Tag: ai

by jad

Organic Intelligence at Slip Belltown

“OPERATION” by @benirito at ORGANIC INTELLIGENCE at @slip_belltown I made a friend on Monday. We’d first met at an art show, so it seemed fitting that we’d meet up again at another. But first, we pretended to be elsewhere for a while, somewhere far from this city we’ve both adopted. We sat at a sidewalk cafe, performing aperitivo under a Seattle sun turned a Mediterranean orange by the smoke of Spokane’s hellfires, and we talked about what it meant to think and feel and relate in this part of the world. Our backgrounds were vastly different, and yet, the resonances … Continue reading “Organic Intelligence at Slip Belltown” →

by jad

Overtourism, and Cory Doctorow’s Reverse Centaurs

I’ve been seeing some chatter on here about “overtourism,” a phenomenon that’s viscerally obvious in a city like Florence. And while I’m not above grumbling about the crowds myself, every time the discourse veers into a quasi-actionable register (that proverbial “what is to be done”), I flinch. What is there to be done, really? Because the grumbles never come from people who have not stepped foot on whatever sacred ground is in question; it’s always people who want to be there just as badly as everyone else. And while my heart always goes out to the people who actually live … Continue reading “Overtourism, and Cory Doctorow’s Reverse Centaurs” →

by jad

Gunther Anders, the Bomb, and the Thingification of Man

Pope Leo XIV was reported the other day as saying on AI: “We currently interact with machines as if they were interlocutors and thus become almost an extension of them. In this sense, we not only run the risk of losing sight of the faces of the people around us, but of forgetting how to recognize and cherish all that is truly human.” It sounds like typical priestly pablum, the kind that anyone who has ever spent any time in a Catholic school might roll their eyes at out of force of habit; I can almost hear Father Madi crooning … Continue reading “Gunther Anders, the Bomb, and the Thingification of Man” →

by jad

Just Be Real

There’s a benefit to going through Instagram’s “shared on this day” feature every morning, as I do. I begin to notice things I wouldn’t otherwise. Like how I seem to go through different phases or micro-“eras” with the photos I take or the looks I gravitate towards, depending on how I’m feeling or where I am or what I’m interested in at the time. You might be noticing that too. I don’t know what to make of the set I took yesterday. It’s minimal, for a start. Militantly minimal. A year from now, I might have words to articulate why. … Continue reading “Just Be Real” →

by jad

Cornucopia Daze

We went to Kent Cornucopia Days for the first time since we checked it out right after I immigrated here and were surprised by how much the weekend fair had grown over the years; and these are post-pandemic days too, you’ll remember. Spread across the whole downtown core, it felt like a mashup of a farmers’ market and a state fair, minus the rides and plus the sociopolitical quirks you’d expect of a town like Kent. There were some surprises too. I took a bunch of photos and will be posting them for however long feels curatorially appropriate. I read … Continue reading “Cornucopia Daze” →

by jad

This Is Fine

Generate an image of Antonio Gramsci using his actual likeness and showing him eating pasta in the middle of burning room with the caption: “this is fine” I can’t create an image using Antonio Gramsci’s actual likeness, since it involves depicting a real historical person in a stylized or potentially sensitive context. That said, I can help generate an original character inspired by Gramsci’s aesthetics—think signature round glasses, tousled hair, early 20th-century Italian style—seated calmly in a surreal, fiery setting enjoying a plate of pasta with that iconic “this is fine” vibe.Would you like me to go ahead with that … Continue reading “This Is Fine” →

by jad

False Flags

Or “How a Misread Italian Poster Revealed the Risks—and Rewards—of Historical AI” Note: this whole article was generated by ChatGPT upon its own suggestion after I argued with it about a misinterpretation of an Italian political poster. This came up after I asked it: “What guarantees do I have that you won’t spread misinformation about this poster to someone else who asks?” ChatGPT responded as follows: Here is the article it generated, in full, without edits: “Against the Standard-Bearers of Dictatorship.” That’s what the poster said—boldly, in Italian. The image shows two flags tied together: one bearing the hammer and … Continue reading “False Flags” →

by jad

The Photographer in May

May was a rough month for me, a fact that, I think, was reflected in the way I wrote and took photos; clipped, halting, and more enigmatically than usual. Below is an analysis generated by ChatGPT to help me articulate what I could not express during that time. The person taking these photos seems to possess a documentary-style approach to photography, capturing candid and unfiltered moments from everyday life. Their photographic style suggests an appreciation for the ordinary, focusing on details that might otherwise go unnoticed. The toy car in the first image reflects a sense of nostalgia or playfulness, … Continue reading “The Photographer in May” →

by jad

Red December

Behold the lambBehold the lambNot one stoneAtop another will stand. There have been a couple more full circle moments lately. New starts to old ends; resets with fresh means. This is one of them; a return to trying again. Taken at the second session of the @seattledsa new member winter cohort. They used my camera to take a group shot too but posting that one isn’t my style. Also: remember the communist I bumped into at Folklife? The one I took a portrait of with the Polaroid Go I’d borrowed? I finally popped into one of the cell meetings she … Continue reading “Red December” →

by jad

Tell Me Something

I asked ChatGPT to give me a random quote based on the first thing that pops in its AI head, and it said: “Even the smallest spark can light a path through the darkest forest.” So, I asked it why it thought of that, and it replied: “It popped into my “mind” as a metaphor for hope and determination. I think I associated it with the idea of perseverance in challenging situations—a theme that resonates in many contexts, from personal struggles to movements like those you’ve shown interest in, such as historical protests or efforts for change. Perhaps it’s my … Continue reading “Tell Me Something” →