This post is an exploration of how this new capability is going to change storytelling communities. I focused on three native capabilities that were not possible before the breakthroughs in generative AI.
Let’s consider discovery and consumption. Finding media today is a process of discovery among millions of titles. This is made possible with machine learning on large amounts of user consumption data. AI now makes that discovery process almost unnecessary - you can craft a narrative on the fly. We can (and I predict will) go from finding stories from a finite (albeit large) catalog, to simply reading / watching the the stories you want. This changes the role of a consumer into a far more interactive role. This will also necessitate brand new economic structures for content.
But, this doesn’t spell the end of original content. Quite the opposite. I think most new content created will be of the derivative variety - offshoots of a canonical storyline, written by a human. I’m definitely biased, but I think this will be a golden age for fan fiction.
Fan interactions will be transformed too. Instead of merely discussing stories within fandoms, AI will let us also interact directly with the characters in a story. One could argue this isn’t new - roleplay is an established mechanism of fan fiction. What’s new is fans can now “talk to characters” from their favorite fandoms, in high fidelity, in depth, and on demand. This again, is a net add to existing experiences. Fans have an insatiable apetite for participation. People will still talk to other fans, but character conversations are a net new mode of interaction.
The most exciting part is the creative experience. There’s a lot of talk about AI taking away from artists’ control, but the reality is the opposite. Generative AI helps creators step off the infinite content treadmill, and elevates their the role. Instead of building a single storyline, creators are now world builders, inviting readers to play and create their own narratives. This is possible for every creator now, not just the JK Rowlings and GRRMs of the world. This mental model changes what it means to create “content” on the Internet.
It feels like we’re at the dawn of a new age of interactive stories. What an exciting time for creators and consumers.
]]>Eye tracking + pinch interaction sounds absolutely wild. Look at an app, pinch to select👌🏽. Very reminiscent of how iPhone touchscreen was 10x better than others.
Feels like a new design space for accessibility. Can even imagine apps to help those with nervous system disorders (e.g. stroke victims) recover certain coordination functions, once more apps become a thing.
Might not be intentional but enabling 2D apps in 3D is a great way to onboard existing devs.
Naming it Vision Pro (vs. just Vision) is in line with a strong tradition of consumer vs. pro products. Also makes sense why Productivity is the leading message Vision Pro (my guess is “Vision” will focus on entertainment + “connection” features.
Not hard to imagine an entire media ecosystem available “Only on Apple Vision”. Strong Apple TV+ play here too, possibly. Apple plays long games so this is probably many years out.
Lots more cool stuff here - https://developer.apple.com/videos/.
]]>The world is a different place. COVID is relentless and the vaccines are a miracle. Feels like everyone’s lost someone to this virus. And yet, optimism is abundant. Especially if you’re building software.
The relationships we’re building at ‘work’ and ‘school’ are happening in software first, and in real life second (or not at all). It’s a good time to help humans to do more on the internet, and there’s so much to explore.
And because of this change, the day is regimented by our identity, not a daily commute to an office. Life just feels more fluid.
]]>Flow is a state of complete immersion in whatever activity someone is doing; often signalled by losing complete track of time. You know when it happens, but it can be triggered. This article provides ten ways that contribute to flow state.
Today, the structure of online courses is so much more, and some of the more successful ones I’ve seen have common elements:
In essence, moving to a default digital space in education means we’re seeing a lot of the shared support structures around courses that a “school” would provide be available to every course itself. It’s an interesting shift.
]]>And while these platforms are really interesting, Twitter is the biggest passive learning platform in the world.
It creates a new learning modality not possible before - the consistent exposure to discussions amongst experts and those learning from experts. Anytime I’m interested in a topic, following Twitter users from that subcommunity or topic is a great way to immerse myself.
It also creates a natural graduation from passive to active learning through the forms of interaction - reading tweets, participating in conversations, creating new tweets about the topic. The exercise of doing everything in public creates a natural skin in the game for learning.
Although it’s primarily a social platform (can be performative, not always a safe space) - it’s ability to create a natural learning experiences is pretty interesting.
UPDATE: A tweet from Naval today reminded me of how lists can be used to shape Twitter into a learning platform vs. a social platform. You can create lists around experts in your areas of interest - and Twitter allows you (on mobile) to add them as additional tabs besides your primary feed. Really cool and underused capability.
]]>Felt apt to start again by chronicling how it all feels. Since my last post, the virus spread is continuing. Many countries have managed to flatten the curve and places like Singapore have even stopped a second outbreak. But it continues is some of the larget countries. China is going back into lockdown. Brazil’s leadership is completely ignoring the virus and will quickly take over the US in cases. The US just crossed 100,000 deaths, more than the lives lost in Vietnam. India’s cases are rising, despite strict lockdowns and contact tracing infrastructure.
So, this isn’t over. Not even close.
We are back in Canada after a few months in New York, putting that life adventure on pause. Healthy, content, and planning for the future.
My daily routine has evolved. I’m up earlier, working out and meditating more. But the workday is intense. I’ve also noticed people are becoming very, very tired of this shit. The burden on everyone is huge and parents have a unique set of challenges. Most schools have cancelled the school year. Knowledge workers around the world are becoming accustomed to a digital by default workday. Childcare is becoming a real issue for families that are balancing it all.
Over and above anything else I’m thinking of the opportunities around us. Moving our spaces of learning and working into a digital space by default is probably the biggest societal change I might ever witness.
]]>Sometimes this is obvious - they will tell you their pain, and it will be obvious. Most times it’s not and takes investigation - through conversation, and the learning from building products that don’t work quite as well.
Innovating from first principles is an exercise in serving a customer need, with the best tools available to you at the time. This cycle takes many years and many companies die in the effort. Some can do it once, but very few can do it again and again.
]]>Some thoughts on what’s going on and predictions on what might happen, across different stages…
Clearly there is a new system being created, and more change is quickly approaching.
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