Art and Kindness

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by Ben Huot

www.benjamin-newton.com

You are now in the 5th Generation Subsection of the Writing Section

October 11, 2022

Today I saw one of the most beautiful paintings ever
And it was almost entirely designed by software
With a person literally just choosing amongst a number of pieces
And it won a state level art show

In an age of artificial intelligence
Biblical aesthetics still requires people
God’s idea of what is beautiful
Is doing kind things for others

Maybe as we find it possible
To create more easily
And art becomes more democratized

We will start leveling the playing field
For those who want to to be creative
But don’t have the time or ability

Our teachers were right
That today we can do whatever we want
Everyday of our lives can be like a vacation

The flip side is that we make not make any money at it
Of course that is always a struggle with art
Try making money off a website, writing, or creating software

But ultimately what ability do humans have
That a machine is not capable of doing better?

For those who argue the purity of art
I bring in the example of photography
I also bring in the example of modern art
And finally I bring in the example of design software

Maybe we can end the elitism
The average person can now enjoy making art too
The process can be more the point
Entertainment transforms into creating

This is only one relatively minor change
That our society will experience over the next 100 years
But this will only be true if no new things are invented

Everything now is up for grabs
What I am writing to you now
May soon be done by a robot instead of a person
Or some sort of artificial intelligence

Most jobs can be automated
This is how blue color workers must have felt
In the later 20th century
When they lost their jobs due to robots and software

It might be that wealth becomes distributed more evenly
Throughout the entire world
And get people to focus on creating rather than consuming

It might also take a bite
Into the power of and wealth of Hollywood

This is just a minor milestone
In the transformation of our lives and economy

So maybe the focus in life can shift
From how much can I get
To how much I can give

The art of the Bible
Is trying to reduce suffering
This is a much harder task
I wish the robots well
If they ever take on this endeavor

The Bible talks about how
All physical things deteriorate over time
One of the greatest challenges
We have in our country today
Is the preservation of our wealth

A person or society has to guard what it creates
Legally, physically, technologically, or morally
What cannot be secured
Is not going to remain their property

As people become lazier
And do not want to work anymore
This is a gift from God
That we can now do more complex things electronically

Robots work harder and get no pay
What a great enabler of capitalism

Aesthetics or the philosophy of art
Has always been a fun topic to write about
But it is hard because there is little to draw on

Most artists do not like to be self reflective
Because they think it will make them less creative
Many also have little interest in academics or abstract thought

What I look forward to is sharing the joy of creation
With ever more people

The robots are making the life of the consumer better
And currently they are volunteering their labor
What is not to love about it?

If someone wants to give away something for free
For someone else to sell
Is that not their right?

This is the way government works
The government is well know for giving money to the poor
But it also redistributes wealth to the rich as well

Society will be rearranged
And everything invented
After the transition from a hunter gatherer society
Is up for grabs
Art included

There is nothing sacred about creating beautiful things
Who are we to determine what is beautiful?
Is not beauty to be judged by the individual’s perception?

This may appear to be a profound change in society
But it is not conceptually
There will be greater changes

What happens when people can generate
Whole theologies or religions this way?
Maybe this has already happened?

After all we only know what we can experience
And everything else we know by faith