the Story Behind the 21^st Century Renaissance Man

The 21^st Century Renaissance Man: Exploring The Possibilities Of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Art and Information

March 15, 2023 by James Mulholland

The 21^st Century Renaissances person is a true polymath, constantly seeking to learn and grow in various areas of life. From art and science to technology and business, the Renaissance person of today is a well-rounded individual who embraces diversity and creativity. In this age of limitless possibilities, these people are examples of what it means to be truly gifted.

This technology has far-reaching implications for both artistic expression and usability.

My Needs Are Out of Ideas

An AI tool can be overwhelming, yet for me, the technology offers enhanced personal assistance. When I was invited to explore the Dall-e-2 project in the summer of 2022, I had no idea what questions to ask of the oracle nor what knowledge I needed to attain.
I had recently read a blog post about a freelancer defining themselves as a type of samurai as I had referred to my own freelancing as mercenary work but felt the term was a bit too harsh. I settled on superhero in a general context then reverted to Technology Mercenary when that wasn't good enough but I knew there was a better description.
Hey, A.I. thingy, what's a great way to define someone of my distinctive qualities and attributes that isn't offensive?

I had nothing on the splash page of my website, let alone a concept. I was changing my site to accommodate my exploration of the Bootstrap and Wordpress frameworks for my own experimentation but had just notes on the design. The WordPress site being a design portfolio, I really wanted some new and exciting project to post for my development portfolio.
Oh great Dall-e, why don't you show me the way⋯ I'm going to need some music!

Inspiration or a Solution

As I sat dazed, looking at the cursor of the prompt, letting the worries and stresses compound in my head, a song plays on a random playlist, from a random music station. My hands start to type something like 21-century Renaissance man with voices in his head blah blah in the style of a late 1960's prog rock blah blah because I find the original one disturbing, ENTER!

• research, practice and final editing, on this project, done without AI
• layouts, templates and designs using web framework tools from WordPress and Bootstrap, on this project, without AI
• Dall-e-2 (openAI), Grammarly and scalenut used for this project

I discovered a wealth of information from individuals who share their experiences how they create and work with AI. I found myself inspired by their stories of breaking boundaries and pursuing passions. Artists and inventors to entrepreneurs and scientists, from these Renaissance people I learned that we can achieve with no limit if we are willing to put in the time to learn, understand and master.

I discovered that Barry Godber, the artist behind the 1969 album cover In The Court of the Crimson King, was a computer programmer. I learned he used watercolor on canvas and the general response to his design was flabbergasted! And Barry had never been commissioned before but died a year after the album was released.

There is an AI for That

The AI was able to create a ton of data which I used to customize information for my site, is certainly a welcome result. The AI's potential data I edit using other AI tools, then organize it into personalized content. Additionally, I utilized creations by AI to create templates and inspirations. AI technology also helped in promoting me on social media, enabling me to reach a wider audience and connect with individuals who share my goals and aspirations.

One of the main challenges, using AI is ensuring the data for the content used is accurate and comprehensive. Knowing when an hallucination has occured and being able to ascertain between confabulation or my own delusion becomes part of the interaction. However, the use of AI resulted in improving the overall quality due to significant efficiencies, such as the ability to create and edit vast amounts of data in a short period of time. As with any new technological development, there are always challenges, but the successes ultimately demonstrated the potential benefits of using AI in the world of art, business, and content creation.

When using AI in creative industries like art and content creation, it's important to remember that technology should not replace human creativity and innovation. Instead, AI should be seen as a tool for enhancing and streamlining the creative process. The success of my project is not just based on the use of AI, but also on my research, creativity, and practice. I am able to use AI to complement and amplify my human capabilities and make my work more efficient, effective, and creative. The future of technology, art, and information lies in the collaboration between human creativity and technology.

We can work with AI to generate new and exciting ideas.

AI; an Assistant For Creative Problem-solving

Using AI as a tool for creative problem-solving has been a game-changer. Not only has it helped me streamline tasks and save time, but it has also allowed me to approach challenges from a different perspective. By utilizing AI technologies like content creation and creative direction, I've been able to learn and deploy different web technologies and gain creative insights that would have been impossible for me. These insights have helped me make better decisions and come up with more innovative solutions.

Choosing the right tools for a project is usually crucial to its success but when I started this project, the AI industry hadn't quite happened yet as I type this report (almost a year later) I couldn't tell you which or how many AI thingies had/have/will touch this document. The rollercoaster ride of trying to keep up with AI offerings combined with having to tune my editing skills was exciting and proved text-to-image can be just as addictive as video games. Overall, my experience is positive and I'm excited about the possibilities AI presents for humanity. I am researching and using AI every day, purposely, publicly, privately, and scientifically.

Through my research, I realized that being a Renaissance Person doesn't just mean having multiple interests, but also entails a mindset of constantly seeking growth, learning, and mindfulness in all aspects of life.

'nuff said

Respected tech consultant claims he has been working with Intelligent Systems for years!

May 1, 2023 by James Mulholland

It's not just me, It's YOU TOO.

Netflix, Amazon, and every company uses an assortment of AIs to operate and, in turn, to provide services to you. We've been providing data, voluntarily to AIs for a while. This is our opportunity to recognize, understand and train these Cloud AIs for our assistance.

Common Cloud AI

These are not recommendations, only examples of cloud intelligent systems that I train for my own purposes with my opinion as a Security Rating (0-5).

For questions about securing and training your own cloud systems, contact me.

New Gallery Opening

May 4, 2023 by James

I knew from the moment I saw Dall-e-2's first model options that this was going to be a journey down a rabbit hole about self. A mirror to me, a reflection of the behind, in front of my lens or inside my box of crayons. I serve as editor, producer, director and an oh, so so model when needed. These moments, the spaces in-between, I have come to appreciate for thier artistic merits. Having an AI create a caricature of me in response to the questions in my head, made me want to create a gallery essay of my Self(ie) Portraits through the years, inspired by and in conclusion to the 21^st Century Renaissance Man project.