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AI versus Everything

Updated: Jan 18

Edited: January 1st, 2025

**Some of the images present in this post were generated using AI.


Introduction

Have you noticed the significant and growing presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in our everyday lives? From advertisements promoting Google's innovative AI system, Gemini, to AI-driven companion applications on social media platforms, and even to utilizing ChatGPT for brainstorming, writing, or coding assistance. AI is becoming an increasingly essential part of our technology-driven society. But what exactly is AI, and how will it influence creative professions, the job market, and the fabric of society as a whole? In this blog post, we will look into these pressing questions and maybe provide a little more clarity regarding this topic.


What is AI?

Artificial Intelligence, commonly referred to as AI, is defined by Britannica as the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to execute tasks that are typically associated with sentient beings, including humans. One of the most vital functions of AI is its capacity for reasoning. While many AI systems currently lack the comprehensive flexibility that humans possess across a broad range of activities and scenarios that require common knowledge, some specialized AI applications can perform certain tasks at a level comparable to or even superior to that of human beings. This includes work in areas such as image recognition, natural language processing, and data analysis.


How AI Has Been Integrated

AI is not a new phenomenon; it has existed in various forms for decades. If you’ve ever used a search engine like Google or Bing to find information online, encountered precisely targeted advertisements that seem to know your interests, or interacted with virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, or Cortana, you’ve experienced an example of the capabilities of AI technology. However, the integration of AI into our daily experiences has begun to deepen significantly in recent years.


Leading technology companies such as Meta, X (formerly Twitter), Apple, and Google have all played pivotal roles in embedding AI functionalities within their applications and services. Social media platforms now use AI algorithms to personalize user feeds and recommend content based on individual behaviors and preferences. For example, Meta plans to integrate more AI chatbots into its platforms as a strategy to boost user engagement and enhance the entertainment value of its services. Similarly, productivity software employs AI to automate repetitive tasks, analyze large datasets, and assist with decision-making processes.


As AI continues to evolve, it raises important questions about its implications for various aspects of our lives, such as the transformation of creative careers, changes in job markets, ethical considerations, and the overall impact on society. Understanding these dynamics is crucial as we navigate a future increasingly intertwined with artificial intelligence.


The Positives

There are several advantages to using AI. For instance, AI can be a valuable tool for both students and professionals. You may have come across advertisements for applications like Grammarly on online platforms like YouTube or on television. Grammarly is a cloud-based typing assistant that was launched in 2009 and founded in Ukraine. It was designed to review and enhance written texts in English. Since its inception, it has incorporated generative AI based on GPT-3, allowing the software to generate and rewrite content based on user prompts.


Grammarly helps users identify and correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax errors. It also offers feedback on sentence structure, word choice, tone, and overall engagement. While it's not flawless, both students and professionals could benefit from tools like Grammarly, as it supports clear writing and proper grammar; I can personally attest to how much it has improved my ability to rewrite and correct grammar errors in documents, emails, or create social media posts.


But I believe one of the biggest reasons many people have taken to AI is the accessibility that it permits. A good example of this is the use of AI virtual assistants. These software programs utilize artificial intelligence to understand natural language voice commands and perform tasks for the user. AI virtual assistants simplify various tasks, including scheduling appointments and meetings, sending emails and messages, making phone calls, setting reminders and alarms, and providing information and answers to questions.


Virtual assistants are just one of a few examples of how AI offers people the ability to accelerate certain processes through the use of automation for repetitive tasks. This offers individuals or teams of people the ability to focus on higher levels of workflow. AI can also be used to review and draft documents in legal or professional settings or create basic text pieces and copywrites for marketers and sales specialists.

Content creators often leverage generative AI for various tasks, including writing articles, coding, designing thumbnails, creating social media graphics, and producing other marketing materials. Generative AI is also commonly used to create stock imagery, clip art, simple animations, and voice narration; I've personally utilized generative AI at times to produce stock images/illustrations for this and previous blog posts. Additionally, those who make videos for platforms like YouTube or other streaming services may use AI tools to enhance the viewing experience for their audiences.

Believe it or not, AI could be a useful tool to help creatives when brainstorming ideas. And yes, I do understand how controversial this statement may come across, but I believe that AI could be a significant help to individuals who may be struggling with writer's block or artist's block. For example, if you have a story or illustration idea but are finding it difficult to find the right words to write or you may have an idea for a drawing but nothing you sketch seems to come out just right... this is where AI can step in.


By describing your idea, you can receive a written prompt or an image that reflects your original input. While the resulting prompts may not always align with your expectations, they can serve as a useful starting point. I do not suggest that you simply "copy and paste" the AI-generated results; rather, consider using any output as a reference or template that can guide your written documents, stories, designs, or other projects.


The Negatives

If you just happen to be an artist or other fellow creative and you found the last part of the previously written section to be offensive, please understand that was not my intention; I understand that this is a contentious topic, particularly among artists, but if any of you outside the creative career field have spent any amount of time on social media, you may have noticed that many creatives—writers, illustrators, graphic designers, and others—have expressed their displeasure with AI.


As previously mentioned, I did present some positives that AI tools could offer, but at the same time, I can understand why many artists are reluctant to embrace it. One significant concern is the issue of consent. AI generates content by using algorithms that analyze a vast dataset of existing text, images, audio, and more. As a result, many creatives are uncomfortable with the lack of consent or control involved in this process. This lack of consent also raises concerns about copyright infringement, as many AI-generated artworks rely on copyrighted materials.


Additionally, artists have highlighted other concerns, such as the lack of creativity and uniqueness in AI-generated art, the ethical implications it imposes, the potential loss of livelihood, and the overall fear of being replaced by AI itself. Many artists also view AI as a "cheat" that enables non-artists to create artwork without putting in the effort or dedication typically required.


There have been several controversies and discussions surrounding the use of generative AI applications for art, particularly regarding originality and authorship.

Case in point, one notable incident involved an AI-generated artwork titled "Theatre D'opera Spatial." In 2022, a man named Jason M. Allen submitted this piece as an entry in the Colorado State Fair annual art competition and won first place. The twist is that Jason created this artwork using Midjourney, a text-to-image generative AI tool. Unsurprisingly, many artists expressed their dissatisfaction with this outcome.


One criticism came from an X user named WillibrodusART, who stated, "Prompting a machine to make you something does not make you an artist." This sentiment reflected the broader concerns many artists continue to express about the use of generative AI in creative fields.


Jason, despite winning first place and feeling proud of his achievement, is now suing the U.S. Copyright Office for rejecting his request for copyright protection for his work. He argues that "Theatre D'opera Spatial" is a genuine expression of his creativity and claims that the Office's decision has put him in a difficult position, leaving him without any means of protecting himself against others who are openly and repeatedly stealing his work.


Jason Allen's case was just an example of the many concerns artists and others within the creative community have already made plain.


Talk about irony.


Earlier this year, Meta announced its intention to use its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, to help train its artificial intelligence tools. This initiative began on June 26th. Following this announcement, many artists who showcased their work on Instagram began departing from the app. A significant number of these artists migrated to an app called Cara, which is a social media platform tailored specifically for artists to create profiles, share their work, and connect with others in the art community.



Since its introduction, AI-generated images have gained a reputation for being inconsistent, often yielding results that can appear strange. For example, characters may end up with extra limbs, and uneven eyes, or may unexpectedly morph on screen. However, some AI platforms are starting to address these issues, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is not.


There are several other drawbacks to using generative AI. Another major concern is its reliance on outdated information; many generative AI models are trained on algorithms that operate using data with cutoff dates. This can lead to the spread of outdated information and limit their ability to provide insights about current events. Other issues include limited scope and reliability, the potential for inaccuracies, lack of validation, and inconsistency in reproduction, where content generated by different models may vary. However, the most pressing issue, in my opinion, is "hallucinations." This occurs when large language models produce fictional information that is presented as factual.


The Risks and Dangers

While I'm not writing this to scare you or induce anxiety, it’s important to acknowledge that there are risks and dangers associated with using artificial intelligence. AI is a tool, but depending on who wields it, the outcomes can either be positive or negative. In rare cases, these outcomes can even be outright nefarious.

I recently came across a website called Elai.io, which allows its users to create interactive avatar-based news videos with just a few clicks and a written script. Now, although this capability isn't inherently problematic, it does raise concerns about the potential for spreading false information or even propaganda with AI. Remember earlier when I mentioned "hallucinations?" Hallucinations, in the context of artificial intelligence, refer to situations where AI models produce incorrect or misleading information that is presented as if it were factual. This can happen for several reasons, including insufficient or biased training data, overfitting, or adversarial attacks. The occurrence of AI hallucinations is particularly prevalent in large language models (LLMs) and generative AI tools. As of late, there has been a rise in the creation of fake news articles, blogs, and images. And when there is a lack of transparency, the boundaries between fact and fiction become increasingly blurred.


Now before I continue, I want to clarify that I have very little interest in politics nor do I lean toward either political side, but I have noticed a marked increase in AI-generated political imagery, particularly when it comes to the spread of misinformation on social media; making it more challenging to discern between reality and fabrication. AI-generated images are increasingly being used to push certain political propaganda, eliciting a range of reactions from social media audiences. For instance, about a month ago, NPR published an article titled "AI-Generated Images Have Become a New Form of Propaganda This Election Season." The article featured the image in question; a picture of a crying little girl holding a puppy while sitting on a boat in the rain. This image garnered millions of views on X (formerly Twitter) and prompted strong emotional responses from many users. The issue, however, is that the image wasn't real.

To further complicate things, accusations made against the Haitian community in Ohio during the 2024 presidential campaign led to the creation of AI-generated offensive memes and downright racist imagery; exacerbating the already rising racial tensions within online social media platforms like X and offline.


But, political propaganda is just one example of how AI is being used in a risky manner.

Scammers have begun using AI-generated voice recordings to exploit their victims. Disturbingly, these recordings often mimic the voice of someone close to the victim, creating the illusion that the person on the other end of the phone is in distress.


This malicious practice is associated with a technology known as "deepfakes." So, what are deepfakes? A deepfake is a type of AI-generated media, typically manifesting as videos or images, that utilizes deep learning algorithms to manipulate and alter existing content. This technology can create fake media that is so convincing it becomes difficult to distinguish from reality.


While many deepfakes that have gone viral tend to be humorous or satirical, the potential for harm is significant if this technology falls into the wrong hands. The implications of this technology are profound, posing risks not only to individuals but also to organizations.

Faking a voice is just one application; deepfakes can also involve swapping a person’s face with someone else’s body. Similar to how AI-generated photographs can be used as a facet to manipulate people's emotions, deepfakes can go as far as to mimic an individual's facial expressions and body movements, superimposing one person's likeness onto another; and ultimately manipulating people's perception of reality.


Video by Exonet on YouTube (September 2022)


Conclusion

The question of whether AI is beneficial or detrimental isn't straightforward. While it may have its drawbacks, it also presents valuable opportunities. For traditional or digital artists, it's natural to feel some apprehension or even negativity towards AI. However, in contexts where automation is needed, AI can be an effective tool, especially for tasks involving repetition. This can lead to increased efficiency and allow individuals to focus on more creative aspects of their work.


It's important to recognize that there are risks associated with using artificial intelligence, and I wouldn't recommend that everyone embrace it without hesitation. Ultimately, the decision to use AI is a personal one, and I encourage individuals to first consider how it aligns with their own goals. From my experience, I’ve found that AI can offer significant advantages, especially for freelancers or small business owners who can learn to leverage its capabilities to enhance their operations. It seems that AI is going to be here for the foreseeable future. However, as of now, AI is merely a tool, and its effectiveness largely depends on the choices and intentions of its users.


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