Latest news with #humancreativity
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Most Strategic AI Goal Isn't Efficiency—It's Reinvestment Of Time
As companies move quickly to adopt artificial intelligence, one question should rise above all others: How will we reinvest the time we save? AI holds immense potential to eliminate rote, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks. But simply cutting effort isn't a strategy. The true competitive advantage lies in how organizations reinvest that saved time—particularly in what's been hardest to preserve in a world of distributed, digital work: relationships and collaboration. In an era defined by distributed teams and digital overload, many workers are spending more time on screens and less time connecting with each other. If AI only accelerates this dynamic, we risk making things worse. But if it helps create space for human creativity and connection, it could offer exactly what today's workers - and the organizations that employ them - need. Tech visionaries of the 20th century widely predicted that automation would reduce workloads and expand leisure time. And in our personal lives, many of those predictions have come true. Most of us, thankfully, don't need to invest hours washing our clothes on a washboard or hours each day cooking. Machines wash our clothes, clean our homes, and prepare our meals—giving us the freedom to reinvest that time on what matters most to us. But in the workplace, the opposite has occurred. In 1965, Time Magazine predicted a 20-hour workweek thanks to automation and a future with 'mass leisure' thanks to the reduction of work demands. Yet today, even with more advanced tools than ever before, workers are reporting historic levels of burnout. This is especially true for remote workers where face-to-face interactions have diminished, loneliness has increased, and work-life boundaries have blurred. Why the disconnect? Because the efficiency created by technology in our work lives hasn't been reinvested. It's been absorbed. Organizations often respond to improved output by raising expectations—not redesigning the work processes or reevaluating goals. As a result, employees face more tasks, tighter timelines, and fewer opportunities to recover or connect. One of the clearest symptoms of this dynamic is burnout. In BetterUp's 20220 Connection Crisis Report, higher rates of digital interaction were correlated with weaker interpersonal connections—and a rise in burnout. In the years since, the connection between employees hasn't improved, disengagement has risen, and burnout remains a top concern among business leaders, particularly in light of additional layoffs. This creates a vicious pattern that we can think of as a Relational Burnout Cycle: workers stretched thin have less capacity to build relationships, which further weakens team cohesion and increases stress. The very technologies meant to enhance collaboration are, in many cases, eroding the human connections that make great work possible. Today's generation of AI tools offers a fresh opportunity. These tools are exponentially more powerful than past generations of technology, and if deployed strategically, they can give employees back one of their most precious and limited resources: time. But that time must be stewarded wisely by organizational leaders. AI can enable people to do more of what only people can do—foster deeper relationships, solve complex problems, and think creatively. Achieving that, however, will require leaders to do three critical things: The business case for AI shouldn't just be about doing more, faster. It should be about working more strategically and creatively. The companies that get this right won't just become more efficient with technology. They'll become effective at unlocking the potential of their people.
CNA
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Explore what it means to be human – through art, AI and imagination
When generative artificial intelligence (AI) gained mainstream attention in the early 2020s, it did more than disrupt technology – it stirred up some thorny questions. Is AI-generated art truly art? Who owns it? And if machines can create on command, what does that mean for human creativity? These hot-button issues quickly spread beyond creative circles, prompting reflection from governments, institutions and individuals alike. As society continues to grapple with these ideas, Marina Bay Sands' ArtScience Museum offers a thoughtful response. Its latest season, Mind and Body: The Art and Science of Being Human, presents two immersive exhibitions and a multidisciplinary public festival that delve into the human condition through the lens of technology, science and art. AN ARTFUL TAKE ON THE HUMAN MIND Part art installation, part choose-your-own-adventure, Mirror Mirror: Journey Into the Mind invites visitors to navigate a surreal eight-room experience centred on themes such as memory, perception, identity and consciousness. Guests begin their journey by picking one of three doors, each leading to sensorial spaces that explore different facets of the human mind. 'We wanted to ignite curiosity about the human mind and create a space for reflection, especially in a world where technology is so embedded in our lives,' said curator Victoria Chua, who brought Mirror Mirror to life in collaboration with global creative and multimedia studio Moment Factory. The experience also draws on diverse local voices, with neuroscientists and artists contributing to its development. In the Grey Matter room, for instance, visuals by Singaporean artist Genevieve Chua are paired with bite-sized insights about the brain. 'This layered approach ensures that the exhibition is enjoyable for all ages – fun and accessible for younger visitors, yet reflective and thought-provoking for adults,' explained Ms Victoria Chua. Technology plays an active role here, too. From AI to motion sensors, these interactive tools mirror the brain's adaptability, responding to visitors in real time – much like how our minds constantly learn and evolve. In the Open Window room, visitors can input a piece of their memory into an app, which then transforms it into a piece of prose and AI-generated imagery, mimicking how the brain turns experiences into creative expression. The result? A whimsical yet insightful look at how we think, feel and imagine, using art and technology to shed light on the mind's inner workings. FASHION REIMAGINED THROUGH SCIENCE AND NATURE Fashion might seem like a tactile art form, but for Dutch designer Iris van Herpen, it's also a frontier for innovation. Since the founding of her atelier in 2007, the former Alexander McQueen protégé has redefined haute couture through the use of 3D printing, laser cutting and unconventional materials in a process she calls 'craftolution'. Curator Deborah Lim shared: ' Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses offers a gateway into the designer's world, while opening up broader conversations around the body, identity and our place in an ever-changing world.' Spanning nine zones, the exhibition showcases over 140 of Van Herpen's works displayed alongside contemporary art pieces and natural history specimens, revealing surprising links between fashion, science and nature. 'Van Herpen takes cues from the natural world – from coral formations and marine life to human anatomy and neuroscience – to imagine new materials and wearable forms,' Ms Lim explained. For example, the Synaesthesia gallery includes rare reproductions of neuron drawings by Spanish neuroanatomy pioneer Santiago Ramón y Cajal, while the Skeletal Embodiment zone juxtaposes fossils with 'second skin' designs inspired by van Herpen's study of human anatomy. A soundscape by Dutch sound designer Salvador Breed, featuring creaking bone-like audio, completes the multisensory experience – a fitting reflection of van Herpen's primal-meets-futuristic aesthetic. A FESTIVAL OF WONDROUS CONNECTIONS Now in its final stretch, Curious Worlds rounds out the season with a vibrant public festival that celebrates the intersection of varied fields like neuroscience, adaptive fashion, biodiversity and assistive technology. Running till May 25, this is your last chance to catch an imaginative showcase of how these domains shape our perspectives on what it means to be human today. 'At its core, Curious Worlds is about connection – between disciplines, people and ideas,' shared its curator Zhang Bao Xin. 'We wanted to show how different fields, when brought together, can inspire new ways of living and relating to the world around us.' The festival has brought together an exciting mix of programmes – from neuroscience talks and biodiversity sampling workshops to hands-on sessions with 3D-printed assistive devices like prosthetic hands. As it enters its final week, Brain, Body and Biosphere remains a must-see. This free, month-long display features research and artefacts brought to life through interactive exhibits. It prompts visitors to explore fascinating questions, such as what it means to design clothing that meets the needs of every body or how we can draw inspiration from nature to design sustainable buildings. 'By spotlighting the work of those driving change – from scientists and technologists to artists and designers – we hope to spark hope for the future,' said Ms Zhang. 'Above all, we want visitors to leave feeling inspired by our shared capacity for empathy, creativity and resilience, and with the belief that each of us can contribute to a better world.'
