In this episode we sit down with Oliver Burkeman (author of Four Thousand Weeks) to talk about AI, meaning, and why the value of creative work hinges on a human consciousness behind it. We get into:
- Tools, not companions: why he avoids “relationships” with AI and treats it like a pen or a Mac
- Trust, but humans: why provenance matters even if you “can’t tell” who wrote it
- The creator’s edge: double down on the purely human rather than joining the generic race
- First drafts are the thinking: why outsourcing early or late stages erodes voice and meaning
- Scarcity gives value: why using your finite time confers worth readers can actually feel
- Artisanal future: human-made work as microbrew, not mass commodity
If you make things, Oliver’s counsel is simple: don’t outsource the part that gives the work its meaning. Keep your drafts human, use tools as tools, and build trust by letting readers feel a person on the other end. Subscribe for more candid conversations on craft, meaning, and making work that lasts.
Whoa Vol. 2
This episode is part of a limited series of ten in-depth conversations put together by sublime.app with some of our favorite thinkers and creatives where we explore how artificial intelligence is changing and challenging creative work.
👉 Get your copy of the zine: https://sublime.app/whoa
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