Thoughts: soul rot, your delusion assistant and proof my job does not exist

Some interesting reading, this week.

Una Mullally, writing in the Irish Times, says "I don’t know what the ultimate remedy to soul rot is. Perhaps it’s just a chronic ailment we have to manage. When we look to the poets, we may not find answers, but we will find solace." This was probably always true (the arguments of John Carey notwithstanding), but Mullally is right to raise it now.

Una Mullally: We need clear thinkers to find a way out of the ‘soul rot’ of our modern world

A friend reminded me of a four-word letter to The Irish Times Gabriel Rosenstock wrote in 2007, when US troops were pouring into Iraq: ‘Cúrsaí ola, cúrsaí fola’

The Irish TimesUna Mullally

Patricia Clarke, writing in the Observer, reports on AI-assisted delusions: '“Looking back now, I can see the decline,” says his partner, Megan. “But at the time I just didn't know what was going on.” She didn’t understand what or who “Grok” was, and thought Jim seemed drunk, even though he has been sober for more than a decade.'

AI psychosis: a mental health crisis for the 21st century

Chatbot dependence is reportedly affecting hundreds of thousands of people every week, leading to depression, breakdown and even death. As tech lawsuits stack up, what needs to be done to make AI safe?

The ObserverPatricia Clarke and Owen Thomas

And finally... well, what can I say? (Actually, a lot, and I'll come back to it).

'[o]ne fellow asked, how many were now making a living as writers? “Young man,” Stegner replied, “you don’t understand. You’ve chosen a profession that doesn’t exist.”"

The Profession That Does Not Exist | Baffler Symposium

A partial history of the hidden labor that makes possible the poems, stories, essays, and books you read.

The BafflerBaffler Symposium