This Publication
Integrated insights for anyone feeling lost in the wake of technological advances and societal change.
AHITL Defined:
The involvement of human intelligence, judgment, and/or feedback at various stages of an automated system or artificial intelligence process.
A digital publication and creative brand that leverages A.I. technology to explore and examine the human experience–how we live, work, learn, create, and connect.
The cyclical patterns of behavior or thinking that impact our lives with or without our awareness and control. Relationships, addiction, and other habitual behaviors are potential loops we can get caught in.
We're All in The Loop Now.
In a sense, the role of a human-in-the-loop no longer applies to only academics and researchers in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Whether we like it (or are even aware), we are all humans-in-the-loop now.
My goal for this publication is to help you feel less overwhelmed and disconnected by the current trajectory and impact of technology and societal change.
We will take a holistic approach to bridging the gap between our understanding of the lived human experience and the technology that has become integrated into our daily lives.
By sharing my experience, establishing connections, and helping you make sense of the current state of things, I hope you will feel less disconnected and be empowered to advocate for a better future for everyone.
Regardless of how you may feel about big tech, the current A.I. boom, or social media, technology has become integrated into every aspect of our lives.
We've allowed big tech to plow forward in the name of innovation, while we distracted ourselves, resigned to sit in the backseat.
- It provides us with convenience and connection, making us more productive at work and making us feel safe, stay cozy, and be entertained at home. But what privacies do we give up in exchange?
- How much do we actually learn about ourselves and the world using our pocket computers that give us access to a world of information?
- We have the potential to easily connect with people across the globe, but instead, we choose to engage in conflict.
The A.I. train has left the station. And we're late.
It is baffling to me that A.I. as a field of study has existed since the 1950s, but only now with greater consumer access, are we realizing that people weren't ready for this technology.
The A.I. train has left the station, leaving many behind because of a fundamental lack of digital literacy that goes back to the rise of the Internet in the mid-1990s—although back then, we called it the World Wide Web.
At its current pace, expecting everyone to catch up doesn't seem possible, especially when the train keeps jumping tracks and changing course. Even those who are on board aren't totally sure where we're going.
And even if the train slowed down and everyone could catch up, we'd get on board and fall back into being passengers, unaware of where we were going.
Establishing a solid foundation is the only way to build anything that can endure the test of time.
Eric Kerr
Practice, Imperfect.
Since diving in last Fall, my experience with A.I. has been life-changing.
As a true Sci-fi nerd, I have chosen to approach these advances head-on while maintaining a healthy level of curiosity and skepticism.
It has helped me work through writer's anxiety that has plagued me since I was a kid, and it has allowed me to reconnect with my creative roots in ways I never dreamed possible.
I am far from being an expert, but investing the time has made a massive difference in my understanding of its capabilities.
I have spent over 1,200 hours utilizing large language models (LLMs) and generated over 9,000 images using Midjourney.
Wharton professor Ethan Mollick says that ten hours is the minimum amount of time you should experiment with frontier models like ChatGPT or Claude to gain a solid grasp of their capabilities.
I agree that practice makes perfect, but I wouldn't hand you a chainsaw without instructions. Right?!
Beyond that, who has time to dedicate hours and hours to experimenting with different prompts and use cases?
Lucky for you, I have spent over 1,200 hours utilizing large language models like ChatGPT. It's even made me cry a few times. I'll explain another time.
Curator and Creative Director
What's been truly rewarding is being able to return to my creative roots. I've always struggled with traditional artistic mediums, and they never turned out the way I imagined them.
Using Midjourney, I've created characters and worlds, stretching the limits of my imagination. Often starting with a digital photo I've taken, building, blending, and iterating from there, I've generated over 9,000 images.
Taking it to the next level, I have been exploring AI video and sound generation. Here is a short music video I created, set to Dua Lipa's Houdini.
Check out my Instagram account for even more music videos and AI artwork.
I'm excited to share with you the skills and knowledge I've learned along the way to see what inspires you and where it will take you.
Together, we will learn to embrace discomfort, be curious, and think critically about the ways technology has influenced our lives.
Please contact me with questions, call out inaccuracies (I'm only human), and share your feedback and takeaways in the comments (paid subscriber benefit).
Thank you for reading!
Eric <at> ahumanintheloop <dot> ai
Eric Kerr
If you'd like to go further to support this publication and my broader work, consider becoming a paying subscriber!
Paid Subscribers have access to insightful articles, research studies, book recommendations, and links to podcasts, video clips, and more.
- Paid Subscriber Benefits Include:
- Unlimited access to articles and resources
- Commenting privileges on all posted articles
- An original one-of-a-kind art piece by Eric sent as a digital download!
- With more benefits to come!