The Ritual of Creation, Artificial Intelligence and Surfing
Tools are divine. They are, as a concept and reality, the absolute proof of our exceptionality as creatures. By “we” I mean us humans, just to clarify. I truly believe that a hammer holds a holy spark in its mere existence. The fact that we can think, plan and build something that expands our capacities far beyond our limitations, is something quite godly. These devices that we are able to conjure, these tools, are also what differentiates human beings from the rest of nature.
Not that other beings are not able to create them, because they are. Birds may harvest branches to build nests, elephants can use twigs to swat at flies, monkeys use stones to open crabs, and so forth.
Human tools started as such, but have developed into something far different. We came from using objects, such as wood. To creating objects, such as cars. To transcending objects, such as the internet.
And now, in our latest prayer to the divine, we have transcended thought. The act of thinking is no longer necessary, because we have a machine able to do that for us. It’s also, most likely, the most dangerous machine we have ever created.
Artificial intelligence as a concept, and reality, has existed for a while. What stands out from the past to the present, is how prominent it has become in our daily lives, and as a result, the creation of deep rifts in our societal relations and individual development.
Using AI to help in your creative process is a delicate surgery. A wrong pinch at an unfortunate moment, may create severe unwanted consequences.
If you think about AI as a tool, it might not be that different than using a brush, or photoshop. A tool for assistance, but not replacement, right? Well… no.
We have never been here before. This is not like photoshop.
The creative process is a ritual, and must be respected as such. The creative process is NOT its final result. What artificial intelligence does is to generate a final result, without the ritual. If you eat fast food, you are fed, but you can’t live on it. Using artificial intelligence to create is the same. You may solve a problem, you may create value for the shareholders. But you are not fed with the ritual. You are not filling your seat as an artist/creative.
When we engage with creating something: envisioning, researching, drafting, building. We are not doing so to create an outcome, but rather to be engaged in creation. As creatives, this is what we crave for. We don’t need the final result, the result will always be different. We need the ritual.
Surfing is also a ritual. For most surfers, you don’t go surf to achieve a specific outcome, you go surfing, to surf.
Imagine I go surf, and as I start to paddle out, I realize that I will not be able to perform as I wished to perform. In the face of this conundrum, I decide to activate my surfing robot. The surfing robot is a machine created to guarantee a good surfing session, regardless of the condition. My surfing robot grabs me onto its robotic arms and takes me for an amazing ride on the wave that I thought would be impossible to ride. What a good surfing session I had because of my robot.
This makes no sense.
I would not have surfed. I would be a spectator of the experience. The surfing happened, but I wasn’t the one doing it.
Using AI in your creative process, specifically in the creation part, is the same.
In some areas it can be helpful, research for example. Some projects as well, specially if you are involved in a project that it doesn’t make a difference who creates it, such as UX/UI work. I personally used an LLM to fact check this text and point out grammar mistakes. Only after the text was completely written and created.
When it comes to you, though. When it comes to YOUR work, and not work that you are doing for someone else, forget about it.
Art, among many things, is a bridge to the artist’s mind. To funnel your intent through a prompt machine doesn’t create art, it generates a result. That is not the same.
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Felipe