Newsletter: Connection in the age of AI
Not to stress you out, but it’s Fall now, and we’re headed fast into the end of the year. Are you good? Halloween is happening already if you judge by retail. PSL season is close for those that celebrate. US election around the corner, could be... good?... 😅
We’ve been feeling a bit hopeful and a lot lucky.
Here are some things that have been on our minds lately that you'll find more on below,
AI / Large Language Models are not all that, but maybe that’s a good thing. We’ve got some ideas and we’re curious what you think.
Great partnerships are greater than the sum of their parts, we like that math. Welcome back Sonia Enriquez!
Sonia Houston should write a book about building human connections that last for generations. Back us up on this.
You read that right — we have two Sonias at Found! How many Sonias do you have?
Connecting Function to Purpose
The not-so-secret fear (and hope) about AI is that it will replace us all.
Fear because... well no one wants to think of themselves as superfluous. Hope because, let’s face it, humans are difficult. We have needs, and opinions and biases and emotions. We need to be constantly managed and persuaded and inspired into delivering our best and staying committed.
All of our best achievements as a species (and definitely many of our worst) have come from collective effort... until now. Now (or very soon) an impartial, objective, tireless and obedient intelligence will be ready to do our bidding without all that mess and frustration.
Just kidding. AI hallucinates, lies, responds differently to emotional language and threats than to flat requests, has ‘lazy’ periods and definitely plagiarizes. It’s also very very helpful, if you know how to approach it… sounds pretty human.
All intelligences deserve respect and thoughtfulness, human or otherwise. Approaching them requires structure and care, making clear, reasonable asks, and expecting some mistakes and wild ideas here and there as just part of the creative process.
The deeply frustrating processes of convincing others to go along with your plan or idea, or trying to foolproof an outline for work that needs doing, is essential. It’s how we sift good ideas from terrible ones, how we pressure test what can and can not work. Bringing others along should be effortful and thoughtful. We all have but one wild and precious life to spend.
Slowing down enough to formulate a clear ask, provide sufficient context, and outline your ideal output isn’t just good prompt practice... it’s good for your creative process too.
We believe in slowing down to go far. Our value of curiosity and our exhaustive discovery phase is a reflection of this. Putting in the thought and work up front doesn’t just make for better results; it also ultimately gets you there faster, no matter what your accelerant of choice is.
Having said that.
We also believe in making things easier. Our value of humility reminds us to do the work and then step back. But to step back responsibly, we need to be sure our clients have what they need to lean into their brands with confidence. So we’re exploring building brand tools powered by AI (let’s call them what they really are, Large Language Models) to significantly smooth and amplify brand consistency and impact, from answering the simple question of ‘what are the hex codes for our purple?’ to ‘can you please draft me an email with business card instructions for our printer’ all the way to, ‘can you please include our values in this paragraph?’ Is it strange that we always say ‘please’? No. All intelligences deserve good manners.
What do you think? Does that sound like a handy co-pilot? Write us back, let us know.
Some links that inspired our thinking on this:
The worrisome world of human/AI relationships and how we're hardwired connect
The not so great influence of AI on trust in human interaction
This video about Predictive AI over Generative AI and how much cooler and more useful it is
GenAI's ability to imitate us has set off waves of public euphoria, but Alan Turing (of the Turing test) did not consider the imitation game a test of intelligence so we should probably stop using it like that
Found Human Connection
Welcome Sonia Enriquez
We are equal parts honored and exhilarated to welcome Sonia back into our creative fold at Found Brand Agency. Her return reflects the importance we place on the long-term impact and resonance of our work, as well as the value of collaborating with exceptional talent. By embracing systems thinking, Sonia brings a fresh perspective that has enhanced the quality and depth of our projects. We look forward to you meeting Sonia and experiencing her contributions to our work together.
Serendipity
We value and believe in talent and individual ingenuity, but we value great teams and collaborators even more. There is power and humility in recognizing how our efforts are amplified and made better when we partner with great people who challenge and inspire us. Our team is built around this belief, so it was deeply meaningful and just plain exciting when we got the chance (again) to work with a person who embodies this idea. Sonia Enriquez was part of our team several years ago before moving on to pursue her passions around human-centric design and greater user experiences. She has an exceptional mind for visual systems and elegant simple design, and from what we can tell, no ego to speak of. She’s also a badass drummer, which is frankly, unfair. We really did not expect to get to work with Sonia again, but about 6 months ago we had a random conversation where it became clear to us that we needed her on our team, and crucially, she felt the same way.
Sometimes you just get really lucky.
Connecting Generations, by Sonia Houston
In July of this year, I joined more than a hundred of my uncles, aunts and cousins to celebrate our 53rd annual family reunion in San Diego. This cherished tradition began as a way for 8 of my uncles to honor Mother's Day with my grandmother “Mamaita” on a separate day, allowing them to spend the actual holiday with their wives' families. Mamaita was a selfless, strong woman that understood the importance of connection, and did not want to put her boys in a tough spot trying to decide between which family to celebrate with.
We were lucky this year to gather for the event after missing a few years during quarantine, all wearing turquoise in honor of Mamaita's favorite color. It was incredibly special to share some of the games we used to play in the early days, like potato sack races, kickball, and volleyball with the younger generations.
The reunion is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to truly connect with family members from all sides (while eating the tastiest food!), and reinforces our sense of community and mutual support. I realize that what we have created and maintained for over half a century with this tradition is precious and rare.
As I looked around at the familiar faces and the laughter shared among us, I was reminded of how vital human connection is in both our personal and professional lives. These gatherings aren't just about games or traditions (or the tasty grub); they exemplify the power of coming together and building strong relationships. In our personal lives, these connections provide support, joy, and a sense of belonging. Fostering genuine relationships leads to more meaningful collaborations, increased trust, and ultimately, greater success in all walks of life. This doesn’t solely grow from the bonds of blood relatives, rather from the connections you create from your heart.
When we connect deeply with others, we access an elemental part of ourselves that is at the core of both personal fulfilment and professional achievement.
