Death of the Western Icon
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Algorithmic pieces of flesh.
We fear artificial intelligence will replace us, but what part of you is still natural?
How can AI “takeover” when you’ve already deteriorated your natural prowess, such as deep thought and intuition? What is left for AI to conquer which you have not already given up?
The same applies when it comes to AI replacing art. The mainstream produces vapidity. Beauty—a transcendental property of existence—has been forgotten.
AI will only “replace us” due to an absence.
Everything is in critical condition, our humanity is at an all time low, and the collective unconscious is up for grabs.
How did we get here? This all stems from late-stage capitalism.
Capitalism, at its core, is simply monetary optimization. Every action is made with the idea of financial progress in mind.
Think of the minds of capitalists through this analogy of the ledger:
Income is positive. Expense is negative. There is no neutral—it is either positive or negative.
This belief system has been indoctrinated into us since birth, though, it has never been this potent. Recently, it has been gaining prevalence through online hustle culture.
From the “Day in the life of an X” to the “If my life doesn’t look like Y at 25” videos—the narrative of optimization is being pushed harder than ever.
To add, the idea of progress has become entirely physical/technical—metaphysical progress is no longer apparent. Dreams, visions, and thoughts have all come to a halt.
Are we not already artificial?
Though, I must add, optimization is not the enemy. Progress is important, it is necessary for human evolution and exploration of the universe, but it is the context in which progress is being pushed.
We’ve consumed enough, and we don’t need to consume anymore.
We need redesigned institutions that prioritize the natural, human experience, but don’t discredit the artificial either—perfect harmony, a balance between tradition and technology.