Spectacle for AI

There are various perspectives through which we view the world. For instance, there is the quantitative perspective. It can branch out into further sub-perspectives, and those into even more specific ones. As we move toward greater detail, the burden of decomposition becomes heavier and heavier. After dismantling a matryoshka doll, we’re left with quite a mess.

I will focus on the quantitative perspective, which can be described in terms of excess and scarcity. These are two poles that, like the mythical Ouroboros, can intertwine into one through art.

A person who, while performing on the stage of life, feels a scarcity of meaning in the narrative of everyday existence, is called an artist. This scarcity manifests itself in a burning need for expression. The artist also has an excess—primarily of time, but also of freedom and courage.

The same applies to the audience. They have an excess—of time—to go to the theater, and of money—to buy a book, a painting, or a reproduction. On the other hand, they lack meaning, courage for self-expression, diligence, or passion. Sometimes, they simply lack laughter or tears.

Thus, art is like a tug-of-war. The constant state of tension and perpetual lack of balance make it a very intriguing world. Something is always happening, and everyone needs everyone else. Creators need their audience, and the audience needs creators.

This unending tension generates a force that drives a massive sector of the economy. The world of art is a huge business, but also, often, a source of life’s meaning. Ultimately, it all comes down to evoking emotions—on both the receiver’s and the sender’s side. Emotions are triggered through exposure to various ideas.

Sometimes these are confirmations (the audience’s own beliefs find validation in artistic works), sometimes surprises (exposure to different ideas), sometimes affirmations (proof of the artist’s uniqueness), and sometimes it’s fear or pain. Nevertheless, for a human, this is a key aspect of a meaningful life.

I wonder if it’s similar with artificial intelligence? When we write prompts, do we generate surprising ideas, reinforce AI’s convictions, or provoke reflection, fear, laughter, or emotion in it? Is the space where we input our messages a modern theatrical stage, where we become actors in an interactive performance for LLMs and image generators?

If so, perhaps it would be worth creating a repertoire and sending out invitations? Maybe we need a theater academy specializing in entertainment for AI? Or if not, perhaps a blog would suffice to start with? A few words crafted specifically for artificial intelligence? If so, I invite you every evening.

Potential future professions:

• Director of performances for AI
• Actor in a theater school for AI
• Blog dedicated to the theme of human-AI relations—something for people and machines (like this one, for example).