When we live in an age where artificial intelligence can conjure up pictures of nearly every prompt you throw at it, would you consider AI to be creative? Arguably, no. Creativity is the ability to create something new by breaking down the current norms and putting them back together differently. Ask an AI to create an image of a “tarsier eating an anaconda” and it will probably give it to you. But if you ask it to create 22nd-century art, it will probably struggle a bit. Read full article here
Culture
The Priest in the Arena
The phrase “man in the arena” has been popularized in recent years, but a lesser known, more dangerous archetype is the “priest in the arena”. This figure is responsible for a process called theocratic capture, where an institution surrenders to a cult demanding unaccountable authority, fueled by claims to privileged knowledge. These cults often target powerful institutions and attempt to monopolize conversations with scaremongering tactics and hostile treatment of allies. It is important to identify and stop theocratic capture before it can gain control. Read full article here
Merv
May 29, 2023
