LessWrong (30+ Karma) “Human art in a post-AI world should be strange” by Abhishaike Mahajan
Dec 3, 2025
Explore a world where a Flash game shapes culture and politics, as one guest dives deep into the implications of art in a post-AI landscape. The impact of algorithmic filtering is dissected, revealing how unwanted choices can drown unique desires. Surprisingly, he argues that artists must embrace strangeness to stand out in a sea of generative sameness. The rise of auteur-driven media is predicted, emphasizing the importance of personal desire as an irreplaceable artistic asset in an automated future.
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Bubble Tanks Fever Dream
- As a child I imagined someone whose entire life revolved around Bubble Tanks, living only for the game.
- That image illustrates how a single cultural object can organize people's lives and economies if it becomes central enough.
Filtering Replaced Scarcity In Culture
- As production capacity rose, the constraint on art shifted from imagination to distribution and filtering.
- Filtering technologies evolved (genres, brands) to help audiences predict if a work will satisfy them.
Filters Fail When Desires Are Undiscovered
- Filtering assumes consumers know their desires before encountering art, which fails when choices are generative and vast.
- This assumption breaks down once consumers must direct creation rather than merely select from an existing pool.
