Memo to Hollywood: AI Is Both a Threat and an Opportunity

Recently, the media has focused more on the possible threats of artificial intelligence (AI). These have included issues of lay-offs, emission of more carbon, up to the extreme of seeing the apocalypse for the industry. That said, the most profound threat that AI offers is in the creativity of man and therefore our humanity.

Our creativity has set us apart from other species for thousands of years, from the first paintings on the walls of caves to speak of their tribes’ lives to today’s great art. This intrinsic human trait has evolved with society, imagining futures that technology is now making real, such as in “2001: In the movies such as “A Space Odyssey,” “Ready Player One,” and “Her” there is a limit set to how far artificial intelligence can go in society.

Traditionally, on one hand, artists thought about strategy inside computers while, on the other hand, engineers implemented these strategies. It is now capable of ideation thereby posing a threat to idea makers, narration thereby threatening a story teller and imaging thereby threatening an artist. It leads to the following critical thinking questions about future of creativity and innovations among human beings. But if AI is capable of developing at such a conjoint rate, of attaining levels of creatively faster and better, then where does that leave us? This raises the question of how this can be prevented from happening to the human being where aspects such as curiosity and imagination will be eroded.

Many industries can and will be revolutionized by AI; however, it is crucial to think about the erosion of the human element in artistic niches. Creativity shall enable people to engage, share and impact with their creations in a way that touches a variety of other people’s lives. If machines assume these tasks, then people will be diminished in one of the ways that defines them.

Economic realities can also be attributed to it. Innovation protection in the tech industry involves patents for compensation and control over the accomplished conceptualizations. Likewise, creative people such as poets and painters need to be compensated fairly for their endeavors in fashioning art pieces. Hearing each other and acknowledging each other’s input is, therefore, crucial as we go about the processes of integration.

We have been in similar positions before, officially, and pushed to the edge of extinction by our innovation, as well as rescued by it. The idea should therefore not be to fear that one day machines will take over our jobs but rather how best AI can be used to complement and lift our levels. AI can be a friend, to simplify the work and make us better at it.

Please note that AI did not write this piece; at least, not in the way suggested by this phrase.

Source: Hollywood Reporter.
Image: ADOBE STOCK