The arrival of AI and its integration into society and professional environments has no doubt caused somewhat of a seismic shift. Despite the size of the spoon AI brings to the mixing bowl, when you take a second to think about it, it hasn't actually been with us all that long.
Earlier in the year we talked about how AI was poised to shake things up and it’s all happening so quickly. It’s time to grab a coffee, sit down and take a deep breath as we look at what has happened with AI and how creative industries can implement these tools to their benefit - or potentially to their own detriment.
What’s been happening…
The arrival of ChatGPT has set the stage for a whirlwind of discussions, sparking debates about the profound impact AI could wield over society. These span the spectrum from visions of dystopian despair to dreams of boundless potential, underscoring the intrinsic uncertainty that tints our perception of AI's implications. This collective thirst for understanding and enlightenment serves as a driving force, urging us to seek a deeper grasp of the AI landscape.
Since the start of 2023, there have been many AI programs released that aim to tackle different areas. Here are just a select few:
- ChatGPT: Conversational interface for OpenAI's GPT-3, generates text in various forms from prompts.
- Dall-E 2: Transforms text prompts into computer graphics, generating images, drawings, and more.
- Stable Diffusion 2: Open-source text-to-image AI, downloadable for local use, creates images from prompts.
- Lumen5: AI-powered video creation tool for easy production of educational and marketing videos.
- Soundraw: Generates royalty-free AI music based on genre, instruments, mood, and length input.
- Looka: AI logo creator for branding, produces unique logos even without design skills.
- Podcastle: Audio recording/editing with AI tools for professional-level sound and transcription.
- Lalal.ai: Automates audio source separation for extracting vocals, music, and more.
- Legal Robot: Translates complex legal language into understandable terms.
How are people reacting?
In response to the rapidly growing sway of AI, the spotlight has pivoted towards education and hands-on exploration. In the quest to demystify AI, educational initiatives and immersive experimentation have emerged as key areas of interest. This untamable passion is slowly unravelling the ball of yarn that is AI, as it is begging to attract a wider range of stakeholders who possess the means and the knowledge to participate actively and kindle innovation.
By actively participating in said demystification and the harnessing of AI, Crowd is looking to partner up with a number of national and international universities to better our knowledge of AI and to provide a platform for any new and emerging research pushing us to the forefront of innovation within the industry. Going forward, our aim is to be able to tap into AI’s cognitive capabilities, amplifying any future strategic choices made on behalf of Crowd and our clients.
Crowd has historically had a long standing relationship with UK universities, including Bournemouth University, which is local to our UK headquarters.
It is important to note that not all responses have been so positive. A prime example of the distaste that some hold toward AI and its growing impacts on industry is the ongoing strikes currently happening throughout Hollywood. It is clear that the gripes of those striking are not solely focussed on AI technology itself but instead on how it is being used to ‘amplify strategic choices’ as mentioned previously. This has obviously raised concern over whether industry leaders will become too reliant on AI’s ‘cognitive capabilities’ to the detriment of those whose livelihoods it affects.
