Are We Ceding Humanity to Machines? Are We Ceding Humanity to Machines?
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Rachel Rossin, The Maw Of, 2022. Still from live simulation. Courtesy of the artist and The Whitney Museum of American Art
Opinions

Are We Ceding Humanity to Machines?

The Battle for Meaning as AI Outthinks Us
Natalie Monbiot
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time 5 minutes

In a recent podcast, I was asked to recommend a book, and, without hesitation, I thought of God, Human, Animal, Machine by Meghan O’Gieblyn—a profound exploration of what it means to be human in the age of AI.

It struck me deeply, but it wasn’t until I revisited it that I could fully articulate why. It touches on something I’ve been exploring for a while: the evolving relationship between humans and machines. As we integrate AI into our lives, we aren’t merely building tools—we’re entering a new phase of human evolution.

The title itself initially seemed like a strange blend of words, but, on reflection, it evokes a hierarchy we’ve long taken for granted. Gods, whether divine or created by us, have overseen human destiny for

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On the Edge of Light and Shadow On the Edge of Light and Shadow
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Saul Leiter „Footprints”, ca. 1950 © Saul Leiter Foundation
Experiences

On the Edge of Light and Shadow

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The Saul Leiter exhibition at the FOAM photography museum has a lot to offer. Besides photos resembling paintings, and a slice of New York in the heart of Amsterdam, a reminder that in the age of digital overload, photography can still have a soul. 

As the first quarter of the twenty-first century draws to a close, we are approaching the bicentennial of the first image recorded using light: “View from the Window at Le Gras.” French physicist and inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce positioned his camera (a camera obscura loaded with a light-sensitive copper plate) through his studio window, aiming the lens at the interior courtyard of his home.  

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