- Make With James
- Posts
- Confused by AI
Modern luxury is the ability to think clearly, sleep deeply, move slowly, and live quietly in a world designed to prevent all four.
— Justin Welsh
I’m feeling confused. Like many people, I’ve been experimenting with AI tools over the past few years. And while there are many ethical issues surrounding this new tech, I find myself increasingly drawn to using AI tools (or AI-powered features) instead of the non-AI alternatives I used before.
AI is becoming second nature. I used to grab my phone for a quick Google search; now, I instinctively ask ChatGPT. It’s easier, faster, and more convenient. I know this isn’t the case for everyone yet, but it feels like we’re heading in that direction.
Just as computers and the internet reshaped the world, we seem to be witnessing another major shift with Artificial Intelligence. And it feels inevitable—not just because everyone is talking about it, but because, in many cases, the experience is simply better.
Despite its flaws, AI enables people to do things they couldn’t before. I speak from experience: have you heard of vibe coding? It’s a new trend where people build websites, apps, and games using AI-powered code editors without prior coding knowledge. I got hooked last week and ended up creating two websites from scratch.
I have almost no coding knowledge, yet I built two modern, polished websites with plenty of hidden features—without EVER touching a single line of code. I simply instructed Cursor, my AI code editor, to add this, change that, and replace something else. It’s still not perfect and requires time, trial, and error, but it’s already at a stage where it’s both enjoyable and capable of producing (really) great work.
Sure, I could have built similar websites using my usual no-code tools, but it would have been far more difficult and taken months rather than days. Vibe coding completely removed the last barrier between my creativity and its execution. With technical limitations out of the way, all I need now are ideas.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m just getting lazy. I could have learned to code (I’ve tried, multiple times). But another way to look at it is that I’m learning new tools and new ways of working. Instead of learning to code, I’m learning ‘prompt engineering’. And in a world where AI seems inevitable, adapting my workflow and skill set feels like the right move.
But when I take a step back, I realize I don’t want a future dominated by AI. I long for a world where creativity comes from human hands and minds, not just from well-crafted prompts spitting out the average value of all its training data. As AI continues to rise, I believe a counter-movement will grow alongside it. People will seek more human-centered experiences—in their work, hobbies, and relationships. Much like the contrast between phone addiction and the growing appeal of off-grid nature retreats.
As with many things, balance will be key. AI seems to be here to stay, so it makes sense to learn how to work with it. But more than ever, it will be crucial to stay connected to real life, real activities, and real people.
— James
Tools & Websites
Chance is a great example of AI in action—snap a picture of an artwork, product, or monument, and it instantly recognizes it, revealing hidden stories and information.
Flora is the hot new tool for creative professionals, blending text, image, and video AI models into an infinite canvas—like Canva on AI steroids.
Unlimited Notion is my Notion consulting business website, which I vibe-coded in just three days last week. Not bad for a non-developer, right? P.S. It’s packed with Easter eggs—think you can find them all? 👀 ↓
James’ Library
Article | Like the first comment, this piece also reminded me of the fisherman’s parable. Pursuits That Can’t Scale by Anu Atluru is a brilliant take on how entrepreneurs chase the most scalable ventures, only to return to what truly draws them—often their hobbies. The famous phrase “do things that don’t scale” has a silent clause: Do things that don’t scale in service of building things that do scale. It refers to what startup founders should do to kickstart a company’s engine: manually recruit customers, service those customers, even act as a human-in-the-loop for a nascent software product. I can’t help but notice though that after a successful stint at building things that do scale (or at least giving it a really good, long try), many people seem to gravitate towards building things that don’t scale. I have a theory that chasing things that scale makes you need therapy, and the therapy is pursuing things that can’t scale. |
Video trip | I’m so glad I stumbled on that masterpiece again—it was many years I hadn’t see it. The psychedelics video is the work of Anthony Francisco Schepperd and the music is The Music Scene by Blockhead. |
…Aesthetic Corner…
 Credits: Kat Zhou |  Credits: Marco Gargiulo |
Explore the winners and finalists of the Big Picture Competition 2024. Mesmerizing.
  |   |
I’ve owned an electric skateboard for five years now, and it always brought me a lot of joy. But the one thing I’ve always hated is carrying it around when I’m not riding—it’s big, heavy, and far from practical.
Linky, an Italian company, created the first-ever foldable e-longboard. The specs—range, power, and max speed—are seriously impressive for a foldable board!
Sustainable Living
Wonderful Waste is a documentary series that challenges the idea that construction and design must be wasteful. With over a third of Australia’s 67 million tonnes of waste coming from construction, it explores how six innovators are rethinking discarded materials. From furniture to plastics to timber, they show that sustainability and creativity can work together.
Each episode features a designer or inventor turning waste into something new. Super Local works with communities to create functional products, while Smile Plastics transforms plastic waste into high-end materials. Professor Veena Sahajwalla, the inventor of "green steel," and Robbie Neville of Revival Projects also prove that discarded materials can be valuable resources.
Funded by Screen Australia, Wonderful Waste builds on the success of Small Footprint. It highlights the growing movement toward sustainability in design and construction. More than just showcasing projects, it sparks a conversation about how industries can be practical and eco-friendly.
Friends of James
Beehiiv — the powerhouse behind all my newsletters, helping me craft, design, grow my audience, and monetize effortlessly.
Notion — my go-to tool for the last 6+ years, where I store all my notes, manage tasks, and essentially run both my life and businesses.
Webflow — the engine behind all my websites, letting me design, build, and launch seamlessly without code.
Make — the tool that runs my business on autopilot, handling all recurring and time-consuming tasks
*these are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. Your support directly helps keep this newsletter going ✌️
Reply