Introducing AI & Us: a series exploring the future of life, work and human connection
Writing a series about balancing the humanity vs AI scales, it’s very easy to become waylaid experimenting with generative-AI illustration tools instead…
I kept delaying the launch of this series, as I gathered more and more to read, watch and listen to about AI – the promises, predictions, personalities and product launches. Days disappeared exploring the latest tools. Say for instance when I started exploring Midjourney for the AI and photography issue. More than a few afternoons were lost to creative experimentation – as my AI-generated illustration above attests…
But this week I decided I had to take Oliver Burkeman’s advice: treat the ‘to read’ (and watch and listen to) pile like a fast-flowing river you can pick choice items from – rather than as a bucket that must be emptied. This approach is a useful one, especially when it comes to AI. Can anyone keep up? There isn’t a bucket big enough.
Each profile features a conversation with a guest drawn from different professions and places around the world. They share their thoughts, philosophies and forecasts about AI in the context of their current work, and comments on related media coverage, political debate and industry reportage.
The aim is to learn and share what people are thinking, fearing and hoping for at a time we can all sense is a turning point for humanity. And life as we know it.
While the roles and industries of all my guests differ, most have one thing in common. Human connection is a central ingredient of their work. With the rise of automation, will these jobs and our natural familiarity with the people who do them fall away?
We begin with insights from a philanthropist, a photographer and a physio. And in the months ahead, professionals from the worlds of tech, law, media, politics, policy, research and higher education will join the conversation.
It's clear that some have grave concerns about AI and what it means for privacy, equity, transparency and our ability to think critically and independently – among other things. Others are excited about the opportunities radical change and technological advances might afford us in terms of freeing up time, escaping tedious tasks, and finding new avenues for creativity and scientific discovery. It’s a mixed bag.
So whether you're an industry insider, an interested observer or simply a curious human, you’ll find plenty of food for thought from the many smart, thoughtful, empathetic, amusing and considerate fellow humans who are wrangling with the idea of AI and us, and what it might mean for our individual and collective futures.
I’m a freelance writer/strategist who shares complex concepts, ideas and insights along with stories from the extraordinary people behind them. If you’d like to work together, contact me.
