Use The Force, Luke
Reflecting on Star Wars, Sheryl Crow, generative AI, and the importance of trusting your instincts.
1. Trust Yourself
One of my favorite Star Wars scenes comes at the end of “A New Hope,” when Luke Skywalker – alone in his X-Wing fighter – must fire a torpedo perfectly into an open exhaust port on the surface of the Death Star. Because of a structural design flaw, a shot placed in this small opening will destroy the entire station.
Darth Vader and his TIE fighters are closing in. Luke only gets one shot. Make it – and he’ll cripple and destroy the Death Star. Miss it – and he’ll be killed, along with the Rebellion Alliance.
As Luke frantically zeroes in his fighter’s targeting computer, two things happen.
1. Luke hears the disembodied voice of his fallen mentor, Obi-Wan, saying: “Use the Force, Luke!” The message is clear: Ditch the X-Wing’s targeting system. Trust your instincts instead.
2. Vader, swooping in to finish off Luke, is blasted off course by unexpected fire from Han Solo and Chewie in the Millennium Falcon (they had previously left the mission, but decided to rejoin the Rebel cause).
The way clear, Luke fires his shot.
2. Let’s Talk More About AI’s Impact on the Human Psyche
From my perspective, the conversation around generative AI has largely been generalized and impersonal. We talk about how AI will affect diverse fields and large groups of people working in those fields. But I’m not sure that we’ve really yet asked and listened to how individual persons (especially creatives) are experiencing these technologies.
One of the best quotes on generative AI that I saw this year was from songwriter Sheryl Crow, talking about how hearing an AI-created voice for the first time almost brought her to tears:
“In Mike’s studio this young songwriter said she couldn’t get any traction from male singers unless she had a guy singing on the demo, so she paid $5 to have John Mayer’s voice singing on it, using AI. When she played it for us I almost started crying. It was so real, it felt like an assault on my spirit. We have to protect ourselves. So [my own] album’s [now] full of all this light and fluffy stuff [laughter].”
- Sheryl Crow, as told to The Guardian (2/22/2024)
For the record, I’m generally optimistic about technology, including AI.
However, I would be lying if I said I harbored zero concerns about the recent explosion of generative AI tools. It really does feel like someone has opened Pandora’s Box, in a way that is new and different from previous technology breakthroughs.
There are real existential questions at stake here, especially for creatives.
For instance, if generative AI tools can turn prompts into a full podcast episode using your voice (or whoever’s voice you prefer instead), doesn’t that mean that it’s pointless to spend the hours it would take to create that same podcast episode yourself?
These questions have made me doubt creative projects that I have started or plan to start. Sometimes, I have felt like Sheryl Crow myself – like the answer is either to quit, or to revert to making only happy, light stuff instead.
3. Turning Off the Targeting Computer
It’s far too soon to tell what I’ll do to navigate this new territory. But one image comes to mind that’s been helpful to me, and perhaps may be helpful for you.
That image is Luke Skywalker closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, and putting away his targeting system viewfinder.
When I listen to my own “targeting system,” my mind locks in on narrow, either-or scenarios that do not reflect the depth of my humanity or life itself. Life, and my creative efforts, become a zero-sum game.
However, in those (admittedly rare) moments when I’m able to “put the computer away” and trust my feelings instead, the possibilities for my life (particularly my creative life) suddenly seem much more open.
When I really get quiet and listen to my gut, what I hear is this:
“Trust yourself. Keep working. Have faith. Do not fear. You will find the connection you seek.”
Humans have always created in order to connect with each other. No matter what happens next, I have faith we will keep creating, and keep connecting.
For what it’s worth, I wanted to share that with you today.
I hope it helps you. It sure helped me to write it.
Yours,
Rian Casey Cork