Welcome back to "Tiny Thoughts" — a collection of insights from my recent experiences, discoveries from books and podcasts, or observations about emerging AI trends.
This week's issue emerged from an unexpected source: a local comic book exhibit. Here are 3 observations about AI's trajectory that explore how yesterday's science fiction is becoming today's business reality.
Predictions in comic books
This week I found myself at a local exhibit of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby, often called the “King of Comics.” What struck me most was how his creations feel like blueprints for today’s AI revolution.
Take OMAC, where a person becomes superhuman by connecting to an intelligent computer system, or his vision of Wakanda as a society that thoughtfully integrates advanced technology with human values. Decades before AI as we know it, it felt like Kirby was already exploring the big question we’re grappling with now: how do we make sure powerful tech serves humanity rather than just give us raw computational power?
(And, if you're in LA, the Skirball Center exhibit is definitely worth a visit!)
The OMAC employee
With OMAC, maybe Kirby wasn’t far off. For months now, companies have taken steps to turn ordinary employees into superhumans by connecting them with tools like ChatGPT. And it's not just tech companies, just look at this new OpenAI partnership with Mattel. I, for one, prefer my Hot Wheels collection to remain analog and refreshingly AI-free.
Jokes aside, this trend raises good questions about which industries will benefit most from AI augmentation and which should preserve their fundamentally human touch.
Beyond job displacement
The prevailing narrative that AI is eliminating jobs continues (see “we are super f’d”). But what about the jobs that AI will create? To start, we should look at where new jobs can bridge the gap between AI capabilities and our very human needs and desires. There are three major areas where humans either are, or will soon be, more necessary than ever:
- Trust (building confidence in AI systems)
- Integration (seamlessly weaving AI into existing workflows)
- Taste (applying aesthetic and cultural judgment that algorithms can't replicate)
Source: NYT
Thanks for reading!