I have to admit something
How AI is helping me conquer my fears
This edition of The Brief is a bit different; there's something deeply personal and profound I feel the need to share with all of you. This little Shepard’s Tone project has grown from 25 readers to know over 2,500 readers and it’s time I level with you about something.
Historically, I've preferred for my personal journey to stay in the shadows, being a witness rather than an actor, and letting the innovations shine or alert us to danger rather than turning the spotlight on myself. Yet, as I delved deeper into utilizing AI for the Shepard’s Tone project, I encountered a realization that was profound, unsettling, yet empowering, and I believe now is the moment to share it.
I am disabled. Up until the age of twelve I was convinced I would be an artist - both a musician and physical medium artist. At twelve I was playing all the classics - it came easy to me and I dreamed of playing piano in and conducting an orchestra. My father was pianist, my nannie (grand mother) was an artist, and I thought my path in life was set. But my world was irrevocably shaken after an accident that left my left hand—my dominant one—partially paralyzed. I have a scar that runs from half way up my left arm, splitting my hand it half, and two of my fingers were nearly severed.
That day, art had ended for me.
The joy I derived from the stroke of a brush, the rhythm of a pencil, or the delicate dance of fingers on piano keys, was suddenly marred by pain and limitation. I cannot hold a pencil for more than a minute, a paint brush is numb to my intentions, and playing piano, seeing my right hand fly and my left hand struggle to just hit the write root notes, is a pain that is difficult to describe. Each attempt to reconnect with my artistic side only served as a poignant reminder of what I had lost — There are no words to describe what it’s like for my brain to see and hear the art, but being incapable of getting that art out of me.
After a 14 hour surgery and countless hours of physical therapy, I can now play again — kind of… To untrained ears, people think I play wonderfully — but in my head and my heart I know I have so much more to offer.
But wait there’s more… that’s not the only way I suck.
My brain is bent. While I've always had an innate aptitude for math, logic, and art, my cognitive processes differ from the norm. Shocker — I’m a spectrum boy. While I could effortlessly conjure up a classical melody on a piano or grasp abstract concepts, the simple act of constructing a coherent story or arranging my thoughts in a conventional manner has always eluded me. An IQ test, taken at the behest of those who made me, confirmed my long-held belief: I’m an alien, or rather my mind, with its incredible strengths in abstraction, computation, and memory, simultaneously struggled with linear coherence (e.g. having a conversation). This cognitive divergence, while making me the type of spectrum-adjacent and socially mal-adjusted founder that investors love, has also made me a struggling conversationalist trapped behind a wall sitting between me and those who have tried to understand me.
But wait, you write well right? You’re writing this article aren’t you?
Don’t be silly. What I do every time I write for The Brief is simple. I write what I think makes sense, show it to my wife (who laughs) and then I input into ChatGTP and ask it to re-order it, make sense of it, and write in an approachable style that will not make people think I’m too much of a weirdo. Perhaps one day I will be brave enough to show the before and after — but for now I only want you to know Dr. Jeckle - Mr. Hide will have to wait.
As you can imagine if you traversed my conversations with ChatGPT, “rewrite the following…” is the most common command I give to ChatGPT. I even used to say “rewrite the following like a normal person…”, but that lead to some uncomfortable conversations where ChatGPT seemed to be offering me therapy.
Moving on — once ChatGPT does it’s thing, I fix any inaccuracies and make sure it’s in my voice and then I paste the result into Substack.
And voila — you get to understand what I’m trying to say.
To me, this is a miracle.
But with art it’s even better. When I draw with prompts in Midjourney instead of a pencil and paper, it's a dance of various facets of my psyche. My imagination paints the initial image, the analytical and abstract realms of my mind guide me in maneuvering Midjourney to capture my vision, and my sheer determination ensures I persist until the final piece mirrors the clarity, precision, and elegance of my mental vision, translating perfectly into the pixels you witness.
And voila — you get to see the picture I want to paint.
To me, this is a miracle.
For every individual like myself, who harbors a sea of creativity but is constrained by physical or cognitive impediments, AI emerges as a beacon of hope. It's not just a tool; it's a bridge, connecting the vast, vibrant world inside my head to the outside, making my internal chaos comprehensible to others. I know that there are so many controversies over AI stealing from artists, for AI taking jobs, and these things are a very real concern; but it’s also very real that AI empowers me to something that previously was an impossibility.
To begin art again.
I wonder how many people feel the way I do.
What is The Brief and Who should read it?
I release a weekly digest every Friday, tailored for professionals ranging from executives to writers, directors, cinematographers, editors, and anyone actively involved in the film and television domain. This briefing offers a comprehensive yet accessible perspective on the convergence of technology and its implications for the movie and TV industry. It serves as an efficient gateway to understanding the nexus between Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
Who am I?
I'm Steve Newcomb. Functionally, I’m a recovering Silicon Valley founder that is finally old enough to have a bit of care. I’m perhaps most recognized for founding Powerset— it was the largest AI and machine learning project in the world when I founded it. It was later acquired by Microsoft and transformed into something you might recognize today - Microsoft Bing. Beyond Bing, I had the privilege of being on the pioneering team that witnessed the inaugural email sent via a mobile device. My journey also led me to SRI (Stanford Research Institute), where we laid the groundwork for contemporary speech recognition technology. Additionally, I was a co-founder of the debut company to introduce a 3D physics engine in Javascript. I've held positions on the board of directors and contributed funding to massive open source initiatives like NodeJS and even the largest such project, jQuery. My experience extends to academia, having been a senior fellow at the University of California, Berkeley's engineering and business faculties. Recently, I ventured into Layer 2 internet protocols and assisted a company named Matter Labs in securing $440 million in funding to bolster their endeavors.
What am I doing besides writing these posts?
Typically, I allocate a year between groundbreaking ventures. My exploration for the upcoming project commenced in May 2023, and the sole certainty is its nexus with the film, television, SMURF, and AI domains. Sharing insights on my research endeavors helps me discern between feasible prospects and mere illusions. My hope is that for this venture, I appropriately consider the ethical and sociological repercussions.
If you are interested in contacting me, being interviewed, being helped, or yelling at me, my email is steve.e.newcomb@gmail.com.