The Future, Now and Then

For those of you who don’t know me, I teach a class on the history of the digital future. I am finishing a book on the topic as well. So I think I can speak with some authority in saying that there has not been a time in recent memory when the future was quite so unclear as it is right now.

That existential uncertainty comes from two places. (1) We don’t know what generative AI will mean for the types of work you all are setting out to specialize in. And (2) we don’t know what the future of our political system will be.

Piece of advice #2: Find your voice. Never stop finding your voice.

Y’know what most bums me out about generative AI products like ChatGPT? They make everyone sound the same. This is baked into the product itself — it is, at base, a guess-the-next-word engine, a cliche-generator. And whether you think it’s the future or you thinks it’s a hype bubble, it sure seems like we’re going to be awash in the stuff for the next few years.