AI Could Redirect Attention Back to the Physical World, Expert Argues
While generative AI risks dematerializing human experiences, it also holds the potential to re-engage people with real-world tasks and activities.
Generative artificial intelligence, while posing risks to human creativity and potentially making creative careers unviable, may also paradoxically guide people back toward the physical world. Ian Bogost, a university professor, artist, and designer, suggests that AI's capabilities could lead individuals to disengage from screens and reconnect with tangible experiences.
Bogost notes that AI can automate tasks previously requiring human interaction, such as writing emails or planning vacations. This automation, he argues, can amplify the dematerializing effects of technology, diminishing the satisfaction derived from the physical acts of creation, like typing or browsing physical catalogs and guidebooks. The immediate gratification of these tactile processes could be lost as AI takes over.
However, Bogost also posits that AI can facilitate engagement with the real world. Large language models, for instance, can be effective tools for planning and executing practical, hands-on activities. These include tasks like fixing a plumbing leak, repairing a car, or learning a new hobby. In this capacity, AI could serve as a catalyst for individuals to pursue and complete real-world projects, fostering a connection with their physical environment.
Might AI help us look away from our screens? Bogost's perspective highlights a dual nature of AI's impact on human experience, suggesting it can both distance us from and draw us closer to the tangible world around us.