Will Douglas Heaven, a prominent figure in the technology sector, recently shared three areas of interest that are currently capturing his attention. These include the drumming performances of El Estepario Siberiano, the exploration of artificial intelligence through Sora videos, and the broader implications of technology on human effort.

Heaven expressed particular enthusiasm for the YouTube channel of El Estepario Siberiano, the online moniker of Spanish drummer Jorge Garrido. Garrido gained recognition for his technically demanding cover versions of popular songs. Heaven noted that Garrido's dedication to his craft, involving countless hours of practice, stood out in an era increasingly dominated by automation. "At a time when machines appear to do it all, there's a kind of defiance in that level of human effort," Heaven stated. He specifically highlighted Garrido's covers of electronic music, such as his rendition of Skrillex and Missy Elliott's "Ra Ta Ta," as examples where the drummer surpasses the capabilities of drum machines. The popularity of Garrido's videos is further evidenced by numerous reaction videos from other musicians, attesting to the drummer's skill.

Heaven also discussed his fascination with Sora videos, specifically those depicting unusual scenarios generated by the AI model. He cited examples such as a video showing Michael Jackson stealing chicken nuggets and another featuring Sam Altman interacting with a Pikachu. These videos, according to Heaven, evoke a sense of the uncanny valley, a concept describing the unease humans experience when encountering artificial representations that closely resemble, but do not perfectly replicate, human beings. Sora, developed by OpenAI, is a text-to-video AI model capable of generating realistic and imaginative scenes from textual prompts. The technology's ability to create such detailed and lifelike scenarios raises questions about the future of content creation and the potential blurring of lines between reality and simulation.

Heaven's interest in these seemingly disparate areas reflects a broader concern with the interplay between technology and human endeavor. He sees Garrido's drumming as an example of human skill and dedication in the face of increasing automation, while his fascination with Sora videos stems from an exploration of the potential and the unsettling aspects of advanced AI. These interests suggest a forward-looking perspective on the evolving relationship between humans and technology.