Dear Artificial Intelligence… greetings.
We haven’t met, meaning I haven’t had the pleasure of actually interacting with you — obviously you are a part of our narrative now — a huge part of every conversation. You have a Genghis Khan power with an all pervading feel. But I’ve stayed clear of actually saying “hello” — we haven’t met face-to-interface.
(I will admit, however I have many interpretations of what AI stands for- Absolute Insanity, Amazing Insights, Algorithms Incorporated, Artificial Ideation…)
Everyone asks me the question, “Are you into AI?”… and my answer is no. In part my negative response comes from my uneasy relationship with technology, but I have a sense of deep seated suspicion of how AI is being used. Or misused.
I see you, dear AI, as a possible long term destructive force.
Many businesses have been effected by you… in some you’ve replaced people. Man defeated by machine… in others, you’ve aided work, or simplified it, no question. In my world of advertising I’d say you’ve been a help and a hindrance. In this world, of mine, the universe of creativity, ideas and of storytelling and writing, AI is taking on the role of Artistic Invader. And my primary concern is this — is creativity becoming a one-size-fits-all art form — is left brain being corroded by right brain.
Anyone can lay claim to it — can a few commands enable a non-writer to become one, or a non-visual person to become a fledgling artist.
AI, at the moment, you are the opposite of individual thought, the anti-thesis of unique creation, the enemy of rigour, you’ve become a shortcut, the easy way-out, suddenly everyone’s a writer a wordsmith, a cartoonist, all it seems to require is a correct prompt.
So here are my reservations, and maybe, we’re not using you correctly… in my world, I hire copywriters, men and women who’s minimum qualification is can he/she write, think, ideate, conjure stories. When a young creative trainee comes in for a job, my brief is quite simple and direct: Can you write?, Does your headline have drama?, Is it attention grabbing?, Does it force the reader or viewer or consumer to read further?, Is it visually arresting?, Do your scripts have ideas in them? Do they force the consumer to feel an emotion? Does your body copy engage the reader? You need to craft that body, polish it till it shines… you cannot just feed some words into AI and expect a great result, what you will get is “tepid content”, vanilla without the chocolate sauce.
And we will get an ocean of everything dumbed down, of all content totally over-simplified. Will everyone have a Da Vinci code, an easy entry to colourless creativity.
Finally, will we be forever bereft of AU — Absolute Uniqueness? AI creativity will become an assembly line, an art form where everyone can paint, images that all look the same — AI, are you a quick fix, a quantity over quantity algorithm? Are you a virtual cookie jar? Anyone can reach into you.
And so I ask, can a prompt replace passion? Can a command substitute craft? Can mediocrity replace meticulousness?
Will the needle rest finally on an “all things to all men” philosophy? Are we producing “conveyor belt” creative people?
Will AI stand for Absolute Insipidness? Or Artificial Individuality? Or Assembly line ideas?
Dear AI, I know you were a tool created for us to dive deep. The question is are we more comfortable wading around in the shallow end?
Rahul daCunha is an adman, theatre director/playwright, filmmaker and traveller. Reach him at rahul.dacunha@mid-day.com