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I think it's going to get worse for social media. Lately I've been seeing more and more "content" suggested to me that is AI generated. Architecture that doesn'

I think it's going to get worse for social media. Lately I've been seeing more and more "content" suggested to me that is AI generated. Architecture that doesn't exist. People that don't exist in locations that don't exist wearing clothes that don't exist. I'm able to notice the slight unreality of it, its too-perfect look, and I check the tags and sure enough it's #midjourneyai or something. And I have this out of body experience. What am I doing with my time? It's vapid, empty content. I can never go to this place or see this thing or person, but it's presented as real as possible. It just kind of makes the whole thing seem absurd to me. At least in the past even if it was an influencer, I knew it was a real person or location, if a little Photoshopped. Now it just might as well be me daydreaming? It's hard to explain. It's kind of the end of meaning, I guess.

avidiax 3y ago
There is going to be an AI/AR/VR existential crisis in some people. The status quo is that we interact in 2 distinct ways. First, with a simulacra of a real object or people, but at a distance. That's video conferencing, texting, email, (mostly) social media, etc. Second, with simulations, i.e. video games, produced media (i.e. fake people played by real ones, photoshopped everything, post-produced CGI'd, etc.). The difference now is that the wall between these is going to fall, and it will be difficult to distinguish between the two going forward. Culture doesn't require that its basis is real. Some people are going to choose Religion 2.0, where they prefer the mediated experience to the unmediated one, and others will reject it. These two groups can't get along because even if values are shared, there will be a divergence of meaning.
vineyardmike 3y ago
> At least in the past even if it was an influencer, I knew it was a real person or location, if a little Photoshopped. Maybe not you specifically, but society generally: why does one follow an influencer? Surely they won’t meet that person, likely won’t go to that location, can’t afford those clothes etc…. And in answering those questions, does AI generated content still fill that requirement? I suspect yes for some. I do follow the occasional influencer and brand. Some because I want to peak into a glorious resort filled life I won’t have, others to see remarkable places I won’t go. If those were fake, maybe I’d feel better about FOMO. Some people (especially queer people) follow influencers to experience people and social groups who are like them, when they don’t see them in their normal life. AI content can’t replace that.
- stubybubs 3y ago
  I know what you mean. There is something comforting in knowing that a real person like you is out there in world, existing and somehow making it. It's important that they are actually real too, or as real as you can verify. I was also thinking about how, you know, fake content that I know is fake is fine. A comedy sketch is clever writing and good timing, and synthetic. Real content that I know is real is fine. I am seeing something real and true. Fake content that tries to be real is bad, and pollutes my mind, in a sense. I can't even tell somebody about an image I saw because I don't know if it's real or not. Balenciaga pope etc. And a lot of social media is going to fall into that. I shouldn't even mention it, for fear of looking like a fool. I shouldn't even mentally store it, because it warps my understanding of general trends that I notice online. I think social media text is already there, and images are close, video maybe less than a year off from being kind of worthless.
- onetokeoverthe 3y ago
  [dead]
- constantcrying 3y ago
  >why does one follow an influencer? From the outside it seems mostly aspirational and a way for people to fantasize about a life they will never have. (This is extremely toxic behaviour, by the way) I also think this directly links to the "life improvement" and "course selling" genre, where millionaires blatantly shill to their audience that they too can be millionaires if they just get up before 5:30 and gamble on ridicolous activities in saturated markets (course selling, drop shipping, "book writing"). Honestly some of the more despicable people on the internet. >Some people (especially queer people) follow influencers to experience people and social groups who are like them, when they don’t see them in their normal life. AI content can’t replace that. Why not? I think it is far easier to make AI pander to those people. AI girlfriend/boyfriend simulators are already real, they directly target those groups.
  - vineyardmike 3y ago
    > AI girlfriend/boyfriend simulators are already real, they directly target those groups. That is not at all the point or use case i was referring to (but it is totally a real use of social media). Using queer people as the example, a lot of young people turn to social media to see adults being happy and queer because they don’t see any examples IRL. There are a lot of laws being passed in the US to target trans people, for example, so a Floridian trans youth may watch a YouTube channel of a trans person in a far away city living a safe, fulfilling life, as inspiration for their own future. Similarly, but more pedestrian, I knew plenty of people in high school who watched “day in the life of <profession>” videos, or “come with me on my first day at <university>” videos. They help people visualize their future, or decide between different futures. I used YouTubers’ videos to help me choose between different universities. When I moved to a new city, I followed local influencers to get an idea for things to do and places to visit. Definitely less toxic. These videos can be fake, but if it’s not grounded in reality then it’s really not the intended purpose of watching it.

avidiax 3y ago

There is going to be an AI/AR/VR existential crisis in some people. The status quo is that we interact in 2 distinct ways. First, with a simulacra of a real object or people, but at a distance. That's video conferencing, texting, email, (mostly) social media, etc. Second, with simulations, i.e. video games, produced media (i.e. fake people played by real ones, photoshopped everything, post-produced CGI'd, etc.). The difference now is that the wall between these is going to fall, and it will be difficult to distinguish between the two going forward. Culture doesn't require that its basis is real. Some people are going to choose Religion 2.0, where they prefer the mediated experience to the unmediated one, and others will reject it. These two groups can't get along because even if values are shared, there will be a divergence of meaning.

vineyardmike 3y ago

> At least in the past even if it was an influencer, I knew it was a real person or location, if a little Photoshopped. Maybe not you specifically, but society generally: why does one follow an influencer? Surely they won’t meet that person, likely won’t go to that location, can’t afford those clothes etc…. And in answering those questions, does AI generated content still fill that requirement? I suspect yes for some. I do follow the occasional influencer and brand. Some because I want to peak into a glorious resort filled life I won’t have, others to see remarkable places I won’t go. If those were fake, maybe I’d feel better about FOMO. Some people (especially queer people) follow influencers to experience people and social groups who are like them, when they don’t see them in their normal life. AI content can’t replace that.

stubybubs 3y ago
I know what you mean. There is something comforting in knowing that a real person like you is out there in world, existing and somehow making it. It's important that they are actually real too, or as real as you can verify. I was also thinking about how, you know, fake content that I know is fake is fine. A comedy sketch is clever writing and good timing, and synthetic. Real content that I know is real is fine. I am seeing something real and true. Fake content that tries to be real is bad, and pollutes my mind, in a sense. I can't even tell somebody about an image I saw because I don't know if it's real or not. Balenciaga pope etc. And a lot of social media is going to fall into that. I shouldn't even mention it, for fear of looking like a fool. I shouldn't even mentally store it, because it warps my understanding of general trends that I notice online. I think social media text is already there, and images are close, video maybe less than a year off from being kind of worthless.
onetokeoverthe 3y ago
[dead]
constantcrying 3y ago
>why does one follow an influencer? From the outside it seems mostly aspirational and a way for people to fantasize about a life they will never have. (This is extremely toxic behaviour, by the way) I also think this directly links to the "life improvement" and "course selling" genre, where millionaires blatantly shill to their audience that they too can be millionaires if they just get up before 5:30 and gamble on ridicolous activities in saturated markets (course selling, drop shipping, "book writing"). Honestly some of the more despicable people on the internet. >Some people (especially queer people) follow influencers to experience people and social groups who are like them, when they don’t see them in their normal life. AI content can’t replace that. Why not? I think it is far easier to make AI pander to those people. AI girlfriend/boyfriend simulators are already real, they directly target those groups.
- vineyardmike 3y ago
  > AI girlfriend/boyfriend simulators are already real, they directly target those groups. That is not at all the point or use case i was referring to (but it is totally a real use of social media). Using queer people as the example, a lot of young people turn to social media to see adults being happy and queer because they don’t see any examples IRL. There are a lot of laws being passed in the US to target trans people, for example, so a Floridian trans youth may watch a YouTube channel of a trans person in a far away city living a safe, fulfilling life, as inspiration for their own future. Similarly, but more pedestrian, I knew plenty of people in high school who watched “day in the life of <profession>” videos, or “come with me on my first day at <university>” videos. They help people visualize their future, or decide between different futures. I used YouTubers’ videos to help me choose between different universities. When I moved to a new city, I followed local influencers to get an idea for things to do and places to visit. Definitely less toxic. These videos can be fake, but if it’s not grounded in reality then it’s really not the intended purpose of watching it.