01 - Conversation with Zain Naqvi

In this episode, Faizan and Zain discuss how AI image generators are impacting visual culture and photography. They talk about whether AI should be considered an artist or co-creator with humans. Zain believes AI still requires human creativity and intention. They are optimistic AI can enable new aesthetics and transform visual culture. But human understanding of history, forms, and creativity still matters greatly in using AI meaningfully. They suggest teaching should cover AI's impact on the world. Students should learn some coding to understand AI tools.   The future may bring brain-machine interfaces to capture photographs just through thinking. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zain Naqvi is a designer and entrepreneur. His work combines of post-memory pop culture and investigational storytelling for a digital first world. He’s been published at Fast Company, Design Taxi, and Pulptastic and is part of the Imago Mundi Project for the Venice Biennale. His graphic novel “Sparrow at Heart” was featured at Sharjah Art, in 2018 and is now part of Archives at UCLA. Since 2020, Zain has worked in Web3 including Ape Harbour, the first metaverse shipyard with an international community. He also serves as the co-founder of Alter, a hyper-focused curation platform that connects creators and brands from emerging economies with collectors and fans around the world through the power of digital collectibles.