Remember when generative AI first hit the scene and everyone was thrilled with the idea of creating art, poetry, and even episodes of Seinfeld with a single text command? It seemed like we had the ultimate creative buffet at our fingertips. But wow, how times have changed. Now, instead of savoring those creations, we’re just eating bites. Creativity has become fast food.
From high creativity to… the Cliff Notes version
In the beginning, AI promised a revolution in creativity. Everything could be generated instantly, and we were amazed at the potential. But that spark quickly faded, and now we’re in an age of compression. Instead of doing more, we’re condensing everything. What was supposed to be a new era of creative expression has turned into the age of the shortcut.
It seems like the more digital content we create, the less time we actually have to enjoy any of it. We’re living on a diet of pre-chewed, pre-digested information, and AI is in charge.
The Simplification Spiral
Look around: Long articles? Summarized into five-line paragraphs. Long videos? Chopped into two-minute clips for TikTok. Podcasts? People listen at 3x speed — because normal speed is so… 2020. Even music has been sped up, with fast-paced versions released alongside the originals, all to keep our restless minds in overdrive.
And guess what? AI didn’t just help build this reality — it’s now the boss, summarizing your Zoom meetings, spreadsheets, and even Amazon product reviews. Sure, it’s easier to consume, but in the process, we’re losing something huge: flavor.
What We Lose in Compression
When you compress a song into a digital file, you lose the nuance. And the same goes for all that condensed content. AI can give you the gist, but what about the depth, the humor, the thought process? All of that gets squeezed into tiny, digestible chunks.
It’s like the CD era, when digital music promised a “perfect” copy but left out the rich details that only vinyl could capture. Decades later, we’re seeing this happen to culture: the more we condense it, the less we actually experience it.
Drive-Thru Creativity
In the end, generative AI—the technology that was supposed to unleash creative power—has become the king of the abstract. Instead of creating deeply, we’re munching on compressed content at breakneck speed. And while this may give us more time to consume more stuff, what are we really gaining? A few more minutes to devour empty content?
Sure, there’s an efficiency here. Perhaps it’s inevitable, given the endless ocean of digital content we’re swimming in. But when we look back, we can often miss the days when creativity was meant to be savored, not just devoured.
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P.S. If you’re still here, congratulations! You’re obviously not the type to consume content at 2x the speed. Keep exploring deep and creative ideas with me at afteriscool.com.
