Which, coincidentally, is exactly the same soul that appears in art.

Walter Benjamin called it "aura" - something a physical original has, but a reproduction doesn't.

It explains why collectors pay $$$$$ for a guitar played by [famous musician], even though they can't play.

There's no objective way to look at any one guitar and divine its history. Without provenance or physical customisation, any Rickenbacker or Les Paul is indistinguishable from any other of the same production run.

But we believe in sympathetic magic. Objects are charged with mysterious non-physical manna through proximity to wealth and status. Owning these special objects confers that manna on us, and perhaps our fortune will increase.

It's the logic of witchcraft lurking at the heart of capitalism.

One of the fun things about AI is that it deconstructs this while reinforcing it. Huge collections of high status manna are now inside a machine, and available for free, or near as.

Do we still believe in magic, or not?

> It explains why collectors pay $$$$$ for a guitar played by [famous musician], even though they can't play.

They do that so, when they get together, they have a story to tell to other famous people. If that guitar were to be replaced, nobody would be able to tell the difference.

The aura is just our minds comprehending the context of the original. Its rarity, the complexity or simplicity of its construction, our respect for the creator, etc.