small shops opening again to replace the chain stories, I see real human creativity rising through the underground again, now as always. Thank you for this.
‘Now as always’ - absolutely Holly. Thanks for reading 💙
Interesting essay, Anagha. Especially interested in where you asked AI to write a poem. At the university where I work (like many others) there’s real concern about AI. Something interesting to emerge is that while AI more or less gets 100% on math and science papers (especially multiple choice) it actually does rather badly in essays of literary analysis. Possibly that will change as AI develops, but at present it seems to indicate something distinctive about literary study, possibly “the humanities”. It’s not just that it does things obviously wrong (eg never quoting the primary source). More seriously, AI essays in literature are very generic. Perhaps the conclusion therefore is that it is the specific which will eventually distinguish our writing from the AI ... and that the “human” lies in this distinctive perceptiveness (or “insight”)...
I can completely relate Thomas; I work at an academic journal and these days we’re getting in more and more AI written papers. It’s a huge concern! It’s really easy to tell at times when a manuscript is largely AI written and it’s also just sad, because AI flattens out any kind of unique voice or actual intelligent articulation. Maybe that will change in the future as AI becomes even more ‘intelligent.’ For all you know, in a couple of years an AI might actually be able to push out a coherent, well articulated humanities paper. But can it have the same passion, motivation and curiosity of a human being? I don’t think so!
In any case, the rush to replace humans with AI is a bit depressing. And people willingly using AI to do their creative and intellectual work is also depressing. The idea that we’re somehow ‘optimizing’ for time and efficiency by outsourcing all our work to AI. Like, think an original thought, people! Write it down! It’s good for you and humanity!
AI lacks the meta-fore us as humans that created the beast that we feed and think it digests our input to eject an output that is remotely relevant to pass as what we asked for in the first place. The poet-human metaphor is the ghost taken out of the machine and words come from the heart that we as humans all have with emotions that feel and eyes that see where this world is going. But as poets we have no electric plug and cannot be shut off by a machine.
Love love! Keep on writing ❤️
Thanks Paolo!! Thanks for reading
Im so glad I took the time to read this piece… exactly my fears and hopes reflected back, from the other side of the world. Thank you Anagha, one poet to another I think this work does matter now matter how useless or scared or horrified I am by the times we are in.
I’m urged to share my work when I tell myself: poetry can’t change the world, but it can change people. And people can change the world. I don’t want to change the world before Im able to touch, comfort, appall, speak to people with my poetry
Hi Mike! I actually like your vision of a post humanist society, it feels much friendlier than the one we have today. I do agree that it’s the core value that matters the most and that AI as we have it now isn’t particularly smart, haha. And thank you!!! I shall keep reading your lovely poetry ☺️
Of course, Mike. I always appreciate and look forward what you have to say. It didn't come across that way at all, and in any case, I wouldn't even mind if you got on a soapbox in my comments sections! Inviting all poets to get on their poet-soapboxes in my comments!
Thanks Tom💙
This is such a kind comment Conny, I’m right there with you in getting overwhelmed. It’s a struggle to keep my head afloat at times. Thank you so much for reading 💙