On craft in the age of GenAI

If you ever find yourself reading text I wrote describing a table, know that you are in the presence of blood, sweat, and tears. Maybe not blood and sweat, but certainly tears. Mostly uncried tears. In the early stages of the massification of GenAI, I face a daily challenge. A moral challenge, even. How to draw the line between efficiency and craft?

Suppose you need a t-shirt and sweatpants to go outside and, say, shovel snow. In this day and age, no one in their right mind would order them from a seamstress. For better or for worse, the industrial revolution dealt with that. As a formally and thoroughly ~trained~ brainwashed economist, it is almost against my nature not to engage with this efficiency gain.

Yet, most of my clothes are now from a brand that prides itself in handmade clothes for real women. Carefully crafted, locally, readjusted to elevate not only the draping but also the person who is wearing the piece. These Ouikiki pieces are made to last. This is definitely not a paid partnership, simply a statement of fact. As true as the fact that I wouldn't wear them to shovel snow. To each their own.

The industrial revolution led to a tectonic shift in quality standards. Before the massification of industrial production, clothes were handmade. Handcrafted did not signal quality. GenAI will likely do the same to writing.

Last year, I had a curious experience. Well, two. Two strikingly contrasting editing processes, pre-genAI. The first, took the text we submitted and explicitly and consciously made it into a Zara Basic. It had to look more like everyone else. We had very little say in the matter. The second, took the text we submitted and explicitly and consciously made it into a flawless ball gown. Every stich was to be perfectly aligned with the previous one. No loose ends. We were engaged in numerous fit tests to ensure accuracy and precision. It had to be unique, and flawless.

I wonder what the fashion in academic writing will look like over the next 5 years. It will surely be deeply affected by genAI. If the demand for Zara basic prevails, it is only logical that they will be machine-made. One can only hope that its growth is accompanied by new demand for carefully handcrafted high-quality pieces.

My hope for my closet, in 5 years? Some basics from Zara, a solid number of beautifully-crafted long-lasting work outfits and, fingers crossed, a couple of dazzling ball gowns. Flawless.