Whatever the future of AI, the symbiosis between media is guaranteed to broker unprecedented breakthroughs in art and consciousness. A too familiar sight in restaurants or at dinner tables—smart phones next to the silverware if not in hand. Screens have become our new umbilical. Art and sociality continue to confront the compulsivity of the digital Rubicon. Broadcast mania and online obsessions accelerate as institutions undergo high-stakes crises challenging political stability and interpersonal relations. Though technology may be all consuming, art initiates breakthroughs in perception and cognition. Internet and social media have increased symbiotic co-dependence, enabling artists to bypass gatekeepers, agents, and critics to access and produce enormous ranges of genres and styles, as well as for disseminating programs and artwork.
In biology, a symbiotic relationship occurs when one species piggybacks on or with another: domesticated pets and animals are ready examples. A symbiont can also be a parasite, microbe, or...