This blog is just a grab bag of thoughts and useful links. However, as the name suggests it may be interpreted by some as a wee bit challenging, if not, activist. Hence the use of the term "Left" in the title.
The views expressed are strictly my own. The mention of any software or service is not to be taken as an endorsement or criticism.
The other day my boss at my volunteer work, gave me a document which detail a procedure for creating a website using only artificial intelligence (AI), and asked me to see how well it would work. (The document is: "Set up a context engineering flow in VS Code") As I began to dig into the task, I found the AI almost addictive to work with. Even though I have a long history in building websites, once I had figured out the basics of the procedure it was very difficult to resist the temptation to skip the review code and just go with whatever the AI produced. To be clear I like looking into the details of whatever I am doing, but having such power to create something by simply talking about it then seeing a working website just appear has me concerned. Not about the job loss potential, but about the far-reaching effects.
You see I didn't have to think about how the website worked internally. I deliberately kept my requests in plain non-technical English. As long as I was careful about my descriptions the end result was awfully close to what I wanted., Additionally the AI filled in a few things I had missed. For example,I had forgotten to place a "back" button so that the visitor could return to the home page. The AI automatically placed a very nice looking button on all the appropriate pages.
Now, as you can imagine this would be a great benefit for creativity… But there is something serious missing. There is no comprehension of how, in this case the website code is working. Beyond the obvious issues of not being able to repair the website should it break. If we use AI on a larger scale what happens over the long term? Does our ability to comprehend important concepts begin to fade?
I am old enough to remember the pre-calculator era, where you had to work things out on paper and in your head. This inevitably resulted in a deeper understanding of what ever task was being addressed. Whenever I watch a documentary on history or encounter some old information I am always astonished by the fact that in the past people undertook tremendous mental work and as a result they understood on a deeper level than I think is common today. In other words they comprehended what they were working on. They weren't just getting a result. It was the process involved that provided them with marvellous insights.
Today this "Retreat of Comprehension" has me a little bit worried. It is human nature to always desire the easier path to the result. Indeed now that I have been using voice dictation for many years on the occasion where I have to write a paragraph by hand the activity feels foreign and I do have to work at it. At the same time though a lot is gained through this manual activity. It does feel more rewarding and I remember what I physically wrote.
AI is evolving extremely quickly. The course I took a year ago is now completely out of date. I signed up for the course initially because I was curious. Now I want to sign up for courses to keep my ability to truly comprehend a topic healthy. Because I know all too well that if I don't "Use It" I will "Lose It". The same can be said I believe but the rest of the population in this regard. If we don't take the effort to understand something on a deep level we will indeed lose that variability.
Let me know what you think about this short post and how you plan to keep your comprehension and ability to enjoy the sheer act of understanding and investigating a live and thriving.
I attended the "CRAZY8S" gala last night which is an annual event and challenge for up-and-coming filmmakers. It was a marvellous time. The amount of creativity displayed by people was incredible. Everyone at the venue was doing their best to stand out and there were no holds barred as far as glitter, colour and creation. This is a prestigious happening so all in attendance were doing their utmost to put on the show. And I must say it was great!
Coming home, I had a little difficulty boarding the Metro Vancouver public transit, SkyTrain.
Fortunately, a fellow SkyTrain passeger was able to get my wheelchair unstuck and we began to talk about pretty much everything. At one point, they asked how I "got in my chair". They wanted to know the details of how I became disabled. I explained that my condition Cerebral Palsy was a lifelong and our conversation continued. The exact details of the dialogue are a little vague now but at one point I said, "That I would not want to be normal or cured. I enjoyed being different because there were so many different aspects to explore, which an able-bodied person might never have the opportunity to investigate. To be clear, some of that "investigation" is not by choice, sometimes you have to figure out a solution to a problem which doesn't normally occur for the rest of the world. An example would be, picking up a bankcard off the floor when you can't reach it. My solution for that one has always been dangling a long strip of scotch tape and with a little work the sticky side adheres to the card and you reel it in as though you were fishing. --That is really what I do :-). There are so many other examples… But the bottom line is being different can help you stay engaged with reality and thereby benefit from that extra awareness. Guess what?… You are already different.
People seem to think that difference must be obvious to the outside world, I suggest that some of the most profound discoveries you will ever make will be from the subtle things. Events that no one else will ever see or understand. Tiny little opportunities grow. They happen all the time. So if you feel like you're an outsider, celebrate that difference. Actually now that I think about it at this very moment, all of the films I saw last night at CRAZY8S were about that very thing. They were all internal journeys of exploration and discovery. But I can guarantee you they weren't simple little trips down memory lane for the characters in the movies.
So as you explore your differences go ahead and be loud and proud, but don't forget those small powerful insights… Because one of them may be telling you "You Are There And You Are Fine. The journey ahead is up to you."
Image of a Tulip taken with a Kodak DX3900 in April 2002. I just thought it looked cool 😲 for this post.
You may be tempted after reading the title of this post to fervently respond "No!..." , then articulate various reasons why. But hold on, before going down the gloom and doom rabbit hole, consider the following:
Let us consider image creation and here I'm not talking about the dreaded "Deep Fake" phenomenon, I would like us to consider the ability to create images by merely articulating an idea. This has quite a few benefits when used responsibly.
1. If a person has a disability which physically impairs their motor function, AI can allow them to release their creativity like never before. As with, anything else it takes practice to learn how to prompt artificial intelligence correctly. That in turn means that the person must organize their thoughts and consider the various aspects of the image they want to create.I myself have found this very liberating. Often I take what the AI initially generates and tweak it to improve the presentation or context. In this situation, Artificial Intelligence allows the manifestation of creativity.
The image below of a fictitious RCA "Cathedral" vacuum tube radio from the 1930s is an example of what can be done by simply describing to an AI system what you would like created. The actual prompt (text) is in italics below the image. With practice just about anyone can create a pleasant useful image. It should be noted here that some understanding of how AI works is necessary when creating your request. In a nutshell AI in its current form statistically calculates the all odds of words in a sentence, maps that result to a meaning and then reevaluates. It does this for each word until it gets a high probability that the answer is correct. In the case of an image it may start by evaluating what shape is most likely being asked for. This results in billions of calculations and is the reason why it is so power intensive.
AI generated picture from the service Ideogram AI.
My prompt to the AI: "A beautiful 1930s RCA Cathedral vacuum tube radio sitting on a desk with the tuning knob marvellously lit in that warm incandescents light glow. The lighting should be warm and inviting in the room and the image should be photorealistic."
2. You're working on a problem and you reach an absolute dead as to the solution. This can be a physical situation or an abstract idea, but in either case, you've hit the proverbial brick wall. So you put the question to an AI chatbot, and even if it doesn't come up with a usable answer, it very likely approached from a different angle. That's just enough for you to get inspired and tackle the problem once again. Normally you would ask friends in this situation but sometimes, especially if you're stuck at two in the morning, this is the more appropriate way to go.
The above two examples are the benefits of artificial intelligence. In both cases the tool of AI is not detracting from the process of creativity, it is adding to it in a very beneficial way. Allowing the individual to explore more deeply their given situation. This is in stark contrast to another article I wrote several years ago " Learning and knowledge in the shadow of AI " which explores what happens when people use AI to circumvent understanding of an issue or topic. The above two points are almost the opposite of what that article is talking about.
To be rather blunt, the question is whether people will be wise enough to use this new tool to expand their understandings and opportunities to learn, or will individuals insist on taking the easy road and thereby reduce their opportunity to grow. Both situations will probably exist for some time but it is my hope that overall people will use this collectively as a society and individually as a person to grow.
In order to ensure growth means that when AI is used we must always not take it for granted, being involved with the technology only superficially. Society must understand what is going on and how AI mechanisms work and continue to evolve. Not to mention this is the only way to get the maximum benefits of this revolutionary tool. AI is not human and the current mechanisms used to create the manifestation of Artificial Intelligence can never understand the information it presents. That must be understood. We do not know however how this technology will evolve. There are many, many, ways forward. This means that society again must understand and be involved with the evolution of this technology. This is not a way to get out of school so to speak, this is another course in your curriculum of life. This is a technology we must continually grow with.
There is one final point - AI is an incredibly rapidly evolving technology. It should never, ever be blindly relied upon. One must always double check with other facts and research. In some ways this has a historical parallel.
It was believed that the sun and planets revolved around the Earth since before the time of Ptolemy the standardized this idea in the Ptolemaic model. Even though there alternate ideas which challenge this model. It became the predominant one for hundreds of years. Until Copernicus published "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium" (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres" in 1543, which portrayed the earth and other planets going around the sun. However, the Ptolemaic model was entrenched, for one reason it appeared to align with common sense. The compartment can idea was only accepted slowly however as we all know Copernicus was correct in his observations.
In a similar way there is a tendency to automatically assume that whatever is generated by AI is accurate and to be taken at face value, even if it feels right.
Personally I find the very act of researching a topic on my own very rewarding. In some cases I find it intoxicating to follow little trails of knowledge to a larger concept which I have the satisfaction of understanding. This is something you don't experience with AI. It just gives you the answer which is different from the knowledge attained by understanding. As a matter of fact, yesterday I had this very experience, albeit in a subtle way.
A local library had one of their patrons come in complaining about not being able to access an online resource. It was one of those situations where because they were a member of the library the should've been able to access this streaming service by simply entering their library number and password. At one point the library and thought it might be a problem with the patrons email address, and so they contacted the place where I volunteer the Vancouver Community Network (VCN) which provides email addresses and other services to low income and seniors. One of the volunteers at VCN asked an AI about the issue and followed a number of steps, with the presumption that the email address the patron was using was the source of the problem. The next day I called the library back and had a long talk with the librarian hoping this particular patron. There were many details we found which indicated that the problem was on the streaming services and and not an email issue at all. Details which the AI had ignored in its analysis.
Even if the issue hadn't been solved, going through the mental exercise gave everyone deeper insights and that is something that no AI can provide. The lesson here then is, even when AI is the most efficient way to go, if one still wants to truly understand something they must do it themselves.
With that final thought I will wish you a pleasant day. Take care Patrick
** NOTE: The picture of the RCA "Cathedral" vacuum tube radio is from the service Ideogram AI. As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service"
and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed
by the public. However before any reuse, please review fully their
terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.
The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.
As I get older and continue to proceed through life build one consistent message I perceive is that one must continue to change and evolve, pretty much, at all costs. I've written about this previously on the blog and it bears repeating. From observation, it appears that there is a natural tendency in people to adhere to routine more and more as they age. I don't know if this is based in biology or is merely a side effect of the fact that in this day and age we can literally afford to do so. Where in earlier times the necessities of life required that we stayed engaged with the surroundings and the side effect was people stayed healthier.
When the necessity of this involvement is removed, mental and physical function begins to erode quite rapidly and if there are any underlying medical conditions they become magnified. I am seeing this nowadays all around me as I observe people. Sometimes it is subtle, but many times it is severe and very hard to recover from because the modern way of dealing with this is to remove even more challenges. This makes the person "challenge averse", which of course becomes a loop, speeding up one's decline.
"The Choice to Grow or Stagnate"
Although this situation may produce many diverse outcomes, there is one I see consistently. Negativity begins to manifest in the person and they hold on to this darker worldview. Defending it rather than challenging it. This behaviour then spreads throughout the group. I myself feel the effects and have to keep bolstering my defenses. The very activity I am undertaking writing this article is one of the means I used to keep engaged with life. Later today I plan to take a trip into Vancouver using only my electric wheelchair and minimal public transit in order to stay fully engaged with humanity. I am also doing this because next weekend there is a premier of the indie film "The Decision" and I want to show my support of the film's creator, Steven Cayer.
Trailer: The Decision
"A sharp-witted 30-year-old man with cerebral palsy living in assisted
care has his independence tested when his overprotective mother secretly
enrolls him in a risky medical trial – forcing him, his girlfriend, and
his neighbor to confront what freedom really means."
Showings:
April 11, 2026 The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts 777 Homer St, Vancouver, BC.
(Part of the "CRAZY8S", an annual 8-day short filmmaking challenge that provides support and funding to 6 emerging and mid-career filmmakers.)
Steven Cayer
Executive Producer / Writer
The way out of this negative downhill slide is a situation I call "Useful Hardship" finding the difficulties in life and challenging them, whether that be going out in inclement weather or undertaking a task which requires learning and growth. One cannot let their life become to easy or comfortable. Hardship must be dealt with and that keeps the person engaged in life. More aware of themselves.
The inner journey a person experiences as they confront the difficulties and find solutions is just as important as the external one. It is deeply personal and frequently requires a long commitment to improve what ever the individual's issues are.
I can guarantee that there are many benefits to useful hardship. It will give you the insights required to know when you can change things versus when you must adapt to a new situation. You will continue to own the decisions which affect your personal and public life. Positive people around you will also see the effort being put in and they will stay engaged with you, seeing the wisdom gained throughout the years. There will be other benefits which only you will know about. That is for you to write about if you wish.
All the best in your journeys.
Take care Patrick Clark
** NOTE: The picture displayed at the top of this article is from the service Ideogram AI. As a layperson, I have read their relevant "terms of service"
and determined, to the best of my ability, that the image may be viewed
by the public. However before any reuse, please review fully their
terms and if necessary contact the company for more information.
The use of said image does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.
