To say that artificial intelligence has changed our daily life would probably be an understatement. Everywhere we look we can spot traces of AI, from web pages and commercials to physical books in stores. We’re entering a new era of content creation. An era that enables everyone to create the content they’ve been dreaming about but haven’t had the time or competence to do so. It’s a really exciting time period to live in and experience, but is everything really all sunshine and rainbows or are we missing the bigger picture?
I’d like to begin by stating that I’m not a hater or against AI, I use it in my daily work and it does indeed enable me to write code and produce products faster which in turn makes my employer happy. Stuff that usually took a week or two to achieve can now be done in a fraction of that time. The thing is though that while the products release faster and problems get solved faster, my knowledge and experience doesn’t necessarily follow in the same pace.
AI enables us to produces the final products without having to go through the difficulty of learning the prerequisites of the craft. We’re able to create paintings without knowing the first thing about colors, write novels without knowing the basic grammar and hack networks without knowing the first thing about internet protocols. At first-sight this might seem awesome, but to me it seems like we’re indeed missing the bigger picture. The difficulty and the struggles endured learning the craft is almost as (if not more) important as the final product. To illustrate this I’d like to quote the poem Ithaca by the Greek poet Constantine Cavafy:
“Have Ithaka always in your mind. Your arrival there is what you are destined for. But don’t in the least hurry the journey. Better it last for years, so that when you reach the island you are old, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting Ithaka to give you wealth. Ithaka gave you a splendid journey. Without her you would not have set out. She hasn’t anything else to give you.”
The poem is inspired by Homer’s Odyssey where we follow Odysseus’ journey back to his home of Ithaca, during which he encounters countless perils. What Cavafy conveys in his poem is that we all have our Ithaca and it is the journey towards it that matters, not the destination itself. For Odysseus it was the literal journey, the obstacles, the monsters encountered and the friends he made along the way. For you and me though, it could be whatever craft we learn towards our destination. Take your time and learn the ins and outs of the craft, don’t settle for the final result.
In a time where more and more content is created by or with the help of AI, we need to stand firm and enjoy the art of creating. We can’t forget the joy of the process, the struggles and the fulfillment of overcoming the obstacles. Fulfillment is found in the process of overcoming struggles not the lack of them. With that said, we should also not struggle, just to struggle. Learn to use AI in a manner that help you on your journey instead of taking you directly to it. Let it be the wind in your sails rather than the destination itself.
To practice what I’ve preached here, I’m committed to writing this blog without the assistance of AI, which you might already have guessed based based on the lack of em dashes. This blog is my Ithaca and whatever your Ithaca might be, don’t haste your journey because there is so much to experience and enjoy along the way.