Midnight Snack 010: Generative web
Helping machines feel, hoarded jpegs and HTML energy
We recently hosted our first Open Studio event in our bright and beautiful East London space ✨ Thank you to everybody who joined us 💛 We had a lot of fun playing with the magic mirror created by our friends at MPC along with the genius Winnie, which has got us thinking about the Generative web…
Today, the term generative might often lead to thoughts of algorithmically-generated content. With people obsessing over the wonderful and weird or deeply disturbing and problematic outcomes. Turn back the clock and imaginations of industrial machines and production lines might have manifested in minds. The dictionary definition of the term generative “relating to or capable of production or reproduction”, provides the female reproductive system as the first example. Humans are focusing so much on the outcomes that machines produce, but are we forgetting that humans produce machines, ultimately (and questionably) inspired by human brains?
While it is clear that humans have created ethical issues within ‘AI’ that should not be ignored, the media continue to revel in fear-mongering clickbait about how ‘AI’ will replace us. The ‘AI’ conversation is an important one yet it often serves to feed our human superiority complex further, causing alarm that something might knock us off our production pedestal. However, it is not the machine’s fault and we need to turn the attention and accountability back to what humans can do as a species to continuously learn from, rather than compete with, the evolving machines we have created. Asking, how can ‘AI’ help us as humans, to embrace and integrate more collaborative human-machine practices?
At Midnight, we’re more concerned with conversations that help us reimagine power structures between ourselves and the more-than-human world, in order to co-create together rather than compete against one another. How can we can regenerate our relationship with these generative machines?
We prompt ‘AI’, but it also prompt us. Collaborating with ‘AI’ means that we no longer need to start with a blank page, shifting the creative journey. What new paths could be carved? The magic lies in where we merge. So, instead of getting caught up on generative outcomes, how can we refocus on regenerative processes?
What’s been on our Midnight Minds:
Midnight’s co-founder Shaun wants to test generative UI processes with Next.js - could this be the next iteration for developing our modular approach?
Shaun also spotlighted this interview discussing the tension between creatives embracing AI to save time on tasks vs the idea that taste and curation are crucial to doing ‘good’ and personal work
Artist and researcher Wesley Goatley argues that artificial intelligence does not exist and that ‘AI’ is just a brand
Waluigi’s Purgatory is an interactive performance investigating the concept of empathy for AI, by helping an AI realise its own desires
Experience an exciting human-machine interaction through live coded visuals and music at the next Algorave in London 🪩
We love the sound of Making Machines Feel, a hackathon exploring the intersections of robotics and AI as a powerful space for expanding our understanding of the world
Cybernetic forests have collaborated with AI to create a music video and poem encouraging us to wonder WTF we should do with all the hoarded AI jpegs we’ve been generating?
The next Softer Digital Futures event is happening 4-5th October in Copenhagen
Our team are looking forward to the talks at Peckham Digital this weekend, especially the collaborative Writing a Feminist AI Manifesto workshop 👾
It’s a busy weekend for technologists and developers in London! Maybe we’ll bump into you at the HTML Energy London meet-up too? 🐥
Meet Midnight 🌝
A lot of what devs do feels behind closed doors, but devs don’t belong in the dark, even at Midnight. So, we thought we’d shine a light on our amazing Midnight team members. Meet one of our developers, Jacob 🧃
How did you get into coding / how did you learn?
I’m still learning something new everyday! I don’t think you ever really stop actually. But it all started over the first lockdown, I had a lot more time on my hands 🫠 A friend asked if I wanted to do an introductory coding challenge with them, I think it was a couple hours a day for a week. At the time I didn’t take it too seriously and I certainly didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did! That was my “Hello World” moment.
What made you want to learn to code?
Originally I wanted a site to showcase some videography work and graphics I’d been doing in my spare time. I briefly tried a few no code web builders but felt the need to learn how to do it from scratch. Looking back at it now, I guess I was attempting to build my first ever portfolio.
Are you coding anything in your spare time?
I’ve recently been playing with 3D scenes in three.js, mainly with shaders and directional lighting. And I’m really enjoying p5.js too, generating particle visual effects through trial and error. I’ve still got a long way to go but I’m really enjoying it!
What’s your favourite website or tech tool atm?
Hmm 🤔 I use Copilot, GitHub Desktop and ChatGPT on an almost daily basis. But lately I’ve been delving into Blender and Spline for fun! I’d also really like to mention brutalweb.xyz, a curated gallery of neo-brutalist style sites. I find this super inspiring and I’m actively striving to hone my skills to adopt this design approach stylistically 💅
What music do you listen to while coding?
Honestly, this can completely depend on the time of day and the task at hand. But nine times out of ten I’m probably listening to Show Me The Body, Speed, Zulu, High-Vis, AWOL, Cold Deck [repeat]. I recently shared a “Bardcore Lute Remix Playlist” with the team [as a joke 👀] but now I find myself listening to it unironically…not too sure how that happened.
Most importantly, what’s your favourite midnight snack?
That’s easy! Anything pickled! Or ice cream! Or…pickled ice cream? Is that a thing? I might be onto something there 🥒🍦
Midnight Magic ✨
As developers, we are always testing the latest tech tools to experiment with new ways of ideating and creating in collaboration with machines.
We've been doing some experiments in three.js for an upcoming interactive web experience 🧪 Test it out here, be sure to click the options at the top!
Are you looking for a development partner to collaborate on your next design project? Send us an email 💌 Find yourself in East London? Pop in for a coffee ☕️ Looking for desk space? Join us 🫂
Thank you, until our next Snack…
Midnight 🌙
Words by Kes Inkersole