Shrimp Jesus Who among us will cast the first stone at shrimp Jesus? I hesitate to talk about him because I believe that AI-generated content is categorically no better or worse than other clickbait, and the best way to reckon with clickbait is to deny it that for which it seeks: attention. Writing to marvel at or deride AI clickbait seems to invite more of it, which in turn will entice us to write more critiques about it, which will only further feed the downward spiral.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you describe our algorithmic identities as AI generated images. The true risk from AI is individual. A fake song in some singer's style isn't going to change the world of music. It fails to interest me, except very occasionally as a brief curiosity, because I know it lacks individuality. What will change that is a song created for me, because no song to date, no matter how much I love it, was created just for me, using knowledge of all of my preferences. When AI is able to target us as individuals in this way it will change everything, become truly addictive.
Also, I cited some of your very perceptive music writing in this article a while back, hope you like it.
Re: reaction videos, I think it's worth noting that they're an artificial shared experience -- you can watch something alone, or you can watch it with a goofy little guy who's REALLY excited to see it. Or you can rewatch an old favorite movie, replay an old favorite videogame, etc but with someone who's never experienced it before, and vicariously re-experience it for the first time through their corny reactions. It's a watered-down, one-way empathetic connection that any lonely kid with a cell phone can access for free.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you describe our algorithmic identities as AI generated images. The true risk from AI is individual. A fake song in some singer's style isn't going to change the world of music. It fails to interest me, except very occasionally as a brief curiosity, because I know it lacks individuality. What will change that is a song created for me, because no song to date, no matter how much I love it, was created just for me, using knowledge of all of my preferences. When AI is able to target us as individuals in this way it will change everything, become truly addictive.
Also, I cited some of your very perceptive music writing in this article a while back, hope you like it.
https://georgedhenderson.substack.com/p/if-i-had-a-million-hearts-to-give
Been a fan of your insights for a few years, and the humor of Shrimp Jesus in this post is what tipped me into subscribing.
Re: reaction videos, I think it's worth noting that they're an artificial shared experience -- you can watch something alone, or you can watch it with a goofy little guy who's REALLY excited to see it. Or you can rewatch an old favorite movie, replay an old favorite videogame, etc but with someone who's never experienced it before, and vicariously re-experience it for the first time through their corny reactions. It's a watered-down, one-way empathetic connection that any lonely kid with a cell phone can access for free.