While we are flooded new knowledge and information regurgiated by large language models and generative pre -formulated transformers – time for meaning becomes critical.
The creation of meaning is the process by which we interpret situations or events in light of our previous knowledge and experience. It is a question of identity: it is who we understand ourselves being in relation to the world around us. ” –Dave Gurteen
Are we swimmers in a world of empty of meaning?
So, if you wonder why things seem so devoid of meaning today … Well, it is because, in a real sense, we have designed a world where more and more makes sense. We see mercilessly the connection between the other – a connection based on the fact that the real spirits are at both ends, and the two authentically try to give meaning and to share it. The AI breaks the most powerful connection, but the emptiness of meaning is the water in which the modern world swimming. –Andrew Perfors 2025-02-14
Andrew Perfors – Professor, University of Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences – describes three types of meaning creation in – Creation work in the AI era. (The whole message is well worth reading. I make a note here mainly for me.)
- Type 1. There is a creator but no audience (individual meaning)
- Type 2. There is an audience but no creator (projected meaning)
- Type 3. There is both a creator and an audience (deep sense)
We all do type 1 as we think, scribble and think. Type 2 is that the tools of AI like GPT and LLM produce, because the “Creator” is only a AKA algorithm the button. Type 3 is what you read here. I am the creator, reflecting on other creators by sharing these words. Given the history of my writing for over twenty years here, I guess there is an audience.
What happens when people stop creating a meaning and mainly share “projected meaning”?
More deeply, as a person who must live in the world, I am disturbed to live in a society where the emptiness of meaning is the norm. Among other questions, fascism and authoritarianism thrive on a meaning because people who lack meaning are transformed towards “strong leaders” and are easy to handle. Even beyond that, our information systems are based on standards of cooperation and confidence that people on the other side, designers of messages, are authentic and real. Without this, the best case is that the system ceases to be used and dies entirely. More likely, while the rich could be able to create wall gardens of meaning, the system for most of us will become a marsh of falsehood and distortion, a cursed transformation of the greatest asset of humanity – our cumulative cultural knowledge – in our greatest weakness. –Andrew Perfors 2025-02-14
Can we really create a meaning if people are not involved? In the Personal knowledge mastery workshop We cover the creation of meaning with activities focused on intentionality, the narration of our work and reflection.
At Learnopoly, Finn has championed a mission to deliver unbiased, in-depth reviews of online courses that empower learners to make well-informed decisions. With over a decade of experience in financial services, he has honed his expertise in strategic partnerships and business development, cultivating both a sharp analytical perspective and a collaborative spirit. A lifelong learner, Finn’s commitment to creating a trusted guide for online education was ignited by a frustrating encounter with biased course reviews.