AN ANIMIST'S PERSPECTIVE ON "AI" - PART 2

Disposable relations and compassionate threads

(Image: A top view of two hands submerging bunches of unprocessed silk threads into a black washbasin of water - by oneclearvision from Getty Images Signature)

If you haven’t already, I’d recommend starting by reading part 1 of this series. It provides some context and a teeny bit about my personal relationship with technology and spirituality. I’m going to dive right in here basically where that one left off, and that piece will prep you.

It’s been slowing down my June writing sprint to write this series. I am experiencing a strong reflection of the consequences of truth telling on certain topics, not from external criticisms, but because it feels heavy in my body. The grief is so intense. The realities of what we are living through are intense. I am trying to be with the intensity of it, the width and breadth of everything swirling in my perspective, without being the heavy hand that scolds scolds scolds, and it is challenging. It’s an area I always have to be aware of in myself, because I know I will keep growing wiser, seeing my gaps and certainties with greater perspective. 

Every 10 minutes I stand up from my writing, I walk over to the stove and lean my face into the steam rising from a big pot of orange mint tea that is brewing. I inhale deeply so that the heat of the steam almost hurts my sinuses, and the mint opens my breathing & my pores. I cut the herbs fresh this morning, and will put the tea in the fridge to enjoy over the next week. This is what balances me in this process. I always invite you to find things that do the same for you, especially all you truth tellers out there. The truth doesn’t have to be totally absolute for you to be courageous as you tell it. Deep minty steamy breaths. 

I consider it ahistorical to say that “AI” will never replace artists, or that you won’t lose your job to “AI,” just to someone who is better at using it than you are. But you don’t have to be a history buff, because it’s also already happening right now. Given that so many folks are sharing their direct examples of having their work used to train image generators, as well as working artists losing work, there is a LOT of story being talked about this.