There are a lot of things that make a community special; location, sensation, experiences and tribes are a few of the elements that make something spectaclar.
In the last few years, I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time using, studying, debating and researching artificial intelligence (AI) and am starting to see a digital blueprint of how it will emerge in our lives.
One of the common discussions I’ve participated in, is the intersection of art and AI. What makes art special? Unique? Art? There are a lot of variable.
One of the distinctions between human art and something generated by an algorithm is the element of perfection; more notably, imperfection.
There’s something very raw and human about going to an Alice Cooper show. Why? Because you hear every imperfection, ring of feedback and pop from the microphone. They don’t attempt to ‘purify’ the experience.
AI? Quite the opposite. Its music is flawless when you hear it; more complex and diverse in its production than many well-funded human studio sessions.
What happens when you take the ‘soul’ out of art? Let’s look at another scenario.
Venice Beach.
Ever since I first stepped foot on the pavement of Venice Beach, I fell in love with its soul. If you’ve been to Venice Beach, you know what I’m talking about.
If you want an experience that captures the soul of Venice, go to the Sunday Drum Circle and participate in something timeless, raw and ecstatic.
If you want(ed) to visit a place, I’d point you to the Venice Beach Freakshow. At least, I would have. It shut down.
Just like a whole coral reef begins to die when you kill one part of it, Venice Beach began to decay ever since SNAP decided to put an office there; in the building known for the freak show.
This isn’t about gentrification or any social plea, as much as it is an observation on the impact that removing one ‘imperfect’ part of a community can have a devastating impact on its surroungs.
Fast forward nearly a decade, and you’ll see that Venice Beach has turned into a dying remnant of what it once was:
While I love the advances I see in the world of technology, it breaks a big part of my heart to watch communities lose their soul when VC-funded startups decide to take over the block, raise rent and come up short on their promises of ‘regenerating’ the commnunity.
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