One More Perspective

In a major departure from what I have previously written, I will capture here how I have begun to view the arc of Artificial Intelligence tools, their impact, and ultimate normalization. I will leverage clothing, fast fashion to be exact, and the resurgence of fine textiles for this analogy, so let’s explore that first.

Not that long ago, rising in the 1800s and declining by the 1950s, the island of Manhattan had a bustling Garment District; they churned out ready-made clothing for much of the entire United States, including the Armed Forces. It’s a fascinating study in logistics, labor supply, and end-item demand, but I will focus on the specific trends in fashion and materials. For the recorded history of human existence, the production of textiles, which originated from plants and animals, were an art and a science in and of themselves. People took great pride in the craftsmanship that went into their clothing, and often, people owned but a few sets of clothes for the cost and because there was simply little need to have so many outfits. Have you seen the size of closets in older homes?

With the debut of plastics in the 20th century, the clothing makers ushered in the era of synthetic materials (polyester, acrylic, modal, viscose), which made for cheaper product lines and faster turn-over in what consumers purchased.  Clothing from synthetic materials simply doesn’t stand up to the wear and wash cycle.  Throw that garment into the dryer, and you have a chewed-up mess. On the profitability of synthetic clothing, however:  Volume up, profit up.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fast%20fashion

Cheaper clothing materials also meant skilled labor was no longer desired; in fact, the more machines could do, the higher the profit margins became for the layers of the clothing supply chain. There was a serious decline in Master Tailors, like my Grandmother (in a previous writing, I had dedicated an entire chapter to her). Fine clothing from natural materials was relegated to the background by the flashy, noisy hype of trendy clothing. Retailers pushing clothing made entirely of synthetic materials became the norm in the decades following the 1950s. Enough time passed in the second half of the 20th century, that people stopped talking about the material of clothing and focused entirely on its fashionable attributes. Tailors, cashmere, and wool didn’t disappear, but with low demand and high cost, they remained the clothing of those with generational means (as seen in the television series Succession) or those who, with longevity in mind, deliberately invested in such expensive pieces.

Whether thanks to environmental activists or a number of people realizing they were paying more for cheap clothing on the aggregate (if an article of clothing or a pair of shoes costs half the price of one that lasts three times longer, it’s a bad deal), there seems to be a momentum around embracing natural textiles for clothing again. Those who can afford it are investing in classic designs made from clothing materials their Great Grandparents would recognize. Many brands of merino wool clothing are taking off; the recognition among those who are rediscovering the timeless (and highly functional) qualities of these fine materials is taking them further and further from purchasing the synthetic and trendy [clothing] flashes in the pan. Landfills are not likely to see this shift yet, but let’s hope soon.

That’s not to say there isn’t merit to synthetic materials, even in clothing. For those who cannot afford the hefty price tag of merino wool clothing, for example, have an allergy or other barrier to being able to leave fast fashion behind, it’s a good thing those clothing options are available. Just like highly-skilled and immensely talented Tailors never completely disappeared, neither will the clothing that makes up fast fashion. I do anticipate however, the pendulum will swing away from the, often toxic, synthetics.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) seemingly burst onto our news sites in the last year with the popularity of ChatGPT growing exponentially. One can now find job postings for writing prompts for AI, and LinkedIn is abuzz over whether AI will replace entire categories of jobs, including Artists and other highly creative professionals.

Now, let’s superimpose the journey of clothing materials in the 20th and early 21st centuries with the role of AI in our lives. In this analogy, I’m assigning our Great-Grandparents’ clothing materials as the human Inventors and Artists (Creatives of all types). Clearly, AI is the synthetic clothing. Right now, we are smitten with how readily we can inexpensively amass multiple wardrobes with ChatGPT prompts (stay with the analogy here), and I anticipate we are only beginning our love-affair with Synthetic Intelligence. It will temporarily take over things it should not. It will cause “Tailors” and “Sheep Growers” to go through crises. …but the sweep, the takeover, will not last. Our eyes and ears will catch up in sophistication and once again prefer, then demand the organic (a deliberate choice of word here, thinking of our food supply), and be willing to pay its worth.

People are quite smart in these ways. The pendulum will swing back in favor of living artistry, rendering AI the convenient tool it should be, but not assigning it enduring power in the evolution of human existence.