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How will AGI change the way we design and create culture

Watching the new documentary on the company, founders and achievements of DeepMind, I had some thoughts I’d like to capture. The doc. is well produced and a good way to gain general understanding of what AI and AGI are, the work that goes into building them and the things they have done with it so far.

I did miss a mayor component to the story, which is the energy consumption needed for all this. They do talk about compute power and how they constantly don’t have enough of that, but that’s not the same. Also you could argue, as the founder does to himself, that using energy for menial and useless tasks is perhaps more the problem (and potentially the reason why its such a big problem, as the whole world is now using overly capable AI machines to do mundane and arguably useless tasks for them). If used well, the energy usage could actually be very efficient when used on solutions to issues that can solve a multitude of problems. Its in the eye of the beholder as to which this energy consumption is justifiable I guess.

To get to the thoughts I had; at some point, 2/3 way into the documentary, you see a shot of the Big Bin (on of many London themed b-roll shots) and I was looking at the architectural design and decorative decisions made in that. It was at a point in the documentary where they talked about the speed of acceleration (in development or output) of these machines they are making. Where does speed sit in the development of culture and society? Building a machine (or robot) that can run the legs out from underneath its body – effectively running faster than it can cary itself – is undeniably faster than before seemed possible. But in which practice is this useful? I think this is the question to be asked with these new technologies. With a complex problem, where an AGI can accelerate problem solving to an unimaginable speed or scale, it seems more then useful to do so (although even when writing this I realise that it’s very hard to define which problems deserve this solution more then others).

Design

Going back to design, as the Big Ben got me thinking about that; what does acceleration in design and image creation mean for our cultures and the societies we have build around them? Something like the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, but also the Birds Nest in Beijing or the WTC in New York; all architecture (as is for now the stand-in for anything designed in this line of thought) has been designed and built in a timespan that is human. Particularly with architecture, from design to construction, it takes a long time. Within this time a certain aesthetic can be imagined, created and constructed, but also lived with. Throughout history we have changed our aesthetically preferences in design, but we have also been able to look back at designs from the past and taken inspiration or learnings from that. The Big Ben looks a certain way because it was made in a certain time when certain values and skills were prevalent (and others not yet discovered or accepted).

If AI or AGI accelerates this process, what does that mean for our understanding of ourselves and the cultures we create and the societies we inhibit? If a machine can come up with ever more solutions – technical or superficial, they will both have a certain aesthetic, so the solutions are also aesthetic and therefor a design solution – and at a pace that makes these solutions change and adjust increasingly faster (more frequent) then we as people or as a society can comprehend or get used to; what will that lead to? Will a definition or understanding of culture still be possible? Or will everything just inevitably become a crab (a thought that in general has been spinning in my mind about many things lately).

These are questions I don’t have an answer to other than; I’d like to see a world in which cultures are unique and diverse because they project lives lived differently and uniquely. This is what makes us human and what makes it inspiring and energetic to be alive in this world.

Another source that has been very interesting (found on the same day as the movie) is this podcast episode by NYT Critics at Large. It poses some more interesting questions in relation to the subject of culture and the arts. It made me think also of this video I have seen recently of someone kicking a rock down the road until it becomes a sphere. The more you amalgamate information and knowledge that is already out there, the more it will evolve into something that has little edge or discrepancy. Life IS interesting because sometimes we need to figure things out ourselves and come to conclusions which others had already made. AI and AGI in the end are just really really good amalgamators of information and very efficient conclusion makers. Most things have been done before; not knowing can hinder your growth or it can stimulate it, it depends on your situation.

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Step one

Design clothing

It’s not enough to come up with smart and interesting business models for a would be fashion business. Without designs, there is nothing to make and therefore sell. It’s important to push both of these aspects forward. As thinking about business propositions is something I do all the time and which is something I have started to draft here on this very blog, it’s time to also put energy into the “unknown” of creating my clothing designs. It’s easy to immediately start thinking in restrictions and hurdles, for example; Fashionary creates these Figure template cards that are very well made and would give a good sense of proportions and poses. However, I don’t NEED to have that to be able to create. It’s just me trying to come up with a reason why I can’t start right now.

My biggest challenge right now is stepping over these imaginary hurdles and to start creating/scheduling in time for myself to start making. And the scary part in that process is the unknown; not knowing what you will come up with and if you will be capable of doing so. But this is the process and something you have to learn and learn to enjoy.

What was useful after all, was finding inspiration in the work of Connie Lim who made the final illustrations to form an impression of how you can use the Figure template cards. Her style is free flowing but also clear and realistic in a sense. It’s something I’ll be looking at further for inspiration when I’m stuck with my own work in the coming months.

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DSM

One of my favourite places in London is Dover Street Market (probably my No.1 favourite place to be honest). I have been going there for many years to soak up the vibe and gain immense inspiration from the store design/layout, clothing designs on display, people that go and work there and Rose bakery. The complete package makes it’s worth visiting with frequency because there is always something new to discover or gain creatively.

The DSM logo has come to represent this experience and memory I have of this place. When I look at their logo, I feel connected to my inspired self. Analysing the logo further;

  • The shape is a sort of primal drawing shape, representing a house. This simplicity creates a sort of open platform for the diverse selection of brands and styles within the store.
  • A home which represents the family, which is very suited to their store concept; a group of brands together under one roof, some united by brand origin (Comme des Garçons) some related to it and yet others invited in as new friends.
  • “Dover Street Market” as a form of an adres places it in a space and time, a location*. Variations of the logo add the city name underneath “Market” (NEW YORK, LONDON, GINZA).
  • “Market” signifies a collection of sellers/retailers and a certain temporality to what’s on offer. It also brings up an image of a lively and communal atmosphere.

*Dover Street Market London, which was the first location of all DSM locations, was located originally on Dover Street in Mayfair, London. This is where its name originates from. Although the London store has since moved to Haymarket, its name is still linked to the first store location, rooting it in a place and linking it to a certain time.

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Observations on trend

Clothing design creates garments that may or may not be trendy.

Trend is based on community, on mass; when a majority considers something of a new/unique (design)style and want to associate themselves with it, you could see a trend appearing of appreciation for this certain style.

When a garment or style is in trend i.e. trendy, you could also say it is in fashion.

A trend being constant would mean it at some point becomes the norm to some extend. When a trend increases for it to degrease at a later stage, you could say it is a fashionable trend. For example; it has come into fashion to be associated with this trend (A), but trend A subsequently becomes surpassed by another trend (B), thus A is not able to sustain itself to become the new norm.

Fashion design therefor is a rather misguided term as it is not the designer that creates fashion, its the people that decide what is in fashion (which in tern is based on trend).

Something can be fashionable when it is designed to go along a certain trend that is currently in fashion. However, it is very unlikely that a designer creates something that will become fashionable, if it is not linked to a current trend within society. The term fashion designer therefor merely means that the designer is designing something that follows a currently fashionable trend (which either can be on the rise or decline, depending on the foresight of the designer). Success as a designer, or the success of their designs, is somewhat dependent on a variety they can bring within the boundaries of a current trend and on the suitability with a currently fashionable trend.