Honestly visual media just seems to be the start. In the past two years we've seen about as much robotics progress as the last 20. If this momentum keeps up then we're not just talking about artists that are going to have issues.
Maybe the progress you’re describing has escaped me because of the sheer speed this is all unfolding, but it feels like all I’ve heard is lots of noise, while AI companies continue to hammer hosted resources across the Internet to build their next model, the US government continues to claim they’ll use AI to solve problems of waste and fraud, companies like Shopify claim they won’t hire anyone unless it can be proven that AI cannot do the job, and an increasing % of the content I encounter is AI slop.
Maybe this is all necessary for a proper backlash to form, and I definitely want to become more aware of the positives anywhere I can find them. I’m not an AI doomer, but haven’t yet found the optimism you describe.
This is very easy to lose sight of, especially given rapid advancements, but it's important. I think certain companies like Anthropic definitely have safety approaches that I agree with more, being more thoughtful and having clearly-outlined scaling policies (such as the latest Responsible Scaling Policy effective March 31 of this year) versus more vague safety promises such as from companies such as OpenAI and Google. Websites such as https://www.freethink.com have wonderful essays espousing techno-humanism that ultimately gives compelling arguments on how AI will be a progressively beneficial force on humanity, rather than detract from it.
Yes, there WILL be growing pains - as is what happened with the internet and the World Wide Web. But, I am confident that we will adapt. There is no better time in history to be living in than right now.
Unfortunately I think the answer to this question is a resounding “no”.
The time for thoughtful shaping was a few years ago. It feels like we’re hurtling toward a future where instead we’ll be left picking up the pieces and assessing the damage.
These tools are impressive and will undoubtedly unlock new possibilities for existing artists and for people who are otherwise unable to create art.
But I think it’s going to be a rough ride, and whatever new equilibrium we reach will be the result of much turmoil.
Employment for artists won’t disappear, but certain segments of the market will just use AI because it’s faster, cheaper, and doesn’t require time consuming iterations and communication of vision. The results will be “good enough” for many.
I say this as someone who has found these tools incredibly helpful for thinking. I have aphantasia, and my ability to visualize via AI is pretty remarkable. But I can’t bring myself to actually publish these visualizations. A growing number of blogs and YouTube channels don’t share these qualms and every time I encounter them in the wild I feel an “ick”. It’ll be interesting to see if more people develop this feeling.