Oscars, GPT-4, Going inward
“We all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life. We need heroes sometimes. There’s heroes all around us. You might find that you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside.”
– Lady Gaga, Oscars 2023
Hello friend,
After last year’s ‘slap’stick Oscars, this year’s ceremony was somewhat somber, yet it became my favorite so far.
The major highlight was, of course, the twin Indian wins – Best Documentary Short Subject for “The Elephant Whisperers” and Best Original Song for “Naatu Naatu” from the wildly popular movie, RRR.
But my personal high point was the emotional winning speech by Ke Huy Quan after winning the Best Supporting Actor for Everything Everywhere All at Once. It tugged at my heartstrings and made me cry buckets at 6 am in the morning.
“Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive.”
– Ke Huy Quan, Oscars 2023
Back in August last year, when I first mentioned that movie in this newsletter, I knew it was something extraordinary and special. It made me feel extremely light and hopeful, so I could not be happier about it sweeping all the major awards at the Academy.
Rise of GPT-4
As I write this newsletter edition, GPT-4 is already taking over the discussions on social media. The next generation of the famed GPT-3 has started to make headlines within hours of its launch.
Here is a tweet thread that captures an initial glimpse of its capabilities, some of which are mind-blowing to say the least.
Some of the examples include:
- GPT-4 scored 90th percentile on the BAR exam. And 99th percentile in Biology. 89th on SAT, and 99th oercentile on GRE. I’d like to see it attempt UPSC and IIT-JEE exams from India as well! 😀
- It can turn a picture of a napkin sketch into a fully functioning html/css/javascript website! Check out the live demo here!
- It can do your taxes!
Where does it leave creators?
How do you differentiate yourself in the sea of sameness driven by AI?
If AI can write complete articles and emails, what is the difference between you and the algorithm?
I’d be lying if I said that I was never worried about AI replacing content creation, which is at the center of what I do for a living. I once dedicated an entire newsletter edition to ponder upon the possibilities of AI and what skills one would need to thrive as a human in the age of AI.
But, the following article further dived deep into the relevance of AI in the creation process and what would it take to stand apart as a creator
Article of the Week- The Real Reason So Many Creators Worry About ChatGPT and Generative AI
The author argues in the article that if you rely on templates and formulas to do your work, AI is going to replace you, sooner or later.
But AI can serve as your intern provided you can bring out your unique quirks and creative fingerprints in your creation. Because it cannot replace your unique experiences, perspective, beliefs, personal style and way of looking at things.
The problem isn’t bots replacing creators. The problem is too many creators act like bots. So now, we go inward, or we go nowhere. All work either becomes more heart-based, or gets eaten by creatures made of code.
By going inward to discover your unique quirks and finding the courage to express them authentically, you can stand apart in the sea of sameness driven by AI.
This article also reminded me of the concept of “personal monopoly” mentioned in the writing course, Write of Passage.
Personal monopoly refers to the work that only you can do as a result of the unique mix of your interests, experiences, skills, personality, style, thinking, and other traits.
For example, if you are an architect by profession with a passion for movies or literature, you can use your knowledge of historical and modern buildings to work as an art consultant for movies. Or maybe write an engaging Dan Brown-ish thriller exploring the secrets of ancient buildings through a fiction story.
No AI could ever replicate the writing you will produce as a result of your years of experience visiting such spots as an architect combined with your unique taste in literature.
Thus, as AI becomes prominent in content creation, finding your personal monopoly as a creator becomes more important than ever.
That is all from me this week, folks!
Until next time
Love
Vishal