Viewing AI as a Partner, Not a Producer
The reason you are reading this letter from me today is that I was bored 30 years ago.
I was both bored and curious about the world, which led me to spend considerable time in the university computer lab, exploring Usenet and the early World Wide Web for interesting content. Before long, I found that simply consuming content wasn’t enough—I wanted to create it. So, I learned HTML and started crafting basic web pages, then improved upon those, ultimately building an entire website filled with various insights. This initial collection of web pages paved the way for a journalism internship at an online magazine that was indifferent to what we tech enthusiasts were doing. This experience eventually led to my first real journalism job, followed by others, and ultimately to my current role as a journalist.
However, none of this would have been possible without my boredom and, more importantly, my curiosity about technology.
The university computer lab may not appear as a typical hub of creativity at first glance. We often associate creativity with artists’ studios or writers’ workshops. Yet, throughout history, many significant creative advancements—like the web itself—have stemmed from breakthroughs in technology.
We can point to obvious examples like photography or the printing press, but this is also true for numerous artistic inventions we often overlook: oil paints, theaters, musical scores, electric synthesizers! In nearly every artistic discipline, technology has played a vital role, except perhaps in pure vocal performance.
Nevertheless, the essence of artistic achievement has never resided solely in the technology itself. Rather, it is the manner in which artists employ these tools to convey our shared humanity that defines true art. When we talk about the arts, we often use language that reflects our human experience—words like soul, heart, and life often come to the fore. Conversely, we might critique art with terms such as sterile, clinical, or lifeless. Sure, one can appreciate a sterile work, but typically this is because the artist has chosen sterility to convey a profound statement about humanity.
This is to say that I believe AI can serve—and is already serving—as a tool for creative expression; however, genuine artistry will always be guided by human creativity, not machinery.
I could be mistaken, but I remain hopeful.
This issue, which was entirely crafted by human beings using computers, delves into the theme of creativity and the dynamic between artists and technology. You can see our cover, illustrated by Tom Humberstone, and explore stories by James O’Donnell, Will Douglas Heaven, Rebecca Ackermann, Michelle Kim, Bryan Gardiner, and Allison Arieff.
Yet, creativity extends beyond the arts. All of human progress is rooted in creativity, as it is our method for solving challenges. That’s why we’ve included stories relating to this broader concept, featuring contributions from Carrie Klein, Carly Kay, Matthew Ponsford, and Robin George Andrews. If you’ve ever wondered how we might intercept an asteroid, this issue is designed for you!
We are also embracing our own creative evolution. In upcoming issues, you’ll notice some changes as we incorporate new regular features—such as Caiwei Chen’s “3 Things.” Alongside these changes, we are planning to enhance reader engagement by soliciting and publishing more feedback, as well as addressing your questions regarding technology. We encourage you to tap into your creativity and share your thoughts with us: newsroom@hotnchill.com.
As always, thank you for reading.
