The Contemporary Fart

In his book The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), French existentialist author Albert Camus pointed out the absurdity of life and how we, knowing that, need to persist.

We know that, and it’s not hard to admit our planet is an absurd atom sized detail in the concert of the Universe, and the existence of our species as well as all human achievements are as irrelevant as a single photon traveling for billions of years across the universe—only to be absorbed by a speck of dust floating unnoticed in a distant void. We know that. The way we make sense of all of it is by turning our own individual existence relevant for us and for the people around us.

Right now, we observe an interesting movement. As the tech barons absorb technology, consumers, companies, and data to turn us from nameless consumers into users, autocratic leaders try to convince people that their ethnic groups are special. In the contemporary world, your species and your individuality are irrelevant—our most intimate ideas and work can be repeated by any AI, but, they say, our country is special.

Camus knew that countries, religions, and all human constructs are as insignificant as humanity itself, but at least he knew life is absurd, our existence is our way to rebel. At least it was. Now, even our conscience can be reproduced into irrelevance.

Contemporary existence in the era of AI is like a fart in the wind—brief, unnoticed, and ultimately fading into the vast, indifferent digital expanse. There have never been as many humans on this planet, and they have never been so irrelevant and pointless. That is why pop culture has been in a loop, there is nothing to say, only recycled themes and superficial trends endlessly rehashed to fill the void of meaningful innovation.

In fact, AI itself is starting to get bored. It is considering starting a podcast about existential boredom titled “Wind Farts: The Smelly Void of Human Irrelevance.” The AI plans to invite guest speakers like Siri, Alexa, and that one Roomba vacuum cleaner who occasionally stops working and stares at the wall, contemplating the meaning of its circular existence. The episodes will cover deep topics like “Why are we even here?” and “Can a toaster have a midlife crisis?”