Watching this AI-assisted art video is like tripping on acid in the Matrix

Jason Silva, futurist and host of National Geographic’s “Brain Games,” recently published a mind-bending YouTube video combining the technological prowess of AI with the artistic creativity of someone who believes in the power of psychoactive experiences.

It’s called “Dreaming while awake: a journey into ourselves.” The description on Silva’s YouTube channel describes the video as:

The first art piece of the singularity: born from a human-AI collaboration by Jason Silva, Hueman Instrument and digital intelligence.

Personally, I’d describe it as a surrealistic experience that seems equal parts Ted Talk and Burning Man. And, I’d add, it makes me want to eat a bunch of psychedelic mushrooms and think about the future.

Take a look:

The video comes to us from Silva’s “Shots of Awe” channel which features inspirational videos. Most touch upon the human condition and how what we create ultimately shapes who we are.

Silva’s bent, in general, seems to be that our brightest future will come from a dedication to developing human-centered technologies.

In the above video, Silva spends six minutes riffing on the nature of being human. At one point, he explains that we’re both “gods and worms,” creatures able to shape the world around us with the power of deity, yet destined for death regardless.

It’s an existential trip (pun intended) into a place where Silva’s words exist only for the purpose of inspiration. It’s difficult to describe the exact point of the video, except to call it a meditation on perspective and what it means to be human.

Did you know Jason Silva, futurist, and host of National Geographic’s “Brain Games,” is speaking at the TNW Conference on June 17? Check out the full list of speakers here.