Edd Coates’ Post

Mat Van Rhoon is just right! Straight to the point of putting artists first and AI, well, in third ; ) First of all, tech is nothing without heart and knowledge. Just bytes. We must protect the craft because even if AI changes everything on how we do it, we still need core fundamentals to be able to do it right. And secondly, because it’s not there yet. Anyone who has ever tried to get a clear and defined outcome from AI knows that it still generates what it “wants” and not what we envisioned from the beginning. Perhaps the most important phrase of this post is the next one: “Being an artist is about being in control of the creative process even if we are not 100% sure of the outcome.” When a non-artist creates something through an AI he manages to take away both things, creative control and process. What remains is a game of rolling the dices with the computer to get visual outcomes. It’s not good enough right now.

This really hits home. AI is not a substitute for a human with a creative mind. If you're using AI, you're not creating art. You're writing a prompt. I understand that sometimes it's useful. Trust me, after scrolling through free services like Unsplash and Pexels to find the right image for a blog, I can imagine writing a prompt for "Woman in New York drinking a Coffee while looking at a Shop Window" might indeed give you better results on an AI platform, but for actual art? Real human thought goes towards every art piece created. There's no substitute for that. Edit: Editing just to say that I think AI generation can be a good source of inspiration. Some days the creative juices just aren't flowing. But with layoffs at an all time high... it won't just be designers which are impacted. Afterall, who wants a world where everything looks the same?

This is admirable and, with some luck and great talent, this strategy may pan out for this studio in the long term. But if it does, that studio may be one of very few who manage to corner that “made by human” niche market. Most clients will happily choose fast+cheap+good over the slow+expensive+good… This won’t happen overnight across the board. Low hanging fruit are CG product beauty shots, CG abstractions, semi-generic infographic videos etc. these will probably start being disrupted within 1-5 years. Last to be affected are narrative films. One medium that would be truly scary and crazy if replaced by AI: documentary filmmaking. Let’s hope we never have to question the validity of that artform…

AI truly is incredible. But just like any innovation, there is such a thing as going too far. Artists fought hard to cultivate this industry to what it is now and deserve a seat in perpetuating its experiences. I really appreciate this stance toward AI. We must prioritize creating experiences that actually matter. A human one. Use AI ethically and continue to hire humans so your projects have heart. We are in this business to create things that people can feel. Only humans can accomplish that.

Summary: Person happy to use AI to save time and money on production really worried about people using AI to save time and money on production. "I no longer would have to travel to locations. If I wanted to be in the snow in Colorado, it’s text. If I wanted to write a scene on the moon, it’s text, and this AI can generate it like nothing. If I wanted to have two people in the living room in the mountains, I don’t have to build a set in the mountains, I don’t have to put a set on my lot. I can sit in an office and do this with a computer, which is shocking to me. It makes me worry so much about all of the people in the business. Because as I was looking at it, I immediately started thinking of everyone in the industry who would be affected by this, including actors and grip and electric and transportation and sound and editors, and looking at this, I’m thinking this will touch every corner of our industry." ...I just used AI in two films that are going to be announced soon. That kept me out of makeup for hours. In post and on set, I was able to use this AI technology to avoid ever having to sit through hours of aging makeup." IMO -- Apart from those who simply care about quality or human creativity, or doing the right thing, everyone will eventually use AI to save costs, unless the audience collectively pushes back on it for reasons of ethics and simply supporting creators. To stop this, the use of AI has to be radioactive to audiences. Just like we (should) push back on other practices, like sweatshop labour, etc. It has to be socially unacceptable, to the extent that audiences say "no thanks, I want no part of that". Money people are always going to money. Perry is wise to take a breather and evaluate the future, but he also has power, influence, and has a choice to make as a creator as well as as a business owner. And audiences need to be educated to understand the stakes, and why they should care about the outcome. (It also sounds like Perry might not quite understand the limitations of this technology yet...) *** https://lnkd.in/gHthGVCh

Every industry will be shifted by this technology. Monitor the AI related news for your industry and determine the best places to stay informed so that you can make decisions based on what will be, not what was. If you’re not sure how to stay informed, set up a Google Alert. For example: “ai technology in x industry”

GenAI Created An Earthquake — The Aftershocks Will Last For Decades By Forrester's report "The Generative AI Advantage" https://lnkd.in/e2UbPzc6 GenAI has already shaken things up. Next, it will become deeply embedded in our daily lives. As a horizontal technology, it will hit and disrupt every industry, including regulated industries. We predict that its impacts — both good and ill — will far outpace what we’ve seen so far today. “ChatGPT has done a decade’s worth of evangelism,” Ryan Welsh, Kyndi’s founder and CEO, told us. But genAI won’t need much evangelism when it becomes central to how we navigate nearly all forms of technology. Its deeply democratic accessibility, rooted in natural language, will make it ubiquitous. And its impacts will extend far beyond today’s chatbots and image generators in the coming years — it will impact how we interact with each other, machines, and media in ways that we can’t imagine today. But we’re willing to conjecture about some of the tectonic shifts in store for people, business, and society: 1) Training data will become both a practical and culture war battleground. 2) Attempts to converse with the past will be as creepy as they are educational. 3) A digital simulation of the employee who preceded you in your job will train you. 4) A crisis of authenticity will place a premium on verifiably human experiences. 5) We’ll bid adieu to dubs and subtitles as genAI comes to video content. 6) A new era of personalized learning will reduce teacher shortages. 7) Climate and environmental concerns will rival other ethical concerns. https://lnkd.in/erjBmgg3

Many of my colleagues have asked me about my thoughts on how AI will impact the entertainment industry. Even though AI has been a part of our industry for some time, it is crucial to consider how prepared we are for when AI replaces human workers. Instead of being afraid, we need to have a clear perspective on how it should be included in our industry, how it will be regulated for our benefit, and how we can leverage the insights and efficiencies it can provide. We should identify opportunities in the increasingly digital world and understand how AI works so that we can utilize it to create more jobs or make our current jobs easier. AI is here to stay, and by building intelligent automation that brings higher productivity and worker satisfaction, we can remain empowered and perhaps reframe the narrative associated with change. https://lnkd.in/gZU3ay9V

Reflecting on a fascinating read from The Hollywood Reporter about Tyler Perry's recent insights on AI in our industry https://lnkd.in/equJ7Mkg , I'm struck by the sheer velocity of change we're witnessing. It's astonishing to see the boundaries of creativity and technology being pushed every day, reshaping how we conceive, produce, and interact with content. As we navigate this rapid evolution, it begs the question: Should we start taking mental snapshots of the industry's current landscape? There's a certain charm in the idea of reminiscing 'the old days' with future generations, sharing tales of how things were done before AI transformed the creative horizon. Whether it's the tools we use, the way stories are told, or how characters come to life on screen, each aspect of our industry is undergoing monumental shifts. It's almost imperative we keep a record, not just for nostalgia but as a beacon for understanding the journey of innovation and adaptation. Let's embrace this incredible journey, ensuring we not only adapt and thrive but also remember and document our experiences. This way, we can offer invaluable insights and perhaps a few amusing anecdotes about 'the way things were' to the storytellers of tomorrow. #FilmIndustry #AIInnovation #TylerPerry #CreativeTechnology #FutureOfContent #ai

Will #AI steal our jobs? Seems so according to Tyler Perry Studios. The studio founded by the famous actor postponed a $ 800M investment to expand its operations, which he'd been planning for the last few years, given the new development in AI. And in particular OpenAI's #Sora. What did he find shocking about AI? "I no longer would have to travel to locations. If I wanted to be in the snow in Colorado, it’s text. If I wanted to write a scene on the moon, it’s text, and this AI can generate it like nothing." So what needs to be done? "I just hope that as people are embracing this technology and as companies are moving to reduce costs and save the bottom line, that there’ll be some sort of thought and some sort of compassion for humanity [...] And I think the only way to move forward in this is to galvanize it as one voice, not only in Hollywood and in this industry, but also in Congress." That's how thin our thread is: humanity and government. What a time to be alive. Full interview: https://bit.ly/3V3lpvA