It would be wrong to say that YouTube ruined storytelling. But is a lot of what's most popular there still like throwing puppies on a freeway?
I spend a ton of time on YT, and the trending videos seem to have the grotesquely interesting vibe. Granted there's so much content, so you can find more thoughtful stuff if you want. But if the best-case scenario for AI is to end up like YouTube, I'm not sure that's a good thing. What do you think?
I think there's a lot of great, well-produced stories on YouTube and also a lot of crap. (And that was particularly true in the early 2010s renaissance after it started investing heavily in bringing in original creators.) And I'd say that's likely the best-case scenario for AI. There's no way we avoid there being a lot of crap from AI. That's baked in. It's literally an easy-button-bullshit machine. But if it also allows thoughtful writers and filmmakers to tell stories they couldn't otherwise, that are still human and real, I'd consider that a win.
Good stuff Joe, the position on AI and the links at the end. Just read that article about birth rates yesterday … and wondered whether my kids (32 and 30) will have kids at all. The costs and commitment scare the crap out of them: how will they make it work? I keep telling them “you just figure it out.” But we live in a different world.
Yeah, it's not all socioeconomic either. I'm 37 — our wider friend group is about 30 people aged 35-45, all doing well. In total, there are 8 kids, with the potential for maybe 4-6 more. (We have a two-year-old and are on the "one and see" plan.) There are so many factors to it — it's complex. Some people just don't want kids. And then there's the reality of having one kid in the city — it still works. You can still live your old life, in a lot of ways. Two tends to push you out to the 'burbs.
Tom, sounds like you and I have had similar conversations with our adult kids. Mine are 25 and 29, both have life partners and my oldest is now finally considering having a kid. But, honestly, I can see their point. It's very expensive to have kids, and it is a lot of work. Even so, there is no other worldly experience that can touch having a child. I also let them know that if no one gives me grandkids, then I want a refund!
That refund bit is funny! I agree that having kids is a great experience … but we’re biased, right? We want to affirm our own experience. I wonder what it would have been like not to?
Love the “throwing puppies on the freeway” as a descriptor. Works well. And I had to comment about “A Real Pain”. I am not the demographic nor is my daughter, but we loved this movie. I haven’t seen something that left me feeling so deeply human for a long time.
I think it's a movie for everyone! Both characters are such recognizable archetypes, and their transformation is so subtle yet powerful. And we need more tight-90s. There needs to be an Oscar category for that.
So much good stuff in this one. But this line I love the most: "AI still fails at what I’m calling the Lucas Test: creating content or stories that anyone would choose to read or watch."
Joe, thanks for this insightful message. When AI came out, I lost 80% of my content clients to the machines. I believe many of my clients thought it would be easy to create content people would want to read by putting in a prompt and hitting a button. What most people don't realize is that the humanization piece cannot be duplicated by a program which is only reading and regurgitating. AI cannot replace what tens of thousands of years of experience has given us - the ability to tell a story.
It would be wrong to say that YouTube ruined storytelling. But is a lot of what's most popular there still like throwing puppies on a freeway?
I spend a ton of time on YT, and the trending videos seem to have the grotesquely interesting vibe. Granted there's so much content, so you can find more thoughtful stuff if you want. But if the best-case scenario for AI is to end up like YouTube, I'm not sure that's a good thing. What do you think?
I think there's a lot of great, well-produced stories on YouTube and also a lot of crap. (And that was particularly true in the early 2010s renaissance after it started investing heavily in bringing in original creators.) And I'd say that's likely the best-case scenario for AI. There's no way we avoid there being a lot of crap from AI. That's baked in. It's literally an easy-button-bullshit machine. But if it also allows thoughtful writers and filmmakers to tell stories they couldn't otherwise, that are still human and real, I'd consider that a win.
Good stuff Joe, the position on AI and the links at the end. Just read that article about birth rates yesterday … and wondered whether my kids (32 and 30) will have kids at all. The costs and commitment scare the crap out of them: how will they make it work? I keep telling them “you just figure it out.” But we live in a different world.
Yeah, it's not all socioeconomic either. I'm 37 — our wider friend group is about 30 people aged 35-45, all doing well. In total, there are 8 kids, with the potential for maybe 4-6 more. (We have a two-year-old and are on the "one and see" plan.) There are so many factors to it — it's complex. Some people just don't want kids. And then there's the reality of having one kid in the city — it still works. You can still live your old life, in a lot of ways. Two tends to push you out to the 'burbs.
Tom, sounds like you and I have had similar conversations with our adult kids. Mine are 25 and 29, both have life partners and my oldest is now finally considering having a kid. But, honestly, I can see their point. It's very expensive to have kids, and it is a lot of work. Even so, there is no other worldly experience that can touch having a child. I also let them know that if no one gives me grandkids, then I want a refund!
That refund bit is funny! I agree that having kids is a great experience … but we’re biased, right? We want to affirm our own experience. I wonder what it would have been like not to?
Love the “throwing puppies on the freeway” as a descriptor. Works well. And I had to comment about “A Real Pain”. I am not the demographic nor is my daughter, but we loved this movie. I haven’t seen something that left me feeling so deeply human for a long time.
I think it's a movie for everyone! Both characters are such recognizable archetypes, and their transformation is so subtle yet powerful. And we need more tight-90s. There needs to be an Oscar category for that.
Definitely for everyone! The depth of character in those 90 minutes was masterful.
So much good stuff in this one. But this line I love the most: "AI still fails at what I’m calling the Lucas Test: creating content or stories that anyone would choose to read or watch."
May the force be with you!
Joe, thanks for this insightful message. When AI came out, I lost 80% of my content clients to the machines. I believe many of my clients thought it would be easy to create content people would want to read by putting in a prompt and hitting a button. What most people don't realize is that the humanization piece cannot be duplicated by a program which is only reading and regurgitating. AI cannot replace what tens of thousands of years of experience has given us - the ability to tell a story.
Great post - although I cringed at “throwing puppies on the freeway”, I get and appreciate that the opposite of that is “true story telling”!
Love this, thanks. Great food for thought and inspiration to keep up our voice.