Author: Peter Biles | Page 4

A talented musician serenades the crowd with his guitar under the warm sun, as the vibrant backlighting adds to the electrifying atmosphere of the outdoor rock concert

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Peter Biles
Date
August 26, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Bob Dylan, Consciousness, Gen Z, Human exceptionalism, music, Substack, Ted Gioia}

Live Music is Making a Comeback, and So is Bob Dylan

_{People still want to experience music in person.} _{Peter Biles
August 26, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

This past summer, 110,000 people convened for a George Strait concert in College Station, TX, the biggest crowd ever recorded to hear live music. Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” has amassed over a billion dollars in revenue, with the pop star traveling the world to sold-out amphitheaters. Coldplay, another massive musical act, is gearing up for the release of their tenth studio album, Moon Music, set to drop on October 4th. They plan a world tour for the album and are also known to fill up stadiums far and wide. So, whatever plights the world of arts and culture might be facing, and given AI’s incursion into the creator economy, one thing remains evident: people still want to experience music in Read More ›

3d Render. Interesting ring model. Modern background for your banner, flyer, template, text, poster, magazine, branding.

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post

Peter Biles
Date
August 24, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Fantasy, fiction, film, Literature, Lord of the Rings, Movies and TV, Rings of Power, Tolkien}

The Return of the Rings

_{Time to revisit Middle-earth} _{Peter Biles
August 24, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

August has been a big month for Tolkien fans. Season 2 of Amazon’s The Rings of Power is slated to premiere on Thursday, August 29th, two years after the first season (with its billion-dollar budget) dropped and garnered mixed reviews. You can read my own two cents on The Rings of Power here and here. The question a lots of Tolkien fans are probably asking now is whether the show can recover from a slow start, some poor character development and cliche dialogue, and some basic plot issues that made many of us wish more time was invested on the story than the stratospheric budget. We’ll see. Here’s the trailer for Season 2: The Rings of Power isn’t the only Read More ›

Child kid son pupil student bad behavior boy schoolboy playing video game on mobile phone at lesson at school hide smartphone under class desk distract from studying gadget addiction writing learning

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Peter Biles
Date
August 22, 2024

Categorized
Education

Tagged
education, Gen Z, Jonathan Haidt, phones, Screen addiction, Technology}

Finally Something the Politicians Agree On: Phone-free Schools

_{Governors in both red and blue states are getting screens out of classrooms} _{Peter Biles
August 22, 2024

3

Education}

I grew up in a “phone-free” school in the 2010s and would highly recommend it. Phones represented clear threats to learning, collaboration, and creativity. Read More ›

An astronaut inside his cockpit looking at a cloudy strange land

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Peter Biles
Date
August 19, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Content creation, Tech}

Learning to Build and Create Offline as Well as On

_{Is the internet the only place to build and expand culture?} _{Peter Biles
August 19, 2024

5

Arts & Culture}

How can we build beauty instead of glass blocks? Cathedrals instead of consumer malls? And how can we avoid simply rebuilding a modern rendition of Babel? Read More ›

A retro video games arcade fighting machine for two players, with a large blank screen. 3D render illustration.

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post

Peter Biles
Date
August 16, 2024

Categorized
Technology

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Consciousness, Science fiction}

A Weekend Watch: Paul Kingsnorth and Louise Perry

_{Who is technology serving?} _{Peter Biles
August 16, 2024

2

Technology}

What do we lose when we’re never quiet with our own thoughts, always checking our phones, always listening to Spotify or a podcast in the background? Read More ›

K9 Police Squad Performing Explosive Material Security Screening At Airports

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post

Peter Biles
Date
August 15, 2024

Categorized
Censorship

Tagged
America, censorship, Free speech, Freedom, UK}

Tulsi Gabbard Put on Terror Watch List. Is the Dystopia Already Here?

_{Tyranny is starting to rear its head in the western world} _{Peter Biles
August 15, 2024

2

Censorship}

Last week, the United Kingdom warned its citizens about what they post online, noting they could be criminally prosecuted for sharing content that can “incite” violence. Free speech advocates were quick to condemn the announcement as censorial and undemocratic. But is America immune from the thought police? Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii was recently put on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) terror watchlist. According to whistleblower reports, she and her husband were followed by federal agents and a team of dogs last month and checked multiple times at airports as they traveled across the United States and overseas. Local Hawaiian lawmakers sent a statement to the TSA condemning the “harassment”: The people of Hawaii love Tulsi and your actions Read More ›

A bar with a piano, chairs, and old clocks, picture frames surround, retro English pub, Jazz bar, generative ai

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post

Peter Biles
Date
August 13, 2024

Categorized
Relationships

Tagged
Anthony Bradley, Digital media, gender, men, phones}

What Happened to “Third Spaces”?

_{Many men are lacking the deep community and sense of brotherhood (fraternity) they need to flourish and grow.. Bringing back communal institutions might be crucial for social cohesion} _{Peter Biles
August 13, 2024

3

Relationships}

A few decades ago, the club was more of a thing. And not the kind where people rave and disco until six in the morning. No, these were “gentlemen’s clubs,” places where guys could separate themselves both from familial and professional venues and enjoy meaningful connection with other men. Anthony Bradley, a scholar at the Acton Institute, shared some of his thoughts and findings on the decline of these “third spaces” and how they’ve been detrimental towards men in particular. The rise of more egalitarian attitudes towards gender, which had the great net benefit of opening the door for more equal opportunity for women, inadvertently led to the decline of these male-centric institutions. Today, we see the result: many men Read More ›

Concept idea freedom of speech freedom of expression democracy feminism and censored, surreal painting, portrait illustration, political art, women's rights, conceptual artwork

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post

Peter Biles
Date
August 9, 2024

Categorized
Censorship

Tagged
Elon Musk, Free speech, Google, totalitarianism, Twitter, UK}

The U.K. Government Reposts Censorious Tweet

_{The rising authoritarianism in western societies is becoming more evident} _{Peter Biles
August 9, 2024

4

Censorship}

In light of the violent protests and now counter-protests raging across the England and elsewhere in the United Kingdom (UK), the UK government reposted an announcement on X that those posting online content promoting “hatred” or “violence” could be criminally prosecuted. Here’s the post: Not only can citizens face prosecution by posting inciteful content (although the video makes no mention about what that really is), but they can also get nabbed for simply reposting it from someone else. The pushback on X was swift, with critics calling the post a blatant instance of government overreach and comparing the measure to something we would expect in authoritarian countries like China and North Korea. The debate over free speech in western countries Read More ›

Revolutionary moment captured as Gutenberg demonstrates his groundbreaking invention, the printing press, in action.

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post

Peter Biles
Date
August 6, 2024

Tagged
AI, god, Neil Postman, Printing press, religion, Tech}

Revisiting Neil Postman’s Laws of Technology

_{How can we judge technology realistically?} _{Peter Biles
August 6, 2024

3}

Without guiding principles, technology can progress while our moral maturity stays the same or even backtracks. Read More ›

Blue car drown in water canal. Extreme accident vehicle sink in river pound lake, traffic incident

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post

Peter Biles
Date
August 5, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, digital tech, Technology, the office}

Our Tech Use Crosses the Line When We Trust It Too Much

_{Don't be like Michael Scott and let AI drive your car into a lake} _{Peter Biles
August 5, 2024

4

Artificial Intelligence}

I've never driven my car into a lake screaming "the machine knows!" like Michael Scott did but the temptation to use technology like this loom in everyday life. Read More ›

tired business woman sleepy and bored from sitting at a desk for a long time and has office syndrome

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post

Peter Biles
Date
July 31, 2024

Categorized
Work}

Study: AI is Actually Causing People to Work More

_{AI can hamper more than help in the workplace} _{Peter Biles
July 31, 2024

3

Work}

Full-time employees, challenged to incorporate AI more fundamentally into their schedule and skillsets, are not seeing the promised productivity yields. Read More ›

A woman having a good time talking with ai robot friend in cafe

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post

Peter Biles
Date
July 30, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness, Creativity, free will, friendship}

AI: The Future of Friendship?

_{Odd visions of dystopia keep popping up in real life in our current social moment.} _{Peter Biles
July 30, 2024

4

Artificial Intelligence}

Odd visions of dystopia keep popping up in real life in our current social moment. An upcoming device simply called “friend” is now being advertised. Per the product description, the “friend” is a Bluetooth disk that hangs around a person’s neck and “listens” to the user. It then has the capacity to make conversation by “texting” you at random times of the day, like a human friend might do. The website includes a “frequently asked questions” portion, which is where you can discover what the product is and what it can do. Here’s a bizarre response to the question: “what does ‘always listening’ mean”: When connected via bluetooth, your friend is always listening and forming their own internal thoughts. We Read More ›

Mars, the red planet with detailed surface features and craters in deep space. Blue Earth planet in outer space. mars and earth, concept

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post

Peter Biles
Date
July 26, 2024

Categorized
Technology

Tagged
Anxiety, Depression, Gen Z, Jonathan Haidt, mental health, religion, social media, Technology, the anxious generation}

Growing Up on the Internet is Like Growing Up on Mars

_{We need to come back to Earth} _{Peter Biles
July 26, 2024

3

Technology}

Not only is the online world making us angry and sad. It's also causing our character to atrophy. Read More ›

Incredible night view of Stellisee lake with Matterhorn Cervino peak in Swiss Alps. Millions of stars in the pre-bright sky. Zermatt resort location, Switzerland. Landscape astrophotography

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Peter Biles
Date
July 24, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, censorship, Culture, Elon Musk, Humanity, Jordan Peterson, religion, social media}

Musk Wants to Use AI to Understand the Universe. Will it Work?

_{Could AI ever aid our quest to fully understand the universe?} _{Peter Biles
July 24, 2024

2

Artificial Intelligence}

Jordan Peterson and Elon Musk sat down this week for an extensive conversation ranging from technology, AI, politics, and even religion and questions of the metaphysical. These two prominent figures are active on Musk’s X, and frequently call out infringements on free speech and other authoritarian measures they see as a danger. In one interesting point in the interview, Musk described how he diverged in his views from his friend Larry Page on AI safety. Page evidently believes that we will “upload our minds to the computer,” to which Peterson said, “There’s not much difference between that and the death of humanity.” Musk nonetheless is the developer of his own AI system and believes that AI can aid humanity’s perennial Read More ›

hand of woman holding pen with writing on paper report in office

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post

Peter Biles
Date
July 22, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, brain, ChatGPT, Focus, Handwriting, LLMs, Neuroscience, Technology, Writing}

Study: Writing by Hand is Good for the Brain. What Does that Say About ChatGPT?

_{Nothing can replace pen and paper} _{Peter Biles
July 22, 2024

2

Arts & Culture}

It might be time to get the pens and notebooks back out and shut off the keyboard for a while. Just pretend you’re back in the first grade and don’t have a minicomputer in your back pocket. Writing by hand can help stimulate the whole brain and stave off cognitive decline, according to a study by Van der Weel and Van der Meer (2024), as reported by Pamela B. Rutledge in Psychology Today. Using a more personal note, she writes, I’ve never been one to keep a journal, but I now wonder if the exclusive use of computers and the lack of handwriting practice is doing my brain a disservice by decreasing the activity of cortico-subcortical components of the writing Read More ›

Workplace of contemporary professional painter inside studio of arts

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post

Peter Biles
Date
July 19, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Books, Human exceptionalism, Movies and TV}

We Shouldn’t Let AI Steal Art and Entertainment

_{This is an opportunity for artists and writers to create excellent work that champions the uniqueness of human creativity} _{Peter Biles
July 19, 2024

3

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture}

It’s no secret that new forms of AI threaten the integrity of the arts and entertainment industry. Actors might be deep faked. Artists’ original work can be scraped by word prompts, and writers could be “replaced” by large language models that only seem to be getting more adept at copycatting human language. One of the reasons it’s tempting for Hollywood producers to use AI seems to go beyond simply cutting costs. It makes sense massive companies want to capitalize on a tool that will get them unpaid labor. But in a way, entertainment, including books and movies, have become apportioned to popular demand. Which means they tend to be more formulaic and geared towards marketability instead of genuine quality. I Read More ›

Augmented Reality Bookshelf on Smartphone

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post

Peter Biles
Date
July 16, 2024

Categorized
Education

Tagged
education, Gen Z, Jonathan Haidt, phones, Technology, the anxious generation}

Ban the Phones and Bring Back the Books

_{It's time for the book, a time-tested vehicle of delight and instruction, to make a comeback in the classroom} _{Peter Biles
July 16, 2024

5

Education}

This summer, several states have proposed banning smartphones in public schools or introducing programs that will limit kids’ phone use during school hours. So far New York, Indiana, Ohio, California, and Oklahoma have proposed bans or restrictions, showing rare bipartisan concern over the issue. The impetus for this movement came in May when Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders sent a letter to every fellow governor in the United States with a complimentary copy of The Anxious Generation, a new book by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. Haidt shows how starting in the early 2010s kids’ mental health steeply declined. The main culprit? The smartphone, which soon became an ensnaring substitute for “real life.” Gen Z, those born after 1995, were the first Read More ›

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Peter Biles
Date
July 12, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence}

AI is Becoming a Tool of Mass Persuasion

_{Some worry that AI could be a powerful tool used to wield influence over users} _{Peter Biles
July 12, 2024

3

Artificial Intelligence}

Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are more “conversational” technologies, directly addressing users, so their persuasive power is more overt. Read More ›

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post

Peter Biles
Date
July 10, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, ChatGPT, Creativity, Stephen King, Writers, Writing}

“I’m Not There Yet”

_{Scott Galloway opens up about the writing process} _{Peter Biles
July 10, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

Scott Galloway is one of the most successful writers on the planet, at least by monetary metrics. He’s also a remarkably talented presenter and appears consistently on top channels to talk about business, masculinity, finance, and relationships. In a new interview with David Perell, who founded the writing organization “Write of Passage,” Galloway said that he thinks he’s a “good writer” but not a “great” one yet. It might surprise us given that Galloway is around sixty and is a successful author, but he went on to explain how practice is key when reaching any type of mastery of a skill. Writing is no different. He described his recent encounter with a Stephen King novel, admiring the vividness of the Read More ›

3d rendering, Scene of television cartoon mock up with blank empty space, setting on colorful room and lighting background.

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post

Peter Biles
Date
July 8, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Cinema, hollywood, Technology, The New Yorker}

Famous Actress Wonders About AI, TV Culture, and Humanity

_{AI isn't like the printing press, Rashida Jones laments} _{Peter Biles
July 8, 2024

4

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture}

We no longer talk about mainstream entertainment swallowing art. Now, distraction is swallowing both entertainment and art. Read More ›