The Evolution of Language as a Creative Force - NOW is the time for Spell Casters

I still remember—like many who carry a few years on their shoulders—a famous scene from the movie Excalibur by John Boorman, where a spell was uttered:

"Anaal nathrakh, urth vas bethud, dokhjel djenve."

As a child, these esoteric words evoked the idea of hidden creative powers, lost through the centuries. The movie enchanted many of us with the notion that words could shape reality, bending the unseen forces of the universe to our will.

Throughout history, words have held immense power in shaping human societies. Ancient cultures, religions, and mythologies believed that language could control not only the physical world but also the spiritual realm. Words were not mere tools of communication; they were seen as vessels of creation, capable of manifesting reality. Few days ago i've realized than today, in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), more than ever, words have evolved from mystical symbols to key instruments to summon new things and create a new realiy. The ability to craft precise prompts for AI is, in many ways, a modern form of magic—where words no longer summon spirits but elicit complex, intelligent responses from machines.

The Ancient Power of Words

In the mythologies of various ancient cultures, words were considered to hold divine or supernatural power. The Egyptian god Ptah, for example, was believed to have created the universe by speaking it into existence. In Judeo-Christian tradition, God’s command, "Let there be light," brought forth the world. Similarly, in Hinduism, sacred mantras such as "Om" are thought to resonate with the fundamental vibrations of the universe, aligning the speaker with cosmic forces.

In exorcism practices across different faiths, knowing the demon’s true name was thought to grant power over it, a theme that echoes in various stories from European folklore to African traditions. Language was not just a human attribute; it was a divine tool of creation and control.

With the right words or incantations, one could evoke spirits, command demons, or bend unseen forces to their will. Grimoires were written and secrets passed from person to person, containing the knowledge to summon and control the supernatural. In these contexts, knowing the right word or name was the key to wielding power that could bend reality.

This belief carried forward through time, morphing from a spiritual understanding to a cultural one, where poets, prophets, and orators were revered for their command of language. Words could heal, inspire revolutions, and lead nations. They were, in essence, the primal force through which human civilization evolved.

Fast forward to today, and we see that the fundamental role of words has shifted. While language continues to influence human emotion and decision-making—think marketing campaigns, political speeches, or legal arguments—their role has expanded dramatically in the digital age. Words now function as instructions for machines, allowing us to control technology in ways that seem almost magical to earlier generations.

The first step in this evolution was coding. Though it was a long, labor-intensive process, coding introduced the concept that language could instruct machines. However, the complexity of coding often stripped away some of the creative spontaneity associated with "creation by word." On top of that, you were limited to your own knowledge, directing the machine based solely on what you knew.

But with AI, things have changed. We’ve regained the ability to "summon" once again, this time accessing a power and knowledge far beyond our individual capacity. With the right words, AI opens up vast possibilities, drawing from a reservoir of information and intelligence that surpasses what any single person could possess.

Where ancient cultures believed words could summon supernatural beings, today, precise and well-structured prompts can summon creative outputs, insightful analyses, or even new business models from advanced AI systems.

The power lies not only in the words themselves but in how they are formulated. Just like the incantations of old, AI prompts require specific syntax, context, and clarity to produce meaningful results. A vague or poorly phrased prompt might lead to confusion or nonsensical outputs, but a carefully designed prompt can unlock an AI’s full potential, generating entirely new and extraordinary products—from artwork to software code, marketing strategies, and even complex solutions to technical problems.

AI Prompts: The Modern Incantation

Creating effective prompts for AI isn’t so different from the rituals and invocations of ancient times. In the past, an enchanter would have to use the correct words, with precise intonation and in the right order, to call forth a spirit. Similarly, today’s data scientists, marketers, and creators must learn the nuances of how to interact with AI through language.

In a sense, we have democratized this power. Whereas in the past, only priests, shamans, or those initiated in secret knowledge could wield the power of words to reshape the world, now anyone with access to AI tools can influence and create. With the right prompt, a person can generate text, images, and even code from nothing but their knowledge of how to phrase a request correctly. The mysticism has been replaced by algorithms, but the magic remains or increase.

However, the implications of this shift are profound. We are no longer limited by our physical abilities or even by our human creativity alone. AI can expand and enhance what we imagine, providing us with results that we could never achieve on our own. It’s not just about knowing the right words; it’s about understanding how language can instruct, guide, and evoke intelligence from machines.

The New Creative Power

In the past, knowing the "right words" might have been a way to tap into spiritual or mystical forces. Today, understanding how to craft those words in the form of prompts for AI has very real-world applications. We can now create content, solve problems, and invent new solutions simply by communicating with a machine in a specific way. This power is as creative as it is transformative.

Consider, for example, the development of new products or services. Today, AI can generate detailed designs for products, draft marketing strategies, or even create entirely new forms of art, all based on simple input. The "magic" lies in how these inputs, or prompts, are crafted. A poorly constructed prompt may yield nothing of value, but a well-designed one can generate innovative, extraordinary results.

“Words were originally magic, and the word retains much of its old magical power even to-day" Sigmund Freud, A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis

The idea that words could create something from nothing has, in a way, come true. What once was the realm of myth and religion—where words had the power to manifest—has evolved into a technological reality. We are no longer calling on gods or spirits but tapping into data-driven algorithms that can materialize our ideas into tangible outputs.

Words Hold Magic (now for real)

The evolution of language from a mystical tool to a modern technological interface is a fascinating journey. From ancient myths where words could summon deities, to today’s world where prompts can generate intelligent responses from AI, the power of language has only grown more sophisticated.

As we continue to explore the boundaries of AI, the parallels between ancient beliefs in the creative force of words and our modern use of language in technology are striking. In many ways, we have made real the old belief that knowing the right words can unlock extraordinary power. The difference is that today, those words don’t invoke spirits—they command machines.

In this era of AI, words have not lost their magic. If anything, they have become more potent than ever, offering us new ways to create, innovate, and transform the world around us.