Internal exile

Internal exile delves into the intersections of technology, art, and philosophy, examining the implications of digital innovation on society, culture, and individual identity. It critiques the commodification of social interactions, the challenges of AI in creative processes, and explores philosophical concepts reshaped by tech advancements.

Technology and Society Art and Creativity Philosophy and Concepts Social Media and Digital Culture AI and Machine Learning Privacy and Surveillance Capitalism and Critique Authenticity and Inauthenticity Language and Communication Generative AI and Content Creation

The hottest Substack posts of Internal exile

And their main takeaways

Infinite concretude

16 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Philosophy Identity Fashion Social media Art
  1. Philosophy involves inventing concepts, like the constant creation of terms on TikTok; it's about forming and fabricating ideas.
  2. TikTok term-coining turns concept-making into product-making, where events are seen as product launches, reflecting the fast-paced trend cycles of social media.
  3. Creating and adopting trendy microaesthetics reflects a commitment to perpetual becoming and fashion, emphasizing the exhaustion and exhilaration of keeping up with trends.

Spacing the cans

6 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Subcultures
  1. Aldi uses sub-brands to differentiate its products internally despite not having external competition, which can lead to a unique branding strategy.
  2. The article discusses the evolving nature of teen subcultures and aesthetics online, emphasizing the struggle for authentic self-expression.
  3. There is a comparison between offline and online subcultures, questioning the impact of online platforms on identity formation and the potential differences between the two activities.

Practico-inertia

8 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Generative models Search Engines Language Models
  1. Generative models like Google's Gemini can create controversial outputs, raising questions about the accuracy and societal impact of AI-generated content.
  2. Users of generative models sometimes mistakenly perceive the AI output as objective knowledge, when it is actually a reflection of biases and prompts.
  3. The use of generative models shifts power dynamics and raises concerns about the control of reality and information by technology companies.

A photo of a hamburger

9 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Technology Entertainment Critique Social Commentary
  1. Generative models like Sora can automate video creation but may lead to an influx of unwanted content and job loss in the industry.
  2. OpenAI's Sora model aims to attract investment by presenting itself as a promising video simulator, emphasizing sample quality improvement.
  3. The 'dopamine culture' narrative simplifies complex societal issues around attention and addiction, shifting focus away from larger systemic problems.

Truth and consequences

5 HN points • 08 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Social media Disinformation Generative models Fact-checking
  1. Generated images on food delivery apps are often perceived as placeholders to fulfill basic requirements, not meant to deceive or enhance the customer's experience
  2. Generative images symbolize a power shift where technology companies dictate realities that must be accepted, regardless of quality or accuracy, aligning users with this new authority
  3. Concerns over fake images highlight the complexities of truth and reality perception, emphasizing the need to navigate between obviousness, evidence, and asceticism in seeking truth
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Summaries without originals

8 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Data Ethics
  1. Concern is rising that tech companies developing AI models may eventually run out of human-generated data to train the models, leading to a potential collapse of the models themselves.
  2. The use of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as AI-generated text, may interfere with human intentional communication and risk creating a future where discourse is processed only by machines, wasting everyone's time.
  3. AI technologies like LLMs can be used to manipulate power dynamics, disempower individuals, and dehumanize interactions, ultimately reshaping social relations and relegating human voices to the background.

Endless feedback

12 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Social media AI Data Privacy
  1. Facebook collects data on user input even if it's not posted.
  2. Platforms prioritize collecting user behavior for feedback over user autonomy.
  3. AI assistance aims to shape and control human thinking and behavior.

Sampler #2

8 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Entertainment Art Technology Philosophy
  1. Cringe theory: Discusses the concept of 'cringe' entertainment and its relationship with authenticity and comedy.
  2. Vibes as bias: Highlights how language models like GPT can inadvertently amplify biases in text generation.
  3. Frame analysis: Explores how fan culture's desire to expand narratives can diminish the original work's impact and mystery.

Where were you

8 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Privacy Surveillance Social media
  1. Resist confusing control with care when it comes to digital technologies.
  2. Surveillance technology can alter our expectations of privacy and attention.
  3. Social surveillance blurs the lines between being cared for and being controlled.

Identitätszwang

9 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Technology Capitalism Society Identity
  1. Social media has become less about personal connections and more about commercialized content
  2. Platforms like social media aim to reshape social interactions into consumable products
  3. Users of social media may feel compelled to conform to the platform's structures and metrics

March 27

9 implied HN points • 27 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Art Society Technology Media
  1. AI-generated images are becoming commonplace in memes and do not signify the end of reality.
  2. Reality is socially constructed and not solely based on realistic appearances.
  3. Homogeneity is prevailing in many cultural domains, leading to sameness and average aesthetics.

April 4

8 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Neural Networks Social media Generative AI Artificial Intelligence
  1. Generative AI might make it easier to create content, but it can also reduce the engagement and discovery process.
  2. Neural nets used in AI may become so complex that humans cannot comprehend how they work.
  3. AI-generated fake interactions on social media could lead to isolated online experiences and impact data quality for training AI models.

Sampler

7 implied HN points • 26 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Social media Writing Chatbots Ethics
  1. AI can be manipulated through poisoning attacks, affecting outcomes and creating incentives for spammers and tech companies.
  2. Influencers drive the trend of 'kinetic' food in restaurants, emphasizing visual appeal for videos over taste.
  3. The 'sharing economy' has shifted from genuine sharing to profit-driven exploitation, impacting workers and service users.

Pro tools

7 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Performance art Digital Art
  1. Artists are challenged by technology in art creation, raising questions about collaboration and human mastery.
  2. The use of algorithms in art risks reinforcing existing hierarchies rather than democratizing creativity.
  3. Debates on nonhuman agency in art underscore complexities around assigning responsibility and interpreting machine-generated outputs.

Boring but not necessarily meaningless

7 implied HN points • 05 May 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Authenticity Capitalism Technology Self
  1. BeReal's new feature 'RealPeople' showcases famous individuals doing ordinary things to seem relatable.
  2. The concept of authenticity in social media often masks deeper contradictions and socioeconomic tensions.
  3. BeReal and similar platforms strive to commodify and sell the idea of authenticity, contributing to a culture of self-simulation and inauthenticity.

Our threshold of repugnance

6 implied HN points • 24 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Social Behavior Entertainment Emotions Norms
  1. The emergence of the idea of civility traced back to a book by Erasmus of Rotterdam.
  2. New media platforms commercialize by revealing how others behave and teaching us how to live appropriate lives.
  3. Generative AI lacks the depth of human connection and practical applicability found in human interactions and specific contexts.