Men With Machines
I just watched the films Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two. Now I'm reading the book for the first time and already nerding out over a thought-provoking quote in the first chapter:
'Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.'
What a profound and ever-relevant insight, especially in the midst of the “AI explosion” we are experiencing.
But also relevant to a passion of mine: collecting and sharing music on physical media.
Allowing a proprietary algorithm from a music streaming service to discover and suggest music for me has been convenient, and no doubt I have found some great music that way. But ever since I discovered music streamers on Twitch, a whole new world of human-curated, human-connected music exploration has opened up to me. I have discovered and learned about music that isn't available on any streaming service, that no algorithm could have suggested.
There is something magical about a human being introducing music they love to you, telling the story of how they found it, explaining why it appeals to them, what it means to them.
The convenience technology provides can free up our time to do other things. But sometimes that convenience deprives us of intentional, meaningful experiences.
Also, be mindful of who really owns and controls the technology you use. If music in your streaming “library” can disappear without warning, who is really in control of it? And what else do they control?
#dune #technology #AI #literature #books #movies #musicStreaming #physicalMedia