Our field, steeped in tradition, cherishes many sacred practices. As a traditionalist, I grapple with the notion of introducing artificial intelligence (AI) into our craft. It's like asking a leopard to change its spots. Yet, as a steward of all things wild, I'm drawn to the challenge.

This month, Studio Potter offers two articles on AI. For those of us who struggle with accessing our day-to-day email, or who prefer a handwritten letter to an email for that matter, I want you to know that we are the leopards in my analogy. And at no point should you change your spots. This issue looks at the philosophy and prowess with which potters wield technology. 

In this month's free article, Adam Chau anchors readers in thoughtful comparisons of art historical genres. After reading his article, I feel empowered by the theoretical possibilities of AI. In fact, I find the moral and ethical struggle to be naive paranoia when I consider the dilemma in tandem with Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation, as Adam outlines. It reminds me that leopards have been at these technological and philosophical crossroads and still maintained their spots. In the article The Earth Beneath Our Fingers By Anna Cebular, we are taken on a journey of family craftsmanship and trade legacy but given a road map for how AI can enhance these traditions - both in terms of materiality and concept. Our third article this month is not thematically connected to AI but does speak to the changing landscapes we experience in our lifetimes - political, regional, and individual. The moral of A Conversation with Sana Musasama (Part 1) is that we are beautiful in this ever-evolving landscape;

"And then she looked down, and she said, "You have pretty skin, my second daughter." She always called me her second daughter. When that doll was finished, and she looked at it, she said, "What do you think?" I said, "Mom, it's beautiful. It's beautiful." And she said, "So are you, and don't you forget it."  – Sana Musasama

I welcome you to read the June issue featuring AI and encourage you to embrace those inherent traits that make you uniquely wild – that make you unique in our ceramics community.

Randi O'Brien, editor