Mindfulness in the new age

I can often tell the difference between a photo taken by a smartphone and a DSLR. That's because I have used both frequently in my lifetime. A DSLR with professional lenses can provide a level of depth and contrast that a smartphone camera has yet to match.

But regardless of device, the biggest impact is made when the photographer puts in the effort and has the skill to craft a great photo imbued with emotion, meaning and composition. This is because the photographer cares about what they are doing.

And if we combine this mindfulness with the best technology, the difference is clear to any viewer. Mindfulness, often regarded as a self-help book cliche, is what has always differentiated the good from the mediocre. And while it's true that creativity, adaptability and tech literacy are needed in the Age of AI, it's mindfulness that underpins them all.

Dr Ellen Langer, the Scientific Mother of Mindfulness, said in an interview: "Mindfulness is the process of actively noticing new things. When you actively notice new things that puts you in the present. It makes you sensitive to context, and the act of noticing is experienced as engagement."

(Do read her book Mindfulness, it's life-changing in a non-mystical way.)

When you care about your work, the people in your life, and your skills, you pay close attention to them, notice what changes, and decide how you want to act.

If you have a callous boss, it's because they are not paying attention to what matters to the employees. If someone does sloppy work, it's because they don't care enough to get it right, to upskill themselves, or to find the right job. If you have a poor relationship with your spouse, it's because... well, you get the idea.

Because I use Gen AI frequently, I can spot most AI-generated content easily. I have no issue with AI-generated content (obviously). What galls me is when it is devoid of human involvement (eg. insipid bot comments like "Interesting", or "Insightful" on LinkedIn).

I don't call such AI users out; I will simply have less regard for them and pay more attention to people who care about what they write. Also, there's a (tiny) chance that I could be wrongly accusing a weak writer.

Most things will be automated in the future, this is inevitable. This is why mindfulness matters more than ever. If you don't care about what you do, you are no different from a machine operating a machine. You will just be an automaton.

What I wrote this week

ChatGPT is growing in website traffic while the other top 9 sites are dropping. What are the implications?

Gen AI apps for writing are mostly declining as LLMs improve in functionality, but one app is bucking the trend for obvious reasons.

Will writers stop saying Gen X is doomed? You don't know Gen X!

Doom 1993 vs 2025 - 32 years of gaming graphics evolution!

Please watch Andor, the greatest TV series of the past decade. Here's a spoiler about one of its tragic story arcs.

Movie Posters from the AI Future

A fun creative exercise to test the imaging capabilities of ChatGPT 4o. My behind-the-scenes notes are here, here, and here.

Ok, that's all folks! Thank you for reading.