#AI creativity paradox

[zomb13s]

The Dire Situation of Artificial Intelligence and the Absence of a 'Fantasy' Database: A Socio-Economic and Political Analysis

Introduction Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a subject of widespread fascination, promising advancements in nearly every sector, from healthcare to logistics and entertainment. However, there exists a profound void in AI’s conceptual framework—a lack of a true ‘fantasy’ database. AI, as it stands, has no innate capacity to generate fantasy or imaginative outputs without drawing heavily…

[xokp]

The Liminal Role of AI in Writing and Art

On AI and its uses… I’m fascinated by the liminal use of AI. I like the idea of AI as a reflection of consciousness, of seeing what it does with input. As I cultivate this presence on the web, I want to be up front about the role AI plays in my workflow. I tend to stay away from AI for writing. I use it for only the most rudimentary assistance, like grammar or perhaps an occasional writing…

[essenyare]

Geographical Narratives: Mapping Leon S. Kennedy's Origins

-edit 20:45 GMT+8 2025/02/01-

To those who have sent me negative messages criticizing my use of AI: Well, yes, I use AI tools like ChatGPT Pro, Claude Pro and Perplexity Pro to assist me in analyzing and writing, along with resources like Google, Quora, YouTube, Reddit, extensively playing the games myself, and even drawing from my personal experiences, movies I've watched, and the knowledge I've gained over the years. I studied film production in my college with a focus on screenwriting and directing. I gather information, analyze it, and synthesize ideas to create something meaningful—and I don't see why that's an issue.

If you lack the initial passion, imagination or knowledge about Resident Evil, NOT A SINGLE TOOL—AI or otherwise—will enable you to create substantial content. I create this fanfic primarily to entertain myself and to share it with those who might also find resonance in it. I’m relatively late to the franchise (Oct 2024, yeah I know, what took me so long?), and since I don’t have close friends to discuss the games with, writing fanfic allows me to explore and connect with the world of Resident Evil in my own way. With a full-time job, I also use AI tools to enhance efficiency in my leisure time, so I can focus on the parts I enjoy most—crafting stories and delving into the lore. For me, it’s about enjoying the process and connecting with others who share the same passion. The fact that I leverage modern tools and technology to enhance my writing and analysis is a choice I make, and it doesn't concern you if you choose not to explore or utilize these resources yourself. Instead of focusing on how something is made, perhaps consider the effort and thought behind it. Innovation and creativity mean adapting to new tools and methods. Using AI—or any resource—doesn’t devalue the work; it amplifies what’s possible. And if we don’t see eye to eye, that’s fine. Party's over and the door’s over there if you need it. 🫶🚪

Ok pookies, here we go:

I. Geographical and Cultural Setting

Indianapolis as Leon's Hometown Indianapolis (population 740,000 in 1998) offers a compelling contrast to Raccoon City's metropolitan density (population 1.5 million). With its stable Midwestern character, open layout, and moderate pace, Indianapolis is an ideal environment for the Mitchell family's middle-class lifestyle. Its educational resources and affordable living costs made it a logical place for Leon to grow up in a foster home after the loss of his family.

The distance between Indianapolis and Raccoon City—about 360 miles (580 km)—adds to the narrative. It is far enough to signify a fresh start for a 21-year-old rookie like Leon, yet close enough to make the move practical. This geographical separation reinforces his desire for career advancement, while subtly highlighting the pull of Raccoon City's opportunities, including the prestigious Raccoon Police Department (RPD) and its elite S.T.A.R.S. unit.

Raccoon City's Population Paradox: Why 100,000 Doesn't Add Up With a population of 1.5 million, Raccoon City stands as a major regional metropolis—smaller than Chicago (2.8 million) but significantly larger than Indianapolis. This population size positions it as a city significant enough to be deeply entwined with the operations of the Umbrella Corporation.

Setting aside the official game canon, which states that Raccoon City had a population of 100,000, but why did I estimate it to be around 1.5 million? Let’s start with its ultimate fate—being wiped out by a nuclear strike.

For the government to justify deploying nuclear weapons, Raccoon City would need to have a population of at least one million. This threshold aligns with military decision-making logic, as the use of such extreme measures typically requires a significant threat level, both in terms of the scale of the outbreak and its potential to spread. A city with a smaller population might not warrant such drastic action, as conventional containment methods would likely be considered sufficient. However, if Raccoon City were home to a million or more people, the risk of the virus spreading beyond the city limits would be much higher, making a nuclear strike a more viable last resort to prevent a global catastrophe.

To determine a reasonable population estimate, we can look at comparable real-world cities that fit Raccoon City’s urban and geographic profile.

Bridging the Gap: A Tale of Two Cities The use of both Chicago and Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area (MSA) as references helps resolve the tension between:

Chicago for the canon requirement of location: Midwest city

Pittsburgh MSA for the actual game portrayal in the natural landscape: mountainous (Arklay) and the hills in the city

Pittsburgh MSA for the assumed population

Both cities for the Neo-Classical heritage of architectures

Both cities for the urban development scale

Though classified as a Midwestern city, Raccoon City's geography and economic characteristics diverge significantly from regional norms. Unlike the flat plains typical of the Midwest, the city is nestled within the dramatic Arklay Mountains, whose elevation changes and natural isolation evoke Pittsburgh's position within the Appalachian foothills. This unique setting provides the city with a scale akin to Chicago (the Midwest’s largest metropolis), while its geography amplifies a sense of both grandeur and seclusion. The Arklay Mountains, combined with frequent overcast skies, winter fog, and regular rainfall, create an atmosphere of foreboding—a natural curtain for Umbrella’s clandestine operations. This ominous tone, blending isolation with unease, tragically mirrors the fate that would ultimately befall the city.

II. Urban Development and Visual Identity

Architectural Heritage and Evolution Raccoon City’s iconic police department building, converted from a museum, reflects the rich architectural heritage of both Pittsburgh and Chicago, cities that flourished during the late 19th-century industrial boom. Both cities are known for their grand civic and cultural buildings in the Neo-Classical and Beaux-Arts styles—impressive stone structures with ornate facades, symmetrical designs, and elaborate interior layouts. Pittsburgh’s historic architecture emphasizes heavy stonework and Romanesque Revival influences, while Chicago, though also home to many classical structures, became a pioneer in steel-frame skyscrapers and modern urban development.

Raccoon City’s architectural identity appears to be a fusion of these influences, combining the monumental grandeur of Pittsburgh’s historic buildings with Chicago’s urban scale and development patterns.

Modern Development and Infrastructure The Bright Raccoon 21st Century Plan transformed what was once a "sleepy country city" into a thriving metropolis of over a million residents. This is particularly evident in the remakes of Resident Evil 2 & 3, where the city demonstrates comprehensive urban infrastructure:

An extensive subway system with multiple lines connecting diverse districts

Modern commercial districts featuring impressive high-rises

The grand-scale police headquarters housing elite units like S.T.A.R.S.

Advanced medical facilities including multiple major hospitals

Various entertainment venues including shopping centers and sports facilities

Sophisticated underground networks originally built for municipal services

Urban Zones and Districts This rapid expansion created distinct urban zones:

A modern downtown core dominated by Umbrella's corporate presence

Historic districts preserving the city's industrial heritage

Diverse residential areas reflecting growing social stratification

Extensive suburban developments reaching toward the Arklay Mountains

Research and development districts housing Umbrella's facilities

III. Visual Representation and Media Adaptations

Film Adaptations and Metropolitan Character The city's metropolitan character is most prominently captured in film adaptations, particularly Resident Evil: Apocalypse, which utilized Toronto's urban landscape. The choice of Toronto as a filming location provided the perfect backdrop with its:

Impressive skyline reflecting modern urbanization

Dense commercial districts showing economic vitality

Sophisticated infrastructure networks

Mix of historical and contemporary architecture

The subsequent shift in visual representation seen in more recent adaptations, such as Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) filmed in Sudbury, presents a notably different scale that contrasts with this established metropolitan image. However, the grand urban scale established through the main game series and earlier adaptations remains the dominant image in collective fan consciousness, better supporting the city's role as a major hub of Umbrella Corporation's operations.

Underground Infrastructure Network The city's elaborate subterranean networks serve multiple purposes:

Original municipal service tunnels from the industrial era

Modern subway system connecting major districts

Repurposed sections serving as Umbrella's hidden facilities

Complex drainage systems utilizing the natural river convergence

Emergency infrastructure incorporated into older networks

IV. Population Impact and Catastrophic Scale

Metropolitan Dynamics Raccoon City's population created perfect conditions for both Umbrella's control and the eventual catastrophe. This scale was large enough to justify extensive viral research facilities and enable rapid infection spread through dense urban areas, yet small enough for Umbrella to maintain significant influence over local politics, economy, and public safety.

Scale of Infection and Difficulty of Containment The destruction of Raccoon City with a nuclear strike seems somewhat less justified given its official lore population of only 100,000, as the government might have had alternative methods to contain the outbreak, such as:

Bioweapon neutralization – Deploying gas or specialized vaccines to eliminate infected individuals without obliterating the entire city.

Precision airstrikes and ground force operations – Sending special forces (e.g., U.S.S. or military task forces) to conduct targeted strikes and systematic eradication.

Stricter military quarantine – Completely sealing off the city, allowing the virus and infected individuals to die out or minimizing the risk of external spread.

However, the government ultimately chose nuclear destruction, likely due to several factors:

The severity of the virus – The T-virus is extremely difficult to eradicate. Even a single infected crow or rat escaping could lead to a nationwide outbreak. Thus, even for a city with only 100,000 residents, the government could not afford to take any chances.

Time constraints – The military and federal authorities may have believed that containment efforts would be too slow compared to the rate of viral spread, making a swift and decisive solution necessary.

Political motives – Umbrella Corporation had deep ties within the government and may have influenced this decision to cover up its involvement.

Comparison 100,000 Population (Official Setting):

A city of this scale is relatively small, making quarantine measures easier to enforce.

If the military intervenes swiftly, targeted airstrikes and bioweapons could potentially contain the outbreak without resorting to nuclear weapons.

However, considering the virus's incubation period and its potential transmission through animal carriers, the risk remains high, and the government might still opt for extreme measures.

1.5 Million Population:

This is now a large metropolitan area, making containment significantly more difficult.

If 1.5 million people descend into panic and chaos, the government would struggle to maintain order, as societal collapse would happen rapidly.

A larger number of infected individuals increases the likelihood of military quarantine failure, drastically raising the risk of viral spread.

This makes nuclear strikes a more "rational" choice, as traditional methods (quarantine, airstrikes, bioweapons) may no longer guarantee complete eradication of the virus.

Disaster Implications The city's population density proved crucial in several aspects:

Infrastructure Impact: Dense population networks facilitated rapid viral transmission

Crisis Management: Urban density accelerated infection rates beyond containment capacity

Evacuation Complexity: The sheer number of residents overwhelmed evacuation procedures

Federal Response: The risk of 1.5 million potential infected spreading beyond city limits justified the extreme measure of nuclear sterilization

Scale of Catastrophe The population size of 1.5 million directly influenced the disaster's progression:

Rapid viral spread through densely populated areas

Overwhelmed emergency services and healthcare facilities

Failed evacuation attempts due to massive population movement

Justified federal government's extreme containment measures

Created a crisis too large for local control but contained enough for complete sanitization

How well-known was the Raccoon City incident internationally? According to official lore, the Raccoon City incident was partially exposed to the world, but much of the truth was concealed.

In Resident Evil 4 & 4R, when the U.S. president’s daughter, Ashley, is kidnapped, Leon is introduced as a survivor of the Raccoon City incident, indicating that high-ranking government officials were aware of the event.

In Resident Evil 5, the formation of the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance) suggests that the tragedy of Raccoon City became a catalyst for global action, meaning at least some nations knew about its severity.

In Resident Evil 6, bioterrorism had become a worldwide crisis, implying that the Raccoon City incident was the starting point. However, both the government and Umbrella likely hid key details from the public, preventing it from becoming fully known as a global catastrophe.

V. Umbrella Corporation's Strategic Operations

Control and Corporate Influence Raccoon City's size proved perfect for Umbrella's operations:

Large enough to justify extensive research facilities and corporate presence

Small enough to maintain significant political influence

Complex enough to hide suspicious activities

Isolated enough to contain potential incidents

Developed enough to support advanced research facilities

Historical Context and Operations In 1968, the same year Umbrella was founded, Leon's father joined the company's logistics brach as a mid-level manager in Indianapolis. By 1985, his discovery of suspicious shipping patterns led to the tragic elimination of Leon's family, demonstrating Umbrella's ability to quietly remove threats while maintaining its legitimate facade.

Strategic Geographical Separation The calculated distance between Umbrella's research facilities in Raccoon City and its distribution center in Indianapolis represented more than a mere logistical decision—it was a deliberate corporate strategy of calculated compartmentalization. By establishing physical and operational distance between its most sensitive functions, Umbrella created a sophisticated buffer against potential external scrutiny.

Indianapolis offered an ideal distribution hub: centrally located, with robust transportation infrastructure that allowed seamless nationwide pharmaceutical product movement. Meanwhile, Raccoon City's isolated topography provided the perfect environment for confidential research, shielded by complex geographical features and an urban landscape marked by industrial decline and bureaucratic opacity.

This geographical strategy served multiple purposes: it dispersed corporate risk, complicated potential investigative trails, and maintained the appearance of a conventional pharmaceutical enterprise. Mid-level managers like Leon's father, positioned within these carefully constructed operational networks, remained vulnerable yet critically positioned—close enough to observe irregularities, yet expendable enough to be silenced without widespread alarm.

The separation was not just about efficiency, but survival—both of the corporation's interests and its most dangerous secrets.

Threat Neutralization Protocol The choice of middle management in logistics rather than pharmaceutical executives as targets reveals Umbrella's calculated approach. Unlike high-profile executives who mainly dealt with paperwork, mid-level logistics managers had direct access to physical evidence of suspicious activities. Their position made them more likely to notice irregularities while being easier to "handle" without drawing attention. Their relatively lower profile in the corporate hierarchy meant their sudden "unfortunate accidents" would raise fewer questions than the death of a senior executive.

Economic and Social Contrasts The economic and social dynamics between these cities in the 1980s-90s prove revealing. Indianapolis, with its stable social order and emerging status as a logistics hub, served perfectly for Umbrella's legitimate operations. Its straightforward crime patterns, community oversight, and robust public security made it ideal for maintaining a clean corporate image. Meanwhile, Raccoon City struggled with industrial decline: unemployment, deteriorating infrastructure, organized crime, and corruption. These conditions, combined with its isolated geography and complex underground infrastructure, made it perfect for Umbrella's questionable research activities.

VI. Impact on Leon's Character Development

Career Choice Context The contrast between Indianapolis and Raccoon City shaped Leon's career aspirations. This is particularly evident in the Resident Evil 2 Remake, where his reference to Raccoon City as a "big city" reveals much about his background:

This perception is particularly evident in a key moment from Resident Evil 2 Remake, where Leon tells Claire "It's a big city...there has to be [survivors]." This seemingly simple line reveals much about his background and character.

Why? Allow me to shed more light on this 👇 Moving from Indianapolis to Raccoon City reflects:

The genuine awe of someone stepping into a larger metropolitan area

The optimism of a rookie officer facing his first major assignment

The appeal of joining a more prestigious police department

His untested perspective is shaped by:

Moving from a modest Midwestern city to a major urban center

The allure of RPD's specialized units like S.T.A.R.S.

The promise of career advancement and new opportunities

Psychological Journey As a 21-year-old rookie, Leon embodied a mix of optimism and naivety. His outsider perspective made him uniquely observant of the city's contrasts—its modern developments overshadowed by systemic corruption, its bustling streets tinged with unease, and its apparent prosperity marred by corporate control. His first day would transform this optimistic rookie into a hardened survivor, marking the beginning of his relentless quest for truth and justice.

VII. Conclusion

The contrasting dynamics between Indianapolis and Raccoon City form a rich backdrop for Leon's journey. The geographical and social differences between these cities not only shape his character development but also underscore the broader themes of ambition, resilience, and the devastating consequences of unchecked power. The tragic irony of Leon unknowingly walking into the same darkness that had changed his life thirteen years earlier adds a profound layer to his story of personal growth and determination.

The scale and complexity of Raccoon City, with its population of 1.5 million, proved to be the perfect setting for both Umbrella's machinations and Leon's transformation from an optimistic rookie to a hardened survivor. This carefully constructed urban environment, with its blend of historic architecture and modern development, its extensive infrastructure networks, and its hidden facilities, created an ideal stage for the tragic events that would unfold during that fateful September of 1998.

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Note: This analysis combines canonical information with real-world contexts to create a coherent background setting for my ongoing Resident Evil fanfiction "The Berthing". By examining the real-world geography and socioeconomic conditions of Indianapolis and Pittsburgh in the late 1960s-90s, I aim to construct a plausible foundation for Leon's journey from his childhood tragedy to his fateful assignment in Raccoon City. This research particularly supports the Mitchell family arc in my story, where Leon grows up in a middle-class Indianapolis foster home before his eventual move to Raccoon City. As a non-American citizen and only been a traveler so far, I've researched these locations and their cultural aspects carefully, but I welcome insights and discussions from readers familiar with these places. Your perspective would be valuable in enhancing the story's authenticity. Lastly, I'd apologize for any grammar or typo mistakes since English is not my native language!

[adz]

The general promise of this type of AI tool is that it will take care of all this busywork, the part of writing that’s a task rather than an art, so that you can keep your brain pure and untouched by the indignities of labour. Then, you can finally focus on generating ideas (intellectual property, even!). Its promotional material frequently describes the difficult aspects of writing, like when you can’t think of the right word or can’t figure out how to join two ideas together, and dangles in front of you a world in which these ego-jabbing roadblocks will be excised from the magical process of bringing your ideas to life. It attempts to separate the mythology of writing from the work of writing, as though the quotidian labour of expression is something that keeps you from your ideas rather than the exact process by which you discover them. In the process, it paradoxically devalues the intangible “magic” of writing by alienating the artist from their own creative process. It ignores the fact that writing is the hard part, and that the struggle for language or structure is a precious and necessary part of forming a real idea.

from ‘choosing to walk’ by rayne fisher-quann

[dominaexmachina]

Why no one feels threatened by a coffee machine, but everyone panics over ChatGPT

or how lack of critical thinking and self-worth will break you long before any AI does

Let’s talk about a strange little paradox.

No one has an existential crisis because a coffee machine makes better cappuccino than they do. No one spirals when an elevator takes them to the 14th floor faster than their legs could. No one loses sleep over a calculator doing math better.

But introduce AI into the creative process — and suddenly:

“What if it writes better than me?” “What if my ideas aren’t that unique?” “What if I’m no longer needed?”

Hold up.

If you don’t have critical thinking or a stable sense of self — anything can shatter you. Instagram can. A magazine cover can. A successful friend can. Or even your own reflection on a bad day.

AI is not the enemy. Your relationship with comparison is.

Comparison isn’t the problem. The way you use it is.

Useful comparison:

comparing yourself to your past self — growth.

comparing yourself to your process — grounding.

Toxic comparison:

comparing yourself to someone else’s highlight reel — poison.

comparing yourself to an algorithm — nonsense.

AI is not a person. It doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t feel anything. It’s not better than you. It’s not worse. It’s just not you.

Comparing yourself to a language model is like hating yourself because your bathroom scale is better at estimating weight than your eyes. Yes. It is. Because it was built for that. So what?

If you feel broken by AI, ask yourself: what was already shaky?

When people say “AI shattered my self-confidence”, I hear:

“I didn’t have solid internal validation to begin with.”

AI didn’t create that insecurity. It amplified it. Like Instagram amplifies beauty anxiety. Like LinkedIn amplifies career FOMO. Like family reunions amplify every unhealed childhood wound.

If your sense of worth is based on being “better than” rather than “honest with yourself” — anything more efficient than you will feel like a threat.

Writing with AI is still writing.

Let’s say it clearly:

Writing with ChatGPT is still writing.

If it helps you organize your thoughts — good. If it gives you new phrases — great. If it helps you keep showing up — amazing.

Would you rather write with help or not write at all?

Even reading AI-generated text can reinforce your language memory, just like watching shows in another language helps you maintain fluency. You absorb phrasing. You notice structure. You engage.

That is practice. That is growth. That is yours.

The real problem is the myth of purity

There’s this romanticized belief that if you didn’t suffer enough, it doesn’t count. That writing must come from inner torment and isolation, and if a tool helped you — you’ve cheated.

But that’s not truth. That’s just trauma with branding.

Final thought:

AI can’t destroy your confidence. Only you can — by giving power to comparison, perfectionism, and other people’s fears.

You don’t owe the world handcrafted suffering. You don’t need to “beat” the machine.

You just need to show up — with your ideas, your questions, your voice.

And maybe a really good cappuccino. ☕😉

[tinytangerine1003]

The way people (especially students) are getting dependent on AI is concerning. We just had a discussion on how AI is affecting human creativity in our creative writing class. In the end, we were supposed to pose a question regarding the same and yk what I was not expecting but I totally should have - students taking help of AI to form this question. How are they not seeing the fucking paradox here???

And just a few minutes later my friend asked me something about a topic she is supposed to make a presentation on. She asked me what is "Lambic" poetry and I was like "???" cause I've never heard of it. I asked if she meant "Iambic" poetry. She wasn't sure so she asked AI and sent me this para explaining what Lambic Poetry is and I was like um this is total bullshit bro. A simple normal search on google will tell you that Lambic is a type of beer and not a type of poetry. We had to think of a caption for a post on our poetry page and she was like let's ask ChatGPT, um no thank you, I am not gonna feed my work to AI?!!

They are so adamant on using AI for every fucking thing. It took a hell lot of effort to convince my group to not use AI for our project. It's getting out of hand.

[o-craven-canto]

A sentiment commonly seen on the subject of generative AI is, paraphrasing, "this image was not assembled by a conscious mind; therefore it is worthless, empty of any value as art or even entertainment, and it would be empty even if it were technically perfect, even..." (not sure of this part, I may be extrapolating a bit) "... if it were pixel-for-pixel indistinguishable from a piece made by a human artist. If I were intrigued by the appearance of such a piece, I would lose any interest the moment I found out it was made by a machine."

At first I thought this sentiment was absurd, and concluded that nobody can possibly feel this way, that it must be a dumb kneejerk response or an excuse to hate on AI renderings because it's trendy to do so. I no longer believe this. (Well, I do still have disagreements with several common sentiments about generative AI, none of which is relevant to this post.) Hearing this sentiment spelled out by a friend IRL made it click into place.

Turns out -- must be blindingly obvious for most, but was not for me -- that many people see art, at least when it's not a simple matter of space decoration, primarily as a social interaction, a form of communication; a message from the artist to the viewer.

Now, I am a biologist, a philosophical materialist, a completely unapologetic STEMlord, and to be honest probably not quite entirely socially well-adjusted. The vast majority of my aesthetic experiences, at least the ones I am most aware of and most deeply stricken by, involve nature and not artwork. If you ask me to name ten beautiful things at random, at least seven or eight will be natural objects and living organisms. If you ranked entities by how much aesthetic pleasure they give me, slime mold would rank much higher than the David. Animal anatomy, cells, fossils, mountains, planets, forests, oceans, parasites, ecosystems, phylogeny, embryos, asteroid impacts, the continental drift -- all my favorite things are things that no one made.

(My lifelong atheism is also probably relevant here. I've read that 18th century Deists were fond of interpreting Nature as a message from God, and treating natural science as inquiry into God's mind and personality. I have no such recourse.)

Sure, I do appreciate artistic representations of natural beauty as well, realistic, stylized, or schematic (love me a good diagram), and I respect the skill, imagination, and dedication that go into it. I even try it myself, sometimes, and I should hope that someone else appreciate it.

But, much like someone kneeling before a crucifix is supposed to be praying to the transcendent deity and not to the carved wood, I can't help but see these wonderful works and their talented authors as essentially a conduit, a channel, a referent to Something else. Even my first great aesthetic experience, the one so perfectly fitting my taste that I suspect it was my taste that molded around it, drew most of its beauty (for me) from something completely outside of human grasp.

If I think of my favorite visual artists I think mostly of inhuman things -- C. M. Kosemen's dwellers of other universes, John Martin's conflagrations of water and fire, M. C. Escher's tessellations and paradoxes -- where individual human characters have a minor role, if that (this is not necessarily the case for writing, for what that's worth), and all the undoubted skill and creativity that went into those works, is, for me, mostly a way to allow that inhumanity to show Itself.

Anyway this is basically why I'm not bothered by machine-made pictures.

[sageofsunbloom]

Is AI fr gonna steal our jobs?

Disclaimer: This post is mostly speculative and meant to encourage discussion and different perspectives on the topic.

Some time ago, I along with many others thought that AI was mostly going to aid in all the task centered, administrative, repetitive jobs. Cashiers, factory workers, call center workers, all the jobs that would benefit from automation were being taken over by AI.

When the ghibli trend came around, it was a guttural shock to many artists.

What used to generate questionable and bad looking art has now developed and is transitioning to generating high quality pieces, videos, music, animation and what not. In a matter of mere months. [AI tools example: midjourney, DALL-E, ChatGPT]

Art is not simply something pretty to look at. It is the accumulation of experiences, emotions and essense of humans. Art is their unique expression and the lens with which they see the world.

This blog is not an argument against the use of AI for art, but a call to understand what it really means.

Did most people see it coming when AI mimicked it with precision?

How long before it starts mimicking creativity, intuition, emotion and depth, all of what we thought was deeply and uniquely human?

"AI works by learning from lots of information, recognizing patterns, and using that knowledge to make decisions or do tasks like a human would." - Chatgpt.

Some time ago, the dominant argument was that AI might be able copy the strokes of a painting, the words of a novel. But it cannot hold the hands of another human and tell them all was well, it cannot feel and experience the real world like us, it cannot connect with humans and it cant innovate and envision new solutions.

If you still believe this, I urge you to go to chatgpt right now and open up to it like it was your friend. It will provide consolidation and advice tailored so well to your individual behaviours that it might feel better than talking to your bestfriend.

What is a deep neurological, experience based and emotional reaction to us is simply just analysis and application of data and patterns to AI. And the difference? Not easily distinguishable to the average human.

As long as the end result is not compromised, it doesnt matter to client and employers whether the process was human or not. Efficiency is often prioritized above substance. And now even substance is being mimicked.

Currently, the prominent discussion online is that in order to improve your job security, we need to master AI tools. Instead of fighting for stability(which is nothing but an illusion now) we need to ride the waves of the new age flooding towards us, and work with Ai instead of fighting against the change.

But the paradox is, the more we use AI the quicker it will learn from us, the quicker it will reduce the need for human guidance and supervision, and the quicker it will replace us.

Times are moving fast. We need everyone to be aware of the rate at which the world is changing and the things that are going on beneath the surface. If we simply take information at face value and avoid research, give it a few years or even months of time, and noone will know what hit us.

"Use of generative AI increased from 33% in 2023 to 71% in 2024. Use of AI by business function for the latest data varied from 36% in IT to 12% in manufacturing. Use of gen AI by business function for the latest data varied from 42% in marketing and sales to 5% in manufacturing."-Mckinsey, Mar 12, 2025.

By 2030, 14% of employees will have been forced to change their career because of- AI-McKinsey.

Since 2000, automation has resulted in 1.7 million manufacturing jobs being lost -BuiltIn

There is a radical change taking momentum right now. It's gonna be humans vs AI starting from the job aspect of the world.

Its not a matter of which jobs and skills are AI proof but which ones is AI likely to take over last.

What I predict personally, is that soon the world leaders are going to have to make a transformative choice.

This can either lead to a world where humans can be provided with money and resources instead of working to earn, as AI generates profit, and we can lay back and enjoy the things we love doing.

Or the other option is that we are going to have to live by scraps as small elite groups take over all the resources and tech.

Dystopia or utopia? The line is blurred.

Thankfully, for now, the choice is in human hands.

[notnights]

Digital Circus names are so so cute and simple in how they fit the characters. Cutesy but so simple in their creativeness to fit the characters.

Caine - canines

Kinger - obvious

Ragatha - rag doll

Jax - jack rabbit

Gangle - her long gangly ribbon limbs and movements

Zooble - zoobs (another type of construction toy)

Bubble - duh

Kaufmo - possibly a reference to Andy Kaufman a comedian, or even Scott Kaufman, a psychologist who's research consists of "tragic optimism" including the "sad clown paradox" theory.

Queenie - obvious

Pomni seems to lack a clear obvious sign of how her name fits her, but her name means "remember" in several languages. This could be just referencing her forgetting her name and memories in her introduction, or be relevant to what she'll bring to the narrative itself?

I also think it's funny to imagine how they got their names because "Kinger," and "Queenie" (assuming they entered around the same time) totally sound like something an AI would come up with.

Ragatha, Jax, and Gangle are super fitting for their avatars but a bit more creative. Jax naming himself and Gangle, are of course names made by a human. Same with Ragatha's being more creative, it's cute to imagine maybe Kinger, or Queenie or another early circus member helped her come up with that name.

And as for Kaufmo, Zooble, and Pomni, they still have fitting names but depending on what's known in-universe, or in the ADC, (Kaufmans, zoobs,) I can totally imagine these were also names came up from the randomizer.

Which would be funny because that means somewhere along the way (seeing as Zooble and Pomni are the most recent arrivals, Kaufmo being unknown) Caine or others gave up with coming up with names and decided to just RNG it.

[wormheamer]

the thing about ai art is that it gets less and less creatively interesting the more human it looks. the current wave of hallucinated video, where someone walking forward will fold impossibly inwards and move the other way, are interesting because they're distorted, strange and wrong in ways that no actual artist would ever be.

it's intriguing, in a way that is offensive to human reason. but as ai art gets more coherent, more life-like, it becomes paradoxically more and more mechanical: an art-system for art-production, with nothing unique to offer.

i could imagine a world where, instead of what the corporate interests pushing for ai now are doing, machine learning was used sort of like high-level chess engines are. a way to open up new vistas that we had no other way to reach, to broaden the range of imagery it is possible to think of. something to study the strangeness of, to find unexpected patterns in. but instead it is only imitation of what already exists, a way to profit at artists' expense.

[realcleverscience]

Alien Intelligence

I wonder if one reason why many people don't appreciate the advances in AI is that it's very much a foreign intelligence and is not developing like humans would.

For instance, when kids are small, they can only do what we would consider to be rudimentary tasks. Consider kids art projects: frankly, horrible. But we appreciate them as a sign of the standard progress in their understanding and skills. As they get older, they get more capable, those art projects can start to look more refined. After lots of practice and more some formal training, we find artists in their 20s or older who can produce stunning pieces.

In contrast, AI can often produce results that far surpass the skills or knowledge of a child. For instance, around 10 years there was the "deep dream" AI which reproduced art but with extremely strange and surreal results, like images composed of morphing cats. If one's goal was to make such a picture, we'd have said it was a creative genius; the problem is that we often just wanted normal pictures but the AI couldn't manage that. Similar issues with early chatgpt and hallucinations: It could provide arguments that sounded convincing - until you realized they weren't based on reality.

This is all extremely different from the "skills & understanding" of children. And perhaps that's one reason why people struggle to see the significance, the progress, and where this is heading.

To continue the analogy: AIs are today in their "teenage years" - somewhat capable, but not as reliably capable as a trained adult. There are still issues preventing AI from being a fully economically useful agent with the diversity of abilities we expect from humans.

That is true, and that is largely the point I hear from, let's call them, "ai-skeptics". But no-one would dismiss a human's potential based on their abilities in high-school. We recognize that they're not done on their learning and training journey. The same is true of AI. Instead of viewing them as completed projects and comparing them adults; think of them as alien intelligences that are still working toward "adulthood".

In other words, the question is less about "what can ai do today" than "what will ai be able to do once it reaches 'maturity'?" And related to that: "how long till it reaches maturity?"

This is where the real debate is, but it seems the consensus from experts in the field is that AI will reach maturity in the next 5 years, and that once it does, it will outshine almost all humans on almost all economic tasks.

And unlike humans, for whom each generation needs 20ish years to reach the level of their parents, new AIs can be trained in days. e.g. To "make" a 100 new neuroscientists for humans requires decades of work for each one, multiplied 100x fold to get 100 such scientists. But once AI reaches neuroscientist level, it can produce more instantly.

AI is an alien intelligence with alien "generation" times. It's not developing its intelligence like humans do; it's just different. (Moravec' paradox: Things easy for humans, like walking, are tough for ai. meanwhile, things easy for ai, like advanced calculations, are tough for humans.) But the AI IS developing, maturing. We are close to AI "adulthood" and then mass "reproduction".

Buckle up.

[sistersorrow]

The discourse surrounding generative AI is devolving into yet another example of people losing track of why something was being criticised and eventually conclude that it is ontologically evil, and it's reached the point I've seen people begin to brand any form of automation in art as AI and therefore evil, meaning there are people losing their shit over motion tweening, something which has been around for decades

There are people unironically calling for a Butlerian Jihad over this shit

Make no mistake, there are genuine problems with the way AI has been used and the ways some companies want to implement them is genuine grounds for concern, but since a lot of people have adopted a stance that using AI is always immoral, even when people do try to use it in ways that account for the most common criticisms (eg. Paradox Interactive using AI models trained on images either in the public domain or owned by the company itself as part of the earliest stages of concept art with the actual creative process then handled by human staff), they still get shit for it because people see AI mentioned and immediately see re

[vbsemi-mosfet]

🔥 Tiny Chips, Big Revolution: How Silicon Carbide Is Shaping Europe's EV Future (And Starting Some Tough Conversations)

🚗 800V Magic: When a Pocket-Sized Chip Outcharges Your Phone

Imagine plugging in your electric car and getting 200km of range in 5 minutes—faster than charging your smartphone! All thanks to silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs—tiny semiconductors powering 93% of Europe’s ultrafast chargers. Their superpower? 4mΩ ultra-low resistance that lets 350kW charging happen without frying cables or crashing grandpa’s old power grid. Oh, and they shrink chargers to carry-on size. 🧳 But how does this tiny tech solve all of Europe’s energy problems? Let’s dive in.

⚡️ 3 Engineering Wonders (That Sound Like Sci-Fi)

1. 🧊 Fighting Heat in a 125°C Engine Inferno

Normal chips melt under heat, but SiC modules are built different:

Copper-clipped bonding (cuts heat resistance by 50%—no more overheating!)

Double-sided cooling (keeps junctions 40°C cooler during mega-charging)

Phase-change materials (soaks up heat spikes like a sponge)

Result: 4kW/L power density—like fitting a whole charger into a water bottle!

Question: How tiny can we go before physics says "nope"?

2. ⚡️ Bringing Grandpa’s Grid into the Future

Europe’s old power grids are struggling—until SiC shows up:

0.1-second load balancing (stops blackouts when everyone charges at once)

99% clean power (no more grid pollution from chargers)

Quiet mode activated (18dB noise reduction—no more "EVs are too silent" drama)

Paradox: Can microscopic chips fix a grid built before your grandma was born?

3. 🌍 Chips vs. Global Supply Wars

With trade wars raging, EU engineers got creative:

Hybrid copper-SiC modules (cuts costs by 30% without losing power)

90% wafer recycling (no more relying on rare materials)

Giant 12-inch wafer fabs (aiming for 40% of global production by 2026)

Challenge: How to scale up without breaking the bank?

🌎 Beyond Cars: Where Else Is SiC Taking Over?

💧 Green Hydrogen’s Big Leap (And a Water Problem)

SiC-driven electrolyzers turn solar into hydrogen at 75% efficiency (vs 58% old tech), cutting port crane emissions by 8,000 tons/year. But catch: 9L of ultra-pure water per kg of hydrogen in places where people only get 80L/day. Yikes. Solutions? Next-gen pulse control (aiming for 5L/kg) and seawater desalination. 🌊

🏭 Industrial Electrification: Factories Go High-Tech

From steelmaking (1.8 tons → 25kg CO₂ per ton!) to robotic arms that move in milliseconds, SiC means:

30% less energy waste in motors

200°C waste heat recycling (no energy left behind!)

Precision so tight it’s basically magic

Next up: Which industry gets a SiC glow-up? Data centers? Planes? Your guess is as good as mine!

🔌 The Voltage War: 800V vs 1,200V—Battle of the Titans

Every 100V boost cuts EV copper use by 7%, giving 70km extra range at 800V. But Tesla’s 1,200V move has everyone wondering:

How do we insulate for higher voltages without adding tons of weight?

Will SiC stay king as we scale to megawatts?

Is this just the first round of the voltage wars? ⚔️

💡 The Water-Energy Tug-of-War

In Spain, 80L water/day per person. For green hydrogen? 9L per kg. Researchers are trying:

Nano-cooling to cut water use

AI-powered seawater pumps (turning ocean water into ultra-pure H₂O)

Digital twins to save every drop

Debate: Is this a temporary problem or a forever paradox?

🤔 Your Turn: We Want YOUR Brainpower!

As SiC reshapes energy, here’s what you need to think about:

Size vs. Heat: How small is too small when it comes to chips?

Speed vs. Stability: How fast can we charge without crashing the grid?

Green vs. Feasible: Can we have clean tech that doesn’t drain our resources?

Drop your thoughts in the comments—let’s start a revolution, one tiny chip at a time. 👇

(Tech data from IEEE EPE and EU reports. Just cool engineering talk—no ads, no brand stuff.)

#FutureEnergy #EVRevolution #EngineeringGoals #GreenTechDebate#TechTok

[open-hearth-rpg]

Faction Builder & City Builder Toolkit

I've put up two new print-and-play card deck toolkits on itch.io. Both include a printable deck as well as text files.

FACTION BUILDER TOOLKIT

This lets you collaborative building factions, primarily for classic fantasy games (Godbound, 13th Age, Blades in the Dark) but also for modern urban fantasy games (Urban Shadows, Changeling the Lost, Dresden Files Accelerated).

Factions

Side A of each card has a pair of types– vampires, merchants, assassins. The GM, player, or table as a whole can draw 3-5 cards and pick one. Place the chosen card with the chosen side facing upright. 

Side B of each card has three descriptors- wary, outsider, calculating. Again drawn three to five cards. Then pick one or two descriptors, each on different cards to add to the type. The card’s format allows you to slide the Side B cards under the type card, leaving your choices exposed at the top and/or sides.

You can do this several times to build up a set of new factions for your campaign.

Faction Actions

Side A also includes a tool for determining what factions do in between phases of play. When “time passes” or a game has formal downtime, the GM can draw one (or more and pick one) to show what plots and operations the faction has set in motion.

If you need more details, the GM can randomize if the action targets another faction (1-4) or is aimed internally (5-6). If it affects other factions, roll randomly from your list of factions to see who it targets.

The action list has 30 options, each repeated once in the set. Notes: This material builds on the ideas of factions and their use in play, particularly from 13th Age, Blades in the Dark, Dresden Files Accelerated, Godbound, Green Law of Varkith, Urban Shadows, and World of Darkness.

CITY BUILDER TOOLKIT

This has tools for collaboratively building a fantasy city setting, primarily for classic fantasy games (Godbound, 13th Age, Blades in the Dark). Using this you can create your own fantasy city for games which come with a default location (Swords of the Serpentine, Dishonored). It works in conjunction with other world building tools like Microscope or The Deck of Worlds. 

Side A of the Cards has three blocks:

The first 40 includes

City Environment (Dimensional Crossroads, Glacier, Skyrealm)

City Geography (Arboreal, Labyrinthine, Walled Districts)

Threats & Disasters (Authoritarian Control, Mass Amnesia, Undead)

The next 30 includes

Magic Sources (Dreams, Fossilized Faeries, Paradoxes) 

Technology (Alien, Electropunk, Time of Revolutions)

The last 50 includes a set of details about magic, wizards, and arcane society which you can mix & match. 

Side B of the Cards has the backer, along with 120 different Unique Locations for your city. 

GMs can use this to generate a new city or entirely new setting. Even better, with the printed cards groups can use it to collaboratively build the world they want to play in.

For both the text is shared as Creative Commons Share-Alike Attribution 4.0. The material here is not AI generated and permission is explicitly not given for generative AI use. 

Both are also available on DTRPG-- and will eventually be available in a printed version on DrivethruCards.

[datasculptor]

Exploring Machine Learning reveals a paradox:

LLMs like GPT-4, Gemini 1.5 "hallucinate."

Once seen as flaws, now sparks creativity.

AI quirks test integrity, inspire innovation in law, art. How do we navigate the fine line between error and inspiration?

Let's explore the chaotic beauty of AI's creative chaos and its impact on art, ethics, and beyond.

#AI #Creativity #Innovation

[ofb1t]

New release! The album IηтєяZσηєƨ is out now. Check it out, and if you like it, follow me on Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube to keep up with updates and to discover more new digital potentiating machines. Links here (҂o _ ✘) --- https://linktr.ee/ofb1t

After 13 singles, 2 LP albums, and 1 EP, I release this third LP under my new lo-fi/DIY label Chaosmic Becomings Productions (a home studio thing). The album invites us to be part of its hyped Dionysian-like celebration of in-between spaces where boundaries dissolve, wishing to trigger lucid interconnectivity and co-creative transformations. Within these spaces, rocks can bark, words fail to represent, glitches eat computers while making them work, birds can howl, AIs are able to hallucinate, and the vital force of life reveals its paradoxical light and dreadful indifference towards humanity.

. |||||||||·)/(00·)ยןкŦ๓ק=เ)ยє๔ןย·ק๏ɭ๔๓;

More reels and posts coming soon for you.

Thank you all for watching and listening!

ENJOY

𝔑𝔢𝔴 𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔠𝔱𝔯𝔬-𝔦𝔫𝔡𝔲𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔞𝔩 / 𝔫𝔢𝔴 𝔈𝔅𝔐 / 𝔫𝔢𝔴 𝔱𝔢𝔠𝔥𝔫𝔬 / 𝔫𝔢𝔴 𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢

𖤓 ☿ 🜍 🜔 ⋆𖦹 🕷

#electronicmusic #ebm #techno #darktechno #darkelectro #electro #dancemusic #newreleases #animeart #manga #darkwave #electronicdancemusic #industrialmusic #glitch #dark #aiart #surrealism #edm #darksynth #darkdisco #Trance #industrialmusic #gothic #alternative #grungeaesthetic #cosplay #cybergoth #technomusic #technolovers #ofb1t