This & That: April 4, 2023
Some thoughts on the uncanny valley.
Hi there readers,
In this edition of the newsletter, I have some more thoughts on AI and the phenomenon known as the “uncanny valley.” I also share the Anderberg family’s favorite reads of March, and, as always, some great links.
Let’s get right to it!
Something I’m Thinking About: Speeding Up and Slowing Down
Being in the tech industry means I’m professionally obligated to stay on top of the latest and greatest in software and technology. In the last couple months that’s meant reading about and experimenting with so-called “generative AI” programs like ChatGPT and Dall-E.
There’s no denying that they’re impressive tools, and even kinda fun to play around with. But the more I learn about AI, the more I want to retreat away from tech (in my personal life, to be clear).
There’s a phenomenon called the uncanny valley which states that the closer technology gets to having human qualities — or simply appearing to have human qualities — the creepier and more disconcerting it gets.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the uncanny valley in recent months, which has pushed me to a deeper appreciation of the messy, complicated things that makes humans human: conversations that don’t go anywhere, time spent inefficiently, trying new things and failing, testing out stupid ideas. Even something intangible like deep empathy or raw emotion isn’t possible at the hands — servers? — of AI.
The more our networks and society speed up, the further I’m pulled in the other direction — to slow down and resist the companies and programs that are grabbing more and more of our autonomy and humanity.
The Anderberg Family’s Favorite Books of March
Jeremy — Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus was a total delight on the fiction front. Barack Obama’s A Promised Land did everything a political memoir should do.
Jane — The Sign for Home by Blair Fell. Jane really enjoyed this novel — recommended by our good friend Kayla Craig — which centered on the deaf-blind community.
Graham (7 years old) — What Was Stonewall? by Nico Medina. Graham wrote about this one for a school book report, which made me realize how little I know about Stonewall myself. It’s awesome to be inspired by my 7-year-old!
Willa (5 years old) — Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. I’ve read through this one a couple times already with both of the older kids and we’re making another round. It’s very good.
Bo (2 years old) — Eric Carle’s Book of Many Things is a delightfully illustrated book that can be enjoyed by kids of most ages.
Miscellany
🌙 In the previous edition of This & That, I mentioned buying a telescope for our family trip to Utah. The results were stunning. The ‘scope looks kind of intense, but I promise it’s easier to use (and travel with!) than you’d think. Highly recommended for any astronomy nerds out there!
📚 I’ve been in the mood to try to find some unheralded books — stuff that isn’t very well known or splashed across the bookish internet. So I went searching for lists. “21 Brilliant Books You’ve Never Heard Of” and “Top 10 lost women’s classics” provided me with a bit of reading material that I look forward to exploring.
📝 I don’t read very many newsletters myself, but one of them that I always open and read in full is Oliver Burkeman’s The Imperfectionist. The Four Thousand Weeks author pushes me, in the best way, to care less about productivity and more about my humanity.
📱 Even if you still regularly consume social media, odds are pretty good that your own posting has decreased quite a bit. That’s because social media has turned more and more into a tool for influencers and celebrities. Which is why paid social media accounts and verification aren’t going away anytime soon. Yuck.
👨💻 Why are Americans so obsessed with work in ways that other cultures aren’t? Derek Thompson, whose work I always enjoy, posits that work has basically come to replace religion in our country. Great read.
Thanks for the time and attention. I know it’s your most valuable commodity and I deeply appreciate it.
-Jeremy