Craft Is Contagious: Why Passion Is As Critical as Knowledge in the Age of AI
The invention and development of the commercial airliner remains to me one of humanity’s most incredible achievements. In an age of seismic shifts in technological capability, the idea that one can have breakfast in Paris and dinner in New York on the same calendar day is almost banal. And yet, the progression of air travel over the past 100+ years can provide a guide for how we must consider the paradigm shift we’re currently experiencing with generative artificial intelligence (AI).
Plane Travel, From Cutting-Edge Spectacle to Everyday Convenience
Since the first commercial flight occurred more than 110 years ago, the technology powering air travel has advanced dramatically. Today, when you board a flight, much of the experience is handled by the plane’s autopilot system, optimizing routes, managing safety, and tracking complex sensors and analytics throughout the aircraft.
So, what are the pilots there for? They are still very often manually taking off and landing the aircraft (an important job to be sure), monitoring conditions onboard and in the sky, and, crucially, taking over the controls midflight should the situation call for it.
Although modern flight is highly automated, pilots still know how to fly the planes when they need to. I imagine we all would prefer to sit on a plane with a pilot who could take over the controls in an emergency rather than one who was just good at understanding how the autopilot functions.
Becoming a commercial pilot in the United States requires at least 1,500 hours of experience, exams and licensures, and a love of the skies. And that passion — even obsession — for aviation is crucial to keeping us safe in the air.
Innovation Requires a Deep Appreciation for Craft
The concept of “craft” has been dissected and debated for centuries. Philosophers like Plato and Socrates thought deeply about the role that craft plays in our sense of self and in driving society forward.
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Aristotle included craft (which he called “technê”) as one of his five virtues of thought, defining it as “a disposition that produces something by way of true reasoning; it is concerned with the bringing into existence of things that could either exist or not.”
Put differently, craft is more about making new things than simply doing work that must be done.
I’m certainly no philosopher, but over the course of my career, I’ve interviewed and spent time with many impressive leaders from a variety of fields of study. And while there is no single recipe for their success, one common theme rings true: They are all students of their respective crafts.
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From medicine to public policy, to art forms like film or music, the people we most admire often retain an unparalleled knowledge of their discipline, from the history of their industries to the notable individuals and innovations that have brought it into a modern context. Beyond this deep knowledge is a deep appreciation for their field of work, and it is only through this level of commitment to the craft that innovation continues to march forward as generations build knowledge on top of one another.
Craft, Democratized
AI is undoubtedly disrupting this handoff, quickening the pace of knowledge transfer, and thus innovation, to a blistering speed. Surely this is a good thing for our collective society.
Still, as more people gain the ability to contribute ideas and creations to the cultural zeitgeist, we must intentionally protect the magic of craft lest it erode entirely in favor of distribution and quantity of information. Rather than accept a future in which all creative output is a constant re-creation made through AI-churn — where we, in fact, rediscover the same ideas again and again — we should pursue a future where those well-versed in the history and innovative present of their craft can help drive our vision for the future.
In all forms, craft is contagious. Have you ever watched someone in flow, perfecting a sculpture, plating a favorite recipe, or explaining their love of astrology? The energy that humans bring to their craft is undeniable, often transcending their message and helping unlock new ideas in unrelated disciplines. We appreciate great art because we can see in the brush strokes or in the intricate details of the craftsmanship that were applied to it.
Craft is the connective tissue of our history, weaving itself through each iteration and enabling new players to interpret it in novel ways. Technology, when applied well, reduces toil but doesn’t reduce our passion for the work.
In typography, for instance, typesetters were so named because they would manually set lead type in a printing press, painstakingly kerning the letters one by one to ensure they were spaced appropriately. Today, this work is mostly done in digital environments, and yet, like pilots, the best designers still understand the role that typography plays and the importance of good character spacing and font pairing in achieving the desired voice and message.
Final Thoughts
AI is already matching, in some areas, the abilities of human intelligence. Yet it is devoid of the craft that represents such an important piece of innovation. New advancements in technology have enabled more people to express their passions across more mediums and in more affordable ways. In this new era, where everyone can contribute, those who study and pursue their craft will continue to see the most transformational results.