Human Made is the New Luxury
You may have heard the phrase “human made is the new luxury.” At first glance, it carries the trappings of a passing trend, but it is a concept worth examining more closely. As artificial creation becomes faster, cheaper and more accessible, the value of what is made intentionally by hand begins to shift upward.
People will always crave a taste of the good life, placing perceived opulence on a pedestal. We go to great lengths to preserve what we deem valuable: white gloves, custom cabinets, protective glass, behind lock and key. The ritual of safeguarding signaling importance. It is the same instinct that draws us to original works over reproductions the understanding that not all things carry the same weight. But with the rapidly maturing nature of artificial intelligence, accessibility to “stuff” that was once only produced by skilled, creative hands has become ridiculously easy.
My friend David oversees a team of software engineers. As such, he is routinely subject to “code reviews” where other programmers submit coding projects to be analyzed by peers- a second pair of eyes if you will. This is part of a normal yet rigorous testing process software companies regularly utilize. As of late, he is noticing an influx of AI generated code being submitted. The code is faulty, overly complicated and, according to him, easy to spot.
When talking with David about this, he makes it clear that he fully believes, that while not perfect, AI can be a great asset that should be utilized to streamline work flows but it is ever evolving. As of now, AI cannot replace human judgement and humans should not expect AI output to fill the shoes of human production.
To date, technology has largely been a net positive. The massive evolution of gramophones all the way to streaming services has made music more available than ever. We have all used an editing tool or two when publicly posting photos. Some of our favorite songs would not be held in such high regard without the grace of auto tune. And this article itself would be sprinkled with misspellings if not for the polishings of the integrated spell check. Technology has long acted as a utensil that supports, refines, and extends human output.
However, we have now passed the point of technology being a simple assistant for minute tasks. Technology is no longer acting as a subsidiary to what we create but rather replacing it entirely. Reproductions that once upon a time would have taken hours, days or years are now generated in mere minutes. We are at a tipping point in history where artificial creation is so accessible that human discernment is voluntarily ignored. The world as we know it is quickly and not so quietly becoming saturated with artificially created content in written, visual, musical and coded forms. The novelty of the exclusive is drowning in the abundance of the manufactured. With the recent influx of artificially created content, discerning the difference between what we consider “real” versus artificial is quickly becoming indistinguishable. And yet, while the lines are blurred, it is human nature to favor authenticity.
Fortunately for creatives, there are elements of human creation that resist replication. The irregularity of a hand-drawn line, the unpredictable yet intentional placement of dimension, the nuance of a natural voice, the unique perspectives shaped by human experience, the improvisation of a live jazz band, the bright flavors of an entirely home grown meal. These elements are not simple outputs, they are imprints of presence and their uniqueness is what makes them compelling. Because of this, they become more valuable with every artificial alternative.
As we embrace the efficiency and innovation of AI, we are simultaneously turning back to the authentic, fully aware of the eye for detail that only a fellow human can create.
Luxury has always been defined by craftsmanship, and therefore will always remain exclusive to what cannot be readily duplicated. And now this notion is more pronounced than ever. The stamp of vision is felt only in the human touch and in a world of endless output, this vision is an undeniable badge of luxury. As a contemporary artist myself, it is within this space; the imperfect, the tactile, the intentional and the undeniably human, that I choose to work.
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This article is part of Tam's Studio Journal, a series exploring the processes, considerations, and collaborations behind custom art for commercial interiors. For additional insight into how custom work is developed and material decisions are made, explore the related entries below.