Leave me behind.
And leave me out if it.
I am lucky to be of the last generation to have experienced analog as a child, emails and chat rooms as a teen and MySpace in its origin story. Without shopping malls, city kids found afterschool drama at the internet cafes. My friend Joey’s family owned one so there would be a Dell pc saved just for him to share with his friends. We were never bestowed one of the two Apple iMacs in turquoise. Joey’s mom said those were the money makers. It cost something like an extra $10/hr or something to use the iMac. It was always some college guy wearing a pageboy hat backwards doing some very important work in Aqua. As soon as the mini gang of skater boys walked through the door with a pack of Twizzlers sticking out of the side pocket of the cut-off cargo shorts, it was as good as a Degrassi episode come to life. Between the hours of 3pm to 5:30 the internet cafe was our offsite cafeteria. When everyone started getting their own mobile phones, I saw Joey’s mom less and less. I can’t even remember when exactly internet cafes went out of business. It was like one day, we looked up from our Nokia’s and they had disappeared from the landscape.
Those were the days, but those days feel like a hundred years ago. As if I were transferred from an older planet that no longer exists in the Universe.
This week I started using Ecosia as my lead browser. For various reasons, the most important being that 100% of its profits is donated to climate action. This week alone, I had corrected two different people on misguided information that was searched on Google. I didn’t sign up to be on AI patrol, but since its very birth, I have caught enough mistakes with the information output on a variety of subjects. I don’t know much about Ecosia yet to encourage you to use it, but I want to feel more comfortable using a search engine that at least does something monetarily good for the environment. Every time I use Ecosia, a tree is planted. If there’s any Ecosia users reading this, please correct me if I’m wrong.
I’m just so tired of the topic of AI, but I know that the more it’s talked about — online in particular, that it will somehow be fed into the data only to exist on Google searches of how unliked it truly is with the general population. What is not sitting well with me are these adults throwing around, ‘you have to use AI if you don’t want to be left behind.’ Excuse me, are you in high school again? Will I not be invited to the dance if I don’t play nicely with AI?
I have always treated technology the same way I do with some people in that I’m struck with an attention deficit. By people I’m referring to mostly celebrities, influencers, anyone famous. In the beginning I see their hype then it’s only a matter of time before my interest begins to dissipate. MySpace, the same, I was all on board with Tom and my indie friends online. But then came Facebook, and then parents and relatives and their friends and so on invaded, I peaced out. Time and history has always proved that something new is always coming around the corner and that’s why I am so suspicious of anyone who would say to another that they’re going to be left behind if they don’t use AI. They must be descendants of the same people who taunted the same during the invention of the television. Sure, the television was nice, but obviously people who didn’t have one still managed to live a wonderful, sane life.
Nobody will be left behind, unless they choose not to follow. And I don’t know if it’s only the U.S. acting out this way, (most likely it is) but this bully mentality shows poor character. I don’t fear being left behind by not using AI, because a) I have hobbies that pull me out of a digital frame of mind.
b) I love research and the process. I love getting the legal pads and a strong pen and writing things out until my third finger aches. That with an iced coffee is a great feeling.
c) It’s only a matter of time when 1 out 10 humans on this Earth will carry on with a lawsuit against their employers, a tech company, their president, any entity whose AI has falsely wronged them in some way. And since AI takes in data, then isn’t that the evidence to prove technological wrongdoing? I’m probably overthinking this one, but honestly it’s the one thing that makes the most sense to me. I think AI is probably going to cost more in court legalilities than it will to build a superfuture.
Also, I mentioned in a previous letter how my brother who works in construction and currently is on this big job building AI water tanks. He hasn’t had a day off in two weeks because of a looming deadline to get as many built. Knock on wood, but if something happens to my brother I will definitely be suing somebody.
{pause to take deep breaths}
My favorite scene in The Comeback (HBO) was when Valerie Cherish (Lisa Kudrow) explains to the studio head (Andrew Scott) after he had told her that her lead role was replaceable by an AI version of her, that okay, so first they got rid of the writers. Then, eventually they’ll get rid of the actors altogether. But, then what comes next is the guy who runs the studio. Close up on his dumbstruck expression with not a word to say. Such a good scene and excellent writing by a human.
Lastly, what is the actual point of telling someone they’ll be left behind when there is nothing waiting for them?
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〰️ summer reading list if … 〰️
you want to feel hot and bothered this summer: Heart the Lover by Lily King will keep you wanting more. And just like Sofia Coppola said in an interview how she read this in 2 days and cried her eyes out, pretty on point. Manifesting that maybe she’ll adapt it into a film, takes place during the 80’s and she hasn’t covered this era yet.
you’ll be watching East of Eden on Netflix, the book’s narrative is taken from the Bible’s Cain and Abel, a dramatization of good versus evil between 2 families. Written by Nobel-Prize author John Steinbeck, this book has been reveled a masterpiece, a saga for the ages. Watch the trailer.
〰️ now hiring 〰️
Canva is hiring a Marketing Graphic Designer - contract (Seoul/hybrid)
LoveShackFancy is hiring a Graphic Design Intern (paid) p/t (NYC)
Are you hiring?
〰️ 5 good things 〰️
For your art history summer, you can learn for free at Art Explora Academy either online or on the app (100% free)
We need a new celebrity couple and we need it to be Keke Palmer and Sean Evans. Let them be our Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. If you haven’t yet, watch the full hot interview, the admiration is palpable. I have a theory if anyone cares to know is that they’ve been secretly dating, because there’s flirting and then there’s pretend we’re flirting cuz they all don’t know. I love it when midwesterners fall in love with each other. 💕
Balenciaga campaign “A New York Minute” directed by a New Yorker, filmmaker Celine Song starring Sarah Pidgeon as the quintessential New York woman. Cute, relatable and real enough with all the markings of Song’s directorial style.
Let’s hear it for Jacob Elordi’s harrowing escape from the Euphoria/ Levinson universe, literally put a nail in the coffin for Nate Jacobs. That is a spoiler if you haven’t been hate-watching what will hopefully be the final season, but kudos to his agents for working this out and now he can campaign to be the new James Bond.
The return of Marc Jacobs Beauty. Tbh I never understood why it went away, but sitting in my cart is this totally cute bronzer, a small bottle of Daisy perfume and their lipsticks are selling out already.
💄,
dnamag
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