Looking forward to seeing your ideas. I'm "lucky" to work on a hands-on local government job that won't be affected by AI, though it's front and center in any cultural unrest.
On the broader subject: I recently became a father and am very mindful of how complex it will be to raise my child and any others in the changing world. On a very small scale, we homestead, which I hope will provide grounding. We also recently left our Baptist Church for Orthodoxy, and it's nature as grounded and stable will also be good I think.
Thank you! We certainly plan for more, as hard as that is to imagine in these early days haha.
I'm somewhat familiar with Kingsnorth, and follow him. I find some of his ideas very resonant, even as I disagree with his very disengaged approach to culture. I think he's a valuable voice overall though.
I agree that AI can be a threat to the humanity inherent in most human endeavor. But I see a choice between reckless exploitation of any technology and thoughtful use to enhance human abilities. We've seen this throughout history. Even non-inventions such as rocks can be weapons or building blocks or domestic tools. Using AI to replace rather than supplement human effort degrades output and produces "workslop".
Using tools as an analogy, I'm well aware that power tools enable my 80-year old body to accomplish tasks that would take multiple younger men using only hand tools. However, used carelessly, those tools can also turn good material into risky or useless junk.
Thank David. This is the heart of Lewis Mumford's perspective in Technics and Civilization -- back in 1934. Your nuanced view simply requires that we think consciously about the patterns of social organization and interdependence that come with a particular technology, and the specific way in which we use it. I heated my house for one Ontario winter when we first got here with wood that I cut myself, stacked, dried. I used a chainsaw and a log splitter. Oh my gosh it was so much work....I did it to show the kids what life would have been like in the house 100 years ago with just an axe and a cart horse :) Love the chainsaw and I'm not sure I would want to be without it. Perhaps if I had spent a life time with the axe though I would be healthier. At nearly 60, I find it exhausting just using the saw. Choices choices.
I doubt that anyone ever used an axe for cutting cordwood, only for splitting. Human-powered saws have been around for many centuries, but the chainsaw had to wait for the invention of small gasoline engines (now evolved to include battery power). In an interesting example of technological "cross-pollination", Tabitha Babbitt's spinning wheel was inspiration for her invention of the circular saw, which is much more efficient than the back-and-forth type. But I doubt that woodworking handsaws will ever be obsolete, at least as long as humans engage in woodworking.
Regarding tools, as enhancing as power tools are, they are unsuitable for some tasks. And there are multiple benefits to developing skill with hand tools. Sadly, I see younger generations largely lacking tool skills of all kinds; AI can't fix that.
although I hate everything about AI, there is one possibility which is that gains in productivity and routine service sector automation could be diverted into labour intensive craft work .....hedgelaying, drystone walling, coppicing, skilled craft manufacture ...but that would be the kind of choice that Mumford is talking about.
I certainly look forward to your forthcoming work. I've become a fast fan of your Substack thanks to my Canadian Professor friend turning me on to it. Here I sit, in Wyoming, pondering many of the same topics you so thoroughly examine. So keep up the great work, because it is valuable beyond measure.
The A.I. golem is mystifying. The potential is boundless, possibly good, but obviously horrific (examples abound). My fear is that humanity is too far removed from the Christian Ethic to properly manage and contain such a powerful tool/weapon/Jinn. The Church seems too concerned with nonsense and fashion politics, despite Pope Leo's initial signaling of AI as its biggest current/future challenge to saving souls. Here's hoping he follows up on that and leads a Holy Spirit guided campaign. Am I just a caveman amazed and afraid of the unknown or am I right in thinking we are creating our own ruin? As you wrote, jumping from the Train entirely seems wrong, but if the train is a runaway, then what? This will be the struggle of our generation and several generations to come. All this while the "religion of peaces" sneaks in the back door, and all the other "ists" wave them in. We all have our work cut out for us. Maybe that proves you should use the "weapon" of AI to combat these innumerable evils. Enough poorly written rambling from me, I'll be cheering you on Sir. Keep Calm and Carry your Cross.
Thanks so much for that Scott. It's encouraging to think anyone reads anything but also that there are like minds. Wyoming is a pretty good place to be. I'm just hoping my kids get married early, have kids and we can all be somewhere not too close to the city. One thing I do know is that with Catholicism despite the ups and downs of Catholic politics and all that stuff-- I can relax knowing that it's not all on me. I just have to tie up my end, and the Lord will remain true to his covenant. Catholics in 20 years will be much based and less woke than now, I'm sure of that....generational change + winnowing effect...traditional catholics have more kids I hope I live long enough to see it.
I hope you do as well. As a fellow Catholic, I wish I did not find the internal battles as interesting/dishearting as I do. A unified and traditionally coherent Church would be much more capable of combatting the coming storms. But you are correct, we have to keep up our end.
Looking forward to seeing your ideas. I'm "lucky" to work on a hands-on local government job that won't be affected by AI, though it's front and center in any cultural unrest.
On the broader subject: I recently became a father and am very mindful of how complex it will be to raise my child and any others in the changing world. On a very small scale, we homestead, which I hope will provide grounding. We also recently left our Baptist Church for Orthodoxy, and it's nature as grounded and stable will also be good I think.
Thanks Farmer Red and congratulations. Best thing that can happen to anyone. Have more children :) Do you follow Paul Kingsnorth?
Thank you! We certainly plan for more, as hard as that is to imagine in these early days haha.
I'm somewhat familiar with Kingsnorth, and follow him. I find some of his ideas very resonant, even as I disagree with his very disengaged approach to culture. I think he's a valuable voice overall though.
I agree that AI can be a threat to the humanity inherent in most human endeavor. But I see a choice between reckless exploitation of any technology and thoughtful use to enhance human abilities. We've seen this throughout history. Even non-inventions such as rocks can be weapons or building blocks or domestic tools. Using AI to replace rather than supplement human effort degrades output and produces "workslop".
Using tools as an analogy, I'm well aware that power tools enable my 80-year old body to accomplish tasks that would take multiple younger men using only hand tools. However, used carelessly, those tools can also turn good material into risky or useless junk.
Thank David. This is the heart of Lewis Mumford's perspective in Technics and Civilization -- back in 1934. Your nuanced view simply requires that we think consciously about the patterns of social organization and interdependence that come with a particular technology, and the specific way in which we use it. I heated my house for one Ontario winter when we first got here with wood that I cut myself, stacked, dried. I used a chainsaw and a log splitter. Oh my gosh it was so much work....I did it to show the kids what life would have been like in the house 100 years ago with just an axe and a cart horse :) Love the chainsaw and I'm not sure I would want to be without it. Perhaps if I had spent a life time with the axe though I would be healthier. At nearly 60, I find it exhausting just using the saw. Choices choices.
I doubt that anyone ever used an axe for cutting cordwood, only for splitting. Human-powered saws have been around for many centuries, but the chainsaw had to wait for the invention of small gasoline engines (now evolved to include battery power). In an interesting example of technological "cross-pollination", Tabitha Babbitt's spinning wheel was inspiration for her invention of the circular saw, which is much more efficient than the back-and-forth type. But I doubt that woodworking handsaws will ever be obsolete, at least as long as humans engage in woodworking.
Regarding tools, as enhancing as power tools are, they are unsuitable for some tasks. And there are multiple benefits to developing skill with hand tools. Sadly, I see younger generations largely lacking tool skills of all kinds; AI can't fix that.
Yes, it’s taken me near to retirement before getting a shop together and trying to relearn what my woodwork teacher taught me nearly 50 years ago.
although I hate everything about AI, there is one possibility which is that gains in productivity and routine service sector automation could be diverted into labour intensive craft work .....hedgelaying, drystone walling, coppicing, skilled craft manufacture ...but that would be the kind of choice that Mumford is talking about.
I certainly look forward to your forthcoming work. I've become a fast fan of your Substack thanks to my Canadian Professor friend turning me on to it. Here I sit, in Wyoming, pondering many of the same topics you so thoroughly examine. So keep up the great work, because it is valuable beyond measure.
The A.I. golem is mystifying. The potential is boundless, possibly good, but obviously horrific (examples abound). My fear is that humanity is too far removed from the Christian Ethic to properly manage and contain such a powerful tool/weapon/Jinn. The Church seems too concerned with nonsense and fashion politics, despite Pope Leo's initial signaling of AI as its biggest current/future challenge to saving souls. Here's hoping he follows up on that and leads a Holy Spirit guided campaign. Am I just a caveman amazed and afraid of the unknown or am I right in thinking we are creating our own ruin? As you wrote, jumping from the Train entirely seems wrong, but if the train is a runaway, then what? This will be the struggle of our generation and several generations to come. All this while the "religion of peaces" sneaks in the back door, and all the other "ists" wave them in. We all have our work cut out for us. Maybe that proves you should use the "weapon" of AI to combat these innumerable evils. Enough poorly written rambling from me, I'll be cheering you on Sir. Keep Calm and Carry your Cross.
Thanks so much for that Scott. It's encouraging to think anyone reads anything but also that there are like minds. Wyoming is a pretty good place to be. I'm just hoping my kids get married early, have kids and we can all be somewhere not too close to the city. One thing I do know is that with Catholicism despite the ups and downs of Catholic politics and all that stuff-- I can relax knowing that it's not all on me. I just have to tie up my end, and the Lord will remain true to his covenant. Catholics in 20 years will be much based and less woke than now, I'm sure of that....generational change + winnowing effect...traditional catholics have more kids I hope I live long enough to see it.
I hope you do as well. As a fellow Catholic, I wish I did not find the internal battles as interesting/dishearting as I do. A unified and traditionally coherent Church would be much more capable of combatting the coming storms. But you are correct, we have to keep up our end.
You wrote "Catholics in 20 years will be much more woke...". Woke? Or did you mean awakened, which "woke" in current usage is anything but.
That was most definitely a typo. I will correct. I meant less. Senior's moment