A Moment of Synchronicity

Now for an incredibly cliche platitude: technology has an ever growing grip on the way we interact with the world. We have observed it’s imprint on the way we socialize, the way we communicate, and the very nature in which we navigate our lives. The fever dreams of science fiction are coming closer and closer with every passing day.

The phenomenon is happening in real time — something invented in one part of the world affects another in a completely different way. Absolutely and unknowingly, we are manipulating the very fabric of our existence, and at the same time pioneering a completely new way.

Artificial intelligence presents us with a dualistic moral quandary — what do we do when a massive majority of our jobs are replaceable? Highly intelligent algorithms capable of doing complex problem solving faster than a whole team of our top MBAs is already possible. Pretty sketchy thought, however, the more important question for us to linger on is this — how will we choose to focus our free time now that we have a lot more of it?

What will the future look like when we shuck off the necessity of 60 hour work weeks and the never ending urge to chase the carrot? Could it be possible that by looking deep within ourselves that we find the answer to what we have always been seeking? And with the gift of the time to make such an effort, we unconsciously unlock what we are truly meant to be?

So here is the million dollar question — what is the place of the artist as we crescendo towards this moment of technological synchronicity? Well, let’s back up for a moment, because as the question may imply, it doesn’t have to be “man versus machine”. It could be “man meets machine”. Art has always been based on the subjectiveness of aesthetics, so as long as humans are the ones that judge and choose the aesthetic, then artistry will always be that of the human realm.

The trick is to not let these decisions be made for us, to use our own critical thought. We have full authorship and full responsibility for the beauty we seek. This applies not just to our external lives, but also our internal. Our interpretation of the world begins within our own mind. So we must first focus on the mastery of aesthetic internally, before the mastery of aesthetic externally. The 21st Century artists will find a way.