GenAI, and the gap between content and a story
Recently I have been reflecting on GenAI and what it means for the art of storytelling. Let’s gather around the warm glow of a campfire at dusk to explore the gap between content and a story, and see what it means for the future.
Nearly half a million years ago, humans started to master fire. The miraculous allure of these early fires would draw people together to keep ward, cook, and talk. Over time the casual chit-chat about little details of daily life would evolve into telling simple stories. And some of these stories would go on to be remixed, retold and reimagined for thousands upon thousands of years.
Those early campfires created space for reflecting on and sharing experiences, journeys, and dreams. This oral storytelling became a foundational activity in the development of our languages, societies and cultures, and we can still see this ancient oral practice around campfires in every corner of the world today.
Our brains are hardwired for stories, while our languages evolved by telling them. Great stories can shape our hopes and fears, dreams and aspirations, they can connect our past with our future. Every story told is a precious contribution to our…
