WRITING

“As stupid as a painter” —Marcel Duchamp. The disappointment I have with visual generative AI is the deluge of trite, cliched and derivative imagery that’s produced with it. Midjourney’s explore homepage, for example, is an endless scrolling wall of fantasy art, cutesy images, cartoonish animations, and sexy virtual models. (Aesthetically disappointing, but perhaps anthropologically insightful, a snapshot of our collective cultural consciousness. Also disappointing.) Often,

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” —Arthur C. Clarke. AI is a bit like witchcraft, particularly visual generative AI. Prompt writing is a form of conjuring, they work like spells, carefully worded instructions designed to bring about a desired intent. At the press of the return button, these text commands are cast. Presto! Abracadabra! One can never be quite sure about what comes next. There’s a moment of uncertainty followed by anticipati