a thing i don’t get is what is new. i mean, computers have long been much, much “smarter” than humans in, for example, their ability to perform arithmetic, or to remember things. recent AI tools are interesting for sure, but what superior competence of their makes these new systems so threatening, compared to older superior competences?

@interfluidity It's because they're starting to bridge the gap between logic and art/emotion. We expect machines to excel at logic but fail at art (without serious help from humans). But now, whether they're truly creating/feeling or just assembling/simulating, the end result is a product that defies our expectations of what machines are capable of.

@LouisIngenthron @interfluidity
Computers helped Artists make Art.
Now Artists help Computers make Art.

@blabberlicious @interfluidity Sure, but that's been true at least as long as Pixar and the video game industry have existed.

@LouisIngenthron @interfluidity No, I'm an animator, and the love and humanity that goes their work is strictly Computers Helping Artists.

@blabberlicious @interfluidity Yes, I'm a game developer myself. And, I agree, your character models and animation are examples of computers assisting humans.

But the final product? The rendered image with all of the algorithms working in perfect harmony in response to the user's input? That's a little less clear about who has the true agency in making that art. The entire concept of "emergent gameplay" really drives that home.