No to the Machine | Personal Entry

This last week, my life has been tested and put through many challenges after spending five days in the hospital, facing financial hurdles, and experiencing an old friend called depression. I come out of this hole with my close friends and family next to me and a new understanding of life.

 A few days ago, I saw an image that really made me feel something, gave me an unwanted emotion, and became a theme on my Instagram page. I found out later that the image that started this was not even real; it was an AI-generated image. Now, maybe because I am in a more sensitive state, this really affected me. It drove me to really look at things with a new pair of glasses, and what I saw was scary.

 We live through a period where tech and software are becoming more independent and learning its users—a twisted Black Mirror prediction. Now I am a self taught photojournalist, but a photojournalist that has always kept a oath to follow journalism ethics. When I start seeing my images being grouped with fake imagery, this causes concern. This is dangerous and can really make our society more divided and ignorant of the truth. Now, I know that the mainstream media has been losing its trust in the public. Still, I also see that if you strip away the title and branding of major news publications, some fantastic journalists are out there trying to make a difference.

 So, long story short, I am getting off the blue pill. I am unplugging myself from the AI machine and escaping the matrix with my images in hand. This is a personal decision, and I am in no way against tech evolving, but it needs to have restrictions. So, welcome to my early 2000s-style blog, where I will share news and images of the assignments and projects I pursue.

Stay safe, and please respect each other as equals, no matter what color, race, culture, or political ideology. At the end of the day, we all have to pay bills, survive, and worry about tomorrow together.