Signs of Life: Artists and Writers Respond to AI, 2026
Artificial intelligence has only recently become mainstream, but its ubiquity and impact is undeniable–-on the electrical grid, on our water systems as AI’s processors demand to be cooled, on the lives of all beings who live near loud data centers, and on our digitally mediated interactions with each other—whether it’s the offers to “enhance” our communications, the bots trying to nab our attention, or the “ears” suggesting we buy stuff.
At Broadsided, we find ourselves thinking about the elements of humanity that cannot be replicated and that we have no desire to speed through: process, rambling, the flawed touch of a human hand, tedious tasks like weeding that offer their own reward. The value of art and literature, we believe, is in the process behind work as much as its result. The thought, struggle, learning, and intentionality behind creating literature and art is proof of our shared humanity; we, too, are rough, unfinished, and full of complications that add to our beauty.
To engage this, we have created a special call for work to engage this radical and rapid evolution in our lives. We asked artists involved with Broadsided to share pages from their notebooks—that intimate draft-space and dream-space, that space where things begin and do not need to end. We shared these along with four writing prompts offering a chance for humans out there—makers and writers and dreamers—to be your most beautifully human selves. What can’t AI do? What imaginings aren’t possible for an algorithm? How can you share your humanity?
It took our human editorial selves a bit longer to gather this folio than we’d intended because… life. But we are so happy to share with you what we’ve made, and we hope you continue to take time to think about where and when AI can be helpful and when it is harmful in your pragmatic, creative, emotional, and ecological lives.
Curious to see how this came together? Here is the original call.
