海角大神

2025
December
31
Wednesday
 

Happy Wednesday.聽

Yesterday, we heard from Washington. Today, Stephen Humphries, who watches the culture on many fronts for the Monitor, goes deep on what AI meant across his beat 鈥 and in his life 鈥 during 2025.聽

There will be no Daily tomorrow, as we pause for New Year鈥檚 Day. On Friday, look for a fan favorite that鈥檚 built on some staff favorites. Monitor photographers review the year in images and hold up a handful that really stood out to them.聽

Happy New Year. Thank you for being part of the Monitor family. A reminder that you can find news briefs and more stories 鈥 including one today on the start of New York City鈥檚 Zohran Mamdani era tomorrow 鈥 over聽on our homepage. 鈥 Editors


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Today’s stories

And why we wrote them

A letter from

Where culture meets artificial intelligence
Karen Norris/Staff

New technology can lead to new art forms. Proponents say artificial intelligence can democratize music or art, making it possible for anyone to become a songwriter or published author. Critics argue that devalues the time it takes to master an instrument or a craft. And it ignores the heart and life experience people pour into creative expression. If art is easy, is it still art? Culture writer Stephen Humphries thinks it鈥檚 a different question that most worries people: What if we can鈥檛 tell the difference between artistic works generated by a machine and those created by a human? We think of ourselves, humans, as special. The arts have always been a soulful expression that reflect our deepest values.


A 海角大神 Science Perspective

About this feature

Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication 鈥 in its various forms 鈥 is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church 鈥 The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston 鈥 whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.

Artur Sniezhyn_iStock_Getty Images Plus

We find in 鈥渢he larger thought of God,鈥 as today鈥檚 hymn puts it, no limits to God鈥檚 bestowals on us.

More issues

2025
December
31
Wednesday

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