Super Interconnectivity

Work by Frida van der Poel
Telgang Aanzichten©EvelienSeegers S

Super Interconnectivity

If everything was connected and we lived in an interconnected world as the internet of things champions, would we be exposed to all sorts of perils that never existed in these areas before?

Imagine for a moment that everything is connected. As your alarm gently wakens you, clothes appear next to you that the App has preselected. While your clothes may well be described as ‘pre-suggested for you based on historical choices, current trends and weather conditions’, you know that someone inevitably is making money from this convenient interference. Perhaps you will only lease your clothing and algorithms will determine how you look. Extremely convenient for some. A living nightmare for others, especially considering that our experts can only predict the weather fifty percent of the time. Every intrusive convenience comes at a price.

But if in the future everything is recorded and instantly available, what will we do all day? Will life be like playing chess against a computer with a data bank of every move ever played and an algorithm for working out new, not yet recorded moves? Where there is an instant record of everything ever thought of available every millisecond of the day. Will there still be space for creativity?

Artificial intelligence

Will there be space for and will we even need creativity in the future? Artificial intelligence and self-learning systems have a common element, they are both not real. Futurists tell us that machines will eventually turn on us because they will be smarter and faster than we are. Isn’t this a whole load of nonsense? Like a ghost story told around a campfire. One person can use a machine to harm another but the machine has no drive to do this of its own accord. Artificial intelligence is a simulation of something that we barely understand. We know how to allow things to grow, but we cannot actually create life outside these systems.

Creativity

Creativity is something uniquely human that exists because we need it. You cannot force creativity, there is no formula for it, but we know how to create conditions for it to prosper. It is because our creative brains can jump from one idea to another, because we forget things and remember things sometimes randomly and other times in order. We are so very complex, because all of our senses can stimulate our minds at the same time in groups and individually. It is why we appreciate and need creativity in our lives. Reminding us of what is so very special about being human in an often mixed-up world.

Cabinets of Curiosity

We are curious makers of things, things we dream up ourselves. Remarkable, useful, beautiful and original things. Sometimes they are made entirely by hand, sometimes partly by machine, in the future perhaps by robots. May be not robots. Always with an eye for detail and with an element of fun.

If you care to follow this blog and join our journey, we’ll share our successes and (occasional) failures with you and hopefully you’ll become a frequent visitor. Suppose that depends on us keeping you entertained. So let’s get on with the words and pictures.

Work in progress

Copyright

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