Artificial Intentionality

I think that the appearance of generative AI with its seemingly magical abilities to unleash the creative beast lurking inside all of us has broken our brains a little bit and it has become difficult to think straight when it comes to the intersection of the technology and humanity and what being creative involves.

When I hear artists and AI evangelists argue about whether people who generate text using ChatGPT or images using Midjourney are truly creative, I wonder about the question behind the question.

Technology magnifies the consciousness of its creators; AI especially mirrors our collective intentions, fears, biases, and aspirations. If our motivations are primarily extraction and control, we will see a rapid and breathtaking amplification of those shadows.