Let's Get Real

Why In-Person Experiences Will Be Even More Important

A few days ago, I saw a pretty shocking video.

It started with an image of Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown looking at a camera. Below here was another image of a man looking the same way at the camera. As the video progresses, you can see both of them moving their heads and bodies the exact same way.

A few moments later, Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard appears in Brown's place. He follows the movements and facial expressions of the same man at the bottom of the screen.

Essentially, the video shows how advanced deepfake videos have become. With just a few clicks of a button, you can impersonate A-list movie stars. Quickly, you can see how much of a problem this can become (and the technology is only getting better).

It was truly eye-opening and represents the new world that we're about to enter. It used to be that if you recorded something on camera, it was a source of truth. Now, that assumption is quickly fading away. The potential of this technology changed everything from influencer marketing to future elections.

I'd argue that the corollary to this, however, is that in-person experiences are going to be even more highly valued. This was already a theme amongst Millennials (experiences over things) but I feel like this is becoming even more of a trend. Instead of meeting your partner on a dating app, you decide to join a run club. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on some luxury good, you would rather travel to Southeast Asia.

One notable person who is banking on this thesis is Ari Emanuel. On the Invest Like The Best podcast, he spoke about how he is doubling down on in-person events. This includes everything from the UFC to concerts.

While he is clearly talking his own book, I think he is directionally right. Yes, human connection can happen online. It was (and perhaps still is?) the core of Facebook's existence.

However, with AI content and chatbots taking up more of our digital lives, I think that our instinct is going to be to spend fewer of our free hours on technology.

Sure, there will be people who rely on chatbots for companionship (we're already seeing this now). But for many of us, we are going to want even more experiences that are real. There will be some sort of pushback against AI technology and companionship. The ultimate question is how much pushback there will be.

Maybe this is just aspirational. Maybe we'll all just be in our homes or apartments chatting with hyper-personalized AI chatbots all day. But I think our biology and natural human instincts will end up prevailing.

In any event, let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your thoughts about how this facet of our real and digital lives will change (or not change).

Prompt of the Week

Here's another meta prompt. I'm sure you can sense a theme. Let me know if this resonates with you.

"Assume that life is about taking on hard challenges that provide immense meaning. What challenge should I take on that will give me the most inner satisfaction?"

Until next week, Adam