Don’t disagree. I love an optimistic outlook. I like the idea of smaller multiple Ai and hope the system is resilient enough for it to go that way.
Quick corrections, more people voted not for the president than voted for him (that is total votes to all parties, not the popular vote between two parties), that is not an overwhelming mandate. We are talking about a few hundred thousand people in a few areas and the quirks of an electoral college. Reagan had one for sure. Obama had a larger mandate.
It is important to stress that as we watch the rule book being torn up and allies being scolded as we suddenly embrace agendas aligned to global autocravies (like those Russia… Who would have thought the USA is pushing thir agenda given the Russian hoaks. How unlikely is that).
These changes to the world order are, ironically, quicker those to made Layout. And unlike you, I worry about it.
But to be clear, there is not an overwhelming mandate.That is a myth. And Ai and missinformation are tools to perpetuate such myths. So I remain more worried than optimistic.
In the electoral college but not the “popular” vote ?
You mean “fortunately, for European and US residents” ?
Four years is a long time but the way it seems to be going in the US at the moment is that this is a coup and conceivably in 2028 there may not be an election or institutions will be so damaged that the vote will be suspect…?
Back in 2018, I gave a talk at an AIA conference about AI and automation’s impact on the profession. I was paired with another architect, and we took opposing perspectives on what is both an incredible and disruptive technology.
Even then, my core belief was that AI isn’t just changing how we work, it’s challenging our sense of identity. Like many of us, I’ve always been comfortable defining myself by what I do. Over time, that identity and my profession have become inseparable. So when AI comes along and can essentially do what I do, what you do, what most of us do better, faster, and at a scale we can barely comprehend, what does that mean for our sense of self? It’s unsettling. It makes me feel less human, like my role is becoming a proxy rather than a creator.
But then I step back. We still live in a human world that is increasingly lacking real interaction, empathy, and compassion. Design won’t be needed less in a more integrated future it will be expected.
And that’s where I see the good. As AI takes over repetitive tasks, we’ll be freed up to tackle bigger, more complex challenges - economic, environmental, and social problems that demand creative, human-led solutions. The future isn’t about being the person who “just does the drawings” but about being leaders in shaping how we live.
Yes, there will be fallout. It’s already happening. Our professions, our work, and our identities will have to evolve, whether we like it or not. But why not use this moment to rethink our roles? Why aren’t architects and designers leading city planning? Where are all the architects that have become mayors? Leading community forums and local organizations that aren’t just a bunch of other architects in the room? Why are so many places in America shaped by traffic volume instead of safe, walkable neighborhoods with access to education, healthcare, amenities, places of worship and parks, etc.?
AI is as big as any leap forward in human history. We can either let it take over entirely, or we can use it as a tool leveraging our strengths as creators, makers, engineers and teachers to shape a better world.
That’s the promise of good design in a more inclusive, integrated and sustainable world and honestly, a better identity anyway.
‘the people have spoken…’ needs to be changed to ‘some people have spoken’
It is not a mandate, but it is being treated like one.
For reference the previous president had a larger popular vote margin. and Obama had an even larger margin in both his elections.
As a US citizen living in Europe (but not the EU) I am really saddened by all that is happening. That the tech bros were at the inauguration is quite scary to me.
Yes. I like the vision. We don’t, for instance, lament the invention of the dishwasher for all the dishwashing jobs. Thus freeing up the mental space to do other more worthwhile things. I like how you think about it.
Im still a worrier however. Particularly about the speed of any change. I don’t see why it can’t be more gradual and considered. And I do see neferious forces making full use of it before we can get to the vision. And conflict before we get there.
Who says I’m not worried? If I wasn’t worried I wasn’t discussing this with people I know nothing of except a few topics read in a forum. Being worried and optimistic has exactly the same effect as being worried and pessimistic. What will happen is still random and all concerns that matter must be aknowledged as well as all the potential benefit, so we can steer our path.
That rule book had to turn. Europe and USA are allies but it’s also true that we are relying in NATO and it’s most powerful ally to defend ourselves. Russia is not the only autocracy that matters, and there are way more successful autocracies around the world that have amassed huge amounts of capital and resources and are nwo shifting the military, economic, technological and even cultural power.
I find it actually very honest that the USA thinks that their priorities should not be Russia, that Europe must have a stronger stance in dealing with problems that affect us the most, yet we have relaxed too much until we are powerless, just because of the USA umbrella.
As the USA wants to shift it’s aim into defending their own concerns, it’s only fair that Europe acts on their self interest, which we were doing in a completely different way because of that umbrella, while aknowledging that for years the US warned us about not relaxing.
NATO isn’t over though and this US administration is trying to do the negotiation for this conflict to stop and not spread, potentially saving Europe from getting into the conflict without being ready.
Russia is also fragile so it’s time to push for the negotiations but for that to happen, the negotiators must have power.
So, unless military action from NATO will take place, what is there to negotiate?
What can Europe negotiate at this point if they left USA in charge for so far?
Isn’t the Ukranian war at a stall?
What the Ukranians have sacrificed so far is it not enough and is there potential gain in keeping the war going?
Will Putin retreat with a defeat unless further militar action escalates?
How will it escalate? With european military or the US?
And is there danger of nuclear war?
This is not simple and we know that what happened so far didn’t work.
We don’t know what negotiations are being held, what we know is that Europe is out of negotiations by their own flaw in keeping inside the balance of power.
I’m not familiar with the intincracies of the US electoral system, sorry. It seems to me that they won the congress and the presidential mandate. So the shift of power is heavy.
Four years is a long time, especially when you don’t agree with the election results. The majority agreed though. That’s what democracy is there for.
I don’t think Trump will convert your democracy into an autocracy. It actually seems you’re keeping the same level of threat.
PS: @colin let’s see if you don’t have to split this up again.
Mostly because of the increasing bureaucracy. We’ve exchanged planning for regulation, mostly because of the lack of planning capacity.
You’re talking about produtivity in your contribution.
Using AI to increase the good side of it is what will make the future better. It will be used to the bad side too though, no matter what we want. We must use it if we want more good than bad to be produced out of it.
Aaron Swartz was a programmer, writer, and internet activist who advocated for open access to information. He co-founded Reddit and Demand Progress, and he opposed online censorship. He was prosecuted for downloading academic articles from JSTOR and he… redacted so that my post won’t be flagged as needing approval.
Exactly right. I’m too old to not realize how fragile things really are - and could get worse for my children. But, I also understand that I take many, if not all advancements for granted.
Take, for example, that I am typing on a rectangle with my coffee beside me to people from all around the planet about various issues of importance. Sharing perspectives and accounts from software, politics (our collective new religion) and our lives. That’s pretty cool.
I appreciate people more than things more and more and I guess it’s just how I am hardwired. Thanks to all that continue to make me think a little differently everyday and appreciate this community beyond the software.
And if Siri is to be believed he was an IT Tech Billionaire who at the age of 27 clearly wasn’t happy with his wealth and checked out. So how much money do you need to be happy?
Not to sound too puritanical, I’m fairly content with a few good projects, a glass of wine and friends and family around. “a jug of wine. A loaf of bread, and though beside me singing in the wilderness” (Rubayait). But the again, that’s probably why I’ve reached my ceiling…
Surely not? He was wealthy by most people but not a billionaire.
Are you embellishing or is Siri?
As for being unhappy with his wealth – my reading is that whilst he may have had some mental health issues, the prospect of a disproportionately long jail sentence could have tipped him over.
Just quoting from Siri following a “Look Up” search of his name; an act carried out simply to cast some light upon your reference. I lay no claim as to the accuracy of the implied facts presented or their context, particularly in light of Apple withdrawing their AI News Headline service recently.
