Know your why, define your process, leave space for dreaming.
Simon Sinek wrote about starting with why and flipped the script on business development in doing so. Many won't start here; those who already deftly swing along the ropes of business and sales may feel this is unnecessary. If you already know how to make money, what does “the why” behind why you do it matter?
Time will tell you why you want to know the motivation for your life. Countless wealthy and successful people are miserable despite possessing more than most. Earning accolades and external validation that should fill even the thirstiest man's cup is not a holy grail of contentment.
Why are people dissatisfied even though they have checked the proverbial boxes? Because earning is not enough.
We are socially connected human beings with relatively short lifespans who ultimately need to leave a legacy in the hearts and minds of those who walk behind us (the next generation) and those who walk beside us (our own generation).
In this relay race of life, satisfaction comes when we pass the baton to a teammate on the same mission as ourselves; we call this mentorship.
A great mentor is a person whom you can connect with on a heart and soul level— the kind of person who makes you feel optimistic about the future because they can see the same dream you have come true in their lifetime.
This is why it matters to ask the question "why." It will sustain you when the days are long, and you are weary; it will connect you to the present and the future, and you can live your life knowing you have tried your best to imprint something truly valuable onto the world. Your “why” is your fuel through all the ups and downs.
At a moment when deepfakes are no longer science fiction but strategic weapons of fraud, espionage, and institutional collapse, one would expect a national rallying cry for stronger digital defenses. Instead, the U.S. government appears to be doing the opposite. Despite more than 10,000 public comments urging a proactive AI strategy, the current AI Action Plan celebrates deregulation and innovation while quietly dismantling the very safeguards designed to protect public trust. Deepfake detection and disinformation research are being defunded, labeled as censorship rather than cybersecurity. The contradiction is glaring: how can we lead in AI when we're gutting our ability to verify reality itself?
This policy retreat comes precisely when deepfake technology makes quantum leaps in sophistication. Recent research has revealed that high-quality deepfakes have become so advanced that they can preserve physiological signals like heart rates from their source videos. Scientists previously believed that the subtle color variations in skin caused by blood flow—a physiological marker that could distinguish real humans from digital fabrications—would be lost in deepfake generation. But this assumption is no longer valid. Modern deepfakes can exhibit valid heart rate signals that closely match the source recordings, eliminating what was once considered a reliable detection method.
As the technical arms race intensifies between deepfake creators and detectors, researchers warn that we must move beyond simple analysis to more sophisticated detection methods that examine localized physiological patterns. Yet instead of investing in this critical research, we're cutting funding. When senior executives are being impersonated to extract money, when fake diplomats dupe senators, and when foreign adversaries infiltrate U.S. companies using synthetic identities, we've moved far beyond theory. Yet the administration's messaging frames any attempt at detection as ideological suppression. It's a form of doublespeak that leaves us asking: what do you do when the deepfake lies not just in the data, but in the policy itself?
What's most unsettling is the erosion of trust, not only in media or machines but also in the institutions tasked with defending them. Even as researchers discover that deepfakes can mimic biological signals we once thought impossible to fake, the tools needed to develop new verification techniques are being systematically defunded. The most consistent message from industry, academia, and civil society alike is that trust is not a luxury—it's the prerequisite for functioning systems, markets, and democracies. Without it, even the most advanced AI tools are met with suspicion, and rightly so. Refusing to invest in transparency and verification actively endangers our society. Ultimately, it's not synthetic media that will destroy public faith—it's the real and deliberate abdication of responsibility by those in power. When the protectors stop protecting, and call it "freedom," we must all ask: who do we trust when the voice of authority is itself a deepfake?
So you're flipping through an old photo album. Tucked between faded pages is an image of your grandmother wearing a handmade sweater—You remember her wearing it and the big, loving, rose-scented hug she would smother you in when visiting her. It's long gone now, lost to time. But today, you could take that photo and upload it to a knitting AI, and within hours, a machine could recreate it for you. Not a tribute but a stitch-for-stitch replica. This is no longer the stuff of sci-fi. Researchers at Laurentian University in Canada have developed a deep learning model that translates images of knitted fabric into exact machine-readable instructions. The machine doesn't just imitate—it understands. It sees, it reconstructs, and it produces.
And yes—this is astonishing. Think of what it means: anyone could turn creative ideas into clothing without knowing a single stitch. We could preserve textile traditions once at risk of disappearing, replicate heirlooms, and design on demand with little waste. It's a world of radical personalization and possibility. But here's where it gets complicated. What happens when this tech is used not to uplift but to exploit? What if someone scrapes the patterns of Indigenous regalia and turns them into a festival fashion trend? Or small creators and designers get obliterated by a sea of copycats? What if machines replace millions of skilled workers before communities have time—or choice—to adapt?
We are the one's choosing the pattern.
These are not fringe cases. They're warnings are baked into the history of innovation itself. Every powerful tool arrives with promise in one hand and risk in the other. The printing press spread knowledge and propaganda. Social media connected movements—and fractured discourse. AI will be no different. If we don't shape its use with foresight and care, others will shape it for profit and speed. The question is not whether this technology will change our world. It's how much of that change we're willing to guide, and how much we'll surrender.
So let's move forward with intention. Let's root our technologies in dignity, and in the belief that the most meaningful innovations aren't just clever—they're compassionate. Revolutions worth having don't just disrupt markets; they transform relationships—Between people, between cultures. Between humanity and the planet. Yes, breakthrough technologies can astonish us with their speed, scale, and precision—but their deeper power lies in how they reshape who gets to imagine, participate, and thrive. Let's build tools that do more than impress—Let's build inclusive tools for the betterment of society, tools that bridge gaps in understanding, and listen to feedback to improve for the user's benefit.
As we hand the needles to machines, we must remember that we're still the ones choosing the pattern. The designs we teach them to follow—whether extractive or generous, careless or compassionate- will shape the fabric of our shared future.
Ultimately, the question isn't just what we can make but what kind of world we are weaving into being, and who gets to belong in it?
Artist Lisa Lebofsky Featured in Apple TV's Severance
The artwork featured is by artist Lisa Lebofsky, read on to learn more.
4 Questions for the artist.
We asked Lisa four questions about her artwork and the process of working with the TV series Severance.
1. Can you share a little about the inspiration behind the painting featured in Severance?
A coincidental backstory is I referred to this series of iceberg paintings as my "Severed Icebergs" but went with the less violent-sounding "Melting Icebergs" for the title of the series. The idea was I was severing these icebergs at the tip, isolating them in space, and melting the paint with water in each pass to speak to their fragile and slow demise. I saw these ice islands alone on this death march following their break from their home glacier. I witnessed this specific iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.
2. How did the opportunity to have your work appear on the show come about?
They found me! I can't speak to their process, but they contacted me after seeing my work online. I'm not sure what resonated about this specific iceberg, but the original is 48x72 inches and they originally inquired about the original piece. Since it was unavailable, they requested a jpg that could be printed at that scale. Imagine my delightful surprise seeing them choose to print it so small in the show. I think it's rather fitting and more powerful the way they presented it.
3. Were there any particular themes in Severance that resonated with your artistic practice or influenced this piece?
There is so much about Severance that resonates not just with my art but with life. Aside from a clear aesthetic affinity, the show was filmed in several locations where I've lived: New Paltz, the Catskills, Nyack, Newfoundland. The last episode of the second season was way too close to home, and I secured many appointments to come with my therapist. I have to give everyone involved credit because I've rarely seen that portrayed with such respectfully faithful and genuine emotion (I'm being intentionally vague because I don't want to drop any spoilers!). But conceptually, so much of my work is about the separation of the body and mind, the fragility of existence, and strained perspectives of space and our relationships to what is real vs abstract.
4. Finally, what's next on the horizon for you—any projects, exhibitions, or ideas that excite you?
On the horizon- I see what you did there! I have a few projects on the go. I'm working with a group of artists exploring the Watershed of NY as a source of inspiration and sustenance, considering how this pristine land has been historically ravaged and configured for human consumption. Dovetailing off of this project is a new body of work in progress both conceptually and physically: utilizing chroma to cut through an image, disrupting space and the rhythm of the landscape, perhaps as a metaphor for how people engage and interact with nature.
Learn more about Lisa's work and follow her on social media, or click here to check out her available workshops and read more about the artwork featured in Severance.
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