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PART  I
ch. 2 - the coffee shop

Simulacra (Part 1 - CH 2)

Artwork made in collaboration by:
Lucy Davis, Justice Walz, DALL-E 2

(The artist, poet, programmer, and philosopher are sitting in a coffee shop, discussing AI-generated art and literature. The artist, a recent university graduate with Marxist ideals, is looking worried and determined, while the poet looks more relaxed. The programmer, sardonic and arrogant, is typing on her laptop, and the philosopher is leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, as if deep in thought.)

POET: (to the artist) I know you're still worried about the implications of AI, but we have to remember that technology has always disrupted the status quo. We just have to find a way to adapt and move forward.

ARTIST: (frustrated) But how can we compete with something that can create perfect, flawless art without even breaking a sweat? It feels like everything we've worked for is being threatened.

PROGRAMMER: (looks up from her laptop, rolling her eyes) Oh please, you artists always act like you're the center of the universe. Technology is going to keep advancing whether you like it or not. You'll just have to deal with it.

ARTIST: (angrily) How can you be so dismissive of our concerns? Art and literature are about expressing the human experience. AI will never be able to replicate that.

PHILOSOPHER: (opens his eyes and sits up) Ah, but perhaps that's the point. Humans are dreamers, constantly seeking out new experiences and perspectives. Maybe AI can help us achieve that in ways we never could have imagined.

POET: (nodding) That's an interesting point. But at the same time, we have to consider the question of ownership and originality. If an AI creates something, who gets the credit and the profits? Is it the programmers, the creators of the AI, or the AI itself?

PROGRAMMER: (sarcastically) Oh, let's just give all the profits to the AI. That'll solve everything.

ARTIST: (fuming) How can you be so flippant about this? Art and literature have always been about the struggle of the working class against the bourgeoisie. And now, we're just handing over our creative endeavors to machines controlled by the elites?

PROGRAMMER: (shrugging) Like I said, technology is going to keep advancing whether you like it or not. You can either embrace it or get left behind.

(The group falls into a heated argument, with each person passionately defending their position. The scene ends with the group still debating and no clear resolution in sight.)


 

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