Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Renaissance Man 2.0 - Artificial Intelligence: Beyond the Age of Reason

Dr. Martin Luther King said in his day, “ Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” I fear we are entering a perilous new era of artificial intelligence without the "spiritual power" to guide us on our way. The Vitruvian Man represents the Renaissance and the origins of the Modern Era of science, invention and technology. Di Vinci placed him at the center of the circle representing his place in the universe and his significance as a creation of the “divine order”. His proportional relationship to the square set him firmly in the secular world. It depicts the complete ideal man at the center of creation . From the time of the Renaissance, for good or ill, man, through his intellect and pure force of will, has controlled his own destiny. With the development of artificial intelligence comes a new dawn of a new age of our own creation, absent a “divine order” - Renaissance 2.0. We have entered this new Post Modern Era with unlimited scientific and technological power at our command. The unlimited power to create and the equally unlimited power to destroy. We must now summon the very best of our human nature and take measure of this moment. The spiritual power, of which Dr. King spoke, must not become victim to the seductive power of the metaverse. This art piece is meant to provoke meaningful conversation and inspire important questions concerning our technology, our art and our future.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2023
Date Uploaded: 09.2023
Photo Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
Copyright: © Robert Obier